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The PBR1000 February 2019 Stocks & Commodities Snapshots

March 4, 2019 by admin

February 2019 The PBR1000: A Sweetheart of a Month for The Stock Market Bull

February was another good month for The Stock Market Bull, some experts say he has a lot more ahead of him in 2019, some predict The Stock Market Bear will catch up to him.

By Larry C. Paxton

The February 2019 US Stock Exchanges Summary: It was easily another overwhelming month for The Stock Market Bull as all major US exchanges finished up 3% or more and over their November 2018 closes prior to the December collapse. On occasion The Stock Market Bear would make an appearance for a day now and then, and did have a run of 3 days at the end of the month, but with only moderate margins.

The Month 2 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 2 months
The Stock Market Bear: 0 months
Mixed Results: 0 months

The February 2019 US Major Stock Market Exchanges Summary

Number of Trading Days: 19

Number of Gain(+)/Loss(-) Days: DJIA 11+/9-; NASDAQ 13+/6-; SPX 12+/7-.

Record Days: None

Longest Gain Streak(Consecutive Days): DJIA 3 days(02/01-05/19, 02/15-20/19), NASDAQ 8 days(02/08-20/19), SPX 5 days(01/30-02/05/19)

Longest Loss Streak(Consecutive Days): DJIA 4 days(02/06-11/19), NASDAQ 2 days(02/06-07/19), SPX 3 days(02/26-28/19)

Big Swing Up Days(>1.00%): 3 days (02/04/19(N +1.15%), 02/12/19(D +1.49%, N +1.46%, S +1.29%), 02/15/19(D +1.74%, S +1.09%))

Big Swing Down Days(<-1.00%): 1 day (02/07/19(N -1.18%)

The PBR1000 February 2019 Snapshots

The following are Top 5 partial tables excerpts from The PBR1000 February 2019 Snapshots. The price for stocks is for the close of trading on February 28, 2019, Month % Chg is compared to January 31, 2019, YTD % Chg is compared to December 31, 2018, and the 14 Months % Chg is compared to December 29, 2017. The PBR Rank is by annual revenues.

To get the complete The PBR1000 Snapshots just click here to get your 12 month subscription and automatically download the February 2019 edition with the complete 15 Snapshots and 27 rankings and the bonus The PBRMarketTools US Monthly Indices Snapshots.

Table 1(S11): The PBR1000 Top 5 Month Stock Price % Gainers

Table 1 Summary: The range was +116% to -87%. 721 out of 1,000 stocks were up 0% or more. The average was a gain of +3.22%, the median was a gain of 3.84%. The DJIA was +3.67%, NASDAQ +3.44%, SPX +2.97%.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Price 02/28/19	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	14Mos % Chg
Diebold Nixdorf	530	DBD	$ 9.19	+116	+269	-44
iHeartMedia	444	IHRTQ	$ 1.01	+110	+130	+102
Sears Holdings	170	SHLDQ	$ 0.88	+73	+226	-75
Pyxus Intl	895	PYX	$ 26.99	+66	+128	+104
Pier 1 Imports	905	PIR	$ 1.35	+65	+335	-67

Table 2(S12): The PBR1000 Top 5 Year-To-Date Stock Price % Gainers

Table 2 Summary: The range was +165% to -45%. 936 out of 1,000 stocks were up 0% or more. The average was a gain of +9.33%, the median was a gain of 10.88%. The DJIA was +7.17%, NASDAQ +9.74%, SPX +7.87%.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Price 02/28/19	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	14 Mos % Chg
Pier 1 Imports	905	PIR	$ 1.35	+65	+335	-67
Diebold Nixdorf	530	DBD	$ 9.19	+116	+269	-44
Sears Holdings	170	SHLDQ	$ 0.88	+73	+226	-73
Ferrellgas	863	FGP	$ 1.41	+16	+161	-67
FannieMae	21	FNMA	$ 2.68	+6	+153	+1

Table 3(S13): The PBR1000 Top 5 14 Months Stock Price % Gainers

Table 3 Summary: The range was +228% to -96%. 442 out of 999 stocks were up 0% or more. The average was a gain of 0.94%. The median was a loss of 3.53%. The DJIA was +4.84%, NASDAQ +9.11%, SPX +4.15%.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Price 02/28/19	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	14 Mos % Chg
BlueLinx	896	BXC	$ 32.04	+10	+30	+228
Square	846	SQ	$ 81.24	+14	+45	+134
AMD	490	AMD	$ 23.53	-4	+27	+129
Insperity	671	NSP	$ 126.27	+18	+35	+120
Chipotle	537	CMG	$ 607.53	+15	+41	+110

Table 4(S15): The PBR1000 Top 5 Market Capitalization

Table 4 Summary: The range was $840 billion to $0.03 billion. The average is $25.787 billion, median is $7.50 billion, out of 1,000 companies.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Market Cap($B) 02/28/19	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	14 Mos % Chg
Microsoft	23	MSFT	$ 860 B	+7	+12	+30
Apple	3	AAPL	$ 816 B	+4	+10	-7
Amazon	5	AMZN	$ 805 B	-4	+11	+45
Alphabet	15	GOOG	$ 779 B	+0	+8	+7
Berkshire Hathaway	4	BRKB	$ 498 B	-2	+8	+7
The PBR1000			$ 26,404 B	-2	-0	+1

Table 5: The PBR1000 Index & Primary US Stock Exchanges/Commodities

Company	Price 02/28/19	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	14 Mos % Chg
The PBR1000	86,556.60	+3.2	+12.9	+0.9
DJIA	25,916.00	+3.7	+11.1	+4.8
NASDAQ	7,532.53	+3.4	+13.5	+9.1
S&P500	2,784.49	+3.0	+11.1	+4.2
GOLD	1,314.90	-0.6	+2.4	+0.8
SILVER	15.64	-2.1	+0.5	-7.9
OIL	57.45	+6.7	+25.4	-4.4

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The PBR1000 February 2019 Breaking News Recap

March 2, 2019 by admin

Annual US corporate earnings and 2019 guidance featured many interesting strategies to cope with the current volatility of trade policies, world events, and US politics.

By Larry C. Paxton

The February 2019 News Summary: There is still a feeling of optimism for the US/China trade negotiations, the US tariffs have been delayed as a result, but very few specifics have been made available. The US/N Korea talks were not as productive however, with no commitment by N Korea regarding denuclearization. Corporate earnings for 2018 were somewhat mixed, but positive for many key companies. Several companies announced restructuring and strategic alternatives initiatives and it was an active month for share buyback programs. There was some mergers & acquisitions activity, most notably the SunTrust/BB&T $66 billion all stock merger. Economic news was also somewhat mixed, but results and forecasts indicate an economy that continues to grow at a moderate pace as it appears the rest of the world will be slowing down. The initial estimate for the 4Q18 GDP was at +2.6%, better than anticipated. The Federal Reserve has backed off increasing short term federal funds rates and changed its assessment of the US economy from “strong” to “solid.” With the houses split politically and it still being early in the year, the US Congress has not produced much legislation, but did pass a spending bill. The 2020 US election races are starting to heat up with a lot of horses lining up for the Democratic presidential nomination.

***Thursday, February 28:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for February 2019 ending 02/28/19:

DJIA ends February at 25,916.00, -0.44% from last Friday, +3.67% MTD, +11.10% QTD/YTD, -3.40% from record 26,743.50 set 09/21/18.

NASDAQ ends February at 7,532.53, +0.07% from last Friday, +3.44% MTD, +13.52% QTD/YTD, -7.12% from record 8,109.69 set 08/29/18.

SPX ends February at 2,784.49, -0.29% from last Friday, +2.97% MTD, +11.08% QTD/YTD, -4.99% from record 2,930.75 set 09/20/18.

The February 2019 US Stock Exchanges Recap:
It was easily another overwhelming month for The Stock Market Bull as all major US exchanges finished up 3% or more and over their November 2018 closes prior to the December collapse. On occasion The Stock Market Bear would make an appearance for a day now and then, and did have a run of 3 days at the end of the month, but with only moderate margins.

The Month 2 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 2 months
The Stock Market Bear: 0 months
Mixed Results: 0 months

Amazon(PBR5) introduces Amazon Day service, for Prime members, can specify day you would like to receive your week’s purchases, in support of Shipment Zero project. $AMZN PR link.

Target(PBR38) and lifestyle apparel brand best known for its smiling pink whale logo vineyard vines doing a limited-edition collaboration, collection includes 300+ unique items spanning home and outdoor goods, pets, as well as apparel, accessories and swim for the entire family, price range is $2-$120, most items under $35. $TGT PR link.

Tesla(PBR132) announces standard Model 3 now available for target price of $35,000, 220 miles of range, top speed of 130 mph and 0-60 mph acceleration of 5.6 seconds, upgrade options available, shifting sales worldwide to online only, with some stores to remain open as galleries. $TSLA PR link.

Southwest Airlines(PBR136 $LUV) files a lawsuit accusing mechanics union workers of reporting trivial maintenance issues in an effort to take planes out of service and gain an advantage in contract negotiations. MarketWatch PR link.

Bristol-Myers Squibb(PBR140) shareholders get open letter from activist investor Starboardsaying why it is not voting for the Celgene(PBR220) $74 billion acquisition. $BMY PR link.

Bristol-Myers Squibb(PBR139) responds to letter from activist investor Starboard which says it will vote against $74 billion acquisition of Celgene(PBR220), provides benefits statements for the acquisition. $BMY PR link.

NGL Energy(PBR163) completes $238.8 million sale of its South Pecos Water Disposal Assetsto WaterBridge Resources. $NGL PR link.

PG&E(PBR166) to take $10.5 billion charge related to 2018 Camp Fire and additional $1.0 billion charge related to 2017 N California wildfires, states certain conditions exist which raise substantial doubt about PG&E Corporation’s and the Utility’s ability to continue as going concerns. $PCG PR link.

Gap Inc(PBR179) to separate into two independently traded companies, family apparel brand Old Navy and a yet-to-be named company, which will consist of the iconic Gap brand, Athleta, Banana Republic, Intermix and Hill City, to be completed in 2020. $GPS PR link.

L Brands(PBR228 $LB) to close 53 Victoria’s Secret stores in 2019, still has over 950 stores in the US. CNN PR link.

JCPenney(PBR232) releases 4Q18 results, will close 18 full-line stores in 2019, to close 9 ancillary home and furniture stores, expects positive free cash flow in 2019. $JCP PR link.

Michaels Cos(PBR489) hires Mark Cosby as Interim CEO, succeeds Chuck Rubin who has mutually agreed with the Board to transition out, will remain Chairman until 04/01/19, new CEO search starts. $MIK PR link.

Stericycle(PBR635) President/COO Cindy Miller to become President/CEO, effective 05/02/19, succeeds retiring Charles Alutto; CFO Daniel V. Ginnetti will transition to EVP/International upon appointment of successor. $SRCL PR link.

Delta(PBR66) Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Ned Walker to retire on 05/01/19 after 35 years with the company, Tim Mapes named successor. $DAL PR link.

JCPenney(PBR232) hires Michelle Wlazlo as EVP/Chief Merchant. $JCP PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says the US 4Q18 Advance Estimate Real Gross Domestic Product Annual Rate is +2.6%, $20.891 trillion, +1.1% from 3Q18, +5.3% from 4Q17. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says US National Debt-Public on 02/27/19 was at $16.212 trillion, Intragovernmental Holdings $5.862 trillion, Total Debt $22.074 trillion, +0.4% from 01/31/19, +0.5% YTD(2 months), +5.8% from 02/28/18. USTreasury PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says US 10 Year Treasury Note on 02/28/19 finished at 2.73%, 01/31/19 was at 2.63%, 12/31/18 2.69%, 02/28/18 2.87%. USTreasury PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the US Initial Unemployment Insurance Claims 4 Week Moving Average for Week Ending 02/23/19 is at 229,000, +4.0% from 01/26/19, +2.7% from 02/24/18; Total Insured Unemployment 4 Week Moving Average for Week Ending 02/16/19 is at 1,761,750, +1.4% from 01/19/19, -7.0% from 02/24/18, Uninsured Employment Rate is at 1.3%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says US 4Q18 Total Housing Units was at 138,858,000, 122,469,000 occupied, for an Occupancy Rateof 88.2%, Homeownership Rate is at 64.8%. USDOC PR link.

The MNI February 2019 Chicago Business Barometer(>50 is Gaining) is at 64.7, January 2019 was at 56.7, December 2018 63.8, February 2018 61.9. MNI PR link.

Freddie Mac(PBR37) says US 30 Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Average on 02/28/19 was at 4.35% with 0.5 fees/points, 01/31/19 was at 4.46%, 12/27/18 4.55%, 02/22/18 4.40%. $FMCC PR link.

The American Automobile Assn says US National Average for a Gallon of Gas on 02/28/19 was at $2.413, +6.8% from 01/31/19, -4.6% from 02/28/18. AAA PR link.

***Wednesday, February 27:

FedEx(PBR42) announces FedEx SameDay Bot, an autonomous delivery device designed to help retailers make same-day and last-mile deliveries to their customers, being developed in collaboration with DEKA Development & Research Corp. and its founder Dean Kamen, inventor of many life-changing technologies, including the iBot™ Personal Mobility Device and the Segway®. $FDX PR link.

Best Buy(PBR63) authorizes new $3 billion share repurchase program, replaces the 02/17 existing authorization, had $1.5 billion in purchases remaining. $BBY PR link.

TJX Cos(PBR79) to repurchase approximately $1.75 to $2.25 billion of TJX stock during the fiscal year ending 02/01/20. $TJX PR link.

Blackstone(PBR387) Life Sciences unit provides $250 million in funding in joint venture with Novartis to form Anthos Therapeutics, a new biopharmaceutical company focused on advancing next-generation targeted therapies for high-risk cardiovascular patients. $BX PR link.

Endo Intl(PBR641) terminates around $190 million acquisition of Somerset Therapeutics, LLC, a New Jersey based specialty pharmaceutical company, and the business of its India-based affiliate Wintac Limited, which operates as Somerset Therapeutics’ contract developer and manufacturer, not getting India approvals on a timely basis. $ENDP PR link.

WABCO(PBR669) confirms that it has been approached by ZF Friedrichshafen AG and has engaged in preliminary discussions concerning a potential transaction. $WBC PR link.

DSW(PBR735) expanding its partnership with W Nail Bar to add nail salons to five additional retail locations in Austin, TX, Washington DC and Dublin, OH, an expansion of nail services test in Columbus, OH, locations. $DSW PR link.

Middleby(PBR819) to acquire $100 million/year in revenues Cooking Solutions Group, consists of the well-known brands APW Wyott®, Bakers Pride®, BKI® and Ultrafryer®, from Standex International Corporation (NYSE: SXI). $MIDD PR link.

Pyxus(PBR895) promotes Tracy G. Purvis to EVP/Business Services. $PYX PR link.

Ocwen Financial(PBR992) hires June C. Campbell as CFO, effective 03/04/19; Joseph J. Samarias will assume the role of EVP and General Counsel, effective 04/01/19, succeeds Timothy M. Hayes who is retiring. $OCN PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says US Preliminary December 2018 New Orders-Durable Goods were at $254.1 billion, Non-Durable Goods $245.8, Total $499.9 billion, +0.1% from November 2018, +2.4% from December 2017. USDOC PR link.

The US Energy Information Administrationsays US Crude Oil Stocks on 02/22/19 were at 445.9 Millions of Barrels, +0.0% from 01/25/19, +5.3% from 02/23/18. EIA PR link.

***Tuesday, February 26:

Walmart(PBR1) announces intent to achieve 100 percent recyclable, reusable or industrially compostable packaging for its private brand packaging by 2025, names additional goals. $WMT PR link.

ExxonMobil(PBR2) added 4.5 billion oil-equivalent barrels of proved oil and gas reserves in 2018, now has 24.3 billion barrels in proven reserves for life of 17 years at current production rates. $XOM PR link.

AT&T(PBR10) merger with Time Warner upheld by DC Circuit Court. $T PR link.

GE(PBR19) Chairman/CEO Larry Culp sends first annual letter to shareholders, goal is to return GE to a position of strength, focus on team, technology, and global network, working on improving financial position, strengthening business starting with Power. 2018 10-K shows worldwide employees at 283,000 with 97,000 in the US, 2017 had 313.000 employees with 106,000 in the US. $GE PR link.

Boeing(PBR29) acquisition of 80% stake for $4.2 billion in joint venture with Brazil based Embraer(B3: EMBR3, NYSE: ERJ) gets Embraer shareholders approval, to close by end of 2019. $BA PR link.

Marriott Intl(PBR119) projecting to open more than 30 luxury properties around the globe across its 8 luxury brands in 2019. $MAR PR link.

Tesla(PBR132) CEO Elon Musk gets two weeks by judge to explain why he shouldn’t be held in contempt for his unauthorized tweet saying Tesla would produce 500,000 vehicles in 2019. $TSLA PR link.

Gap Inc(PBR179) authorizes new $1.0 billion share repurchase program, supersedes 02/25/16 existing authorization. $GPS PR link.

Newell Brands(PBR198) in Accelerated Transformation Plan to sell its $123 million in sales in 2018 Rainbow® indoor environments products developer and manufacturer Rexair to global private equity firm Rhone Capital, to close 2Q19, terms not disclosed. $NWL PR link.

Ameriprise(PBR243) authorizes additional $2.5 billion for share repurchase program through 03/31/21, current authorization with $500 million remaining expires 06/30/19. $AMP PR link.

Campbell Soup(PBR327) to sell its Ferndale, MI-based No. 1 branded refrigerated salsa in the US Garden Fresh Gourmet unit, also makes, sells and distributes hummus, dips and tortilla chips, to a Fountain of Health USA affiliate, to close in fiscal 3Q19, terms not disclosed. $CPB PR link.

Wynn Resorts(PBR401) says “The completion of the review by Nevada regulators is an important step forward, and we deeply appreciate the trust and confidence they have placed in the new leadership of Wynn Resorts to ‘grow and prosper.’” Provides review of actions it has taken since departure of Steve Wynn for sexual misconduct. $WYNN PR link.

Vitamin Shoppe(PBR995) to open around 30 popup stores in Navy Exchange Serviceslocations by end of 2019, will carry 300+ items. $VSI PR link.

Arconic(PBR222) hires Neil Marchuk as EVP/Human Resources effective 03/01/19. $ARNC PR link.

The US Congressional Budget Office projects that if the debt limit is not raised or suspended again after it is automatically reset on 03/02/19, the Treasury will probably run out of cash near the end of fiscal year 2019 or early in fiscal year 2020. CBO PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/HUD says US Preliminary December 2018 Private Housing Building Permits Issued Annual Rate is at 1,326,000, +0.3% from November 2018, +0.5% from December 2017. USDOC PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond Fifth District February 2019 Manufacturing Index(Annualized) is at +16%, January 2019was at -2%, December 2018 -8%. “Firms remained optimistic that conditions would continue to improve in the next six months.” RichmondFed PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond Fifth District February 2019 Service Sector Revenue Index(Annualized) is at +17%, January 2019 was at +6%, December 2018+10%. “Firms were optimistic that conditions would continue to improve in the near future.” RichmondFed PR link.

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller US December 2018 National Home Price Index(Jan2000=100) is at 212.96, November 2018 was at 213.45, October 2018 213.77, December 2017 204.42. Case-Shiller PR link.

The Conference Board US Preliminary February 2019 Consumer Confidence Index is at 131.4, January 2019 was at 121.7. “Looking ahead, consumers expect the economy to continue expanding. However, according to The Conference Board’s economic forecasts, the pace of expansion is expected to moderate in 2019.” The Conference Board PR link.

***Monday, February 25:

Berkshire Hathaway(PBR4) Chairman Warren Buffett releases the highly anticipated annual letter to shareholders, covers a wide range of issues. $BRKB PR link.

GE(PBR19) completes spin-off of Transportation Systems unit and its merger with Wabtec(PBR595), GE receives around $2.9 billion in cash as well as shares of Wabtec common stock and Wabtec non-voting convertible preferred stock that, together, represent an approximately 24.9% ownership interest in Wabtec. $GE PR link.

50+ Microsoft(PBR22 $MSFT) employees sign letter saying they don’t want the US Army to use their products for war, protest a contract supplying the military with HoloLens headsets. MarketWatch PR link.

Bank of America(PBR25) to continue new branding as Bank of America, Merrill to be sub-brand for its investing and wealth management offerings. $BAC PR link.

Target(PBR38) introduces new labels Auden, Stars Above and Colsie for bras, panties and sleepwear, available in stores and online. $TGT PR link.

Facebook(PBR67) releases a blog post regarding health issues for its content review practices, including for contract reviewers. $FB PR link.

Tesla(PBR132 $TSLA) CEO Elon Musk tweet about 500,000 vehicles to be produced in 2019 gets US Securities and Exchange Commission to ask a federal judge to hold Musk in contempt, says tweet had not been pre-approved, as required by company policy and a court order; Musk replies in a tweet that he had indicated 350,000 to 500,000 vehicles. MarketWatch PR link.

Danaher(PBR158) to acquire the Biopharmabusiness of bioprocessing technologies and solutions provider GE(PBR19) Life Sciences unit for around $21.4 billion cash, expects to generate around $3.2 billion in revenues in 2019, to close in 4Q19. $DHR PR link.

Bausch Health(PBR326) gets US FDA approval for LOTEMAX® SM (loteprednol etabonate ophthalmic gel) 0.38%, a new gel formulation for the treatment of postoperative inflammation and pain following ocular surgery. $BHC PR link.

Newmont Mining(PBR375) gets unsolicited proposal from Barrick Gold, Newmont reiterates it remains confident that the current proposed combination of Newmont and Goldcorprepresents the best opportunity. $NEM PR link.

Regeneron(PBR462) and Sanofi strongly disagree with certain aspects of Delaware US District Court jury verdict upholding the validity of three of the five asserted claims of two Amgen(PBR121) US patents covering antibodies targeting PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9), will appeal. $REGN PR link.

Windstream(PBR463) and all subsidiaries file voluntary petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code, filing result of court decision against Windstream on 02/15/19 regarding spinoff of certain telecommunications network assets into a real estate investment trust that was ruled invalid, has received a commitment from Citigroup Global Markets Inc. for $1 billion in debtor-in-possession financing. $WIN PR link.

Avon Products(PBR469) appoints global creative production company MediaMonks to support its Representative’s growing use of ecommerce and digital tools with a new Content Studio, looking to develop 12,000 content assets annually for Avon’s 50+ worldwide markets. $AVP PR link.

Caesars Entertainment(PBR518) will offer sports-tech entertainment provider DraftKings market access for its online gaming products in multi-state agreement. $CZR PR link.

Rush Enterprises(PBR525) completes formation of 50/50 joint venture with Tallman Group, the largest International Truck dealer in Canada with around $485 million in sales in 2018, will be named Rush Truck Centres of Canada Limited. $RUSHB PR link.

Marathon Oil(PBR551) to exit the UK business with divestitures of its two assets for $140 million, to close in 2H19. $MRO PR link.

Quad/Graphics(PBR573) $1.4 billion all shares acquisition of print and digital media solutions provider LSC Communications(PBR631) gets approval by shareholders of both companies, to close 2H19. $QUAD PR link.

Colfax(PBR670) completes $3.15 billion in cash acquisition of global orthopedic devices, software and services provider DJO Global from private equity funds managed by Blackstone(PBR387). $CFX PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says US Preliminary December 2018 Wholesale Sales-Durable Goods were at $245.6 billion, Nondurable Goods $251.5 billion, Total $497.1 billion, -1.0% from November 2018, +1.0% from December 2017. USDOC PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago says the US Preliminary January 2019 Composite Natl Activity Index is at -0.43, December 2018was at +0.05, November 2018 +0.36, January 2018 -0.29. ChiFed PR link.

***Friday, February 22:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for Week 8 ending 02/22/19:

DJIA ends the week at 26,031.81, +0.57% from last Friday, +4.13% MTD, +11.59% QTD/YTD, -2.97% from record 26,743.50 set 09/21/18.

NASDAQ ends the week at 7,527.54, +0.74% from last Friday, +3.38% MTD, +13.45% QTD/YTD, -7.18% from record 8,109.69 set 08/29/18.

SPX ends the week at 2,792.67, +0.62% from last Friday, +3.28% MTD, +11.40% QTD/YTD, -4.71% from record 2,930.75 set 09/20/18.

The Week 8 US Stock Exchanges Recap:
The Stock Market Bull and The Stock Market Bear took Monday off in observance of the birthday of first US president and founding father George Washington. Tuesday and Wednesday The Stock Market Bulltook charge of the pasture, but on Thursday The Stock Market Bear sunk his claws deep enough to be in the lead. But on Friday The Stock Market Bull recovered nicely, won Week 8 3-0, and continues his unbeaten streak for 2019.

The Week 8 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 7 weeks
The Stock Market Bear: 0 weeks
Mixed Results: 1 week

The Week 8 News Summary: There was a feeling of optimism about the US/China trade negotiations, though very few specifics were mentioned to the public. Corporate earnings continued to be mixed. Economic news was also mixed, existing home sales were down, but builder confidence was up. The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee minutes from the last meeting indicated a wait and see attitude for any further federal funds rate increases in the near future and changed its assessment of the US economy from “strong” to “solid.”

Newmont Mining(PBR374) $12/share, $10 billion equity value all shares acquisition of Canada based global gold producer Goldcorp(NYSE: GC) gets Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Commercial List)interim order, allows Goldcorp to proceed with shareholder meeting scheduled for 04/04/19. $NEM PR link.

Magellan Health(PBR464) shareholders get letter from 9.8% stake investor Starboard, says Magellan has underperformed, should consider sale, nominates 6 people for Board. $MGLN PR link.

Magellan Health(PBR464) responds to 9.8% stake investor Starboard, says will consider director suggestions. $MGLN PR link.

AutoNation(PBR130) hires Carl Liebert as President/CEO, Chairman/President/CEO Mike Jackson to become Executive Chairman, effective 03/11/19. $AN PR link.

Beacon Roofing(PBR423) President/CEO Paul Isabella will leave the Company later this fiscal year, will remain an advisor, new CEO search starts. $BECN PR link.

TrueCar’s ALG forecasts US February 2019 New Vehicle Sales will reach 1,268,141 units, down 2.6% from a year ago, seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) for total light vehicle sales is an estimated 16.6 million units for the month, Average Incentive Spending by automakers will reach an estimated $3,653 per vehicle in February, down $30 or 0.8% from a year ago, and up 3.0% or $108 from January 2019, estimates Average Transaction Price(ATP) $34,565, up 3.0% from a year ago while incentives as a percentage of ATP was at 10.6% down 3.7% year-over-year. TrueCar PR link.

***Thursday, February 21:

Ford(PBR11) investigating process for US emissions certification concerning road load per concern voiced by a handful of employees through its Speak Up program. $F PR link.

Alphabet(PBR21 $GOOG)’s Google unit to end forced arbitration for all worker disputes, takes effect on 03/21/19. Associated Press PR link.

Kraft Heinz(PBR104) in 4Q18 report says recorded non-cash impairment charges of $15.4 billion to lower the carrying amount of goodwill in certain reporting units, primarily US Refrigerated and Canada Retail, and certain intangible assets, primarily the Kraft and Oscar Mayer trademarks, says it received a subpoena in October 2018 from the US Securities and Exchange Commission associated with an investigation into the Company’s accounting policies, procedures, and internal controls related to its procurement function. $KHC PR link.

Tesla(PBR248 $TSLA) Model 3 loses Consumer Reports recommendation over reliability issues, Tesla says vast majority of issues have already been corrected through design and manufacturing improvements. Consumer Reports PR link.

Group 1 Automotive(PBR261) increases share repurchase program to $75 million. $GPI PR link.

Campbell Soup(PBR327) to sell its 225,000 sf Everett, WA, refrigerated soup plant to affiliate of Seattle-based private investment company Joshua Green Corp, terms not disclosed, to close 3Q19. $CPB PR link.

Wabtec(PBR596) to complete acquisition of GE(PBR19 $GE) spin-off Transportation Systems on 02/26/19, Wabtec to become member of S&P 500 on 02/27/19 replacing Goodyear Tire(PBR186 $GT) which will replace Wabtec on the S&P Mid Cap 400. $WAB PR link.

Pinnacle West(PBR636)’s Arizona Public Service subsidiary to add 850 megawatts of battery storage and at least 100 megawatts of new solar generation by 2025, for a total of 950 megawatts of new clean-energy technology. $PNW PR link.

Vail Resorts(PBR869) to purchase the ski fields at Falls Creek Alpine Resort and Hotham Alpine Resort in Victoria, Australia, for around $124 million, expects 1st year revenues of around $13 million, to close prior to 06/19, the start of ski season. $MTN PR link.

Rowan Cos(PBR978) $12 billion all-stock merger with UK based Ensco plc(NYSE: ESV)gets shareholders approval at both companies, to close 1H19. $RDC PR link.

Pioneer Natural Resources(PBR479) CEO Timothy L. Dove retires, Chairman and founding CEO Scott D. Sheffield named CEO, Lead Director J. Kenneth Thompson becomes Chairman, all effective immediately. $PXD PR link.

Caesars Entertainment(PBR517) in 4Q18 report says President/CEO Mark Frissora extending his departure date from 02/08/19 to 04/30/19 to aid in transition, company may extend for up to 1 month. $CZR PR link.

MGM Resorts(PBR267) CFO Dan D’Arrigo to take advantage of voluntary resignation program, COO Corey Sanders to become CFO, President Bill Hornbuckle to add COO role, all effective 03/01/19. $MGM PR link.

Wyndham Destinations(PBR504) names Oliver Chavy to President/RCI Exchanges, a vacation exchange serving approximately 3.8 million members and more than 4,300 affiliated vacation ownership resorts. $WYND PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphiasays the US 3rd District Preliminary February 2019 Manufacturing General Activity Indicatoris at -4.1, first negative reading since 05/16, January 2019 was at +17.0, December 2018+9.1, February 2018 +28.1. “… firms’ responses indicated weaker conditions in the region’s manufacturing sector this month… 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 Preliminary January 2019 Existing Home Sales Inventory Annual Rate is at 4,940,000 homes, -1.2% from December 2018, -8.5% from January 2018; January 2019 Median Existing Home Price was $247,500, -2.4% from December 2018, +2.8% from January 2018. “Existing home sales in January were weak compared to historical norms; however, they are likely to have reached a cyclical low. Moderating home prices combined with gains in household income will boost housing affordability, bringing more buyers to the market in the coming months.” NAR PR link.

The Conference Board says the US Preliminary January 2019 Leading Economic Index(2016=100) is at 111.3, December 2018was at 111.4, November 2018 111.4. Some key data used is estimated because of the recent US federal government partial shutdown. A revision will be released on 03/04/19. TCB PR link.

***Wednesday, February 20:

Marriott Intl(PBR119) and Manchester United (NYSE:MANU) announce multi-year marketing partnership, giving the 120 million members of the Marriott Bonvoy travel programmeexclusive opportunities for once-in-a-lifetime Manchester United football experiences – including the chance to become the club’s Stadium Announcer or Kit Manager for the day. $MAR PR link.

Bristol-Myers Squibb(PBR139) files amended SEC Form S-4 regarding acquisition of global biopharmaceutical company engaged primarily in the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative therapies for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases Celgene(PBR220 $CELG) in cash and stock transaction with an equity value of approximately $74 billion, $102.43/share, stockholders of both companies to vote on 04/12/19, to close in 3Q19. $BMY PR link.

PVH(PBR320) to acquire the interests of its longtime Australian partner Gazal Corporationit does not already own for around $88 million, will give PVH full control of its brands in Australia, did around $185 million in sales in 2018, to close 2Q19. $PVH PR link.

Foot Locker(PBR355) authorizes new $1.2 billion share repurchase program, expires 01/31/22, replaces previous $1.2 billion of which $817 million has been used. $FL PR link.

Vistra Energy(PBR481) acquisition of Canadabased Crius Energy Trust (TSX: KWH.UN) for $328 million modified to $378 million plus the assumption of net debt of approximately $108 million, in response to an unsolicited acquisition proposal from a third party bidder on 02/14/19, Crius unitholders to vote on proposal 03/28/19, to close in 2Q19. $VST PR link.

KLA Corp(PBR580) completes $69.02/share in cash/stock, an equity value at $3.4 billion acquisition of solutions for use in the manufacture of printed circuit boards (PCBs), flat panel displays (FPDs), and semiconductor devices supplier Orbotech(NASDAQ: ORBK). $KLAC PR link.

MDC Holdings(PBR780)’s Richmond American Homes of Nevada subsidiaryannounces Grand Opening of six new communities, prices range from mid $200,000s to low $700,000s. $MDC PR link.

Eastman Kodak(PBR946) CEO Jeffrey Clarke steps down, Chairman Jim Continenza appointed Executive Chairman/CEO. $KODK PR link.

Tesla(PBR248) EVP/General Counsel Dane Butswinkas returning to his law firm, to work with Tesla in an outside role as before, VP/Legal Jonathan Chang named successor, has been with Tesla for 8 years. $TSLA PR link.

The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee Minutes from the 01/29-30/19 Meeting says “…information received since the Committee met in December indicated that the labor market had continued to strengthen and that economic activity had been rising at a solid rate… members agreed to change the characterization of recent growth in economic activity from “strong” to “solid,” consistent with incoming information that suggested that the pace of expansion of the U.S. economy had moderated somewhat since late last year.” FOMC PR link.

***Tuesday, February 19:

Amazon(PBR8) announces Shipment Zero, Amazon’s vision to make all Amazon shipments net zero carbon, with 50% of all shipments net zero by 2030. $AMZN PR link.

Ford(PBR11) to exit the commercial heavy truck business in S America, will cease production at the São Bernardo do Campo plant in Brazilduring 2019, ending sales of the Cargo lineup, F-4000 and F-350 — along with the Fiesta small car — once inventories are sold, will take a $460 million charge, will continue to produce SUVs and pickup trucks. $F PR link.

Alphabet(PBR21 $GOOG)’s Google Cloud unit to acquire data migration and integration services provider Alooma, terms not disclosed. Alooma PR link.

Merck(PBR71) gets US FDA approval for KEYTRUDA anti-PD-1 therapy for the adjuvant treatment of patients with melanoma with involvement of lymph node(s) following complete resection. $MRK PR link.

General Dynamics(PBR89) wholly owned subsidiary Jet Aviation acquires full ownership of the San Juan fixed-base operator (FBO) at Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport in Puerto Rico, terms not disclosed. $GD PR link.

Medtronic(PBR95) gets US FDA Breakthrough Device designation for its Personalized Closed Loop (PCL) insulin pump system, currently in development. $MDT PR link.

CenturyLink(PBR156) gets SEC Form 13D filing from investor Southeastern Asset Management saying it now has 6.2% stake in CTL, has some concerns about direction and leadership. $CTL PR link.

Devon Energy(PBR210) pursuing separation of its Canadian and Barnett Shale assets, authorizes additional $1 billion for shares repurchase program, now at $5 billion, $3.4 billion completed, expires 12/31/19. $DVN PR link.

Hormel Foods(PBR300) to sell its CytoSportbusiness, maker of Muscle Milk, to PepsiCo(PBR43) in next 60-90 days, more details to be provided at 02/21/19 HRL earnings call. $HRL PR link.

Targa Resources(PBR322) to sell a 45% interest in Targa Badlands, the entity that holds all of Targa’s assets in N Dakota, to Blackstone(PBR386) and affiliates for $1.6 billion cash, to close 2Q19. $TRG PR link.

Rockwell Automation(PBR403) and Schlumberger(PBR91) to form 53/47 joint venture Sensia, the oil and gas industry’s first fully integrated digital oilfield automation solutions provider, will have 1,000 employees, anticipates $400 million in annual revenues, to close in summer 2019. $ROK PR link.

Host Hotels(PBR485) acquires the fee simple interest in the 1 Hotel South Beach for $610 million, rated in the top-10 US hotels by Conde Nast Traveler and recently rated the #1 hotel in Miami Beach by TripAdvisor. $HST PR link.

Caesars Entertainment(PBRPBR517) gets SEC 13D filing showing Icahn Enterprises(PBR127) now holds around 10% of CZR outstanding shares. $CZR PR link.

Snap-On(PBR613) authorizes new $500 million share repurchase program, replaces previous authorization which had $206 million remaining. $SNA PR link.

Allergan(PBR174) disagrees with public shareholder letter from investor Apaloosa saying Chairman/CEO position should be split up immediately. $AGN PR link.

Flowers Foods(PBR592) President/CEO Allen L. Shiver to retire at annual meeting in 05/19 after 41 years with the company, COO Ryals McMullian to become President/CEO. $FLO PR link.

Middleby(PBR818) Chairman/President/CEO Selim Bassoul retires, CFO Timothy FitzGerald named CEO, promotes David Brewer EVP/COO, Chief Accounting Officer Bryan Mittelman promoted to CFO, Lead Independent Director Gordon O’Brien named Chairman. $MIDD PR link.

Avnet(PBR152) promotes SVP/Chief Human Resources Officer and Global Marketing & Communications MaryAnn Miller to Chief Administrative Officer, VP/Human Resources for the Americas Ken Arnold promoted to SVP/Chief People Officer. $AVT PR link.

Sherwin-Williams(PBR191) promotes President/Performance Coatings Group David B. Sewell to serve as President/COO, President/Consumer Brands Group Aaron M. Erter becomes President/Performance Coatings Group, and Robert F. Lynch becomes President/Consumer Brands Group, all effective 03/01/19. $SHW PR link.

WestRock(PBR192) President/Consumer Packaging Bob Feeser to retire on 04/30/19, Patrick (Pat) Lindner hired as successor. $WRK PR link.

Avis Budget(PBR321) hires John F. North III as CFO, effective 03/18/19, succeeds interim CFO Martyn Smith who will serve in transitional and advisory role for at least 6 months. $CAR PR link.

Woodward(PBR848) hires Tom Cromwell for newly created position of Vice Chairman and COO. $WWD PR link.

The Natl Assn of Home Builders/Wells Fargo US Preliminary February 2019 Housing Market Composite Index is at 62, January 2019 was at 58, December 2018 56, February 2018 71. “Ongoing reduction in mortgage rates in recent weeks coupled with continued strength in the job market are helping to fuel builder sentiment … In the aftermath of the fall slowdown, many builders are reporting positive expectations for the spring selling season.” NAHB/WF PR link.

***Monday, February 18:

***US Stock Exchanges Closed.
***US Federal Holiday
***Washington’s Birthday Observed.

The PBR1000 January 2019 Snapshots have been released, 15 snapshots with 26 rankings, 200+ fields of data and analytics per company, in MS-Excel format. Get your subscription today! The PBR1000 Subscribe link.

Navient(PBR962) rejects a highly conditional unsolicited “expression of interest” from Canyon Capital Advisors and Platinum Equity Advisorto acquire Navient for $12.50/share cash, a 6.6% premium on the 02/15/19 closing price. $NAVI PR link.

Caterpillar(PBR60) announces changes in responsibilities for three Executive Office members, new roles for two current VPs and the appointment of two new VPs, all effective 03/01/19. $CAT PR link.

Quest Diagnostics(PBR359) hires Gabrielle Wolfson as SVP & Chief Information and Digital Officer. $DGX PR link.

***Friday, February 15:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for Week 7 ending 02/15/19:

DJIA ends the week at 25,883.25, +3.09% from last Friday, +3.53% MTD, +10.96% QTD/YTD, -3.52% from record 26,743.50 set 09/21/18.

NASDAQ ends the week at 7,472.41, +2.39% from last Friday, +2.62% MTD, +12.62% QTD/YTD, -7.86% from record 8,109.69 set 08/29/18.

SPX ends the week at 2,775.60, +2.50% from last Friday, +2.64% MTD, +10.72% QTD/YTD, -5.29% from record 2,930.75 set 09/20/18.

The Week 7 US Stock Exchanges Recap:
Monday was a low volume tepid mixed day. The Stock Market Bull must have realized that The Stock Market Bear was in hibernation and took a big stand on Tuesday and came back on Wednesday for another positive day. The Stock Market Bear made his presence known on Thursday for a mixed day, but The Stock Market Bull chased him back to his cave in a big way on Friday, and easily wins Week 7 3-0 to keep his unbeaten streak alive for 2019.

The Week 7 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 6 weeks
The Stock Market Bear: 0 weeks
Mixed Results: 1 week

The Week 7 News Summary: At the beginning of the week there were concerns about whether or not the US/China trade discussions could make progress, but those fears seemed to dissipate during the week. A second US federal government shutdown was also an issue early in the week, but a bipartisan agreement was made and President Trump reluctantly signed it as well as an Executive Order for a national emergency to help build the wall he feels is necessary to protect the country. Economic news was okay, a little mixed, with the monthly retail trade report being disappointing, but job openings at very high levels. Corporate earnings were also somewhat mixed.

Marriott Intl(PBR119)’s Renaissance Hotelsbrand opens first location in Mexico, the Renaissance Cancún Resort & Marina, 180 guestrooms, including 11 suites, all with ocean, marina or golf course views. $MAR PR link.

Eli Lilly(PBR120) completes $235.00/share, $8.0 billion cash acquisition of biopharmaceutical developer and commercializer of highly selective medicines for patients with genomically defined cancers Loxo Oncology(NASDAQ: LOXO). $LLY PR link.

General Mills(PBR179) in restructuring decides to close Carson, CA, yogurt manufacturing facility, to incur around $130 net expenses through 2021 as a result. $GIS PR link.

Cognizant(PBR194) resolves issue relating to payments for permits and licenses for certain real estate facilities in India in violation of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) and other applicable laws, resolves all of the US Dept of Justice and US Securities and Exchange Commission investigations for Cognizant concerning this matter, will pay $28 million fine. $CTSH PR link.

Coty(PBR305) forms special committee of independent Board members to evaluate partial tender offer for up to 150 million Class A shares at $11.65/share, a premium of approximately 38% to the 90-day volume-weighted average share price as of 02/11/19, from JAB Cosmetics NV. $COTY PR link.

Mattel(PBR515) announces a slate Of 22 television shows for multi-platform distribution. $MAT PR link.

Toro(PBR768) to acquire privately-held Oklahoma based The Charles Machine Works, parent company of Ditch Witch and several other leading brands in the underground construction market, for $700 million cash, to close by 07/31/19. $TTC PR link.

CommScope(PBR533) on track for $31.75/share, around $7.4 billion cash, includes repayment of debt, acquisition of ARRIS Intl(PBR408) in 1H19, ARRIS CEO Bruce McClelland to become CommScope COO, current CommScope COO Morgan Kurk to become Chief Technology Officer. $COMM PR link.

PolyOne(PBR677) promotes Robert Bindner to President/Performance Products & Solutions, succeeds departing Don Wiseman. $POL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US Preliminary January 2019 Import Prices were -0.5%, -1.7% Year-to-Year, Export Prices were -0.6%, -0.2% Year-to-Year. USDOC PR link.

The US Federal Reserve says US Preliminary January 2019 Industrial Production % of Capacity was at 78.2%, December 2018 was at 78.8%, November 2018 78.9%, January 201877.0%. USFed PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York says the Empire State February 2019 Manufacturing General Business Index is at +8.8, January 2019 was at +3.9, December 2018 +11.5, February 2018 +16.4. “Business activity grew modestly in New York State … indexes assessing the six-month outlook improved noticeably, suggesting firms were fairly optimistic about future conditions.” NYFed PR link.

The U of Michigan US Preliminary February 2019 Consumer Sentiment Index is at 95.5, January 2019 was at 91.2, December 201898.3, February 2018 99.7. “The early February gains reflect the end of the partial government shutdown as well as a more fundamental shift in consumer expectations due to the Fed’s pause in raising interest rates…” UMichigan PR link.

***Thursday, February 14:

Walmart(PBR1) startup Spatial& partners with DreamWorks Animation to present a virtual reality activation offering tied to the upcoming theatrical release of How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. $WMT PR link.

Amazon(PBR8) decides not to move forward with plans to build a headquarters in Long Island City, Queens, NY, says a number of state and local politicians are opposed. $AMZN PR link.

GE(PBR19 $GE) to shrink its Boston footprint, give back $87 million in incentives.MarketWatch PR link.

JPMorgan Chase(PBR26) launches its cryptocurrency JPM Coin, will run on a private enterprise blockchain, to service institutional clients in the settlement of funds, still in the prototype phase but will be rolled out to some institutional clients in a pilot program later in 2019. $JPM PR link.

Boston Properties(PBR774) says Alphabet(PBR21)’s Google unit signed a 15-year lease agreement for the ground-up redevelopment of Boston Properties’ 325 Main Street building in Kendall Center, Cambridge, MA, occupy 362,000 sf, brings Google’s total leased space from Boston Properties to more than 800,000 square feet in Cambridge. $BXP PR link.

GoDaddy(PBR841) hires Fara Howard as Chief Marketing Officer, promotes Andrew Low Ah Kee to COO, Chief Information Officer Arne Josefsberg retiring effective 06/30/19, will unify that function under Chief Technology Officer Charles Beadnall, Chief Product Officer Steven Aldrich leaving, search for successor started. $GDDY PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US Preliminary January 2019 Final Demand Producer Price Index is at -0.1%, with Goods at -0.8%, Services +0.3%, Last 12 Months Final Demand is +2.5%, for December 2018 it was at +2.8%, November 2018 +2.8%, January 2018+2.5%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says that US Preliminary November 2018 Manufacturer Sales were at $505.1 billion, Retail Sales$452.0 billion, Wholesaler Sales $505.3 billion, Total Sales $1,462.5 billion, -0.3% from October 2018, +4.2% from November 2017. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says US Advance December 2018 Retail Sales were $446.0 billion, Food Services & Drinking Places $59.8 billion, Total $505.8 billion, -1.3% from November 2018, +2.3% from December 2017. USDOC PR link.

***Wednesday, February 13:

The January 2019 Snapshot 15 Summary:
The PBR1000 Top 5 by Market Capitalization(Rank, Company, PBR Ranking by Revenues, Stock Symbol, Market Capitalization in billions):

1. Amazon(PBR8 $AMZN), $840B
2. Microsoft(PBR22 $MSFT), $801B
3. Apple(PBR2 $AAPL), $785B
4. Alphabet(PBR21 $GOOG), $776B
5. Berkshire Hathaway(PBR4 $BRK.B), $508B

Range: $840 billion to $0.03 billion
The PBR1000 Total: $25.787 trillion, +9.18% from 12/31/18, -0.32% from 12/29/17
Average: $25.787 billion
Median: $7.50 billion

To get all 15 Snapshots and 27 rankings on The PBR1000 go to the Subscribe page.

Ford(PBR11) issues safety recall on select 2011-13 Ford F-150 vehicles with 6-speed automatic transmission that may experience an intermittent loss of the transmission output speed sensor signal to the powertrain control module, potentially resulting in a temporary, unintended downshift into first gear, affects 1.48 million vehicles in US/Canada, aware of five reports of accidents, including one report of “whiplash” potentially related to this condition. $F PR link.

Alphabet(PBR21)’s Google unit to invest over $13 billion in 2019 in data centers and offices across the US, with major expansions in 14 states. $GOOG PR link.

Johnson & Johnson(PBR35) to acquire privately held developer of robotic technologies Auris Health for approximately $3.4 billion cash with additional contingent payments of up to $2.35 billion payable upon reaching certain predetermined milestones. $JNJ PR link.

Cisco(PBR57) authorizes $15 billion increase in share repurchase program, balance available is now around $24 billion. $CSCO PR link.

DISH(PBR198) says it ended 2018 with 12.322 million subscribers, 9.905 million for DISH TV, 2.417 million for Sling TV, net loss of 920,000 from 2017. $DISH PR link.

Arconic(PBR220) to invest around $100 million to expand its hot mill capability and add downstream equipment capabilities to manufacture industrial and automotive aluminum products in its Tennessee Operations facility near Knoxville, TN, will create 70 jobs, to be completed by 4Q20. $ARNC PR link.

Pentair(PBR511) completes $160 million cash acquisition of Chicago, IL area based 170 employees water conditioners, water filters, drinking-water purifiers, ozone and ultraviolet disinfection systems, reverse osmosis systems and acid neutralizers for the residential and commercial water treatment industry provider Aquion. $PNR PR link.

Ametek(PBR559) authorizes additional $500 million for share repurchase program, balance available is $501 million. $AME PR link.

Skechers(PBR571) surpasses 3,000 Skechers retail stores worldwide with the opening of a 32,000+ sf superstore in Shenyang, China – now the brand’s largest, has stores on 6 continents. $SKX PR link.

Global Payments(PBR660) completes $1.2 billion cash/stock acquisition of the communities and sports divisions cloud-based payment technology solutions for event planners provider ACTIVE Network from Vista Equity Partners. $GPN PR link.

Louisiana-Pacific Corp(PBR748) authorizes new $600 million share repurchase program, including the intent to initially enter into a $400 million accelerated share repurchase program, will have $638 million available with $38 million carryover from previous authorization. $LPX PR link.

Sinclair Broadcast(PBR749) and the Chicago Cubs forming joint venture, will own/operate Marquee Sports Network, a Chicago, IL-based regional sports network, will be the Chicago-region’s exclusive network to view live Cubs games beginning with the 2020 Major League Baseball season. $SBGI PR link.

GNC(PBR800) $300 million investment by Harbin Pharmaceutical Group(Hayao) is completed, forms Hong Kong-based China e-commerce joint venture with Hayao. $GNC PR link.

Portland General Electric(PBR870) and NRG Energy(PBR269) subsidiary to develop nation’s first major energy facility co-locating wind, solar and battery storage, new energy facility in Eastern Oregon combining 300 megawatts of wind generation with 50 megawatts of solar generation and 30 megawatts of battery storage. $POR PR link.

Charles River Labs(PBR893) to acquire Europe based with operations in N Americanon-clinical contract research organization, specializing in regulated safety assessment services, non-regulated discovery services, and medical device testing, Citoxlab for around $510 million, to close 2Q19. $CRL PR link.

Wendy’s(PBR984) enters into Settlement Agreement with financial institutions related to the criminal cyberattacks which targeted the point of sale systems of certain Wendy’s franchisees in 2015 and 2016, will pay $50 million in late 2019 if approved by the court. $WEN PR link.

T Rowe Price(PBR520) Chairman Brian Rogers retiring from Board on 04/25/19 at annual meeting, CEO William Stromberg to assume Chairman role; approves 10 million share increase for common stock repurchase authorization, total repurchase authorization now nearly 22.4 million shares. $TROW PR link.

Alliant Energy(PBR653) Chairman/CEO Patricia Kampling to retire, effective 07/01/19, President/COO John O. Larsen to be successor as Chairman/President/CEO. $LNT PR link.

MasterCard(PBR232) CFO Martina Hund-Mejean to retire in 2019, has been CFO for 11 years, Sachin Mehra to be successor, effective 04/01/19. $MA PR link.

Thor Industries(PBR336) promotes Troy James to SVP/International Operations. $THO PR link.

Encompass Health(PBR586) Chief Human Relations Officer Cheryl Levy to retire after 12 years, effective 03/31/19, starts internal/external search. $EHC PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the US Preliminary January 2019 Employee Current Average Earnings/Hour is at $27.56, Average Workweek Hours at 34.5, for Average Current Weekly Earnings of $950.82, +0.1% from December 2018, +3.5% from January 2018. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the US January 2019 Consumer Price Index(CPI) was 0.0%, December 2018 was -0.1%, November 20180.0%, Last 12 Months 1.6%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says US December 2018 Federal Government Receipts were $312.6 billion, Outlays $326.1 billion, Deficit$13.5 billion, December 2018 Receipts YTD(3 Months) were at $771.2 billion, YTD Outlays$1,090.2 billion, YTD Deficit $318.9 billion, December 2017 YTD Deficit was $225.0 billion. USTreasury PR link.

***Tuesday, February 12:

January 2019 Snapshot 13 Summary: The PBR1000 Top 5 Stock Performers since 12/29/17(13 months) (Rank, Company, PBR Ranking by Revenues, Stock Symbol, 01/31/19 Stock Price, % Increase from 12/29/17):

1. BlueLinx(PBR896 $BXC), $29.15, +199%
2. AMC(PBR489 $AMD), $24.41, +137%
3. Crocs(PBR1000 $CROX), $28.72, +127%
4. Fossil(PBR738 $FOSL, $16.96, +118%
5. Genesis Healthcare(PBR738 $GEN), $1.57, +107%

Range: +199% to -90%
Number of Companies at 0% or Better:398/1,000
Average: -2.18%
Median: -6.65%
DJIA: +1.13%
NASDAQ: +5.48%
SPX: +1.14%

Tomorrow: The PBR1000 January 2019 Top 5 Stocks by Market Capitalization.

American Electric Power(PBR184) to acquire Sempra Energy(PBR259) Renewablessubsidiary and its 724 megawatts (MW) of operating wind generation and battery assets on 7 wind farms in Colorado, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota and Pennsylvania, for approximately $1.056 billion, to close in 2Q19. $AEP PR link.

CBS(PBR214 $CBS) ousted former Chairman/CEO Leslie Moonves, other CBS execs accused of insider trading in advance of sexual-harassment allegations in shareholder suit. MarketWatch PR link.

Dominion Energy(PBR228) to reduce methane emissions from its natural gas infrastructure by 50% over the next decade. $D PR link.

Coty(PBR305) gets partial tender offer for up to 150 million Class A shares at $11.65/share, a premium of approximately 38% to the 90-day volume-weighted average share price as of 02/11/19, from JAB Cosmetics NV, will require Coty approval to proceed. $COTY PR link.

Activision Blizzard(PBR389) authorizes new two year up to $1.5 billion share repurchase program. $ATVI PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR445) acquires Salem, OR-based surety bonds for mortgage brokers, artisan contractors and other industries across the US Surety Solutions, LLC and bond processing software used by Surety Solutions developer Agency Multiplied, terms not disclosed. $AJG PR link.

Simon Property(PBR476) authorizes up to $2 billion stock repurchase program over the next 24 months, replaces current authorization which had $633 million available. $SPG PR link.

Pentair(PBR511) completes $120 million cash acquisition of DeLand, FL-based 79 employees residential whole home water treatment systems provider Pelican Water Systems. $PNR PR link.

Edwards Lifesciences(PBR645) to acquire non-invasive monitoring of tissue oxygenation in the brain medical technology company CAS Medical Systems(NASDAQ: CASM) for $2.45/share, around $100 million, to close 2Q19. $EW PR link.

Six Flags(PBR968) to rebrand Buffalo, NY, area Darien Lake to Six Flags Darien Lake, Houston, TX, largest waterpark Wet & Wild Splashtown to be rebranded as Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, and Wet & Wild Phoenix, the largest waterpark in Arizona, will be rebranded Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Phoenix. $SIX PR link.

Akamai Technologies(PBR788) EVP/CFO Jim Benson to retire effective 03/01/19, SVP/Finance Ed McGowan to be successor. $AKAM PR link.

Cleveland-Cliffs(PBR819) hires Keith A. Koci as EVP/CFO, succeeds departing Timothy K. Flanagan. $CLF PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US Preliminary December 2018 Job Openings-Private were at 6,707,000, Government 628,000, Total Openings 7,335,000, a new record, +2.4% from November 2018, +29.4% from December 2017. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says the Total US Debt on 02/11/19 reached $22.013 trillion, first time over $22 trillion, $16.157 trillion Debt Held by the Public, $5.856 trillion from Intragovernmental Holdings. USTreasury PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York says US total household debt increased by $32 billion (0.2%) to $13.54 trillion in the 4Q18, was 18th consecutive quarter with an increase and the total is now $869 billion higher than the previous peak of $12.68 trillion in the 3Q08. Outstanding student loan debt increased to $1.46 trillion from $1.44 trillion. Auto loan originations totaled $584 billion in 2018, the highest year in the 19-year history of the data for auto loan originations. Credit card balancesrose by $26 billion to $870 billion, first time credit card balances re-touched the 2008 nominal peak. NYFed PR link.

CoreLogic reports that the US November 2018 Percent of Mortgages on Homes 30 or More Days Delinquent is at 4.1%, November 2017was at 5.2%, November 2018 Total Percent of Homes In Foreclosure was at 0.4%, November 2017 was at 0.6%. “Solid income growth, a record amount of home equity and an absence of high-risk loan products put the U.S. homeowner on solid ground. All of this has helped push delinquency and foreclosure rates to the lowest levels in almost two decades, and will provide a cushion if the housing market should turn down.” Frank Nothaft, Chief Economist for CoreLogic. CoreLogic PR link.

Retail Industry: Analytics firms Coresight Research and Celect study finds markdowns cost US non-grocery retailers $300 billion in revenues in 2018, 12% of total sales. Celect PR link.

***Monday, February 11:

The January 2019 Snapshot 11 & 12 Summary: The PBR1000 Top 5 Month & YTD Stock Performers(Rank, Company, PBR Ranking by Revenues, Stock Symbol, 01/31/19 Stock Price, % Increase from 12/31/18):

1. Pier 1 Imports, PBR905, $PIR, $0.82, +165%
2. FannieMae, PBR20, $FNMA, $2.54, +140%
3. FreddieMac, PBR37, $FMCC, $2.46, +134%
4. Ferrellgas, PBR862, $FGP, $1.22, +126%
5. YRC Worldwide, PBR514, $YRCW, $6.24, +98%

Range: +165% to -45%
Number of Companies at 0% or Better:936/1,000
Average: +9.33%
Median: +10.88%
DJIA: +7.17%
NASDAQ: +9.74%
SPX: +7.87%

Tomorrow: The PBR1000 Top 5 Stock Performers Since 12/29/17(13 Months).

Amazon(PBR8) to acquire home mesh WiFi systems provider eero, terms not disclosed. $AMZN PR link.

AT&T(PBR10 $T) to hire 500 full-time employees for a new 70,000 sf call center facility in Mesa, AZ. Phoenix Business Journal PR link.

Regeneron(PBR13) and Sanofi say that cholestrol medication Praluent® (alirocumab)will be made available at a new reduced US list price of $5,850 annually, a 60% reduction from the original price, for both the 75 mg and 150 mg doses, beginning in early 03/19. $REGN PR link.

Morgan Stanley(PBR61) to acquire global cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) for equity administration, financial reporting and compliance provider with 3,000+ corporate clients Solium Capital(TSX: SUM) for $900 million. $MS PR link.

Ingersoll-Rand(PBR204) to acquire $400 million in revenues in 2018, 1,000 employees, 7 global manufacturing locations, fluid management systems with world class brands including Milton Roy®, LMI®, Haskel®, BuTech®, Dosatron®, YZ Systems®, Williams® and Hartell® provider Precision Flow Systems from funds advised by BC Partners Advisors L.P. and The Carlyle Group(PBR616) for $1.45 billion, to close mid-2019. $IR PR link.

Bemis(PBR579) $57.75/share, $6.8 billion all stock transaction acquisition by Australia based Amcor Limited (ASX: AMC) gets European Commission approval with some conditions, waiting for US and Brazil approvals, still on track of 2Q19 close. $BMS PR link.

Greif(PBR599) completes $1.8 billion acquisition of N America $1.4 billion in sales paperboard manufacturer Caraustar. $GEF PR link.

KKR(PBR673) completes $510 million acquisition of 60% stake in Mumbai, India, based global management, collection, transport and processing of hazardous, municipal, biomedical and e-waste, as well as the recycling of paper, plastic and chemicals, as well as renewable energy generation provider Ramky Enviro Engineers Limited. $KKR PR link.

FMC(PBR723) to distribute of all of its remaining interest in spin-off Livent Corporation(NYSE: LTHM) to FMC stockholders, payable on 03/01/19. $FMC PR link.

Valmont(PBR744) has acquired $21 million in revenues in 2018, 150 employees, hot-dip zinc galvanizing and CorroCote services provider Houston, TX-based United Galvanizing, terms not disclosed; also starting construction of a new hot-dip zinc galvanizing facility in Midland, PA, to be in service in early 2020, will then have 38 locations worldwide. $VMI PR link.

Bristow Group(PBR958) $560 million acquisition of privately held Aurora, OR based $281 million in revenues in 2018 Columbia Helicopters terminated by mutual agreement, actively considering mutually beneficial opportunities to work together, Bristow pays $20 million termination fee. $BRS PR link.

Colgate-Palmolive(PBR183) President/COO Noel Wallace to become President/CEO and member of the Board, Chairman/CEO Ian Cook to become Executive Chairman, effective 04/02/19. $CL PR link.

C.H. Robinson(PBR193) COO Robert (“Bob”) Biesterfeld named CEO, Chairman/CEO John Wiehoff to remain Chairman, both effective 05/09/19. $CHRW PR link.

Barnes Group(PBR960) SVP & President/Industrial Scott Mayo has stepped down from his positions and will depart after an appropriate transition period. $B PR link.

PG&E(PBR163) provides update on Board refreshment, says it expects that no more than five of the Company’s current directors will stand for election at the 2019 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, intends that a majority of the 11 directors of the Company will be new independent directors by the time of the 2019 Annual Meeting. $PCG PR link.

***Friday, February 8:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for Week 6 ending 02/08/19:

DJIA ends the week at 25,106.33, +0.17% from last Friday, +0.43% MTD, +7.63% QTD/YTD, -6.42% from record 26,743.50 set 09/21/18.

NASDAQ ends the week at 7,298.20, +0.47% from last Friday, +0.23% MTD, +9.99% QTD/YTD, -10.01% from record 8,109.69 set 08/29/18.

SPX ends the week at 2,707.88, +0.05% from last Friday, +0.14% MTD, +8.02% QTD/YTD, -7.60% from record 2,930.75 set 09/20/18.

The Week 6 US Stock Exchanges Recap:
The Stock Market Bull charged out to a nice lead on Monday and Tuesday. But then The Stock Market Bear made an appearance on Wednesday, then took a big chunk out on Thursday. The markets opened down on Fridayand it looked like The Stock Market Bear would prevail for the week, but towards the end of the day The Stock Market Bull returned to scare The Stock Market Bear just enough to snatch Week 6 3-0 and maintain his unbeaten streakfor the year.

The Week 6 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 5 weeks
The Stock Market Bear: 0 weeks
Mixed Results: 1 week

The Week 6 News Summary: In the early part of the weeks some major technology earnings reports were better than expected, but the rest of the week it was a mixed bag across all industries. The US federal government is still recovering from the partial shutdown, but started releasing a few new economic reports. There were some private releases as well showing that the US economy is still doing well, but off last year’s pace. President Trump gave his State of the Union Address on Tuesday night to mixed reviews and concerns that another government shutdown is possible starting on 02/15/19. Global growth concerns returned and as the week came to an end it appears that US/China trade negotiations are making progress and optimism expressed, but that there are still a lot of issues to be resolved and agreed upon.

Walmart(PBR1) introduces for its Walmart.comsite a modern aesthetic, MoDRN with three collections – Retro Glam, Refined Industrial and Scandinavian Minimal, features nearly 650 items across every room in the house. $WMT PR link.

Eli Lilly(PBR120) to initiate an exchange offer to divest its 80.2% interest in spin-off Elanco Animal Health (NYSE: ELAN). $LLY PR link.

Arconic(PBR220) in 4Q18 report says it will separate into Engineered Products & Forgingsand Global Rolled Products units, with a spin-off of one of them, will also consider the sale of businesses that do not best fit into either unit, to use $500 million of its share repurchase program in 1H19, authorizes new $500 million share repurchase program, expires 12/31/20. $ARNC PR link.

Chipotle(PBR536) has opened its 2,500th restaurant, located at The Shops at Todos Santos in Concord, CA, plans to open 140-155 new restaurants in 2019. $CMG PR link.

Nexeo Solutions(PBR582) to divest its plastics distribution business (“Nexeo Plastics”) to an affiliate of One Rock Capital Partners for an enterprise value of $640 million, to close in 1H19, prior to NXEO’s acquisition by Univar(PBR340). $NXEO PR link.

Verizon(PBR17) Chairman and former CEO Lowell C. McAdam not standing for re-election at 05/02/19 annual meeting, Board appoints CEO Hans Vestberg to also be Chairman, effective 03/08/19. $VZ PR link.

Schlumberger(PBR91) promotes Olivier Le Peuch to COO. $SLB PR link.

***Thursday, February 7:

Amazon(PBR8 $AMZN) joins Sequoia, T Rowe Price in $530 million Series B funding for self-driving startup Aurora. Electrek PR link.

Amazon(PBR8 $AMZN) gets lawsuit by film director Woody Allen seeking over $68 million for cancelled movie projects because of 1992 sexual assault allegations. TechCrunch PR link.

Ford(PBR11) is investing $1 billion in Chicago Assembly and Stamping Plants and adds 500 jobs to expand capacity for the production of all-new Ford Explorer, Police Interceptor Utility and Lincoln Aviator. $F PR link.

Walgreens Boots Alliance(PBR16 $WBA) to get FDA letter saying it is biggest violator of tobacco sales to minors. US FDA PR link.

Walgreens Boots Alliance(PBR16) says it has taken a number of steps to address FDA’s statement regarding sales of tobacco products to minors in its stores. $WBA PR link.

Bank of America(PBR25) adds $2.5 billion to $20.0 billion common stock repurchase program, expires 06/30/19. $BAC PR link.

IBM(PBR33 $IBM) to invest over $2 billion to grow its high-tech footprint at the SUNY Polytechnic Institute-Albany and throughout New York State, includes the establishment of an “AI Hardware Center” at SUNY Poly for artificial intelligence-focused computer chip research, development, prototyping, testing and simulation. State of NY PR link.

Philip Morris(PBR34) 4Q18 report says in 2018 it had 740.3 billion cigarette units shipped, -21.6 billion from 2017, had 41.4 billion heated tobacco units shipped, +5.1 billion from 2017. $PM PR link.

Johnson & Johnson(PBR36 $JNJ) will be the first drugmaker to list pill prices in TV ads, will start with popular blood thinner, Xarelto, which retails for $450-$540 per month without insurance. MarketWatch PR link.

Cisco(PBR57) calls for privacy to be considered a fundamental human right, makes some proposals. $CSCO PR link.

T-Mobile(PBR68) has 2.4 million total net additions in Q4 2018, 7.0 million in 2018, has 79.7 million total customers at end of 2018. $TMUS PR link.

Tyson(PBR76) to acquire Thailand and European operations of BRF SA for $340 million, includes four processing facilities in Thailand, one processing facility in the Netherlands and one processing facility in the United Kingdom. $TSN PR link.

Lear Corp(PBR144) increases share repurchase program to $1.5 billion, had $800 available at end of 2018, expires 12/31/21. $LEA PR link.

Sears(PBR168 $SHLDQ) Chairman Edward Lampert’s $5.2 billion bid for Sears assets gets approval by bankruptcy judge. Chicago Tribune PR link.

CDW(PBR188) authorizes a $1 billion increase in its share repurchase program, which had $336 million available at end of 2018. $CDW PR link.

Henry Schein(PBR234) completes spin-off of the Henry Schein Animal Health business and the subsequent merger with Vets First Choiceto form an independent public company with name Covetrus, to start trading as NASDAQ: CVET on 02/08/19. $HSIC PR link.

BB&T(PBR241) and SunTrust Banks(PBR291 $STI) to combine in merger of equals in an all stock deal valued at around $66 billion, will create 6th largest bank in the US by assets and deposits, to be headquartered in Charlotte, NC, to close 4Q19. $BBT PR link.

Sempra Energy(PBR259) subsidiary completes $328 million sale of its non-utility US natural gas storage facilities to an affiliate of ArcLight Capital Partners. $SRE PR link.

Foot Locker(PBR355) subsidiary is making a $100 million strategic minority investment in 1661, Inc., dba GOAT, a managed marketplace for authentic sneakers operating the GOAT and Flight Club brands (“GOAT Group”). $FL PR link.

Weyerhaeuser(PBR382) authorizes new up to $500 million share repurchase program, replaces previous program which had a $135 million remaining. $WY PR link.

YUM!(PBR461)’s Taco Bell unit offering free delivery for a limited time on orders over $12.00 before tax through expanded nationwide partnership with GrubHub. $YUM PR link.

Vistra Energy(PBR481) to acquire Canadabased Crius Energy Trust (TSX: KWH.UN) for $328 million, will make Vistra the leading residential electricity provider in the US with operations in 19 states and the District of Columbia, to close in 2Q19. $VST PR link.

Caesars Entertainment(PBR517)’s Caesars Palace Las Vegas to be home to a Bleacher Report branded studio originating from inside its legendary sports book in deal with Turner Sports, which has 250 million fans each month across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter alone.$CZR PR link.

Kansas City Southern(PBR778) hires Sameh Fahmy as EVP/Precision Scheduled Railroading. $KSU PR link.

Barnes Group(PBR960) appoints Patrick Hurley, PhD, to SVP/Chief Technology Officer. $B PR link.

The US Federal Reserve says US Preliminary December 2018 Total Consumer Credit Outstanding-Revolving was at $1.045 trillion, Non-Revolving $2.966 trillion, Total $4.010 trillion, +0.4% from November 2018, +4.7% YTD(12 months), first time over $4 trillion. USFed PR link.

The FannieMae(PBR20) US January 2019 Home Purchase Sentiment Index is at 84.7, December 2018 was 83.5, November 201886.2, January 2018 89.5. “The net share of Americans who say it is a good time to buy a home increased 4 percentage points from last month to 15%. This component is down 12 percentage points from the same time last year.” $FNMA PR link.

***Wednesday, February 6:

Kroger(PBR18) and Home Chef bringing retail weekly rotating meal meal kits to 500 additional Kroger stores across the US, and homechef.com has launched a customizable meal kit feature for online orders. $KR PR link.

Lowe’s(PBR39) to host National Hiring Day, to hire 50,000+ full-time, part-time, and seasonal store associates for its 1,700+ US stores. $LOW PR link.

Cisco(PBR58) completes $660 million cash acquisition of privately held Carlsbad, CA-based specialty semiconductor products manufacturer Luxtera. $CSCO PR link.

Dollar Tree(PBR124) plans new distribution center in Rosenberg, Fort Bend County, TX, plans to invest approximately $130 million, will create 300+ new jobs. $DLTR PR link.

JCPenney(PBR231) to discontinue selling major appliances effective 02/28/19, additionally, furniture will only be available at jcp.com and select Puerto Rico stores, mattresses continue to be available at 450+ stores and jcp.com. $JCP PR link.

Tesla(PBR248) now lists Model 3 starting price at $34,850, includes potential incentives and gas savings. $TSLA PR link.

Perrigo(PBR510) gets US FDA approval for Zovirax® Cream, 5% (acyclovir cream, 5%)developed in collaboration with Sol-Gel Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: SLGL), anticipates launching the product this month. $PRGO PR link.

Rush Enterprises(PBR525) subsidiary to enter into a new 50/50 joint venture with Tallman Group, the largest International Truck dealer in Canada with around $485 million in sales in 2018, will be named Rush Truck Centres of Canada Limited, to close on 02/25/19. $RUSHB PR link.

The New York Times(PBR927) has 265,000 net new digital subscription adds in 4Q18, ends 2018 with 3.4 million digital subscribers, 4.3 million total subscribers. $NYT PR link.

Cognizant(PBR194) hires Brian Humphries as CEO, effective 04/01/19, current CEO/Co-Founder Francisco D’Souza to become full-time Vice Executive Chairman until 06/30/19, will then remain on the Board. $CTSH PR link.

Arconic(PBR220) Chairman John Plant adds CEO role, succeeds Chip Blankenship, to serve as CEO for 1 year, Director Elmer Doty to serve as COO, Director Arthur Collins to serve as Lead Director, all effective immediately. $ARNC PR link.

Wells Fargo(PBR27) hires Julie Scammahorn as its Chief Auditor, to be effective in 04/19. $WFC PR link.

SAIC(PBR539) names Nathan Rogers as Chief Information Officer, succeeds retiring Bob Fecteau. $SAIC PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US Revised 3Q18 Labor Productivity/Hour-All Persons was +1.8%, Output +3.9%, Hours Worked +2.1%, Real Compensation/Hour +0.9%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says US November 2018 Total Goods Exported were $140.3 billion, Services $69.5 billion, Total Exports $209.8 billion; Total Goods Imported were $211.9 billion, Services $47.3 billion, Total Imports$259.2 billion, Total Deficit $49.4 billion, Total Deficit YTD(11 months) $552.3 billion, Total Deficit YTD 2017(11 months) $500.1 billion. USDOC PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR37) Insight reports that “… seniors born after 1931 are staying in their homes longer, and aging in place, resulting is higher homeownership rates for this group relative to previous cohorts. We estimate that this trend accounts for about 1.6 million houses held back from the market through 2018, representing about one year’s typical supply of new construction, or more than half of the current shortfall of 2.5 million housing units estimated in December’s Insight.” $FMCC PR link.

***Monday, February 4:

General Motors(PBR12 $GM) begins ‘vast majority’ of roughly 4,000 white-collar job cuts. Automotive News PR link.

GE(PBR19) to spin-off its Transportation Systems Holdings Inc on 02/14/19, will hold a portion of GE Transportation business unit which will merge with a Wabtec(PBR595)subsidiary. $GE PR link.

Tesla(PBR248 $TSLA) to acquire developer and manufacturer of ultracapacitors applied to the manufacturing of batteries Maxwell Technologies(NASDAQ: MXWL) for $4.75/share in all stock deal, 55% premium over 02/01/19 stock price close, deal valued at around $218 million, to close in 2Q19. Maxwell Technologies PR link.

NRG Energy(PBR269) completes $1 billion sale of its South Central business to Cleco Corporate Holdings. $NRG PR link.

Element Solutions(PBR607) to repurchase 37 million shares from Pershing Square Capital Management at a price of $11.72 per share. $ESI PR link.

Gannett(PBR688) board unanimously rejects MNG Enterprises‘ unsolicited $12/share cash, around $1.4 billion, proposal, says undervalues Gannett and is not in the best interests of Gannett and its shareholders, does not believe MNG’s proposal is credible. $GCI PR link.

Genesco(PBR720) completes $101 million cash sale of its Lids Sports Group headwear unit to FanzzLids Holdings, a holding company of affiliates of Ames Watson Capital. $GCO PR link.

Fred’s(PBR903) appoints CFO/interim CEO Joseph Anto as CEO, Ritwik Chatterjee as CFO, Nathaniel Klein as COO and Michael Ladd as Chief Stores Officer. $FRED PR link.

Chevron(PBR13) promotes Pierre Breber to VP/CFO, effective 04/01/19, succeeds Patricia Yarrington who is retiring after 38 years with the company; Mark Nelson will succeed Breber as EVP/Downstream and Chemicals, Colin Parfitt will become VP/Midstream, both effective 03/01/19. $CVX PR link.

Performance Food(PBR157) promotes SVP Craig Hoskins to corporate EVP and President/CEO of Foodservices segment. $PFGC PR link.

Newmont Mining(PBR374) hires Rob Atkinson as EVP/COO, effective 06/01/19, current President/COO Tom Palmer to remain President until he succeeds Gary Goldberg to become President/CEO. $NEM PR link.

Symantec(PBR519) hires Debora B. Tomlin as Chief Marketing Officer, effective 02/22/19. $SYMC PR link.

Kemper(PBR752) hires Kimberly A. Holmes as SVP/Chief Actuary and Strategic Analytics Officer. $KMPR PR link.

Pier 1 Imports(PBR905) hires Lance Wills as EVP/Chief Information Officer. $PIR PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says US Preliminary November 2018 Manufacturers New Orders-Durable Goods were at $250.8 billion, Non-Durable Goods $248.4 billion, Total$499.2 billion, -0.6% from October 2018, +4.1% from November 2017. USDOL PR link.

TD Ameritrade(PBR480)’s January 2019 Investor Movement Index falls to 4.28, a 6 year low. $AMTD PR link.

***Friday, February 1:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for Week 5 ending 02/01/19:

DJIA ends the week at 25,063.89, +1.32% from last Friday, +0.26% MTD, +7.44% QTD/YTD, -6.58% from record 26,743.50 set 09/21/18.

NASDAQ ends the week at 7,263.87, +1.38% from last Friday, -0.25% MTD, +9.47% QTD/YTD, -10.43% from record 8,109.69 set 08/29/18.

SPX ends the week at 2,706.53, +1.57% from last Friday, +0.09% MTD, +7.97% QTD/YTD, -7.65% from record 2,930.75 set 09/20/18.

The Week 5 US Stock Exchanges Recap:
Monday was the only big day for The Stock Market Bear. The rest of the week pretty much belonged to The Stock Market Bull, who takes Week 5 3-0 and who keeps his unbeaten streak perfect so far for 2019.

The Week 5 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 4 weeks
The Stock Market Bear: 0 weeks
Mixed Results: 1 week

The Week 5 News Summary: The US Federal Government partial shutdown ended, perhaps only for a few weeks while negotiations start up to meet the February 15 deadline. There were some strong corporate earnings reports from key companies. Private economic data showed a strong economy, as did the government economic data that was released. The jobs reports were particularly impressive. The Federal Open Market Committee kept short term federal funds rates at 2.25-2.50%, and seemed rather dovish regarding any further increases at least until June. US/China trade discussions seemed to be making good progress.

Archer-Daniels-Midland(PBR47) completes around $1.8 billion acquisition of France based global provider of value-added animal nutrition solutions Neovia. $ADM PR link.

HCA(PBR59) completes $1.5 billion acquisition of six-hospital system in Asheville and western North Carolina Mission Health. $HCA PR link.

3M(PBR87) completes total enterprise value of $1.0 billion acquisition of $200 million in revenues/year healthcare technology of cloud-based, conversational Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered systems that help physicians efficiently capture and improve the patient narrative business of M*Modal, does not include other M*Modal business units.$MMM PR link.

HollyFrontier(PBR202) completes $655 million acquisition of global white oils, petrolatums and waxes supplier Sonneborn US Holdings and Sonneborn Coӧperatief UA. $HFC PR link.

CenterPoint Energy(PBR296) completes $72/share, $6 billion acquisition of Vectren(PBR756). $CNP PR link.

Steel Dynamics(PBR301) to acquire 75% majority stake with option to buy remaining 25% in the future Austin, TX-based painted Galvalume® flat roll steel used for roofing and siding applications distributor United Steel Supply for $134 million. $STLD PR link.

Chesapeake Energy(PBR302) completes $3.977 billion cash and stock acquisition of WildHorse Resource Development Corporation (NYSE:WRD), an oil and gas company with operations in the Eagle Ford Shale and Austin Chalk formations in SE Texas. $CHK PR link.

Thor Industries(PBR336) completes modified $2 billion acquisition of Germany based 7,300 employees $2.9 billion in revenues privately held international company Erwin Hymer Group, excludes EHG’s N American businesses, creates world’s largest RV manufacturer. $THO PR link.

ARRIS Intl(PBR408) shareholders approve $31.75/share, around $7.4 billion cash, includes repayment of debt, acquisition by CommScope(PBR533), to close 1H19. $ARRS PR link.

BGC Partners(PBR668) completes acquisition of Ed Broking Group Ltd, an independent Lloyd’s of London insurance broker with a strong reputation across Accident and Health, Aerospace, Cargo, Energy, Financial and Political Risks, Marine, Professional and Executive Risk, Property and Casualty, Specialty and Reinsurance. $BGCP PR link.

Performance Food(PBR157) Chairman Douglas M. Steenland has resigned, President/CEO George Holm elected to also be Chairman, Manuel A. Fernandez appointed Lead Independent Director. $PFGC PR link.

Roper Technologies(PBR531) hires Satish Maripuri as Group VP responsible for providing corporate leadership for several of its software businesses; separately, EVP Paul Soni is retiring. $ROP PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US January 2019 Total Civilian Noninstutional Population is at 258,239,000, Total Employed is at 156,694,000, Total Unemployed is at 6,535,000, for an Unemployment Rate of 4.0%, December 2018 was at 3.9%, November 2018 3.7%, January 2018 4.1%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says US Preliminary November 2018 Total Construction Spending Annual Rate-Residential at $548.4 billion, Commercial$751.5 billion, Total 1.300 trillion, +0.8% from October 2018, +3.8% from November 2017. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says US Preliminary November 2018 Wholesale Sales Annual Rate-Durable Goods was at $245.5 billion, Non-Durable Goods $259.8 billion, Total$505.3 billion, -0.6% from October 2018, +4.0% from November 2017. USDOC PR link.

The Institute for Supply Management says US January 2019 Manufacturing PMI Index(>50%=economy expanding) is at 56.6%, December 2018 was at 54.1%, November 201859.3%, January 2018 59.1%. ISM PR link.

The IHS Markit US January 2019 Manufacturing PMI Index is at 54.9, December 2018 was at 53.8, November 2018 55.3, January 2018 55.5. “… signalled a strong and faster improvement in the overall health of the sector …” IHS Markit PR link.

Automotive News says US January 2019 Total Light Vehicle Units Sold was estimated at 1,146,972, -1.1% from January 2018, Average Transaction Price was at $34,274, +1.9% from January 2018, Seasonally Adjusted Annual New Sales Rate at 16,900,000 light vehicles. Automotive News PR link.

The U of Michigan Final January 2019 Consumer Sentiment Index is at 91.2, December 2018 was at 98.3, November 201897.5, January 2018 95.7. UMichigan PR link.

***Thursday, January 31:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for January 2019 Ending 01/31/19:

DJIA ends January 2019 at 24,999.67, +1.06% from last Friday, +7.17% MTD/QTD/YTD, -6.82% from record 26,743.50 set 09/21/18.

NASDAQ ends January 2019 at 7,281.74, +1.63% from last Friday, +9.74% MTD/QTD/YTD, -10.21% from record 8,109.69 set 08/29/18.

SPX ends January 2019 at 2,704.10, +1.48% from last Friday, +7.87% MTD/QTD/YTD, -7.73% from record 2,930.75 set 09/20/18.

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The PBR1000 January 2019 Stocks & Commodities Snapshots

February 5, 2019 by admin

January 2019 The PBR1000: The Stock Market Bull Starts With A Big Snort

The Stock Market Bull came back strong in January 2019 to make up a lot of ground from a disastrous December 2018.

By Larry C. Paxton

The January 2019 US Stock Exchanges Summary: There were a few days in January 2019 when The Stock Market Bear would take a big chunk out of the US stock exchanges. However, those were always isolated 1 day events because The Stock Market Bull would quickly counter with a big charge of his own and string together a few nice positive days. The Stock Market Bull convincingly wins January 3-0 in a pretty dramatic comeback from December 2018.

The Month 1 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 1 month
The Stock Market Bear: 0 months
Mixed Results: 0 months

The January 2019 US Major Stock Market Exchanges Summary

Number of Trading Days: 21

Number of Gain(+)/Loss(-) Days: DJIA 14+/7-; NASDAQ 15+/6-; SPX 15+/6-.

Record Days: None

Longest Gain Streak(Consecutive Days): DJIA 5 days(01/04-10/19), NASDAQ 5 days(01/04-10/19), SPX 5 days(01/04-10/19)

Longest Loss Streak(Consecutive Days): DJIA 2 days(01/11-14/19), NASDAQ 2 days(01/11-14/19 & 01/28-29/19), SPX 2 days(01/11-14/19 & 01/28-29/19)

Big Swing Up Days(>1.00%): 7 days (01/04/19(D +3.29, N +4.26%, S +3.43%), 01/07/19(D +1.26%), 01/08/19(D +1.09%, N +1.08%), 01/15/19(N +1.71%, S +1.07%), 01/18/19(D +1.38%, N +1.03%, S +1.32%), 01/25/19(N +1.29%), 01/30/19(D +1.77%, N +2.20%, S +1.55%))

Big Swing Down Days(<-1.00%): 3 days (01/03/19(D -2.83%, N -3.04%; S -2.48%), 01/22/19(D -1.22%, N -1.91%; S -1.42%), 01/28/19(N -1.10%).

The PBR1000 January 2019 SnapShots

The following are Top 5 partial tables excerpts from The PBR1000 January 2019 Snapshots. The price for stocks is for the close of trading on January 31, 2019, Month % Chg is compared to December 31, 2018, YTD % Chg is compared to December 31, 2018, and the 13 Months % Chg is compared to December 29, 2017. The PBR Rank is by annual revenues.

To get the complete The PBR1000 Snapshots just click here to get your 12 month subscription and automatically download the January 2019 edition with the complete 15 Snapshots and 27 rankings and the bonus The PBRMarketTools US Monthly Indices Snapshots.

Table 1(S11): The PBR1000 Top 5 Month Stock Price % Gainers

Table 1 Summary: The range was +165% to -45%. 936 out of 1,000 stocks were up 0% or more. The average was a gain of +9.33%, the median was a gain of 10.88%. The DJIA was +7.17%, NASDAQ +9.74%, SPX +7.87%.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Price 01/31/19	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	13 Mos % Chg
Pier 1 Imports	905	PIR	$ 0.82	+165	+165	-80
Fannie Mae	20	FNMA	$ 2.54	+140	+140	-4
Freddie Mac	37	FMCC	$ 2.46	+134	+134	-2
Ferrellgas	862	FGP	$ 1.22	+126	+126	-72
YRC Worldwide	514	YRCW	$ 6.24	+98	+98	-57

Table 2(S12): The PBR1000 Top 5 Year-To-Date Stock Price % Gainers

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Price 01/31/19	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	13 Mos % Chg
Pier 1 Imports	905	PIR	$ 0.82	+165	+165	-80
Fannie Mae	20	FNMA	$ 2.54	+140	+140	-4
Freddie Mac	37	FMCC	$ 2.46	+134	+134	-2
Ferrellgas	862	FGP	$ 1.22	+126	+126	-72
YRC Worldwide	514	YRCW	$ 6.24	+98	+98	-57

Table 3(S13): The PBR1000 Top 5 13 Months Stock Price % Gainers

Table 3 Summary: The range was +199% to -90%. 398 out of 1,000 stocks were up 0% or more. The average was a loss of 2.18%. The median was a loss of 6.65%. The DJIA was +1.13%, NASDAQ +5.48%, SPX +1.14%.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Price 01/31/19	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	13 Mos % Chg
BlueLinx	896	BXC	$ 29.15	+18	+18	+199
AMD	489	AMD	$ 24.41	+32	+32	+137
Crocs	1000	CROX	$ 28.72	+11	+11	+127
Fossil	738	FOSL	$ 16.96	+8	+8	+118
Genesis Healthcare	486	GEN	$ 1.57	+33	+33	+107

Table 4(S15): The PBR1000 Top 5 Market Capitalization

Table 4 Summary: The range was $840 billion to $0.03 billion. The average is $25.787 billion, median is $7.50 billion, out of 1,000 companies.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Market Cap($B) 01/31/19	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	13 Mos % Chg
Amazon	8	AMZN	$ 840 B	+11	+11	-3
Microsoft	22	MSFT	$ 801 B	+5	+5	-10
Apple	2	AAPL	$ 785 B	-3	-3	-17
Alphabet	21	GOOG	$ 776 B	+7	+7	+1
Berkshire Hathaway	4	BRKB	$ 508 B	+10	+10	-4
The PBR1000			$ 25,787 B	+9	+9	-0

Table 5: The PBR1000 Index & Primary US Stock Exchanges/Commodities

Company	Price 12/31/18	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	13 Mos % Chg
The PBR1000	83,966.79	+9.3	+9.3	-2.2
DJIA	24,999.67	+7.2	+7.2	+0.8
NASDAQ	7,281.74	+9.7	+9.7	+5.5
S&P500	2,704.10	+7.9	+7.9	+1.1
GOLD	1,323.40	+3.0	+3.0	+1.4
SILVER	15.98	+2.7	+2.7	-5.9
OIL	53.85	+17.6	+17.6	-10.4

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The PBR1000 January 2019 Breaking News Recap

February 2, 2019 by admin

With a Republican controlled Senate and a Democratic controlled House the new US Congress will have many challenges to create legislation to keep America moving forward.

By Larry C. Paxton

The January 2019 The PBR1000 News Summary: The biggest news was the US Federal Government partial shutdown, which finished late on 01/25/19 after 35 days with 800,000 government workers furloughed. Economists generally agree that the global economy is entering a slowdown phase. The US economy showed some slowing down signs as well, but is still growing at a healthy rate. The FOMC keeps short term federal funds rates the same and strikes a dovish tone. New US/China trade talks have eased concerns a little bit and there is some optimism. Corporate earnings were generally good.

***Thursday, January 31:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for January 2019 Ending 01/31/19:

DJIA ends January 2019 at 24,999.67, +1.06% from last Friday, +7.17% MTD/QTD/YTD, -6.82% from record 26,743.50 set 09/21/18.

NASDAQ ends January 2019 at 7,281.74, +1.63% from last Friday, +9.74% MTD/QTD/YTD, -10.21% from record 8,109.69 set 08/29/18.

SPX ends January 2019 at 2,704.10, +1.48% from last Friday, +7.87% MTD/QTD/YTD, -7.73% from record 2,930.75 set 09/20/18.

The Month 1 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 1 month
The Stock Market Bear: 0 months
Mixed Results: 0 months

American Airlines(PBR62) to hire 250+ aviation maintenance technicians(AMTs) across around 30 cities by mid 2019, currently has 9,000+ AMTs. $AAL PR link.

Sprint(PBR85) says it had 54,495,000 connections on 12/31/18, down from 54,581,000 on 12/31/17. $S PR link.

Enterprise Products(PBR97) authorizes multi-year $2 billion common unit buyback program. $EPD PR link.

Blackstone(PBR386) Infrastructure Partners affiliates to acquire 100% of the membership interests in Tallgrass Energy, LP (NYSE: TGE)’s general partner, as well as an approximately 44% economic interest in Tallgrass, for total cash consideration of approximately $3.3 billion. $BX PR link.

Essendant(PBR506) $12.80/share, $996 million cash, includes net debt, acquisition through Staples tender offer is completed. $ESND PR link.

Mattel(PBR515) announces a worldwide licensing agreement between its Barbie brand and National Geographic to create a product line and content centered around exploration, science, conservation and research, features career dolls and playsets highlighting occupations in which women are underrepresented. $MAT PR link.

Platform Specialty(PBR607) completes $4.2 billion cash sale of its Arysta LifeScience unit to UPL Corporation, renaming itself to Element Solutions Inc effective 02/01/19, trading symbol to change to NYSE: ESI, Rakesh Sachdev retires as CEO, remains on the Board, EVP/Operations & Strategy Benjamin Gliklich becomes CEO, Scot Benson promoted to President/COO. $PAH PR link.

Graham Holdings(PBR775) has acquired Lexus of Rockville and Honda of Tysons Corner, from Sonic Automotive(PBR288), terms not disclosed. $GHC PR link.

Intel(PBR44) appoints CFO/Interim CEO Bob Swan as CEO, VP/Finance Todd Underwood named interim CFO. $INTC PR link.. Intel(PBR44) CEO Bob Swan sends first letter to employees, customers and partners, Subject: Driving Intel Forward. $INTC PR link.

Alcoa(PBR250) hires John Slaven as EVP/Chief Strategy Officer. $AA PR link.

Symantec(PBR519) EVP/CFO Nicholas Noviello to step down upon appointment of successor, to pursue other opportunities. $SYMC PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US Initial Unemployment Insurance Claims 4 Week Moving Average for Week Ending 01/26/19was at 220,250, +1.0% from 12/22/18, -5.9% from 01/27/18, Total Insured Unemployment 4 Week Moving Average for Week Ending 01/19/19 was at 1,737,750, +3.7% from 12/15/18, -9.9% from 12/15/18, Insured Unemployment Rate is at 1.4%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the US 4Q18 Employment Cost Index for All Workers(12/2005=100) is at 135.2, +0.7% from 3Q18, +2.9% from 4Q17. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/HUD says the US Preliminary November 2018 New Family Homes Sold Annual Rate was at 657,000 units, +16.9% from October 2018, -7.7% from November 2017, Median Price was at $302,400, Houses Available were 330,000, Months Supply was 6.0. HUD PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR37) says the US Average 30 Year Fixed Mortgage Rate on 01/31/19 is at 4.46% with 0.5 points/fees, 12/27/18 was 4.55%, 11/29/18 4.81%, 12/28/17 3.99%. $FMCC PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago says the US 7th District Preliminary December 2018 Midwest Economy Index is at +0.17, November 2018 was at +0.11. ChiFed PR link.

The MNI Chicago Business Barometerdropped to 56.7 in January 2019, down 7.1 points from December 2018’s downwardly adjusted 63.8. MNI PR link.

***Wednesday, January 30:

Walmart(PBR1) enters new, long-term partnership with sports fan brand Fanatics, opens on Walmart.com the Fan Shop by Fanatics for officially licensed apparel and other items. $WMT PR link.

Apple(PBR2 $AAPL) being investigated by NY Attorney General and Governor for FaceTimeprivacy breach. NY AG PR link.

Apple(PBR2) Music available to subscribers on free wifi on domestic American Airlines(PBR62 $AAL) flights. $AAPL PR link.

Apple(PBR2 $AAPL) bans Facebook(PBR67 $FB)’s Research app that paid users $20/month for root network access to all data passing through their phone. TechCrunch PR link.

AT&T(PBR10) says it had 2.8 million from the US and 1.0 million from Mexicon net new adds to its wireless service, helped offset losses from legacy wireline services, wireless equipment, domestic video and Vrio. $T PR link.

Chevron(PBR13) US subsidiary to acquire from Petrobas the Pasadena Refining System, includes the refinery in Texas and PRSI Trading, for $350 million. $CVX PR link.

Facebook(PBR67) in 4Q18 report says around 2.7 billion people now use Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, or Messenger each month, 2018 revenues at $55.013 billion, +38% from 2017. $FB PR link.

T-Mobile(PBR68) and Sprint(PBR85) upon completion of merger to develop 5 new T-Mobile Customer Experience Centers, will create an average of 1,000 jobs per location. $TMUS PR link.

Kraft Heinz(PBR104) completes $625 million sale of its $150 million in revenues/year Indian brands Complan, Glucon-D, Nycil and Sampriti to Zydus Cadila. $KHC PR link.

Mylan(PBR246 $MYL) gets US FDA approvalfor first generic for of Advair Diskus (fluticasone propionate and salmeterol inhalation powder) for the twice-daily treatment of asthma in patients aged four years and older and maintenance treatment of airflow obstruction and reducing exacerbations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). US FDA PR link.

Tesla(PBR248) in 4Q18 & 2018 report shows profit for 2nd quarter in a row, sold nearly 140,000 Model 3’s, expects to produce 7,000 Model 3’s on a sustained basis by end of 2019, deployed 1.04 GWh of energy storage in 2018, nearly triple from 2017. $TSLA PR link.

Charles Schwab(PBR328) authorizes new $4 billion share repurchase program. $SCHW PR link.

DCP Midstream(PBR332) to sell to NGL Energy(PBR160 $NGL) its wholesale propane business, generally consisting of seven natural gas liquids terminals in the Eastern US, terms not disclosed. $DCP PR link.

Genworth Financial(PBR339) sale to China Oceanwide for $5.43/share, $2.7 billion cash close extended from 01/31/19 to 03/15/19 to get additional US, China, Canada and other regulatory approvals. $GNW PR link.

Avon Products(PBR469) pursuing a structural reset of its inventory processes, including a 15% reduction in inventory levels and 25% reduction in Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) and a 10% reduction in its global headcount. $AVP PR link.

Michaels Cos(PBR488) to close all of its 36 Pat Catan’s arts and crafts stores, to rebrand up to 12 of the closed Pat Catan’s stores and reopen them under the Michaels banner in FY 4Q18. $MIK PR link.

Mattel(PBR515) Films to partner with Warner Bros Pictures do develop Hot Wheels live-action motion picture. $MAT PR link.

CACI Intl(PBR537) and affiliates to acquire to acquire real-time spectrum management, C4ISR, and cyber products and solutions to the Intelligence Community (IC) and Department of Defense (DoD) provider LGS Innovations, has acquired rapid design and manufacturing of rugged signals intelligence (SIGINT), electronic warfare (EW), and cyber operations products and solutions experts Mastodon Design, for a combined total of $975 million. $CACI PR link.

Cabot Corp(PBR675) to sell its Specialty Fluids business to a wholly owned Hong Kong subsidiary of Sinomine Resource Group Cofor $135 million. $CBT PR link.

Marathon Oil(PBR551) President/CEO Lee Tillman appointed to also be Chairman per retirement of Dennis Reilley as Chairman for 6 years and Board member for 17 years. $MRO PR link.

Edison Intl(PBR237) promotes Caroline Choi to SVP/Corporate Affairs, effective 02/04/19, succeeds retiring Gaddi Vasquez. $EIX PR link.

Tesla(PBR248 $TSLA) CFO Deepak Ahuja plans to retire from Tesla sometime in 2019, VP Finance Zach Kirkhorn to be successor. Yahoo Finance PR link.

The Federal Open Market Committee releases the 01/29-30/19 Meeting Statement, says information received since last meeting in December 2018 “… indicates that the labor market has continued to strengthen and that economic activity has been rising at a solid rate … survey-based measures of longer-term inflation expectations are little changed … to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 2-1/4 to 2-1/2 percent.” FOMC PR link.

ADP(PBR216) says US Preliminary January 2019 Change In Employment is +213,000 jobs, 63,000 from Small Businesses(1-49 employees), 84,000 from Mid-Sized Businesses(50-499 employees), 66,000 from Large Businesses(500+ employees); 68,000 jobs were from the Goods Producing Sector, 145,000 from the Services Sector. $ADP PR link.

The US Energy Information Administrationsays that US Crude Oil Stocks on 01/24/19were at 445.9 million barrels of oil, +1.0% from 12/21/18, +6.6% from 01/26/19. EIA PR link.

***Tuesday, January 29:

ExxonMobil(PBR3) starts construction on a new unit at its Beaumont, TX refinery that will increase crude refining capacity by more than 65%, or 250,000 barrels per day. $XOM PR link.

Verizon(PBR17) says it had 1.2 million wireless retail postpaid net additions, including 653,000 phone net additions and 873,000 postpaid smartphone net additions in 4Q18. $VZ PR link.

HCA(PBR59) increases share buyback program by up to $2 billion. $HCA PR link.

Tenet Healthcare(PBR142) completes sale of its last 3 Chicago area acute care hospitals to TWG Partners, will be managed by Pipeline Health. $THC PR link.

VISA(PBR143) extends partnership with US Natl Football League as Official Payment Services Technology Partner through the 2025 season, plans to collaborate on the first cashless Super Bowl in the future. $V PR link.

Kohl’s(PBR151) and WW(fka Weight Watchers)(PBR974) will pilot a variety of health and wellness offerings to help customers and Kohl’s associates on their wellness journeys, including the debut of its first in-store WW Studio, the introduction of WW Healthy KitchenTM products at select Kohl’s stores and on Kohls.com, as well as subsidized WW FreestyleTM program memberships for Kohl’s associates through Kohl’s Healthy Rewards. $KSS PR link.

PG&E(PBR163) files for reorganization under Chapter 11 with the US Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California, also files for $5.5 billion in debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing to be provided by a consortium of banks, appoints a Chief Restructuring Officer and a Deputy CRO. $PCG PR link.

MGM Resorts(PBR267) completes $850 million acquisition of Empire City Casino in Yonkers, NY, MGM Growth Properties(NYSE: MGP)acquires the developed real property from MGM Resorts for $625 million, leases back to an MGM Resorts subsidiary. http://bit.ly/PCGia29$MGM PR link.

GameStop(PBR310) has concluded its previously announced efforts to pursue a sale of the company, continuing search for new CEO. $GME PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR445) acquires Baton Rouge, LA-based employee benefit consultant and retail property/casualty broker The Chapman Group, terms not disclosed. $AJG PR link.

Harley-Davidson(PBR472) in 4Q18 report says it sold 228,051 motorcycles in 2018, 242,788 motorcycles were sold in 2017, -6.1%, 2018 revenues were $4.696 billion, 2017 was $4.915 billion. $HOG PR link.

Boston Properties(PBR774) and TMG Partners to co-develop Platform 16, an urban campus in downtown San Jose, CA, will be 1.1 million sf Class A office space on 5.4 acres adjacent to Google‘s 8 million sf transit station and Diridon Station, to be completed in early 2021. $BXP PR link.

Modine Manufacturing(PBR858) exploring strategic alternatives for its Automotive business, represents 25% of its $2.1 billion annual revenues. $MOD PR link.

First Horizon National(PBR953) adds $250 million to share repurchase program, now has $400 million available. $FHN PR link.

Rowan Cos(PBR978) shareholders to receive 2.750 shares of Ensco for each share of Rowan per amended agreement, represents an approximately 24.2% increase compared to the 2.215 of the 10/07/18 all-stock proposal for $12 billion enterprise value of combined company, some primary shareholders express support. $RDC PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR37) elects Sara Mathew as Non-Executive Chairman, to succeed retiring Christopher S. Lynch who has reached the 10 year limit tenure. $FMCC PR link.

Kroger(PBR18) promotes Stuart W. Aitken to the newly-created role of SVP/Alternative Business, effective 02/03/19. $KR PR link.

Kroger(PBR18) EVP/Chief Information Officer Chris Hjelm to retire 08/01/19, will remain EVP until retirement, Yael Cosset promoted to SVP/CIO, effective 05/01/19. $KR PR link.

Tech Data(PBR77) promotes Jaideep Malhotra to President, Asia Pacific and Global Computing Components. $TECD PR link.

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller US November 2018 National Home Price Index(Jan2000=100) is at 205.85, October 2018 was at 205.74, September 2018 205.77, November 2017 195.70, November 2016184.37. “The pace of price increases are being dampened by declining sales of existing homes and weaker affordability …” Case-Shiller PR link.

The Conference Board says the US Preliminary January 2019 Consumer Confidence Index(1985=100) is at 120.2, December 2018 was at 126.6. “… it appears that this month’s decline is more the result of a temporary shock(the US government partial shutdown) than a precursor to a significant slowdown in the coming months.” TCB PR link.

***Monday, January 28:

AbbVie(PBR99) gets US FDA approval for the use of IMBRUVICA® (ibrutinib) in combination with obinutuzumab (GAZYVA®) for adult patients with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL), first chemotherapy-free, anti-CD20 combination to treat CLL and SLL patients who have not yet started therapy. $ABBV PR link.

Thermo-Fisher Scientific(PBR137) to sell its 1,200 employees $350 million in annual revenues microscope slides, instruments and consumables provider Anatomical Pathology to PHC Holdings Corporation for approximately $1.14 billion in cash. $TMO PR link.

Sempra Energy(PBR259) to sell its equity interests in its South American businesses by end of 2019, part of plan to focus on N Americabusiness. $SRE PR link.

Wynn Resorts(PBR400) reaches settlement agreement with Nevada Gaming Commissionregarding allegations by certain employees against founder and previous CEO Steve Wynn, says settlement is an important remedial step. $WYNN PR link.

Wynn Resorts(PBR400) gets settlement agreement on a dispute involving trade dress and copyright infringement claims surrounding the design of the $4 billion Resorts World Las Vegas project. $WYNN PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR445) acquires Urbandale, IA-based Partners Advantage Insurance Services and AMZ Financial Insurance Services, wholly owned subsidiaries of Inversion Holding Company, rank among the largest independent life insurance wholesale brokerage operations in the country, terms not disclosed. $AJG PR link.

Caesars Entertainment(PBR517) to open modern 11 story 266 rooms 4 star hotel Caesars Republic Scottsdale, its first non-gaming hotel in the US, to be developed by HCW Development and operated by Aimbridge Hospitality, part of plan to expand its brands and loyalty network through its licensing strategy. $CZR PR link.

Spectrum Brands(PBR689) completes $1.25 billion sale of its Global Auto Care business to Energizer Holdings(NYSE: ENR). $SPB PR link.

Guess?(PBR814) CEO Victor Herrero leaving the company, effective 02/02/19, Chairman Maurice Marciano to also be interim CEO, former President/COO Carlos Alberini to rejoin Guess? as CEO effective upon his separation from current employer, Paul Marciano to remain Chief Creative Officer. $GES PR link.

Sanmina(PBR396) CFO David Anderson to retire from company after 17 years of service, will continue as CFO until successor named. $SANM PR link.

YUM!(PBR461) President/CFO David Gibbs gets COO responsibilities as well, new CFO search starts. $YUM PR link.

WW(Weight Watchers)(PBR974) hires Amy Weinblum as Chief Business Development Officer. $WTW PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago says the US Preliminary December 2018 National Activity Index is at +0.27, November 2018 was at +0.21, October 2018 +0.01, December 2017+0.19. ChiFed PR link.

The Congressional Budget Office in its 2019-2029 Budget and Economic Outlook forecasts a federal budget deficit of around $900 billion in 2019, $1+ trillion per year starting in 2022, 4.1-4.7% of Gross Domestic Product(GDP), projects GDP to be around +2.3% in 2019, 2018 estimated at +3.1%. CBO PR link.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the partial shutdown delayed $18 billion in federal spending and suspended some federal services, thus lowering the projected level of real GDP in the first quarter of 2019 by $8 billion (in 2019 dollars), or 0.2 percent. CBO PR link.

***Friday, January 25:

***Day 35 of the US Federal Government partial shutdown.

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for Week 4 ending 01/25/19:

DJIA ends the week at 24,737.20, +0.12% from last Friday, +6.04% MTD/QTD/YTD, -7.79% from record 26,743.50 set 09/21/18.

NASDAQ ends the week at 7,164.86, +0.11% from last Friday, +7.98% MTD/QTD/YTD, -11.65% from record 8,109.69 set 08/29/18.

SPX ends the week at 2,664.76, -0.22% from last Friday, +6.30% MTD/QTD/YTD, -9.08% from record 2,930.75 set 09/20/18.

The Week 4 US Stock Exchanges Recap:
It was a 4 day trade week as Monday was Martin Luther King, Jr, Day. On Tuesday The Stock Market Bear dramatically charged into the fray with hardly any resistance. But The Stock Market Bull took over from there in more modest style, but over 3 days overtook most of the Tuesday losses and in a week that could have gone either way, finished Week 4 with a 2-1 record, the first Mixed Results Week of 2019.

The Week 4 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 3 weeks
The Stock Market Bear: 0 weeks
Mixed Results: 1 week

The Week 4 News Summary: The week ended with the record 35 day US Federal Government partial shutdown coming to an end with Congress and President Trump agreeing to open it up through February 15 to finish negotiations on funding, especially for US border security. There was little meaningful economic news because very few government statistics were made available. However, Natl Assn of Realtors data indicated a drop in the annual rate of existing home sales, and The Conference Board Leading Economic Indextook a very slight dip. There are concerns about a global economic slowdown, the European Commission Bank left rates unchanged and probably will for some time. US corporate earnings were generally okay with a lot of mixed results as well. The next round of US/China trade negotiations are being planned with mostly muted optimism.

GE(PBR19) and Wabtec(PBR595 $WAB)amend agreement for $11.1 billion deal for GE to spin-off GE Transportation unit which will then merge into Wabtec, will now result in 49.2% ownership by GE and GE shareholders, 50.8% by Wabtec, to close by 02/28/19. $GE PR link.

Facebook(PBR67 $FB) orchestrated a multiyear effort that duped children and their parents out of money, in some cases hundreds or even thousands of dollars, and then often refused to give the money back, according to unsealed court documents. Reveal PR link.

DXC Technology(PBR113) to acquire the 570 employees with 4,000 clients service business of EG A/S, one of the leading integrators of Microsoft Dynamics 365 in the Nordic region, to close by 03/31/19, terms nod disclosed. $DXC PR link.

Ingredion(PBR441 $INGR) on the hunt for acquisitions in Europe and Asia-Pacific as the maker of sugar substitute stevia and other ingredients looks to capitalize on rising consumer demand for healthy and natural products. MarketWatch PR link.

GATX(PBR966) authorizes new $300 million share repurchase program. $GATX PR link.

GE(PBR19) hires L. Kevin Cox as SVP/Chief Human Relations Officer, succeeds Raghu Krishnamoorthy who is retiring after 25 years with the company. $GE PR link.

AMD(PBR489) to unify all sales operations under SVP/Chief Sales Officer Darren Grasby, hires Sandeep Chennakeshu into a new position as EVP/Computing and Graphics, SVP/General Manager Datacenter and Embedded Solutions Group Forrest Norrod will now have responsibility for all AMD datacenter products across both CPUs and GPUs, promotes Mark Papermaster to EVP/Chief Technology Officer. $AMD PR link.

***Thursday, January 24:

***Day 34 of the US Federal Government partial shutdown.

Walmart(PBR1) hires 1,400 truck drivers in 2018, to hire hundreds more in 2019, raising driver pay beginning in 02/19, drivers will earn on average $87,500 a year and with an all-in rate close to 89 cents per mile. $WMT PR link.

Apple(PBR2 $AAPL) has cut over 200 employees from Project Titan, its stealthy autonomous vehicle initiative. CNBC PR link.

Facebook(PBR67 $FB) CEO Mark Zuckerberg defends Facebook’s business as ‘still evolving and improving.’ MarketWatch PR link.

Progressive(PBR101) expects to hire more than 10,000 people in 2019, includes IT and analyst roles, corporate functions, customer care and claims roles, largest hiring forecast in Progressive’s history. $PGR PR link.

PG&E(PBR163) equipment did not cause 2017 Tubbs wildfire, CAL FIRE concludes, still faces extensive litigation, significant potential liabilities and a deteriorating financial situation. $PCG PR link.

General Mills(PBR179) announces voluntary national recall of five-pound bags of its Gold Medal Unbleached Flour with a better if used by date of 04/20/20, potential presence of Salmonella. $GIS PR link.

MGM Resorts(PBR267) forms ad-hoc Board committee to evaluate its real estate portfolio. $MGM PR link.

Essendant(PBR507) $12.80/share, $996 million cash, includes net debt, acquisition by Staplestender offer extended to 01/30/19, 73.4% of shares have been tendered. $ESND PR link.

Platform Specialty(PBR607) gets final regulatory approval to sell its Arysta LifeScience unit to UPL Corporation for $4.2 billion cash, expects to close on 01/31/19. $PAH PR link.

Adobe Systems(PBR377) EVP/General Manager of Digital Experience Brad Rencher will be leaving the company, to stay on as a special advisor while new leader identified over new business structure. $ADBE PR link.

The Conference Board says the US Preliminary December 2018 Leading Economic Index(2016=100) is at 111.7, November 2018 was at 111.8, October 2018111.6, December 2017 107.2. “While the effects of the government shutdown are not yet reflected here, the LEI suggests that the economy could decelerate towards 2 percent growth by the end of 2019.” TCB PR link.

***Wednesday, January 23:

***Day 33 of the US Federal Government partial shutdown.

Facebook(PBR67) taking new steps in how it handles Page content that goes against its policies, adding Page Quality tab for Page managers, updates its Recidivism Policy. $FB PR link.

PG&E(PBR163 $PCG) in a court filing says it’s committed to system upgrades and wildfire mitigation, but it contends that a criminal case being handled by U.S. District Judge William Alsup is not the right forum to address such measures, judge’s proposals would cost $150 billion, significantly increase utility rates. MarketWatch PR link.

Synchrony Financial(PBR169) gets extension to continue to manage and service the credit card programs for Walmart(PBR1)’s Sam’s Club members across the retailer’s nearly 600 clubs, sale of Walmart loan portfolio currently serviced by Synchrony expected to transfer late in the 3Q19 or early 4Q19, and Walmart has agreed to dismiss its lawsuit against Synchrony. $SYF PR link.

Tesla(PBR248 $TSLA) has reduced Model S and Model X production hours, says changes a result of dropping cheaper versions of its Model S and Model X vehicle as well as of “improving efficiencies” in its production lines. MarketWatch PR link.

LAM Research(PBR262) authorizes up to $5 billion share repurchase program with no expiration date. $LRCX PR link.

Nielson Holdings(PBR413) has restarted a process to sell itself amid fresh interest from Blackstone Group(PBR386), anticipating $10 billion bid on 01/25/19. $NLSN PR link.

Bemis(PBR579) $57.75/share, $6.8 billion all stock transaction acquisition by Australia based Amcor Limited (ASX: AMC) delayed by US Federal Government partial shutdown, anticipates transaction to close in 2Q19. $BMS PR link.

Hologic(PBR679) gets US FDA clearance for its Aptima® Mycoplasma genitalium assay, the first and only FDA-cleared test to detect this under-recognized but increasingly common sexually transmitted infection (STI). $HOLX PR link.

Autodesk(PBR865) completes $275 million acquisition of bid management, risk analysis and other preconstruction solutions with a network of more than 700,000 construction professionals provider BuildConnect. $ADSK PR link.

Avista(PBR957) $53/share, $5.3 billion cash acquisition by Ontario, Canada, based electrical utility Hydro One terminated by mutual agreement after acquisition denial by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission and the Idaho Public Utilities Commission. $AVA PR link.

Cardinal Health(PBR15) hires Brian Rice EVP/Chief Information Officer and Customer Support Services. $CAH PR link.

Jones Lang LaSalle(PBR348) promotes Mary Bilbrey to Global Chief HR Officer, succeeds Trish Maxson who maintains her roles as Chief Administrative Officer and interim CFO. $JLL PR link.

Under Armour(PBR512) hires Tchernavia Rocker as its new Chief People and Culture Officer, effective in 02/19. $UA PR link.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals(PBR790) terminates COO/Interim CFO Ian Smith for personal behavior issues, SVP/Controller & Chief Accounting Officer Paul Silva appointed interim CFO. $VRTX PR link.

Pier 1 Imports(PBR905) hires Robert Bostrom, 66, as EVP/Chief Legal and Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary, succeeds Michael Carter who retired in 09/18. $PIR PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond says 5th District January 2019 Manufacturing Index(Annualized) is at -2%, December 2018was at -8%, November 2018 +14%, January 2018 +14%. “… manufacturing activity was soft in January … manufacturers remained optimistic that conditions would improve in the coming months.” RichmondFed PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond says 5th District January 2019 Service Sector Revenue Index(Annualized) is at +6%, December 2018 was at +10%, November 2018+5%, January 2018 +20%. “… service sector activity continued to grow modestly in January … Respondents expected to see continued growth in revenues and demand but weak local conditions in the next six months.” RichmondFed PR link.

ADP(PBR216) says US 4Q18 Wage Growthwas at 3.4%, 4Q17 was at 3.1%, 4Q18 Wage Level was at $28.06, 4Q17 was at $27.13, 4Q18 Employment Growth was at 1.7%, 4Q17 was at 2.1%, 4Q18 Turnover Rate was at 67.5%, 4Q17was at 60.8%. $ADP PR link.

***Tuesday, January 22:

***Day 32 of the US Federal Government partial shutdown.

Walgreens Boots Alliance(PBR16 $WBA) to pay $269 million to settle charges of federal health-care programs overbilling. MarketWatch PR link.

Lowe’s(PBR39) becomes official Home Improvement Retail Sponsor of the NFL, exclusive, multi-year sponsorship grants Lowe’s the ability to market and activate on a national and local level throughout the year, including at key events such as the Super Bowl, NFL Draft, NFL Combine, NFL Kickoff and in support of the NFL’s Salute to Service. $LOW PR link.

UPS(PBR41) Latch smart access devices service for drivers to make in-building deliveries to multi-unit buildings securely and conveniently for residents who are not at home in New York and San Francisco service being expanded to Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Boston, Miami and Seattle. $UPS PR link.

Oracle(PBR73 $ORCL) accused of underpaying women, minorities by more than $400 million per filing made in a two-year-old case that is being pursued by a part of the US Labor Departmentthat examines the pay practices of government contractors. MarketWatch PR link.

Starbucks(PBR112) Delivers service in partnership with Uber Eats begins pilot today in San Francisco, will expand to Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, DC, begins after successful test in Miami, planning upcoming pilot in UK as well. $SBUX PR link.

Carnival Corp(PBR158) Princess Cruises unit to activate 3 additional Princess MedallionClass ships in 2019. $CCL PR link.

PG&E(PBR163) files Debtor-In-Possession(DIP) Commitment Letter, to get $5.5 billion from banking institutions, reiterates plan to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, anticipates 2 years before emerges from bankruptcy. $PCG PR link.

Textron(PBR205) Specialized Vehicles unit and Bass Pro’s White River Marine Group TRACKER unit to partner to manufacture in the US a new line of high-performance all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and side-by-sides, the TRACKER OFF ROAD, to debut in the spring. $TXT PR link.

Arconic(PBR220) to no longer pursue a potential sale of the company, did not receive a proposal for a full-company transaction, will continue sale process of its Building and Construction Systems business. $ARNC PR link.

Viacom(PBR221) to acquire 12 million monthly active users free streaming television service in US Pluto TV for $340 million, to close 1Q19. $VIA PR link.

MasterCard(PBR232 $MA) gets fined around $650 million by the European Commission for for obstructing merchants’ access to cross-border card payment services. European Commission PR link.

Netflix(PBR249 $NFLX) is the first streaming service to join the Motion Picture Association of America(MPAA), other members include Disney, Paramount, Sony, Fox, Universal, and Warner Bros. http://bit.ly/NFLXia22MPAA PR link.

eBay(PBR298 $EBAY) receives letter from 4% stakeholder activist investor Elliott Management, outlines its plans to increase eBay value, includes separating StubHub and Classified Ads from the business, focusing on core Marketplace business. Elliott Management PR link.

iHeartMedia(PBR444) gets approval for Plan for Reorganization by US Bankruptcy Court, expects to complete its restructuring process in1H19, will reduce its debt from $16.1 billion to $5.75 billion and will separate Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings from iHeartMedia, creating two independent public companies. $IHRTQ PR link.

H&R Block(PBR686) remains exclusive tax software provider at Walmart(PBR1), includes free extended download, available at stores and online. $HRB PR link.

USG Corp(PBR682) President/CEO Jennifer Scanlon to leave USG following closing of Knauf merger, other leaving executives named. $USG PR link.

Express(PBR856) President/CEO David Kornberg departs, EVP/COO Matthew Moellering to add Interim President/CEO role to his responsibilities. $EXPR PR link.

Itron(PBR868) President/CEO Philip Mezey to retire from his positions and Board by 08/31/19, to serve as an advisor through 12/31/19. $ITRI PR link.

Service Corp Intl(PBR697) President/COO Michael R. Webb to retire, effective 03/31/19, after 26 years with the company, Chairman/CEO Thomas L. Ryan to add President role, SVP/Operations Sumner J. Waring, III, to become COO. $SCI PR link.

The Natl Assn of Realtors says US Preliminary December 2018 Existing Home Sales Annual Rate is at 4,990,000 units, -6.4% from November 2018, -10.3% from December 2017; December 2018 Total Housing Inventory is at 1,550,000 units, -10.9% from November 2018, +6.2% from December 2017; December 2018 Median Housing Price at $253,600, -1.6% from November 2018, +2.9% from December 2017. NAR PR link.

FannieMae(PBR20) projects economic growth to slow to 2.2% in 2019, down from last year’s estimated pace of 3.1%, as financial conditions threaten to deteriorate further and fiscal stimulus is expected to fade. $FNMA PR link.

***Monday, January 21:

***Observance: Martin Luther King, Jr., Day
US Federal Government Holiday
US Stock Exchanges Closed.

***Day 31 of the US Federal Government partial shutdown.

Alphabet(PBR21 $GOOG)’s Google unit gets fined $57 million by France’s National Data Protection Commission (CNIL) in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), for lack of transparency, inadequate information and lack of valid consent regarding the ads personalization. CNIL PR link.

Russia opens civil proceedings against Facebook(PBR67 $FB) and Twitter(PBR802 $TWTR), says the two social networks did not explain how and when they would comply with legislation requiring them to store Russian users’ personal data on servers in Russia. CNBC PR link.

Tesla(PBR248 $TSLA) gets green light to start delivering Model 3 in Europe. Bloomberg PR link.

The International Monetary Fund article: A Weakening Global Expansion Amid Growing Risks. “… projects global growth at 3.5% in 2019 and 3.6% in 2020, 0.2% and 0.1% below last October’s projections. … downward revisions are modest; however, we believe the risks to more significant downward corrections are rising.” IMF PR link.

***Friday, January 18:

***Day 28 of the US Federal Government partial shutdown.

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the week ending 01/18/19:

DJIA ends the week at 24,706.35, +2.96% from last Friday, +5.91% MTD/QTD/YTD, -7.91% from record 26,743.50 set 09/21/18.

NASDAQ ends the week at 7,157.23, +2.66% from last Friday, +7.87% MTD/QTD/YTD, -11.74% from record 8,109.69 set 08/29/18.

SPX ends the week at 2,670.71, +2.87% from last Friday, +6.54% MTD/QTD/YTD, -8.87% from record 2,930.75 set 09/20/18.

US Stock Exchanges Recap: The Stock Market Bear took Monday for a streak of two days, but The Stock Market Bull then charged into the pasture and took command in a big way the rest of the week and convincingly wins Week 3 3-0 to keep his perfect record intact so far in 2019.

The Week 3 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 3 weeks
The Stock Market Bear: 0 weeks
Mixed Results: 0 weeks

The Week 3 News Summary: The US Federal Government partial shutdown is now a record 28 days old with no end in sight. The US Federal Reserve Board released the Beige Book with mostly positive remarks about the economy from the 12 districts, though there did seem to be some moderation. The leaders and influencers in the US Federal Open Market Committee have generally agreed that the number of federal funds interest rate increases might be fewer than originally anticipated this year. Corporate earnings were mixed with the major banks and retailers reporting. Towards the end of the week the US/China trade discussions were starting to get some very positive results. Index fund pioneer John Bogledied this week. The UK Brexit plan was rejected by Parliament but Prime Minister Maysurvived a no-confidence vote.

CVS Health(PBR7) and Walmart(PBR1) reach multi-year agreement for Walmart to continue participating in the CVS Caremark pharmacy benefit management (PBM) commercial and Managed Medicaid retail pharmacy networks. $CVS PR link.

Amazon(PBR8) says more than 50,000 small and medium-sized businesses exceeded $500,000 in sales in Amazon’s stores in 2018. $AMZN PR link.

FedEx(PBR42) voluntary buyout program for US-based employees is expected to total $450 million to $575 million, should predominantly occur in fiscal year 4Q19, similar programs being considered for employees in international regions. $FDX PR link.

Starbucks(PBR112) Mexico opens its second store operated exclusively by older citizens. $SBUX PR link.

Eli Lilly(PBR120) says Phase 3 study of LARTRUVO® (olaratumab), in combination with doxorubicin in patients with advanced or metastatic soft tissue sarcoma (STS), did not confirm the clinical benefit, expects to take 1Q19 charge of $70-90 million pre-tax, $0.10 per share after tax. $LLY PR link.

MasterCard(PBR232) issues updated rules for vendors providing free trials for their products and services that can turn into unwanted ongoing subscriptions. $MA PR link.

Tesla(PBR248) CEO Elon Musk says needs to get cost of Model 3 down to around $35,000 from current variants that cost around $44,000 to make it available to a wider customer base, needs to increase production, but will have to lay off around 7% of workforce, mentions new vehicles becoming available and the Solar Roof product. $TSLA PR link.

Salesforce(PBR273) to open 430,000 sf 4 building campus, Salesforce Tower Dublin, in Dublin, Ireland, in 2021, to add 1,500 employees over 5 years. $CRM PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR445) acquires Shreveport, LA-based managing general agency Interstate Insurance Underwriters, terms not disclosed. $AJG PR link.

Whirlpool(PBR133) hires Gilles Morel as EVP and President/Europe, Middle East and Africa Region (EMEA), headquartered in Milan, Italy, effective 04/01/19. $WHR PR link.

Flowserve(PBR621) hires Dr. Tauseef Salma as VP/Marketing & Technology. $FLS PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Board says US Preliminary December 2018 Industrial Production Capacity-Total Industry was at 78.7%, November 2018 was 78.6%, October 2018 78.4%, December 2017 77.3%, Capacity Growth Over the Last Year +2.1%. USFed PR link.

The U of Michigan US Preliminary January 2019 Consumer Sentiment Index is at 90.7, December 2018 was at 98.3, November 201897.5, January 2018 95.7. “The loss was due to a host of issues including the partial government shutdown, the impact of tariffs, instabilities in financial markets, the global slowdown, and the lack of clarity about monetary policies.” UMichigan PR link.

US/China Trade Relations: China Offers a Path to Eliminate U.S. Trade Imbalance, Sources Say. Bloomberg News PR link.

Fannie Mae(PBR20 $FNMA) and Freddie Mac(PBR37 $FMCC) regulator Federal Housing Finance Agency discussing plan to end conservatorship. MarketWatch PR link.

Human Resources: Manpower(PBR136)releases report, “Humans Wanted, Robots Need You: Record Number of Employers Globally Plan to Increase or Maintain Headcount as a Result of Automation.” $MAN PR link.

***Thursday, January 17:

***Day 27 of the US Federal Government partial shutdown.

Walmart(PBR1) adds Point Pickup, Skipcart, AxleHire and Roadie to help expand Online Grocery Delivery option in over 100 metro areas across four states with further expansion planned in the coming weeks, available in 800 stores, adding 800 more in 2019. $WMT PR link.

Apple(PBR2 $AAPL) CEO Tim Cook in op-ed for Time magazine says regulatory action is needed to restore ‘full faith’ in tech. Time PR link.

Target(PBR38) expanding its private label baby brand Cloud Island, offering over 30 items including toiletries, diapers, and more, ranging in price from $0.99 to $21.99, most under $10.00.$TGT PR link.

UPS(PBR41) new 258,000 sf package delivery facility in northwest Houston’s Willowbrookarea has created 575 new full- and part-time jobs. $UPS PR link.

Facebook(PBR67) says it removed multiple Pages, groups and accounts that engaged in coordinated inauthentic behavior on Facebook and Instagram, two operations originated in Russia, and one was active in a variety of countries while the other was specific to Ukraine. $FB PR link.

PG&E(PBR163 $PCG) gets open letter from shareholder BlueMountain Capital Management “… to challenge the Board’s plan for a damaging, avoidable, and unnecessary bankruptcy. There is overwhelming evidence that PG&E is solvent.” BlueMountain PR link.

Sears(PBR168) confirms Chairman Eddie Lampert and his ESL Holdings win auction to acquire assets, including 425 “Go Forward” stores, for $5.2 billion, court approval date set for 02/01/19, if approved would close transaction around 02/08/19. $SHLDQ PR link.

Sears(PBR168 $SHLDQ) creditors contend that Chairman Eddie Lampert has painted himself as the savior of the company, but has instead made a series of moves over the years that have benefited himself and his hedge fund ESL, files lawsuit challenging his winning $5.2 billion bid for assets and 425 stores. Associated Press PR link.

Jacobs Engineering(PBR190) authorizes new $1 billion up to 3 years share repurchase program. $JEC PR link.

Tesla(PBR248) CEO Elon Musk tweets that the customer referral program will end on 02/01/19, adding too much cost to cars, especially the Model 3. $TSLA PR link.

Netflix(PBR249) grew 2018 revenues by 35% to $16 billion, doubled operating profits to $1.6 billion, finished 2018 with 139 million paying memberships, up 9 million for 4Q18, up 29 million for the year. $NFLX PR link.

AMC Entertainment(PBR503) starts 2019 with over 18 million AMC Stubs Memberhouseholds, around 46 million people. $AMC PR link.

Fossil Group(PBR738) to sell to Alphabet(PBR21)’s Google unit intellectual property (IP) related to a smartwatch technology currently under development by Fossil Group for $40 million, includes a portion of Fossil Group’s research and development team currently supporting the transferring IP will join Google. $FOSL PR link.

Square(PBR845) launches Square Card, a free business debit Mastercard(PBR232), offering sellers a 2.75% instant discount on purchases made at other Square sellers. $SQ PR link.

Dun & Bradstreet(PBR914) $145.00/share, $6.9 billion cash acquisition by Star Parent Group gets UK Financial Conduct Authorityapproval, 15 day marking period starts, to close transaction by 02/11/19. $DNB PR link.

CBS(PBR214 $CBS) former Chairman/CEO Les Moonves, who left CBS over sex harassment charges, fights for $120 million in severance. MarketWatch PR link.

Lithia Motors(PBR285) hires David Stork as its first Chief Legal Officer. $LAD PR link.

Celanese(PBR446) hires Lynne Puckett as SVP/General Counsel, effective 02/13/19. $CE PR link.

PolyOne(PBR677) promotes Walter Ripple to new position of VP/Sustainability, company also has joined the Alliance to End Plastic Waste as a founding member. $POL PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphiasays the 3rd District Preliminary January 2019 Manufacturing General Activity Indicator is at +17.0, December 2018 was at +9.1, November 2018 +11.9, January 2018 +24.8. “Manufacturing activity in the region continued to grow … survey’s broad indicators remained positive, although their movements were mixed again … firms reported growth in the underlying demand for their products and are generally optimistic about future growth and employment.” PhillyFed PR link.

The Natl Assn of Home Builders/Wells Fargosay that the US Preliminary January 2019 Housing Market Composite Index is at 58, December 2018 was at 56, November 2018 60, January 2018 72. NAHB/WF PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce US December 2018 Monthly New Residential Constructionreport scheduled for today is not available because of the US Federal Government partial shutdown.

***Wednesday, January 16:

***Day 26 of the US Federal Government partial shutdown.

Ford(PBR11) to introduce over 20 new Ford and Lincoln products in N America over the next 24 months, over 30 in China by 2021, strategy centers on high-growth product segments, electrified propulsion, autonomous vehicles, mobility services, operational fitness and high-performance culture. $F PR link.

Microsoft(PBR22) commits $500 million to tackle affordable housing crisis in Puget Sound, Washington State, region. $MSFT PR link.

Marriott Intl(PBR119) announces Marriott Bonvoy, the new loyalty brand replacing the current loyalty brands – Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG), launches 02/13/19, will have 120 million members, will also launch Bonvoy Moments, will feature approximately 120,000 experiences in 1,000 destinations. $MAR PR link.

Sears(PBR168 $SHLDQ) Chairman Eddie Lampert and his ESL Holdings raise bid to acquire Sears from $5 billion to $5.2 billion, would keep 425 stores open, 45,000 people employed, approval to go before bankruptcy judge in a few days. Reuters PR link.

NRG Energy(PBR269)’s $1 billion sale of its South Central business to Cleco Corporate Holdings gets approval by the Louisiana Public Service Commission, last regulatory approval needed, to close in 02/19. $NRG PR link.

GameStop(PBR310) completes $700 million sale of its Spring Mobile business, which owns and operates 1,289 AT&T wireless stores, to Prime Communications. $GME PR link.

KeyCorp(PBR397)’s KeyBank unit to acquire Laurel Road‘s digital lending business, has more than $4 billion in student loan originations since 2013. $KEY PR link.

Signet Jewelers(PBR436) to pay $10 million to the US Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (“CFPB”) and $1 million to the Attorney General for the State of New York for in-store credit practices, promotions, and payment protection product by its Sterling Jewelers wholly owned subsidiary. $SIG PR link.

TravelCenters(PBR454) to purchase 20 travel centers from Hospitality Properties Trust (NASDAQ: HPT) for $308.2 million, will continue to lease 179 properties under its five leases with HPT, reduces annual rent by $43.1 million. $TA PR link.

Fiserv(PBR471) to acquire First Data(PBR243)in all stock transaction for equity value of around $22 billion, $22.74/share, Fiserv PresidentCEO Jeffery Yabuk will serve as Chairman/CEO of the combined company. First Data Chairman/CEO Frank Bisignano will assume the role of President/COO and be a member of the Board, to close 2H19. $FISV PR link.

TeleFlex(PBR853) to move from S&P MidCap 400 to S&P 500, will replace PG&E(PBR163)which is being removed because of its upcoming Chapter 11 Bankruptcy filing. $TFX PR link.

Lennar(PBR227) promotes Fred Rothman to COO, will continue to oversee the East Homebuilding Region, succeeds Jon Jaffe who remains President. $LEN PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Board releases the Beige Book for data collected on or before 01/07/19. “Economic activity increased in most of the U.S., with eight of twelve Federal Reserve Districts reporting modest to moderate growth … Outlooks generally remained positive, but many Districts reported that contacts had become less optimistic in response to increased financial market volatility, rising short-term interest rates, falling energy prices, and elevated trade and political uncertainty.” USFed PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US Preliminary December 2018 Monthly Import Prices Indexwas -1.0%, November 2018 was at -1.9%, October 2018 +0.5%, December 2017 +0.2%; December 2018 Monthly Export Prices Indexwas -0.6%, November 2018 was at -0.8%, October 2018 +0.5%, December 2017 +0.1%; Last 12 Months Import Prices Index is at -0.6%, Export Prices Index +1.1%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce US November 2018 Manufacturing and Trade Sales and Inventories report and the US Dept of Commerce US Advance December 2018 Monthly Retail Trade report scheduled for today are not available because of the US Federal Government partial shutdown.

***Tuesday, January 15:

***Day 25 of the US Federal Government partial shutdown.

CVS Health(PBR7) says Walmart(PBR1 $WMT) has opted to leave the CVS Caremark pharmacy benefit management (PBM) commercial and Managed Medicaid retail pharmacy networks, does not impact Walmart’s participation in the CVS Caremark Medicare Part D pharmacy network, Walmart’s Sam’s Club division remains in the CVS Caremark pharmacy networks, not expected to have a material impact on the financial results of CVS in 2019. $CVS PR link.

Ford(PBR11) and Germany’s Volkswagen AGto form an alliance to develop commercial vans and medium-sized pickups for global markets beginning as early as 2022, to investigate collaboration on autonomous vehicles, mobility services and electric vehicles. $F PR link.

Microsoft(PBR22) and Walgreens Boots Alliance(PBR16) to join forces to develop new health care delivery models, technology and retail innovations to advance and improve the future of health care. $MSFT PR link.

American Airlines(PBR62) marks 10th anniversary of the “Miracle on the Hudson” of US Airways Flight 1549, with all 150 passengers and 5 crew members surviving “the most successful ditching in aviation history.” $AAL PR link.

Facebook(PBR67) to invest $300 million over 3 years in supporting local journalists and newsrooms with their newsgathering needs in the immediate future; and helping local news organizations build sustainable business models, through both Facebook product and partnership work. $FB PR link.

Netflix(PBR249) raising Standard price from $10.99/month to $12.99/month. $NFLX PR link.

Netflix(PBR249 $NFLX) gets $25+ million federal lawsuit from Vermont based ChooseCofor infringement of its trademarks in “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” episode which refers to “Choose Your Own Adventure” book. ChooseCo PR link.

Edwards Lifesciences(PBR645) to make one time $180 million payment to Boston Scientific(PBR315) to settle all outstanding patent disputes between the companies in all venues around the world. $EW PR link.

Humana(PBR53) hires William Shrank, MD, MSHS, as new Chief Medical Officer, effective 04/01/19, succeeds retiring Roy A. Beveridge, MD. $HUM PR link.

FMC(PBR723) promotes Michael F. Reilly to EVP/General Counsel and Secretary, effective 04/01/19, succeeds retiring Andrea E. Utecht. $FMC PR link.

Apollo Global Mgmt(PBR771) Lead Partner and COO (Credit) Anthony Civale and CFO Martin Kelly to serve as Co-COOs of Apollo, Kelly will continue in his role as CFO. $APO PR link.

Meredith Corp(PBR839) Executive Chairman Steve Lacey to retire on 03/31/19, will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board in a non-executive capacity. $MDP PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the US Preliminary December 2018 Producer Price Index Total Final Demand was at -0.2%, November 2018was at +0.1%, October 2018 +0.6%, December 2017 +0.0%; Last 12 Months Final Demandwas +2.5%. USDOL PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York says the Empire State January 2019 Current Manufacturing General Business Conditionsare at 3.9, December 2018 was at 11.5, November 2018 21.4, January 2018 18.6. “Business activity grew slightly in New York State … lowest reading since mid-2017 …” NYFed PR link.

***Monday, January 14:

***Day 24 of the US Federal Government partial shutdown.

Comcast(PBR32 $CMCSA)’s NBCUniversalunit to launch a streaming service in 2020, will be a free, ad-supported product to anyone that subscribes to a pay-TV service. $12/mo for non-pay TV subscribers, 3-5 minutes of ads/hour, expects to make $5 per month per subscriber from advertising revenues. CNBC PR link.

Micron Technology(PBR93) exercising its right to purchase Intel’s interest in the parties’ joint venture, IM Flash Technologies, for around $1.5 billion, to occur in next 6-12 months. $MU PR link.

Abbott(PBR100) gets US FDA approval for the Amplatzer Piccolo™ Occluder, the world’s first medical device that can be implanted in the tiniest babies (weighing as little as two pounds) using a minimally invasive procedure to treat patent ductus arteriosus, a congenital heart defect. $ABT PR link.

Starbucks(PBR112) opens 20,000 sf Starbucks Dewata Coffee Sanctuary in Bali, Indonesia, experiential themed, largest Starbucks facility in SE Asia. $SBUX PR link.

Marriott Intl(PBR119) expanding its experiential hotel brand Moxy Hotels in the Southeastern US with the recent opening of Moxy Chattanooga Downtown and the anticipated openings of Moxy Atlanta Midtown, Moxy Memphis Downtown, Moxy Nashville Vanderbilt at Hillsboro Village, Moxy Nashville Downtown and Moxy Louisville. $MAR PR link.

PG&E(PBR163) provides 15-day advance notice that it and its wholly owned subsidiary Pacific Gas and Electric Company currently intend to file petitions to reorganize under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code on or about 01/29/19, does not expect any impact to electric or natural gas service for its customers, committed to assisting the communities affected by wildfires in N California. $PCG PR link.

Newmont Mining(PBR374) to purchase all shares of global gold producer Goldcorp(NYSE: GC) for $12/share, $10 billion equity value, to be called Newmont Goldcorp, to close 2Q19. $NEM PR link.

SAIC(PBR541) completes $40.44/share, $2.5 billion all stock acquisition of systems engineering and integration services primarily for the US government provider Engility Holdings(NYSE: EGL). $SAIC PR link.

Gannett(PBR691) gets unsolicited $12/share cash, around $1.4 billion, offer to be acquired by MNG Enterprises, Board reviewing offer. $GCI PR link.

Par Pacific(PBR801) completes $358 million plus net working capital acquisition of privately held Tacoma, WA, based downstream business with a 42,000 bpd refinery, a marine terminal, a unit train-capable rail loading terminal, and 2.9 MMbbls of refined product and crude oil storage US Oil & Refining Co. $PARR PR link.

Pier 1 Imports(PBR905) gets NYSE notification that stack has traded under $1.00 for 30 consecutive days, has 6 months to remedy, considering possible reverse stock split. $PIR PR link.

PG&E(PBR163) CEO Geisha Williams steps down, EVP/General Counsel John Simon named interim CEO, search for new CEO starts. $PCG PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR37) EVP Ricardo A. Anzaldua has been appointed EVP/General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, succeeds retiring William H. McDavid. $FMCC PR link.

Halliburton(PBR141) promotes Mark Richard to be President/Western Hemisphere, to succeed Jim Brown, effective 02/01/19. $HAL PR link.

JCPenney(PBR231) EVP/Private Brands and Supply Chain Mike Robbins named EVP/Chief Stores and Supply Chain Officer, hires Truett Horne as Chief Transformation Officer, provides update on search for 5 executives. $JCP PR link.

Steel Dynamics(PBR301) hires Miquel Alvarez as SVP/Southwest U.S. and Mexico, Glenn Pushis to become SVP/Special Projects, Christopher Graham to be SVP/Long Products Steel Group, James Anderson to become SVP/Steel Fabrication and President/New Millennium Building Systems, all effective 02/01/19. $STLD PR link.

Patterson Cos(PBR478) hires Eric Shirley as President/Dental unit effective 02/04/19. $PDCO PR link.

Perrigo(PBR510) hires James Dillard as EVP/Chief Scientific Officer. $PRGO PR link.

A.O. Smith(PBR706) promotes Charles T. Lauber to CFO, effective 05/01/19, to succeed retiring John Kita. $AOS PR link.

Louisiana-Pacific Corp(PBR748) hires Alan Haughie as EVP/CFO, succeeds interim CFO Mike Kinney who returns to being Treasurer & Investor Relations Director. $LPX PR link.

TrueCar’s ALG forecasts US 2019 New Light Vehicle Sales at 17,049,661 units, -1.3% from 2018, Average Transaction Price of $34,096, +2.0% from 2018, Incentive Spending/Unit at $3,857, +3.1% from 2018. TrueCar PR link.

***Friday, January 11:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the week ending 01/11/19:

DJIA ends the week at 23,995.95, +2.40% from last Friday, +2.87% MTD/QTD/YTD, -10.56% from record 26,743.50 set 09/21/18.

NASDAQ ends the week at 6,971.48, +3.45% from last Friday, +5.07% MTD/QTD/YTD, -14.04% from record 8,109.69 set 08/29/18.

SPX ends the week at 2,596.26, +2.54% from last Friday, +3.57% MTD/QTD/YTD, -11.41% from record 2,930.75 set 09/20/18.

US Stock Exchanges Recap: The Stock Market Bull took Monday through Thursday, then gave The Stock Market Bear some time on Friday. The Stock Market Bull easily wins 3-0 in Week 2 of 2019.

The Week 2 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 2 weeks
The Stock Market Bear: 0 weeks
Mixed Results: 0 weeks

The Week 2 News Summary: The US Federal Government shutdown reaches day 21, a new record, as the impasse continues between President Trump’s demand for $5.7 billionthat includes funds for building a wall along the Southern US border and the Democrats, who now control the House, who think it should be a separate negotiation after the shutdown is stopped. The members of the Federal Reserveseem to be moderating their stance on more federal funds interest rate hikes. US/China trade negotiations are reported as being productive and moving forward. Limited economic datacontinues to show a good economy. Corporate updates and earnings reports are mixed, retailers especially struggled with in-store revenues, with most being down.

AT&T(PBR10 $T), T-Mobile(PBR68 $TMUS), and Verizon(PBR17 $VZ) to cease the sale of real-time location sharing to third parties amid growing pressure from federal lawmakers. Business Insider PR link.

Certain Alphabet(PBR21 $GOOG) board members and directors receive lawsuit by non-employee shareholder on behalf of investors and the company for breaching their fiduciary duty in an alleged multi-year scheme to cover up sexual harassment and discrimination. MarketWatch PR link.

Citigroup(PBR31) and activist investor ValueAct Capital enter into Information Sharing and Engagement Agreement, enables ValueAct to have access to confidential information about the company and engage with members of Citi’s management team and Board of Directors on areas such as strategy, governance and operational planning matters. $C PR link.

Carlisle Cos(PBR576) completes $197 million cash acquisition of Elk Grove Village, IL-based manufacturer and distributor of architectural metal roof panels, steel and aluminum flat sheets and coils, wall panels, perimeter roof edge systems and related accessories for commercial, residential, institutional, industrial and agricultural markets Petersen Aluminum Corporation. $CSL PR link.

Chico’s FAS(PBR827) to rebalance the mix between its physical store presence with its digital network and to close at least 250 stores in the US over a 3 year period. $CHS PR link.

Ferrellgas(PBR862) receives NYSE notice of non-compliance with stock price average below $1.00 for 30 days, company plans to remedy, current price is $1.25/share. $FGP PR link.

Hovnanian(PBR872) receives NYSE notice of non-compliance that its stock price closed and averaged less than $1.00 over past 30 days, has 6 months to remedy, plans to ask stockholders for reverse stock split at annual meeting on 03/19/19. $HOV PR link.

General Dynamics(PBR89) SVP/Planning and Development Robert W. Helm will assume the role of special advisor to the CEO. VP/Strategic Initiatives Thomas W. Kirchmaier will become SVP/Planning, Communications and Trade Compliance, both effective 04/01/19; Elizabeth “Betsy” L. Schmid continues as VP/Government Relations. $GD PR link.

Coty(PBR305) hires Pierre-André Terisse as CFO, CEO Pierre Laubies will assume leadership for the formulation and implementation of the strategic vision for the Consumer Beauty division, will be supported by Gianni Pieraccioni who joins Coty as COO of Consumer Beauty, Luc Volatier hired as Chief Global Supply Officer, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Esra Erkal-Paler to leave for another opportunity, function to be absorbed within Coty. $COTY PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US Preliminary December 2018 Current Average Earnings/Hour(Table A-1) were at $27.48, Average Hours Worked/Week at 34.5, for Total Average Weekly Earnings at $948.06, +0.7% from November 2018, +3.2% from December 2017. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the US December 2018 Consumer Price Index-Urban(Table A) is at -0.1%, November 2018 was at +0.0%, October 2018 +0.3%, December 2017 +0.2%, Last 12 Months(Unadjusted) +1.9%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury US December 2018 Monthly Treasury Report report scheduled for today is not available because of the US Federal Government partial shutdown.

***Thursday, January 10:

The December 2018 Snapshot 15 Summary:
The PBR1000 Top 5 by Market Capitalization(Rank, Company, PBR Ranking by Revenues, Stock Symbol, Market Capitalization in billions):

1. Microsoft(PBR22 $MSFT), $771B
2. Apple(PBR2 $AAPL), $741B
3. Amazon(PBR8 $AMZN), $723B
4. Alphabet(PBR21 $GOOG), $721B
5. Berkshire Hathaway(PBR4 $BRK.B), $500B

Range: $771 billion to $0.01 billion
The PBR1000 Total: $23.636 trillion, -9.75% from 11/30/18, -8.62% from 12/29/17, +8.65% from 12/30/16
Average: $23.636 billion
Median: $6.81 billion

To get all 15 Snapshots and 27 rankings on The PBR1000 go to the Subscribe page.

Amazon(PBR8)’s IMDb subsidiary launches Freedive – a free streaming video channel featuring hit Movies and TV
shows. $AMZN PR link.

Ford(PBR11 $F) unveils major Europeanrestructuring, expected to include thousands of job cuts, plant closures and the scrapping of low-profit models. MarketWatch PR link.

Valero Energy(PBR29) completes $42.25/share, $950 million cash acquisition ofValero Energy Partners LP (NYSE: VLP). $VLO PR link.

Boeing(PBR30) gets Brazil government approval to acquire 80% stake for $4.2 billion in joint venture with Brazil based Embraer(B3: EMBR3, NYSE: ERJ), to close by 12/31/19. $BA PR link.

Oracle(PBR73) expands partnership with the San Francisco Giants baseball team, gets naming rights to the stadium, AT&T Park now named Oracle Park. $ORCL PR link.

Kohl’s(PBR151) to close 4 four lower performing stores in 2019, open 4 smaller format stores, will keep stores count at 1,158, to consolidate Customer Service and Operations centers from 3 to 2, offer voluntary retirement program to hourly associates age 55+ with at least 15 full years of service. $KSS PR link.

Sears(PBR168 $SHLDQ) Chairman Eddie Lampert and his ESL Holdings hedge funds and affiliates make new offer for to acquire Sears. MarketWatch PR link.

BlackRock(PBR233 $BLK) to lay off 500 employees globally amid market volatility.Institutional Investor PR link.

Tesla(PBR248)‘s Founder/CEO Elon Musk tweets that the lower priced 75 kWh version of the Model S & X must be ordered by Sunday night. $TSLA PR link.

Tenneco(PBR309) completes $160 million acquisition of Sweden based premium suspension systems and components for the automotive and motorsport industries developer Öhlins Racing AB, closing precedes the planned separation of Tenneco into two independent, publicly traded companies through a tax-free spin-off to shareholders that will establish an Aftermarket and Ride Performance company and a Powertrain Technology company, to be completed in 2H19. $TEN PR link.

PVH(PBR320)’s Calvin Klein wholly owned subsidiary relaunching the CALVIN KLEIN 205W39NYC business under a new name, design approach and creative direction, closing its 654 Madison Avenue store in spring 2019, adopting a digital first approach, to streamline its N America operations. $PVH PR link.

Activision Blizzard(PBR389) turns over full publishing rights and responsibilities for the Destiny franchise to Bungie Inc, will no longer be reporting financials on the unit. $ATVI PR link.

Host Hotels(PBR485) completes $302 million sale of Westin New York Grand Central hotel. $HST PR link.

KLA-Tencor(PBR580) changing its name to KLA Corporation, is rebranding and adopting the tagline Keep Looking Ahead™, to indicate KLA’s optimistic view of technology’s impact on the world. $KLAC PR link.

American Eagle Outfitters(PBR605) has launched new interactive fitting room experience in several flagship stores around the US, including Boston, Las Vegas and San Francisco. $AEO PR link.

G-III Apparel(PBR731) repurchases 723,000 shares at an average price of $28.09/share, 4.28 million shares remaining under its authorized share repurchase program. $GIII PR link.

SemGroup(PBR866) to own 51% and KKR(PBR673) to own 49% of the new Canadian company, SemCAMS Midstream ULC; SemGroup’s contribution of SemCAMS’ shares and assets to SemCAMS Midstream valued at $860 million. $SEMG PR link.

QEP Resources(PBR932) completes $735 million sale of its natural gas and oil producing properties, undeveloped acreage and associated gas gathering and treating systems in the NW Louisiana Haynesville/Cotton Valley area to an Aethon Energy affiliate. $QEP PR link.

PepsiCo(PBR43) CEO Ramon Laguarta elected to also be Chairman, effective 02/01/19, when former CEO Indra K. Nooyi retires as Chairman. $PEP PR link.

Target(PBR38) CFO Cathy Smith to retire upon naming of new CFO, Chief HR Officer Stephanie Lundquist named President/Food & Beverage, SVP/HR Melissa Kremer promoted to Chief HR Officer, SVP/Communications Katie Boylan named Chief Communications Officer, Chief Information Officer Mike McNamara to also lead Enterprise Data Analytics and Business Intelligence team, Chief Marketing Officer Rick Gomez named Chief Marketing and Digital Officer. $TGT PR link.

Cummins(PBR143) CFO Pat Ward retiring on 03/31/19 after nearly 31 years with the company, Mark Smith to be successor. $CMI PR link.

Cooper-Standard(PBR627) EVP/COO Keith Stephenson to retire on 04/02/19, Patrick Clark appointed SVP/Chief Global Engineering and Product Strategy Officer, Christopher E. Couch to be SVP/Chief Innovation Officer, Hans O. Helmrich to be SVP/Chief Global Manufacturing Officer. $CPS PR link.

Domino’s Pizza(PBR731) hires Stu Levy as EVP/Supply Chain, effective 01/21/19. $DPZ PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census US Preliminary November 2018 Monthly Wholesale Trade report scheduled for today is not available because of the US Federal Government partial shutdown.

***Wednesday, January 9:

December 2018 Snapshot 13 Summary: The PBR1000 Top 5 Stock Performers since 12/30/16(24 months) (Rank, Company, PBR Ranking by Revenues, Stock Symbol, 12/31/18 Stock Price, % Increase from 12/30/16):

1. Square(PBR845 $SQ), $56.09, +312%
2. RH(PBR803 $RH), $119.82, +290%
3. Crocs(PBR1000 $CROX), $25.98, +279%
4. Weight Watchers(PBR974 $WTW), $38.55, +237%
5. BlueLinx(PBR896 $BXC), $24.71, +231%

Range: +312% to -98%
Number of Companies at 0% or Better:455/993
Average: +7.03%
Median: -2.79%
DJIA: +18.04%
NASDAQ: +23.26%
SPX: +11.97%

Tomorrow: The PBR1000 December 2018 Top 5 Stocks by Market Capitalization.

Ford(PBR11) introduces its all-new 2020 Explorer – a complete redesign of America’s all-time best-selling SUV – that now features the broadest model lineup ever, more power and space, and smart new technologies to help tackle life’s adventures. $F PR link.

Kraft Heinz(PBR104) Kraft Natural Cheesenow made from milk without the artificial growth hormone rbST. $KHC PR link.

AMD(PBR489) unveils AMD Radeon™ VII, the world’s first 7nm gaming graphics card, designed for gamers, creators and enthusiasts who demand ultra-high quality visuals, uncompromising performance and immersive gaming experiences, expected to be available 02/07/19, for $699. $AMD PR link.

Sprouts(PBR528) to open 9 new stores in 2Q19, part of 30 new stores planned for 2019. $SFM PR link.

Penn Natl Gaming(PBR689) authorizes new $200 million share repurchase program, expires 12/31/20. $PENN PR link.

Square(PBR845) launches the Square In-App Payments Software Development Kit (SDK), enabling developers and sellers to process payments with Square within their consumer-facing mobile apps for the first time. $SQ PR link.

Systemax(PBR980) President/CEO Larry Reinhold steps down from management roles as planned, remains on Board, Board member Barry Litwin becomes CEO. $SYX PR link.

Wells Fargo(PBR27) hires Saul Van Beurden as its head of Technology, effective in 04/19. $WFC PR link.

Activision Blizzard(PBR389) Call of Duty® GM Rob Kostich Named President of Activision; King CFO and Chief Strategy Officer Humam Sakhnini named President of King Digital Entertainment; and company CFO Dennis Durkin adds role of President of Emerging Businesses, J. Allen Brack continues as President of Blizzard Entertainment. $ATVI PR link.

Adtalem Education(PBR983) SVP/General Counsel Stephen Beard promoted to COO and General Counsel. $ATGE PR link.

The Federal Open Market Committee releases minutes from the December 18-19 meeting. “The information received … indicated that labor market conditions continued to strengthen in recent months and that real GDP growth was strong. Consumer price inflation, as measured by the 12-month percentage change in the price index for personal consumption expenditures (PCE), was 2 percent in October. Survey-based measures of longer-run inflation expectations were little changed on balance.” FOMC PR link.

***Tuesday, January 8:

The December 2018 Snapshot 12 Summary: The PBR1000 Top 5 YTD(12 months) Stock Performers (Rank, Company, PBR Ranking by Revenues, Stock Symbol, 12/31/18 Stock Price, % Increase from 12/29/17):

1. BlueLinx(PBR896 BXC), $24.71, +153%
2. Crocs(PBR1000 $CROX), $25.98, +106%
3. Fossil(PBR738 $FOSL), $15.73, +102%
4. AMD(PBR489 $AMD), $18.46, +80%
5. Herbalife(PBR544, $HLF), $58.95, +74%
Range: +153% to -93%
Number of Companies at 0% or Better:276/1,000
Average: -10.55%
Median: -15.38%
DJIA: -5.63%
NASDAQ: -3.88%
SPX: -6.24%

Tomorrow: The PBR1000 Top 5 Stock Performers Since 12/30/16(24 months).

Tesla(PBR248) new Board member Larry Ellison, Executive Chairman, Chief Tech Officer, and Founder Oracle(PBR74), discloses ownership of 3 million shares of Tesla common stock. $TSLA PR link.

AES Corp(PBR272) and Hawaii’s Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) inaugurates the Lāwa’i Solar and Energy Storage Project, the largest operational solar and storage system in the world, consists of a 28 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) and a 100 MWh five-hour duration energy storage system. $AES PR link.

Avon Products(PBR469) to sell all shares of Avon’s Beauty manufacturing operation in Guangzhou, China, to Asia’s LG Household & Health Care Ltd subsidiary TheFaceShop, for net proceeds of $44 million, will also enter into a manufacturing and supply agreement. $AVP PR link.

Mattel(PBR515) and Warner Bros. Pictures Group to partner to bring the Barbie franchiseto theaters in its first ever live-action feature film, starring Academy Award-nominated actress Margot Robbie as Barbie, first production of Mattel Films. $MAT PR link.

Rollins(PBR928) to acquire Clark Pest Control of Stockton located in Lodi, CA, 26 locations in California, 8th largest pest control company in the US, terms not disclosed. $ROL PR link.

MetLife(PBR46) President/US Business & EMEA Michel A. Khalaf to become President/CEO on 05/01/19, will succeed retiring Steven A. Kandarian, who is also Chairman, and will be succeeded by Glenn Hubbard as Non-Executive Chairman. $MET PR link.

United Rentals(PBR407) President/COO Matthew Flannery to become President/CEO, CEO Michael Kneeland to become Non-Executive Chairman, to succeed Chairman Jenne Britell, effective at annual meeting on 05/08/19. $URI PR link.

Herbalife(PBR547) Executive Chairman Michael Johnson reassumes CEO role on interim basis with resignation of Richard Goudis, expects new CEO to appointed from current senior leadership team. $HLF PR link.

PG&E(PBR163)‘s utility subsidiary VP/Electric Distribution Operations Michael Lewis elected SVP/Electric Operations, succeeds retiring Patrick Hogan. $PCG PR link.

MGM Resorts(PBR267) hires former Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval as President/Global Gaming Development. $MGM PR link.

Autoliv(PBR276) CFO Mats Backman to accept a similar position for another company, will remain up to 07/08/19, VP Corporate Control Christian Hanke appointed interim CFO as search for new CFO starts. $ALV PR link.

SunPower(PBR891) hires Jeff Waters as CEO of the SunPower Technologies business unit, announces that EVP/Operations Bill Mulligan will transition out of his role over the course of 2019. $SPWR PR link.

La-Z-Boy(PBR940) hires Stephen Krull as VP/General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, succeeds Rand Tucker who is retiring after 19 years with the company. $LZB PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US Preliminary November 2018 Total Private Job Openingswere at 6,266,000, Total Government Job Openings 622,000, Total Job Openings6,888,000, -3.4% from October 2018, +16.1% from November 2017. See link for Hires and Separations data. USDOL PR link.

The US Federal Reserve says US Preliminary November 2018 Total Consumer Revolving Debt was at $1.042 trillion, Non-Revolving Debt$2.937 trillion, Total Consumer Debt $3.979 trillion, +0.6% from October 2018, +3.4% YTD, +4.1% from November 2017. USFed PR link.

CoreLogic says the US October 2018 30 Days Or More Mortgages Delinquencies Rate was at 4.1%, October 2017 was at 5.1%, October 2018 Number of Houses in Foreclosure was at 0.5%, October 2017 was at 0.6%. “… overall delinquency rates are at or new historic lows.” CoreLogic PR link.

The Fannie Mae(PBR20) US December 2018 Home Purchase Sentiment Index is 83.5, November 2018 was 86.2, October 2018 85.7, December 2017 85.8. “The decrease can be attributed primarily to a 12-percentage point decrease in the net share of Americans who said it is a good time to buy a home.” $FNMA PR link.

The Purdue U/CME Group US December 2018 Ag Economy Barometer Composite Index(100=Unchanged) is at 127, November 2018 was at 134, October 2018 136, December 2017 126. “Ag producer sentiment weakened modestly in December …” Purdue U/CME Group PR link.

The US International Trade report from the US Dept of Commerce/Census scheduled for today is not available because of the US Federal Government partial shutdown.

***Monday, January 7:

The December 2018 Snapshot 11 Summary: The PBR1000 Top 5 Month Stock Performers(Rank, Company, PBR Ranking by Revenues, Stock Symbol, 12/31/18 Stock Price, % Increase from 11/30/18):

1. Rent-A-Center, PBR754, $RCII, $16.19, +10%
2. Newmont Mining, PBR374, $NEM, $34.65, +7%
3. Broadcom, PBR138, $AVGO, $254.28, +7%
4. Genesco, PBR720, $GCO, $44.30, +6%
5. Magellan Health, PBR464, MGLN, $56.89, +4%

Range: +10% to -78%
Number of Companies at 0% or Better:44/1,000
Average: -9.38%
Median: -11.03%
DJIA: -8.66%
NASDAQ: 9.48%
SPX: -9.18%

Tomorrow: The PBR1000 Top 5 Stock Performers YTD.

Kroger(PBR18) and Microsoft(PBR22) to partner to develop and market a Retail as a Service(RaaS), will pilot in Monroe, OH, and Redmond, WA, includes a shelving system that uses digital displays, instead of traditional paper tags, to indicate everything from prices and promotions to nutritional and dietary information. $KR PR link.

DXC Technology(PBR113) to acquire Zug, Switzerland based $911 million in revenues over past 4 quarters 13,000 employees global technology services and consulting partner Luxoft Holding(NYSE: LXFT) for $59.00/share, $2 billion cash, to close by 06/30/19. $DXC PR link.

Eli Lilly(PBR120) to acquire biopharmaceutical developer and commercializer of highly selective medicines for patients with genomically defined cancers Loxo Oncology(NASDAQ: LOXO) for $235.00/share, $8.0 billion cash, to close in 1Q19. $LLY PR link.

Nucor(PBR146) to invest $1.35 billion in new state-of-the-art steel plate mill in the US Midwest, to be in production in 2022, capable of producing 1.2 million tons per year of steel plate products, to create around 400 full-time jobs. $NUE PR link.

PPG(PBR195) to acquire Klingenberg, Germany based global automotive coatings manufacturer with 450 employees Hemmelrath, terms not disclosed. $PPG PR link.

MasterCard(PBR233) dropping its name from its iconic brand mark in select contexts, the interlocking red and yellow circles, referred to as the Mastercard Symbol, will now stand on its own across cards using the red and yellow brand mark, acceptance marks at retail locations both in the physical and digital worlds. $MA PR link.

Tesla(PBR248) CEO Elon Musk tweets about breaking ground at Shanghai, China, for its first non-US gigafactory, to finish initial construction in the summer, be in production for Model 3/Y vehicles by year end for the China market. $TSLA PR link.

NVIDIA(PBR295) announces GeForce® RTX 2060, a Turing architecture GPU, used in digital gaming systems, features a major upgrade of the core streaming multiprocessor to more efficiently handle the compute-heavy workloads of modern games, retails for $349. $NVDA PR link.

YUM!(PBR461)’s Pizza Hut subsidiary expanding beer delivery to nearly 300 restaurants ahead of Super Bowl LIII, to grow beer delivery capabilities to 1,000 restaurants across new markets by Summer 2019. $YUM PR link.

Pentair(PBR511) to acquire water conditioners, water filters, drinking-water purifiers, ozone and ultraviolet disinfection systems, reverse osmosis systems and acid neutralizers for the residential and commercial water treatment industry provider Aquion for $160 million cash, to close in 1Q19. $PNR PR link.

Pentair(PBR511) to acquire residential whole home water treatment systems provider Pelican Water Systems for $120 million cash, to close in 1Q19. $PNR PR link.

Mattel(PBR515) announces worldwide licensing agreement with BTS (acronym for Bangtan Sonyeondan or “Beyond the Scene”), the seven-member South Korean boy band, will create dolls, collectible figures, games, and more. $MAT PR link.

Brink’s(PBR665) completes $130 million acquisition of Brazil based $78 million/year cash-in-transit, money processing and ATM services provider Rodoban. $BCO PR link.

ResMed(PBR817) completes $225 million acquisition of private Madison, WI, based digital therapeutics for people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma provider Propeller Health. $RMD PR link.

QEP Resources(PBR931) reviewing preliminary proposal from activist investor Elliott Management to be acquired for $8.75/share, $2.1 billion cash. $QEP PR link.

AutoNation(PBR130) restructures from three regions to two, promotes Jim Bender to EVP/Sales, EVP/COO Lance Iserman and EVP/Chief Technology Officer Tom Conophy are leaving, EVP/Franchise Network, Merger & Acquisitions, and Corporate Real Estate Donna Parlapiano has retired, EVP/Chief Human Resource Officer Dennis Berger to leave effective 01/31/19. $AN PR link.

Union Pacific(PBR134) hires Jim Vena as COO. $UNP PR link.

CBRE(PBR203) CFO/Chief Investment Officer Jim Groch to transition to be full-time Global Group President and Chief Investment Officer, CFO search starts. $CBRE PR link.

CBS(PBR214) promotes Susan Zirinsky to President/Sr Executive Producer of the CBS News unit, to be effective in 03/19. $CBS PR link.

Ameren(PBR439) SVP/General Counsel & Secretary Gregory L. Nelson to retire 08/01/19, after over 23 years of service. $RMD PR link.

Gannett(PBR691) promotes Kevin Gentzel to President/USA TODAY NETWORK Marketing Solutions, replaces leaving Sharon Rowlands, Chief Product Officer Kris Barton gets expanded role and now reports to President/CEO. $GCI PR link.

Hain Celestial(PBR799) hires Chris Boever as Chief Customer Officer and Robert Gulliver as Chief Human Resources Officer. $HAIN PR link.

Meredith Corp(PBR839) hires Catherine Levene as Chief Strategy Officer. $MDP PR link.

Vitamin Shoppe(PBR995) hires Andrew Laudato as EVP/Chief Technology Officer. $VSI PR link.

The Institute for Supply Management says the US December 2018 Non-Manufacturing Index(>50% Economy growing) is at 57.6%, November 2018 was at 60.7%, October 201860.3%, December 2017 56.0%. “This represents continued growth in the non-manufacturing sector, at a slower rate… Respondents are mostly optimistic about overall business conditions.” ISM PR link.

The US Manufacturer’s Shipments, Orders, and Inventories report from the US Dept of Commerce/Census scheduled for today is not available because of the US Federal Government partial shutdown.

***Friday, January 4:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the week ending 01/04/19:

DJIA ends the week at 23,433.16, +1.61% from last Friday, +0.45% MTD/QTD/YTD, -12.66% from record 26,743.50 set 09/21/18.

NASDAQ ends the week at 6,738.86, +2.34% from last Friday, +1.56% MTD/QTD/YTD, -16.90% from record 8,109.69 set 08/29/18.

SPX ends the week at 2,531.94, +1.86% from last Friday, +1.00% MTD/QTD/YTD, -13.61% from record 2,930.75 set 09/20/18.

US Stock Exchanges Recap: The Stock Market Bull took Monday convincingly, Tuesday was closed for the New Year observance, then quietly took Wednesday. The Stock Market Bear rushed in with a big win on Thursday. But on Friday The Stock Market Bull returned to the pasture and aggressively chased The Stock Market Bear away to win Week 1 of 2019 with a 3-0 victory.

The Week 1 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 1 week
The Stock Market Bear: 0 weeks
Mixed Results: 0 weeks

The Week 1 News Summary: President Trumpremained insistent that the US Federal Government partial shutdown will continue until he receives a funding bill that includes $5 billion for wall building along the Southern US border with Mexico. The House, now controlled by the Democrats, are at the same time insistent that no wall building will be funded. Federal Reserve Chairman Powell took a rather dovish stance about further federal funds rate increases, partially influenced by the general view of economists that there will be a global economic slowdown in 2019, partly confirmed by Apple’s revised guidance that forecasts a significant drop in revenue primarily from China. Limited data is coming out because of the shutdown, but the US Dept of Labor December 2018 Total Non-Farm Payroll Employment was made available and significantly exceeded expectations. US/China trade tensions moderated as new meetings are scheduled for next week.

Ford(PBR11) issues recall for around 953,000 vehicles in 4th round for defective Takata inflators, says not aware of any injuries associated with the passenger side frontal inflators included in this safety recall. $F PR link.

Lowe’s(PBR40) to hire more than 65,000 associates this year to improve customer service and product availability, includes 50,000+ seasonal positions, nearly 10,000 permanent positions for Merchandising Service Team, 6,000 full-time assistant store managers and department supervisors, 2,000+ technology positions. $LOW PR link.

Kraft Heinz(PBR105) completes $200 million acquisition of $50 million in sales in 2018 Primal Nutrition, LLC, makers of Primal Kitchen branded products, including Mayonnaise, Salad Dressings and Avocado Oil, with growing product lines in Healthy Snacks and other categories. $KHC PR link.

Marriott Intl(PBR120) updates its 11/30/18 press release regarding the Starwood database security incident, numbers affected lowered, Starwood system now shut down. $MAR PR link.

Rite Aid(PBR132) gets non-compliance letterfrom the NYSE, stock price has been below $1.00 over last 30 trading days, has 6 months to come into compliance, intends to cure the share price non-compliance, is considering a reverse stock split. $RAD PR link.

Diebold Nixdorf(PBR530) appoints interim CFO Jeffrey Rutherford to permanent CFO, hires Julian Sparkes as SVP/Chief Digital Officer, and Hermann Wimmer SVP/Global Retail. $DBD PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US Preliminary December 2018 Total Non-Farm Payroll Employment was at 156,945,000, +142,000 from November 2018, +2,880,000 from December 2017, December 2018 Unemployedwas at 6,295,000, +277,000 from November 2018, -276,000 from December 2017, December 2018 Unemployment Rate is 3.9%, November 2018 was 3.7%, December 20174.1%. USDOL PR link.

The IHS Markit US December 2018 Composite Output Index is at 54.4, November 2018 was 54.7, October 54.9, December 2017 54.1. IHS Markit PR link.

The New Family Home Sales report from the US Dept of Commerce/HUD scheduled for today is not available because of the US Federal Government partial shutdown.

***Thursday, January 3:

General Motors(PBR12 $GM) Cruise Automation unit and DoorDash in partnership to test the first food deliveries using autonomous vehicles in San Francisco, CA, starting in 03/19. DoorDash PR link.

Alphabet(PBR21$GOOG)‘s life science tech unit Verily raises $1 billion from investors. Reuters PR link.

Mr Cooper(NASDAQ: COOP) to acquire servicing rights underlying $24 billion in GSE mortgages, enter into a subservicing contract for an additional $24 billion in mortgages, and purchase the Seterus mortgage servicing platform and assume certain related assets from IBM(PBR34 $IBM). $COOP PR link.

Bristol-Myers Squibb(PBR139) to acquire global biopharmaceutical company engaged primarily in the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative therapies for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases Celgene(PBR220) in cash and stock transaction with an equity value of approximately $74 billion, $102.43/share, to close in 3Q19. $BMY PR link.

Essendant(PBR507) $12.80/share, $996 million cash, includes net debt, acquisition by Staplestender offer extended to 01/09/19, 70.2% of shares have been tendered. $ESND PR link.

Caesars Entertainment(PBR518) selected by the National Football League as the first ever official casino sponsor in a multi-year agreement, for the Casino category only and does not include sports betting, daily fantasy or hotels/resorts. $CZR PR link.

KKR(PBR675) to invest $1 billion in longterm partnership with Altavair AirFinance to create a global portfolio of leased commercial aircraft, includes KKR acquiring a 50% interest in Altavair. $KKR PR link.

Southwest Airlines(PBR136) pioneer, a maverick, and an innovator Founder/Chairman Emeritus Herbert D. Kelleher passes away at age 87. $LUV PR link.

Owens Corning(PBR425) President/COO Brian D. Chambers elected to become CEO, effective 04/18/19, to succeed Chairman/CEO Mike Thaman who will become Executive Chairman. $OC PR link.

General Motors(PBR12) appoints Mark Reuss as President, effective immediately. $GM PR link.

SYNNEX(PBR165) hires Michael Urban as President/Worldwide Technology Solutions Distribution, to be effective in 02/19. $SNX PR link.

Concho Resources(PBR777) Will Giraud is now EVP/COO, President/CFO Jack Harper remains President, Brenda Schroer becomes SVP/CFO, other executive appointments announced. $CXO PR link.

Square(PBR840) hires Amrita Ahuja as CFO, effective by 01/31/19. $SQ PR link.

Bio-Rad(PBR853) EVP/CFO Christine A. Tsingos to retire effective 04/30/19, search for new CFO starts. $BIO PR link.

AAR Corp(PBR913) hires Sean Gillen as VP/CFO, succeeds Michael Milligan. $AIR PR link.

ADP(PBR217) says US Preliminary December 2018 Nonfarm Private Sector Employmentincreased by 271,000, 89,000 from small businesses(1-49 employees), 129,000 from mid sized businesses(50-499 employees), and 54,000 from large businesses(500 or more employees); 47,000 jobs were from Goods Producing Sector, 224,000 jobs from Service Providing Sector. “Businesses continue to add aggressively to their payrolls despite the stock market slump and the trade war. Favorable December weather also helped lift
the job market…” $ADP PR link.

The Institute for Supply Management says the US December 2018 Manufacturing PMI Index(>50% is expanding) is at 54.1%, November 2018 was at 59.3%, October 201857.7%, December 2017 59.3%. “Comments from the panel reflect continued expanding business strength, but at much lower levels.” ISM PR link.

Automotive News reports that US December 2018 Light Vehicle Sales were at 1,542,930, +2.9% from December 2017, Average Transaction Price was $37,577, +1.3% from December 2017, Seasonally Adjusted Annual Sales Rate is 17,300,000 vehicles. “Despite recent market turbulence, the data we have in hand suggests an economy that remains on solid footing heading into the new year,” Ford Chief Economist Emily Kolinski Morris. Automotive News PR link.

The Construction Spending report from the US Dept of Commerce scheduled for today is not available because of the US Federal Government partial shutdown.

***Wednesday, January 2:

Apple(PBR2) CEO Tim Cook letter to investors revises 1Q19 projections down to $84 billion in sales, cites production issues and lower iPhonesales in China. $AAPL PR link.

AT&T(PBR10) completes $1.1 billion sale to transfer data center colocation operations and assets to Brookfield Infrastructure in new strategic alliance, will become an active sales channel for the business, be the anchor tenant of the colocation operations. $T PR link.

Southern Co(PBR119) completes $6.475 billion, includes debt, sale of its Florida assets Gulf Power Company, Florida City Gas and the entities holding Southern Power’s interests in Plant Oleander and Plant Stanton to NextEra Energy(PBR162). $SO PR link.

Dominion Energy(PBR228) completes $14.6 billion, includes $6.7 billion debt, merger of SCANA(PBR547), Dominion Energy forms Southeast Energy Group to include SCANA operations, names SVP/Chief Information Officer P. Rodney Blevins as its President/CEO, other executives named. $D PR link.

Tesla(PBR249) delivers 90,700 vehicles in 4Q18, includes 63,150 Model 3’s, 13,500 Model S’s, and 14,050 Model X’s, delivered 245,240 vehicles in 2018, reduces prices of Model 3, Model S and Model X vehicles sold in the US by $2,000 to help offset reduction in electric vehicle federal credit. $TSLA PR link.

Sempra Energy(PBR260) subsidiary to sell its non-utility US natural gas storage facilities to an affiliate of ArcLight Capital Partners for $332 million cash. $SRE PR link.

Celanese(PBR444) acquires Next Polymers Ltd., one of India’s largest engineering thermoplastics (ETP) compounders, terms not disclosed. $CE PR link.

Chipotle(PBR536) launches Lifestyle Bowls, includes a Paleo Salad Bowl, Keto Salad Bowl, Whole30® Salad Bowl and Double Protein Bowl. $CMG PR link.

WellTower(PBR560) to acquire a Class A medical office and outpatient facilities portfolio comprised of 55 buildings from CNL Healthcare Properties for $1.25 billion, to close 1H19. $WELL PR link.

Iron Mountain(PBR598) acquires Philippinesbased 8 locations 1,000 clients records and data management services, along with document management and secure destruction provider Lane Archive Technologies Limited, terms not disclosed. $IRM PR link.

The Andersons(PBR614) completes $324 million cash and stock acquisition of 67.5% equity that it did not already own of mover of physical commodities including grains, feed ingredients, energy products, and freight within N America and internationally affiliate Lansing Trade Group. $ANDE PR link.

PolyOne(PBR680) acquires Fiber-Line, a global leader in customized engineered fibers and composite materials, for $120 million. $POL PR link.

Penn Natl Gaming(PBR689) completes $115 million acquisition of operations of Margaritaville Resort Casino in Bossier City, LA. $PENN PR link.

Spectrum Brands(PBR691) completes $1.25 billion sale of its Global Auto Care business to Energizer Holdings(NYSE: ENR). $SPB PR link.

Columbia Sportswear(PBR788) completes buyout of the remaining 40% interest in Columbia Sportswear Commercial (Shanghai) Company, the joint venture in China with a subsidiary of Swire Pacific Limited (SEHK:00019) (SEHK:00087). $COLM PR link.

TEGNA(PBR884) completes $105 million acquisition of local stations WTOL, the CBS affiliate in Toledo, OH, and KWES, the NBC affiliate in Odessa-Midland, TX, from Gray Television. $TGNA PR link.

Allscripts(PBR900) nets around $525 million after taxes for sale of its interests in behavioral health, human services and post-acute care technologies provider Netsmart Technologies. $MDRX PR link.

Synovus Financial(PBR949) completes $2.9 billion all stock acquisition of FCB Financial Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: FCB), owner of Florida Community Bank (FCB), Florida’s largest community bank. $SNV PR link.

Halliburton(PBR141) President/CEO Jeff Miller adds Chairman role after retirement of Executive Chairman Dave Lesar. $HAL PR link.

Nordstrom(PBR179) says Co-President Blake Nordstrom has unexpectedly passed away, Pete and Eric Nordstrom to continue leadership as Co-Presidents. $JWN PR link.

Netflix(PBR250) hires Spencer Neumann as CFO, succeeds David Wells. $NFLX PR link.

Activision Blizzard(PBR389) Chief Corporate Officer and former CFO Dennis Durkin reappointed CFO following termination of Spencer Neumann for cause. $ATVI PR link.

Beacon Roofing(PBR553) promotes Chief Commercial Officer C. Eric Swank to COO. $BECN PR link.

Camping World(PBR563) CFO Thomas Wolfe appointed President/Good Sam unit, hires Melvin Flanigan to be CFO, makes other management changes in reorganization. $CWH PR link.

Red Robin(PBR965) hires Lynn Schweinfurth as EVP/CFO, effective 01/28/19, succeeds Guy Constant who will become EVP/COO. $RRGB PR link.

The IHS Markit US December 2018 Manufacturing PMI Index is at 53.8, November 2018 was 55.3, October 2018 55.7, December 2017 55.1. “… suggested a weaker, but still strong, improvement in operating conditions across the goods producing sector.” IHS Markit PR link.

New Family Home Sales and US Net International Investment Position reports scheduled for today are not available because of the US Federal Government partial shutdown.

***Tuesday, January 1:

***Happy New Year!
***US Stock Exchanges Closed.***

***Monday, December 31:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Month and Year Ending 12/31/18:

DJIA ends the month and year at 23,327.46, +1.15% from last Friday, -8.66% MTD, -11.83% QTD, -5.63% YTD, -13.05% from record 26,743.50 set 09/21/18.

NASDAQ ends the month and year at 6,635.28, +0.77% from last Friday, -9.48% MTD, -17.54% QTD, -3.88% YTD, -18.18% from record 8,109.69 set 08/29/18.

SPX ends the week at 2,506.85, +0.85% from last Friday, -9.18% MTD, -13.97% QTD, -6.24% YTD, -14.46% from record 2,930.75 set 09/20/18.

The Stock Market Bull was standing tall at the end of November, ahead of The Stock Market Bear in weekly, monthly, and year-to-date victories and looking forward to a nice December bump. But The Stock Market Bearcharged into the month viciously clawing and gnashing away at the exchanges. At the end of the month the results were devastating with all exchanges finishing down for the year and in correction territory compared to record highs achieved just a few months before. The Stock Market Bear easily wins December 3-0 in dominating style and takes the year 2018 as well.

The Month 12 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 6 months
The Stock Market Bear: 4 months
Mixed Results: 2 months

The Year 2018: The Stock Market Bear wins the year in a ruthless and dramatic come from behind in December.

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The PBR1000 December 2018 Stocks & Commodities Snapshots

January 5, 2019 by admin

December 2018 The PBR1000: The Stock Market Bear Wins The Year

In a destructive volatile and violent December The Stock Market Bear overwhelms December and takes 2018 in a remarkable comeback. Investors wonder what that means for 2019.

By Larry C. Paxton

The Stock Market Bull was standing tall at the end of November, ahead of The Stock Market Bear in weekly, monthly, and year-to-date victories and looking forward to a nice December bump. But The Stock Market Bear charged into the month viciously clawing and gnashing away at the exchanges. At the end of the month the results were devastating with all exchanges finishing down for the year and in correction territory compared to record highs achieved just a few months before. The Stock Market Bear easily wins December 3-0 in dominating style and takes the year 2018 as well.

The Week 52 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 21 weeks
The Stock Market Bear: 21 weeks
Mixed Results: 10 weeks

The Month 12 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 6 months
The Stock Market Bear: 4 months
Mixed Results: 2 months

The Year 2018: The Stock Market Bear wins the year in a ruthless and dramatic come from behind in December.

The December 2018 US Major Stock Market Exchanges Summary

Number of Trading Days: 19

Number of Gain(+)/Loss(-) Days: DJIA 8+/11-; NASDAQ 10+/9-; SPX 7+/12-.

Record Days: None

Longest Gain Streak(Consecutive Days): DJIA 2 days(11/30-12/03/18, 12/12-13/18, 12/26-27/18), NASDAQ 4 days(12/26-31/18), SPX 2 days(11/30-12/03/18, 12/26-27/18)

Longest Loss Streak(Consecutive Days): DJIA 4 days(12/19-24/18), NASDAQ 4 days(12/19-24/18), SPX 4 days(12/19-24/18)

Big Swing Up Days(>1.00%): 3 days (12/03/18(D, +1.13%; N, +1.51%; S, +1.09%), 12/26/18(D, +4.98%; N, +5.84%; S, +4.96%), 12/31/18(D, +1.15%))

Big Swing Down Days(<-1.00%): 8 days (12/04/18(D, -3.10%; N, -3.80%; S, -3.24%), 12/07/18(D, -2.24%; N, -3.05%; S, -2.33%), 12/14/18(D, -2.00%; N, -2.26%; S, -1.96%), 12/17/18(D, -1.81%; N, -2.99%; S, -2.06%), 12/19/18(D, -1.49%; N, -2.17%; S, -1.54%), 12/20/18(D, -1.99%; N, -1.63%; S, -1.58%), 12/21/18(D, -1.81%; N, -2.99; S, -2.06%), 12/24/18(D, -2.91%; N, -2.21%; S, -2.71%))

The PBR1000 December 2018 SnapShots

The following are Top 5 partial tables excerpts from The PBR1000 December 2018 Snapshots. The price for stocks is for the close of trading on December 31, 2018, Month % Chg is compared to November 30, 2018, YTD % Chg is compared to December 29, 2017, and the 24 Months % Chg is compared to December 30, 2016. The PBR Rank is by annual revenues.

To get the complete The PBR1000 Snapshots just click here to get your 12 month subscription and automatically download the December 2018 edition with the complete 15 Snapshots and 27 rankings and the bonus The PBRMarketTools US Monthly Indices Snapshots.

Table 1(S11): The PBR1000 Top 5 Month Stock Price % Gainers

Table 1 Summary: The range was +10% to -78%. 44 out of 1,000 stocks were up 0% or more. The average was a loss of 9.38%, the median was a loss of 11.03%.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Price 12/31/18	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	24 Mos % Chg
Rent-A-Center	754	RCII	$ 16.19	+10	+46	+44
Newmont Mining	374	NEW	$ 34.65	+7	-8	+2
Broadcom	138	AVGO	$ 254.28	+7	-1	+44
Genesco	720	GCO	$ 44.30	+6	+36	-29
Magellan Health	464	MGLN	$ 56.89	+4	-41	-24

Table 2(S12): The PBR1000 Top 5 Year-To-Date Stock Price % Gainers

Table 2 Summary: The range was +153% to -93%. 276 out of 1,000 stocks were up 0% or more. The average was a loss of 10.55%, the median was a loss of 15.38%.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Price 12/31/18	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	24 Mos % Chg
BlueLinx	896	BXC	$ 24.71	-9	+153	+231
Crocs	1000	CROX	$ 25.98	-7	+106	+279
Fossil	738	FOSL	$ 15.73	-19	+102	-39
AMD	489	AMD	$ 18.46	-13	+80	+63
Herbalife	544	HLF	$ 58.95	+3	+74	+145

Table 3(S13): The PBR1000 Top 5 24 Months Stock Price % Gainers

Table 3 Summary: The range was +312% to -98%. 455 out of 993 stocks were up 0% or more. The average was a gain of 7.03%. The median was a loss of 2.79%.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Price 12/31/18	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	24 Mos % Chg
Square	845	SQ	$ 56.09	-17	+62	+312
RH	803	RH	$ 119.82	+3	+39	+290
Crocs	1000	CROX	$ 25.98	-7	+106	+279
Weight Watchers	974	WTW	$ 38.55	-23	-13	+237
BlueLinx	896	BXC	$ 24.71	-9	+153	+231

Table 4(S15): The PBR1000 Top 5 Market Capitalization

Table 4 Summary: The range was $771 billion to $0.01 billion. The average is $23.636 billion, median is $6.81 billion, out of 1,000 companies.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Market Cap($B) 12/31/18	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	24 Mos % Chg
Microsoft	22	MSFT	$ 771 B	-10	+17	+60
Apple	2	AAPL	$ 741 B	-13	-15	+20
Amazon	8	AMZN	$ 723 B	-13	+30	+103
Alphabet	21	GOOG	$ 721 B	-5	-1	+36
Berkshire Hathaway	4	BRKB	$ 500 B	-7	+2	+24
The PBR1000			$ 23,636 B	-10	-9	+8

Table 5: The PBR1000 Index & Primary US Stock Exchanges/Commodities

Company	Price 12/31/18	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	24 Mos % Chg
The PBR1000	76,799.87	-9.4	-10.6	+7.0
DJIA	23,327.46	-8.7	-5.6	+18.0
NASDAQ	6,635.28	-9.5	-3.9	-23.3
S&P500	2,506.85	-9.2	-6.2	+12.0
GOLD	1,284.70	+4.6	-1.6	+11.6
SILVER	15.56	+9.2	-8.4	-2.7
OIL	45.81	-9.7	-23.8	-14.7

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The PBR1000 December 2018 Breaking News Recap

January 2, 2019 by admin

The PBR1000 December 2018 Breaking News Items

This house has a nice fence around it. It is a busy house where decisions are made that can affect US and world citizens.

By Larry C. Paxton

The December and Year News Summary: US/China trade relations concerns, a federal funds rate increase, the anticipation of a global economic growth slowdown, a new Congress that will be split into a Republican majority in the Senate and a Democrats majority in the House, and a government shutdown outweighed generally good US economic news, record spending for the holiday season, a low jobs unemployment rate, and higher wages. For the year lower corporate tax rates played a big role, but the repatriation of US dollars from oversees did not materialize at levels planned. The US economy showed robust growth and job openings exceeded available workers. Housing slowed from lower inventories and increasing mortgage rates and lack of new residential construction. Manufacturing, wholesale, and retail had a good year. The federal debt grew significantly as outlays increased more than receipts. Overall, the US economy did very well, but in the end the stock exchanges took a major dip, many saying the correction was long overdue, and some saying the correction was strongly influenced by political volatility throughout the year.

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

***Monday, December 31:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Month and Year Ending 12/31/18:

DJIA ends the month and year at 23,327.46, +1.15% from last Friday, -8.66% MTD, -11.83% QTD, -5.63% YTD, -13.05% from record 26,743.50 set 09/21/18.

NASDAQ ends the month and year at 6,635.28, +0.77% from last Friday, -9.48% MTD, -17.54% QTD, -3.88% YTD, -18.18% from record 8,109.69 set 08/29/18.

SPX ends the week at 2,506.85, +0.85% from last Friday, -9.18% MTD, -13.97% QTD, -6.24% YTD, -14.46% from record 2,930.75 set 09/20/18.

The Month 12 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 6 months
The Stock Market Bear: 4 months
Mixed Results: 2 months

The Year 2018: The Stock Market Bear wins the year in a ruthless and dramatic come from behind in December.

Walt Disney(PBR51 $DIS) and Verizon(PBR17 $VZ) Fios reach a broad based agreement, current contract to carry programming from Disney Media Networks, including ESPN, and Disney-owned ABC stations, like New York City’s WABC, was set to expire at year-end. NY Post PR link.

Windstream(PBR461) sells the legacy 600,000 members EarthLink consumer internet business to Dallas, TX-based private equity firm Trive Capital for $330 million cash. $WIN PR link.

Michael Kors(PBR524) completes around $2.12 billion acquisition of Italian luxury fashion house Gianni Versace SpA, Michael Kors changes its name to Capri Holdings Limited, to start trading on 01/02/19 using ticker NYSE: CPRI. $CPRI PR link.

Activision Blizzard(PBR389) intends to terminate CFO Spencer Neumann’s employment for cause unrelated to the Company’s financial reporting or disclosure controls and procedures, placed on on a paid leave of absence pending an opportunity for him to demonstrate why cause does not exist, Chief Corporate Officer and former CFO Dennis Durkin appointed CFO. $ATVI PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says the US Debt Held by the Public on 12/28/18 was at $16.069 trillion, by Intragovernmental Holdings $5.799 trillion, Total Debt $21.868 trillion, +0.1% from 11/30/18, +6.7% from 12/29/17. USTreasury PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago says the US 7th District Preliminary November 2018 Midwest Economic Index is at +0.09, October 2018 was at +0.20, September 2018+0.30, November 2017 +0.19. ChiFed PR link.

The Price/Ounce for Gold(GCG9 02/19) on 12/31/18 was at $1,284.70, 11/30/18 was $1,227.80, 12/31/17 $1,305.10; the Price/Barrel for Oil(CLG9 02/19) on 12/31/18 was at $45.81, 11/30/18 was $50.72, 12/31/17 $60.10; the Price/Bushel for Soybeans(SH9 03/19) on 12/31/18 was at 895.00 cents, 11/30/18 was 893.25 cents, 12/31/17 962.50 cents.

The US Treasury 10 Year Note Yield on 12/31/18 was at 2.69%, 11/30/18 was 3.01%, 12/31/17 2.40%.

The Conversion Rate for Euro1.0000 on 12/31/18 was $1.1474, 11/30/18 was $1.1320, 12/31/17 $1.2003.

The American Automobile Assn says US National Average Price Per Gallon of Regular Gas on 12/31/18 was at $2.266, 11/30/18 was at $2.493, 10/31/18 $2.801, 12/29/17 $2.477. AAA PR link.

***Friday, December 28:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week Ending 12/28/18:

DJIA ends the week at 23,062.40, +2.75% from last Friday, -9.70% MTD, -12.83% QTD, -6.70% YTD, -14.04% from record 26,743.50 set 09/21/18.

NASDAQ ends the week at 6,584.52, +3.97% from last Friday, -10.18% MTD, -18.17% QTD, -4.62% YTD, -18.81% from record 8,109.69 set 08/29/18.

SPX ends the week at 2,485.74, +2.86% from last Friday, -9.94% MTD, -14.70% QTD, -7.03% YTD, -15.18% from record 2,930.75 set 09/20/18.

The Stock Market Bear made a strong showing on a shortened trading day on Monday. Tuesday the exchanges were closed for Christmas. Then The Stock Market Bull came back with a vengence on Wednesday, and held on to regain some dignity in the month of December taking Week 52, the final full week of the year, 3-0 and finishes even with The Stock Market Bear. Nevertheless, with only 1 trading day left in the year, The Stock Market Bearlooks to win 2018 with its dramatic come from behind deep gouging in December.

The Week 52 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 21 weeks
The Stock Market Bear: 21 weeks
Mixed Results: 10 weeks

The Week 52 News Summary: It was basically a shortened 3 1/2 day trading week. The partial federal government shutdown, US/China trade relations, forecasts for a slowing global economy, the recent raising of the federal funds rate were a drag on the stock market exchanges. However, the continued strength of the US economy and record consumer spending during the holiday season more than offset the negatives.

Wells Fargo(PBR28) reaches agreement with all 50 state Attorneys General and the District of Columbia regarding previously disclosed retail sales practices, auto collateral protection insurance (“CPI”) and Guaranteed Asset/Auto Protection (“GAP”), and mortgage interest rate lock matters, will pay a total of $575 million to resolve the civil claims. $WFC PR link.

Sears(PBR168 $SHLDQ) Chairman Eddie Lampert’s ESL Holdings hedge fund offer of $4.6 billion in cash and equity for operator of Sears and Kmart stores could ward off immediate liquidation, nonbinding offer for the roughly 500 remaining Sears stores will keep about 50,000 employees working. MarketWatch PR link.

Sears(PBR168) identifies 80 additional KMartand Sears stores that will be closing by the end of 03/19, liquidation sales to start in around 2 weeks. $SHLDQ PR link.

Edwards Lifesciences(PBR646) gets US FDA approval for its SAPIEN 3 Ultra system for transcatheter aortic valve replacement in severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis patients who are determined to be at intermediate or greater risk of open-heart surgery. $EW PR link.

Tesla(PBR249) adds Oracle(PBR74) Executive Chairman, Chief Tech Officer, and Founder Larry Ellison and Walgreens Boots Alliance(PBR16)Executive VP and Global Chief Human Resources Officer Kathleen Wilson-Thompson to the Board as independent directors. $TSLA PR link.

The US Energy Information Administrationsays US Millions of Barrels of Crude Oil Stocks on 12/21/18 were at 441.4, was 450.5 on 11/23/18, 426.0 on 10/26/18, 431.9 on 12/22/17. EIA PR link.

The MNI December 2018 Chicago Business Barometer(>50=Gaining) is at 65.4, November 2018 was 66.4, October 2018 58.4, December 2017 67.8. “… the Barometer continues to signal a healthy business environment, notching the 34th consecutive reading above 50.” MNI PR link.

***Thursday, December 27:

Boston Scientific(PBR315) exercises $325 million option to acquire the remaining shares of Millipede, Inc, a privately-held company in Santa Rosa, CA, upon its recent successful completion of a first-in-human clinical study, $125 million payment becoming available upon achievement of a commercial milestone. $BSX PR link.

Essendant(PBR507) $12.80/share, $996 million cash, includes net debt, acquisition by Staplestender offer extended to 01/02/19, 69.9% of shares have been tendered. $ESND PR link.

Brunswick(PBR534) has been granted exclusions by the US Trade Representative and US Customs and Border Protection from Section 301 tariffs for its 40, 50 and 60hp Mercury Marine engines which are assembled by Mercury in China and sold globally. $BC PR link.

Public Storage(PBR760) President Joe Russell to add CEO role, CFO/Operations Tom Boyle to become corporate CFO, Chairman/CEO Ron Havner to retain Chairman role, outgoing CFO John Reyes will be joining Board, all effective on 01/01/19. $PSA PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the US Initial Unemployment Insurance Claims 4 Week Moving Average for the Week Ending 12/22/18was at 218,000, -2.4% from 11/24/18, -8.3 from 12/28/17; Total Insured Unemployment 4 Week Moving Average for the Week Ending 12/15/18 was at 1,675,750, -0.0% from 11/17/18, -12.7% from 12/16/17. USDOL PR link.

The Conference Board says the US Preliminary December 2018 Consumer Confidence Index(1985=100) is at 128.1, November 2018 was 136.4, December 2017123.1. “Expectations regarding job prospects and business conditions weakened, but still suggest that the economy will continue expanding at a solid pace in the short-term. While consumers are ending 2018 on a strong note, back-to-back declines in Expectations are reflective of an increasing concern that the pace of economic growth will begin moderating in the first half of 2019.” TCB PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR38) says US 30 Year Average Fixed Mortgage Rate on 12/27/18 is at 4.55% with 0.5 Fees & Points, 11/29/18 was at 4.81%, 10/25/18 4.86%, 12/28/17 3.99%. $FMCC PR link.

US Federal Government economic data for scheduled New Family Home Sales and US Net International Investment Position were scheduled for today but are delayed indefinitely per the US Government Shutdown.

***Wednesday, December 26:

Amazon(PBR8) customers purchased millions more Amazon Devices this holiday season compared to last year – the best-selling Amazon Devices included all-new Echo Dot, Fire TV Stick 4K with all-new Alexa Voice Remote, and Echo. $AMZN PR link.

JPMorgan Chase(PBR27 $JPM) to pay $135+ million to settle US Securities and Exchange Commission(SEC) charges of improper handling of “pre-released” American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), SEC acknowledges JPMorgan’s cooperation in the investigation and remedial acts. SEC PR link.

Henry Schein(PBR235) files SEC registration statement for spin-off of the Henry Schein Animal Health business and the subsequent merger with Vets First Choice to form an independent public company with name Covetrus, will list as NASDAQ: CVET, to be completed in 1Q19. $HSIC PR link.

AMC Entertainment(PBR504) adds over 100,000 new AMC Stubs A-List members, allows up to 3 movies per week in any format, now has over 600,000 members, started in 06/18. $AMC PR link.

MasterCard(PBR233) SpendingPulse(TM)reports holiday sales between 11/01/18 and 12/24/18 increased 5.1% to more than $850 billion this year – the strongest growth in the last six years. Online shopping also saw large gains of 19.1% compared to 2017. $MA PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond says the US 5th District December 2018 Service Sector Revenue Index is at +10%, October 2018 was at +5%, September 2018 -1%, December 2017 +25%. “… service sector activity grew moderately in December … Many firms also reported growth in demand and spending as well as strengthening business conditions … respondents were optimistic, expecting growth to continue in the coming months.” RichmondFed PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond says the US 5th District December 2018 Manufacturing Index is at -8%, November 2018 was at +14%, Octember 2018 +15%, December 2017 +30%. “… manufacturing activity weakened in December … weighed down by drops in the indexes for new orders and shipments.” RichmondFed PR link.

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Preliminary October 2018 Home Price Index(01/2000=100.00) is at 206.03, September 2018 was at 205.83, August 2018 205.71, October 2017 195.33. Case-Shiller PR link.

***Tuesday, December 25: Christmas Day.
US Stock Exchanges Closed.***

***Monday, December 24: Christmas Eve.
US Stock Exchanges Close Early at 1PM instead of 4PM Eastern.***

Tesla(PBR249 $TSLA)‘s Elon Musk tweets that Tesla will cover the difference of the electric vehicle tax credit of $7,500 which drops down to $3,750 on 01/01/19 for customers who ordered a Tesla by 10/15/18 for delivery by 12/31/18, but did not receive their vehicle because of production delays; Tesla also lowers prices for Model 3‘s sold in China by 7.6% to a starting price of $72,000. NYPost PR link.

KLA-Tencor(PBR582) continues to have advanced discussions with the State Administration for Market Regulation of the People’s Republic of China (SAMR) regarding clearance of the proposed $69.02/share in cash/stock, an equity value at $3.4 billion, merger involving KLA-Tencor and Orbotech(NASDAQ: ORBK) with a goal of obtaining clearance as soon as practicable in 2019. $KLAC PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago says the US Preliminary November 2018 National Activity Index is at +0.22, October 2018 was +0.0, September 2018 +0.15, November 2017+0.35. ChiFed PR link.

***Friday, December 21:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week Ending 12/21/18:

DJIA ends the week at 22,445.37, -6.87% from last Friday, -12.11% MTD, -15.17% QTD, -9.20% YTD, -16.34% from record 26,743.50 set 09/21/18.

NASDAQ ends the week at 6,332.99, -8.36% from last Friday, -13.61% MTD, -21.29% QTD, -8.26% YTD, -21.91% from record 8,109.69 set 08/29/18.

SPX ends the week at 2,416.62, -7.05% from last Friday, -12.45% MTD, -17.07% QTD, -9.61% YTD, -17.54% from record 2,930.75 set 09/20/18.

The Stock Market Bull made a brief appearance on Tuesday. But it was really all about The Stock Market Bear, who completely decimated the exchanges for the 3rd week in a row with a dominating 3-0 win, in Week 51 now has the most weekly wins, and in what was unthinkable only a couple of months ago looks on track to grab 2018.

The Week 51 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bear: 21 weeks
The Stock Market Bull: 20 weeks
Mixed Results: 10 weeks

The Week 51 News Summary: The US economy continues to do well, but the week was hit with the hat trick of the threat of a possible partial US government shutdown, the Federal Reserve raising the federal funds rate 0.25%, and there was nothing to allay the concerns over US/China trade issues.

Amazon(PBR8) to open its first fulfillment service center in Mississippi, 554,000 sf facility in Marshall County, will employ 850 full-time people, minimum wage is $15/hour. $AMZN PR link.

Amazon(PBR8)’s Air Network expands the long term partnership with Air Transport Services Group, leases 10 additional 767-300 dedicated Amazon cargo aircraft, increasing the fleet to 50 aircraft. $AMZN PR link.

Sprint(PBR85) to pay record $330 million fine per settlement with NY State for not collecting proper state and local taxes on some wireless plans for nearly a decade. $S PR link.

Newell Brands(PBR196) completes $1.3 billion sale of $556 million in revenues in 2017 fishing gear provider Pure Fishing unit to Sycamore Partners and its $1.3 billion sale of $768 million in 2017 revenues yearbooks, publications, jewelry and consumer goods that serve the K-12 educational, college and professional sports segments provider Jostens unit to Platinum Equity. $NWL PR link.

Genworth Financial(PBR340) sale to China Oceanwide for $5.43/share, $2.7 billion cash gets approval of Delaware Regulator and FannieMae(PBR20) and Freddie Mac(PBR38), transaction close extended to 01/31/19 to get additional US, China and other regulatory approvals. $GNW PR link.

Host Hotels(PBR484) completes sale of its 33% stake in its European joint venture to the partner for $505 million. $HST PR link.

Alexion Pharmaceuticals(PBR638) gets US FDA approval for ULTOMIRIS™ (ravulizumab-cwvz), the first and only long-acting C5 complement inhibitor administered every eight weeks, for the treatment of adult patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), a debilitating ultra-rare blood disorder. $ALXN PR link.

Spectrum Brands(PBR691) $1.25 billion sale of its Global Auto Care business to Energizer Holdings(NYSE: ENR) gets passed US Federal Trade Commission and clearance from the Polish Competition Authority, has received all antitrust approvals needed, to close in 02/19. $SPB PR link.

Meredith Corp(PBR839) completes $150 million sale of its FORTUNE media brand to businessman Chatchaval Jiaravanon and is in active negotiations to sell the Sports Illustratedand MONEY media brands. $MDP PR link.

Lawsuit by Pennsylvania Attorney GeneralJosh Shapiro against student loan provider Navient(PBR965 $NAVI) gets US District Courtdecision to move forward per 70-page opinion released earlier this week. MarketWatch PR link.

PepsiCo(PBR44) N America CEO Al Carey to retire at the end of 03/19 after nearly 38 years with the Company, President/COO Frito-Lay N America Vivek Sankaran to be successor, President/COO N America Beverages Kirk Tanner to become CEO of Frito-Lay. $PEP PR link.

PVH(PBR320)’s Calvin Klein unit and its Chief Creative Officer Raf Simons amicably part ways per new brand direction, also will not be participating in New York Fashion Week in 02/19. $PVH PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/BEA says US Preliminary November 2018 Total Personal Income Annual Rate is at $17.822 trillion, +0.2% from October 2018, +4.2% from November 2017, November 2018 Personal Current Taxes was $2.079 trillion, for Disposable Income of $15.743 trillion, Personal Outlays $14.799 trillion, for Personal Savings of $0.944 trillion, 6.0% of Disposable Income, 11.7% Effective Tax Rate. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says US 3Q18 3rd Estimate of Gross Domestic Product is +3.4%, Total Annual GDP is at $20.658 trillion, +1.2% from 2Q18, +5.5% from 3Q17; US 3Q18 Total Personal Consumption Expenditureswere at $14.050 trillion, +1.3% from 2Q18, +5.2% from 3Q17. USDOC PR link.

The U of Michigan Final December 2018 Consumer Sentiment Index is at 98.3, November 2018 was at 97.5, October 201898.6, December 2017 95.9. UMichigan PR link.

***Thursday, December 20:

Walgreens Boots Alliance(PBR19) in FY 1Q19 says it is launching a transformational cost management program, targets annual cost savings in excess of $1 billion by the end of the third year. $WBA PR link.

Boeing(PBR30) gets largest aircraft deal ever for the African continent, 100 737 MAX 8’s, for Lagos, Nigeria based Green Africa Airways, list price of $11.7 billion. $BA PR link.

Intel(PBR45) EVP/General Counsel Steven Rodgers writes article, “Qualcomm(PBR124)’s Patent Litigation Campaign isn’t Really about Vindicating Intellectual Property Rights.” $INTC PR link.

Cigna(PBR65) completes $96.18/share equivalent, $67 billion cash/stock acquisition of Express Scripts(PBR26). $CI PR link.

Altria(PBR110) invests $12.8 billion for 35% stake in US based e-vapor provider JUUL. $MO PR link.

Qualcomm(PBR124) gets permanent injunction ruling from District Court of Munich, Germany, against Apple(PBR2) for infringing on Qualcomm’s intellectual property for power savings in smartphones, Apple to cease the sale, offer for sale and importation for sale in Germany of infringing iPhones. $QCOM PR link.

NGL Energy(PBR161) sells South Pecos Water Disposal Assets to WaterBridge Resources for $238.8 million, to focus on its Delaware Basin Water Disposal operations in Texas. $NGL PR link.

Gap Inc(PBR177)’s Old Navy stores partners with Lyft to offer free round trips to pick up Buy Online Pick-Up In-Store purchases on the 2 Saturdays before Christmas Day. $GPS PR link.

Henry Schein(PBR235) and Vets First Choicesay that the new standalone public company from planned spin-off of the Henry Schein Animal Health business and the subsequent merger with Vets First Choice will be named Covetrus, will employ 5,000+ across 25 countries, have around 100,000 customers, Benjamin Shaw to be CEO, executive team named, to be completed in 1Q19. $HSIC PR link.

Perrigo(PBR512) to appeal tax due for around $1.9 billion to Ireland for Elan Pharma unit acquired in 12/13 for 2013, no payment due at this time, could take years to resolve. $PRGO PR link.

Greif(PBR627) to acquire N America $1.4 billion in sales paperboard manufacturer Caraustar for $1.8 billion, to close 1Q19. $GEF PR link.

Scientific Games(PBR699) has extended through 2025 its long-term license agreement with Hasbro(PBR496) and Hasbro International for the exclusive use of MONOPOLY and more than 15 other iconic game brands. $SGMS PR link.

Autodesk(PBR865) to acquire bid management, risk analysis and other preconstruction solutions with a network of more than 700,000 construction professionals provider BuildConnect for $275 million, to close by 01/31/19. $ADSK PR link.

Autodesk(PBR865) completes $875 million net of cash acquisition of San Francisco, CA-based cloud real-time collaboration construction productivity software provider PlanGrid. $ADSK PR link.

Pyxus(PBR894) applauds the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, permanently removes hemp from the Controlled Substances Act, deems it an agricultural commodity. $PYX PR link.

WW(fka Weight Watchers)(PBR974) and Blue Apron (NYSE: APRN) announce WW x Blue Apron, a new partnership that features weekly rotating selection of recipes inspired by the WW Freestyle™ program and available for home delivery. $WTW PR link.

Campbell Soup(PBR327) hires Mark Clouse as President/CEO, effective 01/22/19, will succeed interim President/CEO Keith McLoughlin, who will remain a Director, activist investor Third Point supports the decision. $CPB PR link.

Avon Products(PBR468) hires Vikram Agarwal as SVP/Chief Supply Chain Officer, succeeds departing Michael Watson; SVP/Human Resources Susan Ormiston leaving in 01/19. $AVP PR link.

Pinnacle West(PBR620) promotes Jeffrey B. Guldner to President/Arizona Public Service, its largest subsidiary, will have responsibility for all areas of APS excluding nuclear generation. $PNW PR link.

Abercrombie & Fitch(PBR641) provides details on terms of departure for former Brands President Stacia Andersen. $ANF PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphiasays the 3rd District December 2018 Manufacturing General Activity Indicator is at 9.4, November 2018 was 12.9, October 201822.2, December 2017 27.9. “Manufacturing activity in the region continued to grow but remained subdued … firms remained generally optimistic about future growth.” PhillyFed PR link.

The Conference Board says the US Preliminary November 2018 Leading Economic Index(2016=100) is at 111.8, October 2018 was at 111.6, September 2018111.9, November 2017 106.6. “Despite the recent volatility in stock prices, the strengths among the leading indicators have been widespread. Solid GDP growth at about 2.8 percent should continue in early 2019, but the LEI suggests the economy is likely to moderate further in the second half of 2019.” TCB PR link.

***Wednesday, December 19:

Apple(PBR2 $AAPL) releasing a software update to possibly avoid a ban on the sale of older iPhones in China. MarketWatch PR link.

Alphabet(PBR21 $GOOG)’s Google unit slammed in 100 page complaint to the US Federal Trade Commission for ‘disturbing’ children’s games. MarketWatch PR link.

Boeing(PBR30) forecasts demand of 2,300 new airplanes in India over next 20 years, valued at $320 billion. $BA PR link.

UPS(PBR42) expects 1.5 million packages to be returned on 12/19/18, National Returns Day, 1 million on other days, expects 1.3 million on 01/03/19, planning to deliver 800 million packages during holiday season. $UPS PR link.

Pfizer(PBR55) and GlaxoSmithKline plc (NYSE:GSK) to form joint venture global consumer healthcare company, Pfizer, with a 32% minor equity stake, will contribute its consumer healthcare business to GlaxoSmithKline’s existing consumer healthcare business, 2017 global sales for the combined business were approximately $12.7 billion, will later spin-off as an independent company. $PFE PR link.

Facebook(PBR68) provides clarification on their messaging partnerships, provides examples with Spotify, Netflix, Dropbox, and Royal Bank of Canada. $FB PR link.

Facebook(PBR68 $FB) being sued by Washington DC Attorney General for failing to protect millions of users’ data during 2016 elections. DC AG PR link.

T-Mobile(PBR69) and Seattle Mariners team Up to present hometown T-Mobile Park in new partner 25 year deal. $TMUS PR link.

Merck(PBR73) gets US FDA approval for KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) for treatment of adult and pediatric patients with recurrent locally advanced or metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare form of skin cancer. $MRK PR link.

Merck(PBR73) and AstraZeneca get US FDA approval for LYNPARZA® (olaparib) for first-line maintenance therapy in BRCA-mutated advanced ovarian cancer. $MRK PR link.

3M(PBR87) to acquire $200 million in revenues/year healthcare technology of cloud-based, conversational Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered systems that help physicians efficiently capture and improve the patient narrative business of M*Modal, for a total enterprise value of $1.0 billion, does not include other M*Modal business units. $MMM PR link.

Medtronic(PBR94) completes around $1.64 billion acquisition of Israel based robotic guidance systems pioneer Mazor Robotics (NASDAQ:MZOR, TASE:MZOR.TZ). $MDT PR link.

Thermo-Fisher Scientific(PBR138) $925 million acquisition of manufacturer of instrumentation and software used to enhance and extend the operation and performance of electron microscopes Gatan, a wholly owned subsidiary of Roper Technologies(PBR530) requires additional UK review, last authorization required to close. $TMO PR link.

Bristol-Myers Squibb(PBR139) announces that Japan‘s largest over-the-counter drug company Taisho Pharmaceutical Holdings Co has offered to purchase Bristol-Myers Squibb’s French pharmaceutical company UPSA consumer health business for $1.6 billion, put option transaction, to close in 1H19. $BMY PR link.

Allergan(PBR174) suspends sales of textured breast implants and tissue expanders, is withdrawing any remaining supply in Europeanmarkets, follows a compulsory recall request from French regulatory authority Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament (ANSM), stems from expiration of company’s CE Mark, plans to renew. $AGN PR link.

Newell Brands(PBR196) activist investor Carl Icahn and associates SEC filing shows they have increased their stake in NWL to 9.89%. $NWL PR link.

Alcoa(PBR251) will immediately begin to curtail half of the one operating potline at the Aluminerie de Bécancour Inc. (ABI) smelter in Québec, Canada, other 2 potlines curtailed in 01/18 because of union lockout, still in negotiations. $AA PR link.

Sempra Energy(PBR260) subsidiary gets 20 year deal to export US liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Port Arthur LNG liquefaction-export facility to Polish Oil & Gas Co, for 2.7 billion cubic meters per year (after regasification) – enough natural gas to meet about 15% of Poland‘s daily needs. $SRE PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR443) acquires Southaven, MS-based broad range of property/casualty coverages to businesses and individuals provider Pointer Insurance Agency. $AJG PR link.

GNC(PBR799 $GNC) recalls nearly 800,000 units of ‘Women’s Iron Complete’ for child safety concerns. MarketWatch PR link.

AvalonBay Communities(PBR850) completes $460 million net proceeds sale of 80% interest in 5 Manhattan apartment communities, 1,301 apartment homes, 58,000 sf retail space, retains a 20% interest and act as the managing member and property manager for the assets. $AVB PR link.

Pier 1 Imports(PBR904) appoints director Cheryl A. Bachelder as interim CEO, succeeds Alasdair B. James, who has stepped down, is implementing a more rigorous cost reduction program, to evaluate a full range of strategic alternatives. $PIR PR link.

The Federal Open Market Committee issues statement raising federal funds rate 0.25% to 2.25% to 2.50%, says labor market has continued to strengthen and that economic activity has been rising at a strong rate, inflation remains near 2%, judges that risks to the economic outlook are roughly balanced, but will continue to monitor global economic and financial developments, anticipates some further gradual rate increases over the medium term. FOMC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/BEA says US Preliminary 3Q18 Total Exports of Goods, Services, and Income Receipts was at $930.3 billion, -0.7% from 2Q18, +7.1% from 3Q17; 3Q18 Total Imports of Goods, Services, and Income Payments was $1,055.1 billion, +1.7% from 2Q18, +8.5% from 3Q17; 3Q18 Deficit is $124.8 billion, +23.3% from 2Q18, +20.7% from 3Q17. USDOC PR link.

The Natl Assn of Realtors says US Preliminary November 2018 Existing Home Sales Annual Rate is at 5,320,000 units, +1.9% from October 2018, -7.0% from November 2017; November 2018 Median Sales Price is at $257,700, +0.9% from October 2018, +4.2% from November 2017. NAR PR link.

***Tuesday, December 18:

Amazon(PBR8) says third annual Digital Daywill be on Friday, 12/28/18, will feature significant discounts on thousands of digital content items including movies, TV shows, mobile games, apps, eBooks, and more. $AMZN PR link.

Kroger(PBR18) launches first-ever unmanned self-driving grocery delivery service available to the general public in partnership with Nuno, tested since August, initially available for a Scottsdale, AZ, Fry’s Food store, $5.95/delivery, no minimum. $KR PR link.

Kroger(PBR18) to sell its digital coupon and digital rebate publishing unit You Technology to Inmar in conjunction with a long-term services agreement with Inmar for the continued delivery of digital offer management services to Kroger, to close 1Q19, terms not disclosed. $KR PR link.

FedEx(PBR43) announces cost reduction actions, includes voluntary buyout program for eligible employees, limited hiring in staff functions. $FEDX PR link.

Cisco(PBR58) to acquire privately held Carlsbad, CA-based specialty semiconductor products manufacturer Luxtera for $660 million cash. $CSCO PR link.

Charter Communications(PBR67 $CHTR) to pay record $174.2 million consumer fraud settlement for defrauding Internet subscribers per NY Attorney General‘s office. NY AG PR link.

Eli Lilly(PBR121) to pay $12 million upfront plus up to $620 million based on achieving milestones plus royalties to Aduro Biotech (NASDAQ: ADRO) for a research collaboration and exclusive license agreement for Aduro’s cGAS-STING Pathway Inhibitor program for the research and development of novel immunotherapies for autoimmune and other inflammatory diseases. $LLY PR link.

Amgen(PBR122) to pay $50 million upfront plus up to $497 million based on achieving milestones plus royalties to Molecular Partners AG (SIX: MOLN) in a joint venture to develop MP0310 in combination with Amgen’s oncology assets. $AMGN PR link.

United Natural Foods(PBR283) to transfer trading of its common stock from the NASDAQ Global Select Market, to begin trading on the NYSE on 01/02/19, will continue to use stock symbol UNFI. $UNFI PR link.

ConAgra Brands(PBR347) to sell its Wesson® Oil brand to Canada‘s largest agribusiness, Richardson International, to close in 1Q19, terms not disclosed. $CAG PR link.

Cooper-Standard(PBR622) plans to build a new 3 story 110,000 sf world headquarters in Northville, MI, near its current Novi, MI facility, to be completed in early 2020, to house 400 employees, expandable options. $CPS PR link.

Alliant Energy(PBR654) moving its stock exchange listing to NASDAQ from the NYSEeffective after the market closes on 12/28/18, will continue to use stock symbol LNT. $LNT PR link.

SkyWest(PBR682) to sell its ExpressJet Airlines unit to ManaAir for $70 million cash for the majority of assets and assumption of ExpressJet liabilities, to close in early 2019. $SKYW PR link.

McDermott Intl(PBR710) signs 16-year lease for new headquarters at Energy Center Five, an 18-story, 524,000 sf office tower in Houston, TX, will consolidate 1,700 employees to 1 location from 5 locations, move in starts mid 2019. $MDR PR link.

Rent-A-Center(PBR756) terminates $15.00/share, $1.365 billion cash acquisition by private equity firm Vintage Capital, did not receive an extension notice from Vintage Capital by end of day 12/17/18, asks for the reverse breakup fee of $126,500,000 within three business days per merger agreement. $RCII PR link.

Duke Energy(PBR114) former Chairman/CEO Jim Rogers dies at age 71, was CEO from 2006 to 2013, influential in building the largest US electric utility, led Duke Energy to focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and steered the company to more renewable energy. $DUK PR link.

Eastman Chemical(PBR299) SVP/Corporate Development and Chemical Intermediates Damon C. Warmack to retire mid 2019, SVP/Additives & Functional Products Dr. Lucian Boldea to become an EVP and assume leadership of Chemical Intermediates effective 01/01/19. $EMN PR link.

Brunswick(PBR534) Chief Human Resources Officer Brenna Priesser to add President/Business Acceleration role to her responsibilities, effective 01/01/19. $BC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/HUD says US Preliminary November 2018 Private Housing Building Permits Issues Annual Rate is at 1,328,000 units, +5.0% from October 2018, +0.4% from November 2017. USDOC PR link.

***Monday, December 17:

Alphabet(PBR21)’s Google unit expanding commitment to New York City, investing over $1 billion in capital improvements to establish a new 1.7 million sf campus, Google Hudson Square, to start moving in in 2020. $GOOG PR link.

Boeing(PBR30) increases share repurchase authorization to $20 billion from $18 billion authorized in 12/17, has used $9 billion. $BA PR link.

Boeing(PBR30) to acquire 80% stake for $4.2 billion in joint venture with Brazil based Embraer(B3: EMBR3, NYSE: ERJ), needs Brazil and other regulatory approvals, to close by end of 2019. $BA PR link.

Johnson & Johnson(PBR36) authorizes up to $5 billion share repurchase program. $JNJ PR link.

T-Mobile(PBR69) and Sprint(PBR85) $59 billion all stock merger gets approval from Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS), US Dept of Justice, US Dept of Homeland Security, and Dept of Defense, collectively referred to as Team Telecom, has no objections to the merger and has withdrawn its request to defer action, still needs additional regulatory approvals, to close in 1H19. $TMUS PR link.

Oracle(PBR77 $ORCL) buys back $10 billion in shares in recent quarter, on track to do $20 billion in FY2019, up from $11.5 billion in FY2018, opinion piece says it inflates earnings per share number. MarketWatch PR link.

Goldman Sachs(PBR86 $GS) faces charges in Malaysia over massive corruption scandal, denies any wrongdoing. NPR PR link.

Carnival Corp(PBR159) to launch 4 new ships in 2019, 20 new ships scheduled for delivery between 2019 and 2025. $CCL PR link.

BNY Mellon(PBR181) to pay $54+ million to settle charges with the US Securities and Exchange Commission for improper handling of “pre-released” American Depositary Receipts (ADRs). $BK PR link.

Universal Health(PBR257) authorizes an increase of $500 million for share repurchase program, is now $1.7 billion, $1.16 billion used. $UHS PR link.

Air Products(PBR318) to increase product pricing, monthly service charges, and surcharges for merchant customers in N America by 10 to 20%, effective 01/01/19, because of increased costs. $APD PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR443) to acquire Conshohocken, PA-based retail property/casualty insurance broker Preston-Patterson Co, terms not disclosed. $AJG PR link.

Whirlpool(PBR134) Chairman Jeff M. Fettig to retire after 38 years with the company on 12/31/18, CEO Marc Bitzer to add Chairman role on 01/01/19. $WHR PR link.

CBS(PBR215) Board determines there are grounds to terminate former Chairman/CEO Les Moonves for cause, he will not receive any severance payment(estimated at $120 million). $CBS PR link.

Acadia Healthcare(PBR724) Chairman/CEO Joey Jacobs removed from his roles, hires Debbie Osteen as CEO, Lead Director Reeve B. Waud elected Chairman. $ACHC PR link.

Kroger(PBR18) EVP/CFO J. Michael Schlotman to retire as CFO by 04/03/19, remain EVP through 12/28/19, CEO of Kroger Personal Finance Gary Millerchip to become SVP/CFO on 04/04/19. $KR PR link.

Trinity Industries(PBR618) SVP/CFO James E. Perry to leave after filing of annual 10-K, SVP/Chief Administrative Officer Melendy Lovett to be successor. $TRN PR link.

Tower Intl(PBR872) COO Mike Rajkovic agrees to accelerated retirement because of pending divestiture of European operations. $TOWR PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York says the Empire State Preliminary December 2018 Manufacturing General Business Conditions Index is at 10.9, November 2018 was at 23.3, October 2018 21.1, December 2017 19.6. NYFed PR link.

The Natl Assn of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Preliminary December 2018 Housing Market Composite Index is at 56, November 2018 was at 60, October 2018 68, November 2017 74. NAHB/WF PR link.

***Friday, December 14:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week Ending 12/14/18:

DJIA ends the week at 24,100.51, -1.18% from last Friday, -5.63% MTD, -8.91% QTD, -2.50% YTD, -10.17% from record 26,743.50 set 09/21/18.

NASDAQ ends the week at 6,910.66, -0.84% from last Friday, -5.73% MTD, -14.11% QTD, +0.11% YTD, -14.79% from record 8,109.69 set 08/29/18.

SPX ends the week at 2,599.95, -1.26% from last Friday, -5.80% MTD, -10.78% QTD, -2.76% YTD, -11.29% from record 2,930.75 set 09/20/18.

The Stock Market Bull did okay during the first four days of the week, then The Stock Market Bear came charging in on Friday bigtime to take a 3-0 win in Week 50. With his 2 week dramatic winning streak he now evens the match for weekly victories and threatens to capture 2018as well.

The Week 50 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 20 weeks
The Stock Market Bear: 20 weeks
Mixed Results: 10 weeks

The Week 50 News Summary: The US economy continues to do well, but there are growing concerns about the projections of global economy growth, about US/China trade issues, and a fair amount of conjecture on whether or not The Fed will raise federal short term interest rates next week. There is also the threat of a US government shutdown at the end of next week, and the media is having a hay day covering President Trump’s former trusted advisors as they plead guilty to a variety of charges that might create complications for his presidency and personal life.

GE(PBR19) plans on a tender process for the appointment as GE’s independent audit firm, only 65% of shareholder votes were for retaining KPMG, which has been reappointed for 2019 by the Audit Committee. $GE PR link.

Johnson & Johnson(PBR36) replies to article published by Reuters which says J&J’s baby powder talc contains asbestos, J&J says article is one-sided, false, and inflammatory; says its baby powder talc has been tested for decades thousands of time by independent labs worldwide and regulators and asbestos has never been detected. $JNJ PR link.

Merck(PBR73) to acquire France based around $410 million in global revenue digital animal identification, traceability and monitoring solutions provider Antelliq Group for around $2.4 billion cash, assumes $1.3 billion in debt which it will pay off upon transaction closing, will become wholly owned subsidiary with the Animal Health Division, to close in 2Q19. $MRK PR link.

Amgen(PBR122) gets US FDA approval for Nplate® (Romiplostim) for use In pediatric patients with immune thrombocytopenia. $AMGN PR link.

XPO Logistics(PBR185) authorizes up to $1 billion share repurchase program. $XPO PR link.

PPG(PBR193) to acquire Elverson, PA based 700+ employees globally in 10 plants manufacturer of low-friction, wear-resistant coatings for industrial applications in automotive, aerospace, energy and construction products and nonstick coatings for cookware, bakeware and small electric appliances Whitford Worldwide, to close 1Q19, terms not disclosed. $PPG PR link.

Dominion Energy(PBR228) and SCANA(PBR547) $7.9 billion all stock transaction, $14.6 billion with debt merger gets Public Service Commission of S Carolinaapproval with some conditions to be published on 12/21/18, last regulatory approval required. $SCG PR link.

Tesla(PBR249 $TSLA) sells $837 million of bonds backed by auto leases. MarketWatch PR link.

Flowers Foods(PBR594) completes around $205 million acquisition of privately held, gluten-free baking company Johnstown, CO, based $70-80 million in revenues anticipated in 2019 Canyon Bakehouse. $FLO PR link.

Albemarle(PBR701) subsidiary to acquire 50% of Mineral Resources Limited (ASX: MIN)’s Wodgina hard rock lithium project in Western Australia for $1.15 billion and form a 50/50 joint venture with MRL to own and operate the Wodgina Project to produce spodumene concentrate and battery grade lithium hydroxide. $ALB PR link.

Genesco(PBR719) to sell its Lids Sports Group headwear unit for $100 million in cash to FanzzLids Holdings, a holding company of affiliates of Ames Watson Capital; Genesco also authorizes increase of current share repurchase program to $125 million. $GCO PR link.

Lincoln Financial(PBR202) hires Leon Roday as EVP/General Counsel. $LNC PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the US September 2018 Average Wages & Salaries/Hour was at $25.03, Average Benefits/Hour $11.60, Total Average Hourly Compensation was $36.63, +1.1% from June 2018, +2.8% from September 2017. USDOL PR link.

The US Federal Reserve says US Preliminary November 2018 Total Industry % of Manufacturing Capacity was at 78.5%, October 2018 was 78.1%, September 201878.4%, November 2017 77.1%. USFed PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says US Preliminary October 2018 Total Sales for Manufacturers was $508.4 billion, Retail $451.5 billion, and Wholesale $510.1 billion for Total Sales of $1.470 trillion, +0.3% from September 2018, +6.1% from October 2017. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says US Advance November 2018 Retail Sales were at $452.9 billion, Food Services & Drinking Places $60.6 billion, Total Retail $513.5 billion, +0.2% from October 2018, +4.2% from November 2017. USDOC PR link.

***Thursday, December 13:

Apple(PBR2) to do major expansion of its operations in Austin, TX, including an investment of $1 billion to build a new campus in N Austin, also plans to establish new sites in Seattle, WA, San Diego, CA, and Culver City, CA, and expand in cities across the US including Pittsburgh, PA, New York. NY, and Boulder, CO over the next three years, to create 20,000 new jobs by 2023. $AAPL PR link.

GE(PBR18) to establish a new, independent company focused on building a comprehensive Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) software portfolio, will start with $1.2 billion in annual software revenue and an existing global industrial customer base, to be a GE wholly-owned, independently run business with a new brand and identity, its own equity structure, and its own Board of Directors. $GE PR link.

GE(PBR18) Digital unit to sell majority stake in its cloud-based software productivity tools for field service technicians ServiceMax business to Silver Lake investment firm, will retain 10% equity interest, to close in early 2019, terms not disclosed. $GE PR link.

Intel(PBR45 $INTC) and ESL Gaming to invest over $100 million over 3 years to develop and promote esports. ESL Gaming PR link.

Centene(PBR59) to do 2:1 stock split in 1Q19, will require shareholder approval. $CNC PR link.

Coca-Cola(PBR81) extending a loan to Ioniqa Technologies (The Netherlands) for development of Ioniqa’s proprietary technology to produce high-grade, recycled PET content from hard-to-recycle plastic waste for use in bottles used by Coca-Cola. $KO PR link.

AbbVie(PBR101) authorizes a $5 billion increase to its existing stock repurchase program. $ABBV PR link.

Starbucks(PBR124) outlines growth agenda at investor conference, topics include Starbucks Delivers partnerships with Uber Eats in the USand Ele.me in China for delivery services, digital partnership with Alibaba in China, introducing Nitro Cold Brew in US stores, market opportunities with Nestle, expanding benefits packages for employees. $SBUX PR link.

L Brands(PBR225) to transfer ownership and operating control of its $250 million in 2018 revenues and $40 million loss La Senza fashion unit to an affiliate of global private equity firm Regent LP, in return for future consideration. $LB PR link.

Henry Schein(PBR235) authorizes $400 million share repurchase program, previous $400 million authorization has been completed. $HSIC PR link.

Consolidated Edison(PBR245) completes $1.54 billion acquisition of a Sempra Energy(PBR261) subsidiary for $1.54 billion that owns 981 megawatts (MW) AC of operating renewable electric production projects, with 2,600 MW AC ConEd is now 2nd largest producer of solar energy in N America. $ED PR link.

Mylan(PBR247) gets favorable US Patent and Trademark Appeal Board decision, found all claims of Sanofi’s Lantus (insulin glargine 100 Units/mL) formulation patents unpatentable, has 12 month sales over $6.5 billion. $MYL PR link.

Ball Corp(PBR266) to sell its metal beverage packaging facilities in China to ORG Technology Co. Ltd. (SZSE:002701) for approximately $225 million, to close 2H19. $BLL PR link.

Ingredion(PBR439) investing $140 million to accelerate production and expand portfolio of plant-based proteins, including pulse flours, concentrates and isolates. $INGR PR link.

Pioneer Natural Resources(PBR477)authorizes up to $2 billion share repurchase program. $PXD PR link.

Scientific Games(PBR699) to pay $151.5 million settlement in its litigation with Shuffle Tech International LLC and other plaintiffs. $SGMS PR link.

Avon Products(PBR468) hires Gustavo Arnal to be EVP/CFO starting in Spring 2019, succeeds departing Jamie Wilson. $AVP PR link.

Chipotle(PBR537) completes executive team with hiring of Roger Theodoredis as Chief Legal Officer and Tabassum Zalotrawala as Chief Development Officer, other executive team members listed. $CMG PR link.

Alliant Energy(PBR655) SVP and President/Interstate Power and Light(IPL) Douglas R. Kopp to retire in 1H19, John Larsen promoted to President/COO and CEO/IPL and Wisconsin Power & Light(WPL), effective 01/01/19. $LNT PR link.

MSC Industrial(PBR715) SVP/ Sales & Customer Success Dave Wright has resigned to pursue another opportunity, successor search starts. $MSM PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says US November 2018 Federal Government Receipts were $206.0 billion, Outlays $410.9, Total Deficit$204.9 billion; Receipts YTD(2 months) are at $458.7 billion, Outlays YTD $764.0 billion, Total Deficit YTD $305.4 billion, November 2017 Total Deficit YTD was $201.8 billion. USTreasury PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US Preliminary November 2018 Import Prices were -1.6%, October 2018 was +0.5%, September 2018+0.0%, November 2017 +1.0%, Last 12 Months +0.7%; November 2018 Export Priceswere -0.9%, October 2018 was +0.5%, September 2018 +0.0%, November 2017+0.5%, Last 12 Months +1.8%. USDOL PR link.

***Wednesday, December 12:

Walmart(PBR1 $WMT) and Express Scripts(PBR26) extend existing agreement to 3 more years to provide access to Walmart’s prescription services for Express Scripts clients’ covered members, to deliver additional affordable prescription solutions, averaging a 40% discount, to millions of underinsured and uninsured Americans. $ESRX PR link.

Kroger(PBR18) launches its Rx Savings Club, a new program designed to significantly reduce the cost of prescription drugs for customers across the country, adding to the retailer’s Wellness Your Way platform, developed in partnership with GoodRx, offers 3 tier pricing. $KR PR link.

Lowe’s(PBR40) authorizes new $10 billion share repurchase program, adds to current program which has $4.5 billion still available. $LOW PR link.

Merck(PBR73) to invest an initial $26 million and up to an additional $75 million based on achieved milestone, plus sales royalties, in Instituto Butantan, Sao Paulo, Brazil, a non-profit producer of immunobiologic products for Brazil in a collaboration agreement to develop vaccines to protect against dengue virus disease, the mosquito-borne infection. $MRK PR link.

Arrow Electronics(PBR104) authorizes additional $600 million share repurchase program. $VZ PR link.

Avnet(PBR152) to acquire privately held 500 employees in the US and India software and Artificial Intelligence (AI) company Softweb Solutions, terms not disclosed. $AVT PR link.

Norfolk Southern(PBR272) to relocate its headquarters from Norfolk, VA, to new facility to be built in Atlanta, GA. $NSC PR link.

Bausch Health(PBR325) to acquire certain assets of in Chapter 11 as of today biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel gastrointestinal (GI) therapies Synergy Pharmaceuticals(NASDAQ: SGYP) for approximately $200 million plus certain assumed liabilities as the “stalking horse” bidder. $BHS PR link.

NVR(PBR426) authorizes $300 million share repurchase program. $NVR PR link.

Laureate Education(PBR551) to sell 5 of its its universities in Spain and Portugal to global private equity firm Permira Funds for $871 million, to close 1H19. $LAUR PR link.

Boston Properties(PBR766) to acquire 650,000 MW hours of environmental attributes over three years from Capricorn Ridge II Wind Farm in Sterling, TX, projected power consumption at 33 buildings and garages totaling 15 million square feet in Boston, MA, area, reduces carbon intensity by 78% from 2008 base. $BXP PR link.

Boyd Gaming(PBR809) authorizes new $100 million share repurchase program, is in addition to the Company’s existing repurchase authorization. $BYD PR link.

Curtis-Wright(PBR830) authorizes additional $100 million for share purchase program. $CS PR link.

Wendy’s(PBR984) is first restaurant chain to partner with the Progressive Beef™ program, a verification program that includes understanding antibiotics use, humane environment for cattle; also has initiative to source vine-ripened tomatoes for its N American restaurants exclusively from US and Canada greenhouse farms by early 2019. $WEN PR link.

Owens & Minor(PBR308) interim CFO Robert Snead now officially EVP/CFO. $OMI PR link.

Brink’s(PBR667) hires George Neill as Chief Marketing Officer. $BCO PR link.

Synovus Financial(PBR949) CFO Kevin Blair now SVP/COO, will also be interim CFO until successor on board. $SNV PR link.

Regions Financial(PBR446) appoints Lead Independent Director Charles D. McCrary to be the independent Chair of the Board, effective 01/01/19, will succeed Executive Chairman O. B. Grayson Hall, Jr., who retires 12/31/18. $RF PR link.

SAIC(PBR541) appoints director Donna Morea as Chair, to succeed Edward “Sandy” Sanderson, Jr., who will remain a director, will be effective following the closing of SAIC’s planned acquisition of Engility Holdings 01/19. $SAIC PR link.

Par Pacific(PBR801) Chairman Melvyn N. Klein to step down effective 01/01/19, but will remain a Director, Vice Chairman Robert S. Silberman to be successor. $PARR PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the US Preliminary November 2018 Average Current Earnings/Hour is at $27.35, Average Hours Worked/Week 34.4, for Current Weekly Earnings of $940.84, -0.1% from October 2018, +2.8% from November 2017. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the US November 2018 Consumer Price Index is at +0.0%, All Items Less Food and Energy +0.2%, Last 12 Months +2.2%, October 2018 was at +2.5%, September 2018 +2.3%, November 2017+3.0%. USDOL PR link.

***Tuesday, December 11:

Verizon(PBR17) voluntary separation program for select U.S.-based management employees to result in 10,400 eligible employees separating by the end of 06/19, with nearly half exiting in 12/18; expects to record a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of approximately $4.6 billion in 4Q18 for its Oath digital advertising business; expects to complete an internal reorganization of legal entities associated with its wireless business in 12/18 resulting in a non-recurring deferred tax benefit of approximately $2.1 billion 4Q18. $VZ PR link.

Alphabet(PBR21)’s Google unit to accelerate sunsetting of its Google+ platform within 90 days because of low usage and recently discovered bugs. $GOOG PR link.

Allstate(PBR75 $ALL) plans to bring 2,500 jobs, possible corporate campus to Chandler, AZ. Arizona Republic PR link.

McDonald’s(PBR123) announces a policy to reduce the overall use of antibiotics in its beef products, will start with 10 largest beef suppliers. $MCD PR link.

Cinemark(PBR708) says its Movie Club, the first exhibitor-sponsored subscription program, has surpassed 500,000 active members with more than 1,400 members per theatre, exceeds original first year forecast by more than doubling initial projections, $8.99/mo. $CNK PR link.

Avista(PBR957) commissions Adams Nielson solar array located in Lind, WA, is a 28 Megawatt DC array comprised of 81,700 panels spanning 200 acres, generates enough electricity to supply the equivalent of approximately 4,000 homes annually, is largest solar array in Washington State. $AVA PR link.

Adtalem Education(PBR983) completes divestiture of Carrington College to San Joaquin Valley College, completes divestiture of DeVry University to Cogswell Education, to focus on post secondary education in the medical and healthcare markets. $ATGE PR link.

Axalta(PBR552) interim CEO Robert Bryant named permanent CEO, VP and interim CFO Sean Lannon also named permanent CFO, both effective immediately. $AXTA PR link.

Cleveland-Cliffs(PBR819) promotes EVP/Business Development Clifford T. Smith to EVP/COO, effective 01/01/19. $CLF PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US Preliminary November 2018 Total Final Monthly Demand Producer Price Index is at +0.1%, October 2018 was at +0.6%, September 2018 +0.2%, November 2017 +0.4%, Last 12 Months+2.5%. USDOL PR link.

CoreLogic says US September 2018 Housing Loans 30 Days Or More Delinquents is at 4.4%, August 2018 was 4.0%, July 2018 4.1%, September 2017 5.0%, “Overall U.S. mortgage delinquency rates are up in natural disaster areas but down nearly everywhere else.” CoreLogic PR link.

Manpower(PBR137) says US hiring intentionsat 12 year high as demand for workers is set to grow in 2019 with positive job forecasts in all 50 states and 100 largest metro areas. $MAN PR link.

China informs US Sec of the Treasury Munchin that they will be reducing tariffs on US imported automobiles from 40% down to 15% as part of trade negotiations. MarketWatch PR link.

***Monday, December 10:

Qualcomm(PBR124) gets approval from China courts for two preliminary injunctions against four Chinese subsidiaries of Apple(PBR2) to immediately cease infringing upon two Qualcomm patents through the unlicensed importation, sale and offers for sale in China of iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X. $QCOM PR link.

CBS(PBR215) to sell 25-acre CBS Television City® property and sound stage operation to Los Angeles-based real estate developer Hackman Capital Partners for $750 million. $CBS PR link.

Tesla(PBR249 $TSLA)‘s CEO Elon Musk slams SEC, in “60 Minutes” interview says Tesla’s critics have been ‘unfair’ and ‘outrageous’.MarketWatch PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR443) acquires Toronto-based Accompass, provides health & welfare, investment & retirement, executive compensation, and broad-based compensation consulting and support services to clients throughout Canada, terms not disclosed. $AJG PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR443) acquires Chicago, IL-based captive consultant focused exclusively on US medical and professional liability participants Captive Insurance Company Design and Operations, terms not disclosed. $AJG PR link.

WABCO(PBR672) authorizes new up to $600 million share buyback program, effective 01/01/19 through 12/31/20, $300 million to be used from previous authorization by 12/31/18. $WBC PR link.

Red Hat(PBR715) sets special shareholders meeting for 01/16/19 to vote on $190.00/share, $34 billion cash acquisition by IBM(PBR34), to close 2H19 if approved. $RHT PR link.

EnerSys(PBR780) completes $750 million cash/stock acquisition of certain assets of select entities belonging to Bellingham, WA, based global commercial-grade energy solutions for broadband, telecom, renewable, industrial and traffic customers provider Alpha Technologies, did $591 million for year ending 06/30/18. $ENS PR link.

Allscripts(PBR900) to sell its interests in behavioral health, human services and post-acute care technologies provider Netsmart Technologies, will net around $525 million after taxes. $MDRX PR link.

GoPro(PBR994) plans to move most of its US-bound camera production out of China by the summer of 2019 to mitigate the potential impact of inclusion on any new tariff lists. International-bound camera production will remain in China.$GPRO PR link.

Gilead Sciences(PBR107) hires Daniel O’Day as Chairman/CEO, effective 03/01/19, Chief Patient Officer Gregg Alton named interim CEO from 01/01/19 to 03/01/19, succeeds President/CEO John F. Milligan, PhD, who steps down on 12/31/18. $GILD PR link.

Lockheed(PBR56) to promote Kenneth R. Possenriede to EVP/CFO, effective 02/11/19, to succeed Bruce L. Tanner who is retiring in mid 2019. $LMT PR link.

Merck(PBR73) President/Global Human Health Adam H. Schechter to step down 12/31/18 to become advisor to CEO, in reorganization successors will be Frank Clyburn as Chief Commercial Officer and Michael Nally as Chief Marketing Officer. $MRK PR link.

Owens & Minor(PBR308) hires Joseph S. Pekala as SVP/Chief Information Officer. $OMI PR link.

Spirit AeroSystems(PBR392) hires Jose Ignacio Garcia as SVP/Chief Financial Officer effective 01/09/19, to succeed retiring Sanjay Kapoor. $SPR PR link.

Clorox(PBR445) promotes Linda Rendle to EVP/Strategy and Operations and Eric Reynolds to EVP/Cleaning and Burt’s Bees, both effective 01/07/19. $CLX PR link.

S&P Global(PBR450) President/S&P Global Market Intelligence andEVP/Data & Technology Mike Chinn to leave in 03/19, Martina Cheung to become President/S&P Global Market Intelligence, Nick Cafferillo to become Chief Data & Technology Officer with an expanded role, both effective 01/02/19. $SPGI PR link.

PerkinElmer(PBR838) promotes Prahlad Singh to newly created role of President/COO, effective 01/01/19. $PKI PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US Preliminary October 2018 Private Job Openings were at 6,489,000, Government 590,000, Total Job Openings 7,079,000, +1.7% from September 2018, +16.8% from October 2017; Net Employment Change Over Last 12 Months is +2,511,000, +0.2% from September 2018, +18.2% from October 2017. USDOL PR link.

Manpower(PBR137) says global 1Q19 hiring intentions point to continued global labor market growth led by US and Asia. $MAN PR link.

***Friday, December 7:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week Ending 12/07/18:

DJIA ends the week at 24,388.95, -4.50% from last Friday/MTD, -7.82% QTD, -1.34% YTD, -9.09% from record 26,743.50 set 09/21/18.

NASDAQ ends the week at 6,969.25, -4.93% from last Friday/MTD, -13.39% QTD, +0.95% YTD, -14.06% from record 8,109.69 set 08/29/18.

SPX ends the week at 2,633.08, -4.60% from last Friday/MTD, -9.64% QTD, -1.52% YTD, -10.16% from record 2,930.75 set 09/20/18.

After a good appearance by The Stock Market Bull on Monday, The Stock Market Bearviciously slashed and gashed away the rest of the shortened trading week for an overwhelming 3-0 win in Week 49 and threatens to even the match and perhaps even take the year.

The Week 49 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 20 weeks
The Stock Market Bear: 19 weeks
Mixed Results: 10 weeks

The Week 49 News Summary: While the US economy remains to show strong growth, it is being countered by the uncertainty of US/China trade and relations, uncertainty of what the Fedwill do with federal short term interest rates, and uncertainty about oil production. Corporate earnings were also mixed, the jobs report by many is regarded as soft, the government funding bill was kicked down the road a couple of weeks. At the same time the nation mournedthe loss of a beloved leader, George HW Bush, the 41st President of the US, whose leadership style is greatly missed.

Facebook(PBR68) authorizes an additional $9.0 billion for its share repurchase program, previous authorization was for up to $15.0 billion, no expiration date. $FB PR link.

Altria(PBR110) to acquire 45% stake in Toronto, CAN based global cannabinoid company Cronos Group(TSX: CRON and NASDAQ: CRON) for $1.8 billion, includes right to nominate 4 directors, and to acquire up to an additional 10% stake over 4 years. $MO PR link.

Altria(PBR110) to discontinue production and distribution of all MarkTen and Green Smoke e-vapor products and VERVE oral nicotine containing products, will refocus on more compelling reduced-risk tobacco product opportunities. $MO PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR443) acquires UKbased retail insurance broker Pavey Group, terms not disclosed. $AJG PR link.

Tower Intl(PBR872) to sell its European Operations to privately owned French automotive supplier Financière SNOP Dunois S.A. for around $290 million, to close 1Q19. $TOWR PR link.

Hillenbrand(PBR906) authorizes new share repurchase program for up to $200 million, no expiration date. $HI PR link.

Synovus Financial(PBR949) $2.9 billion all stock acquisition of FCB Financial Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: FCB), owner of Florida Community Bank (FCB), Florida’s largest community bank, gets regulatory approval from the Federal Reserve Board and the Georgia Dept of Banking and Finance, to close around 01/01/19. $SNV PR link.

Graco(PBR953) authorizes new up to 18 million shares repurchase program, is in addition to current program which has 3.3 million shares available, no expiration date. $GGG PR link.

Tesla(PBR249) hires Dane Butswinkas as General Counsel, succeeds Todd Maron who will be departing at end of 2018. $TSLA PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US November 2018 Available Labor Force is at 162,770,000, Employed at 156,795,000, +233,000 from October 2018, +2,878,000 from November 2017, Unemployed at 5,975,000, -100,000 from October 2018, -641,000 from November 2017, Unemployment Rate at 3.7%, November 2017was at 4.1%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says US Preliminary October 2018 Total Wholesale Durable Goods Sales were at $246.9 billion, Non-Durable Goods $263.2 billion, Total Wholesale Sales $510.1 billion, -0.2% from September 2018, +6.8% from October 2017. USDOC PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Board says US Preliminary October 2018 Revolving Consumer Credit Outstanding Annual Rate is at $1.037 trillion, Non-Revolving $2.296 trillion, Total Consumer Credit Outstanding Annual Rate $3.964 trillion, +0.9% from September 2018, +3.6% YTD(10 months), +4.5% from October 2017. USFed PR link.

Fannie Mae(PBR20) says its US November 2018 Home Purchase Sentiment Index is at 86.2, October 2018 was at 85.7, September 2018 87.7, November 2017 87.8. “The HPSI has moved within a tight range over the past five months, as positive sentiment regarding the overall economy continued to offset cooling housing sentiment, …” $FNMA PR link.

The U of Michigan US Preliminary December 2018 Consumer Sentiment Index is at 97.5, November 2018 was at 97.5, October 201898.6, December 2017 95.9. “Consumer sentiment … has remained at very favorable levels since the start of 2017.” UMichigan PR link.

The Natl Retail Federation reports that monthly imports reach 2 million containers for first time as retailers continue rush to beat tariffs. NRF PR link.

***Thursday, December 6:

The November 2018 Snapshot 15 Summary:
The PBR1000 Top 5 by Market Capitalization(Rank, Company, PBR Ranking by Revenues, Stock Symbol, Market Capitalization in billions):

1. Microsoft(PBR22 $MSFT), $852B
2. Apple(PBR4 $AAPL), $849B
3. Amazon(PBR8 $AMZN), $827B
4. Alphabet(PBR21 $GOOG), $761B
5. Berkshire Hathaway(PBR3 $BRK.B), $539B

Range: $852 billion to $0.04 billion
The PBR1000 Total: $26.383 trillion, +3.38% from 10/31/18, +2.30% from 12/29/17, +21.53% from 12/30/16
Average: $26.383 billion
Median: $7.86 billion

To get all 15 Snapshots and 27 rankings on The PBR1000 go to the Subscribe page.

IBM(PBR34) to sell its collaboration and on-premise marketing and commerce software products to India based HCL Technologies for $1.8 billion, to close mid 2019. $IBM PR link.

General Dynamics(PBR89) authorizes an additional 10 million shares repurchase program, balance available is now 12.1 million shares. $GD PR link.

Sears(PBR169 $SHLD) gets $4.6 billion bid to be bought out by Sears Chairman Eddie Lampert’s hedge fund ESL Investments. MarketWatch PR link.

Lennar(PBR227) 1,300 associates $272.7 million in revenues in 2017 wholly owned subsidiary North American Title Group‘s underwriter and the majority of its retail title business to combine with Silicon Valley-based “insurtech” startup States Title that uses predictive analytics to underwrite the title on a property nearly instantaneously, Lennar to retain a minority interest, remaining part of NATG business to be named CalAtlantic Title. $LEN PR link.

VF Corp(PBR249) spin-off independent public company to be named Kontoor Brands, Inc, will hold VF’s Jeans(Wrangler® and Lee® brands)and VF Outlet businesses in the denim category, to be completed in 1H19. $VFC PR link.

NCR(PBR414) completes $5.05 share, around $184 million acquisition of Allentown, PA-based $63.4 million in revenue in 2018 JetPay (NASDAQ: JTPY), a provider of end-to-end payment processing and Human Capital Management solutions. $NCR PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR443) acquires Boston Marks Insurance NZ in New Zealand, BMG Aviation in Australia and the book of business of Boston Marks Insurance Brokers in the UK; all part of the Boston Marks Group, terms not disclosed. $AJG PR link.

Coca-Cola(PBR81) Chairman Muhtar Kent to retire in 04/19 after 41 years with the company, President/CEO James Quincy to become Chairman/CEO after 04/19 annual meeting. $KO PR link.

QEP Resources(PBR931)Chairman/President/CEO Chuck Stanley to retire effective 01/14/19, hires Tim Cutt to be President/CEO, Lead Independent Director David A. Trice to become Chairman. $QEP PR link.

Northrop Grumman(PBR109) elects Lucy C. Ryan as Corporate VP/Communications. $NOC PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Z1 Report says US 3Q18 Networth of Households/Non-Profits is at $109.039 trillion, +1.9% from 2Q18, +8.2% from 3Q17. USFed PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US Revised 3Q18 Labor Productivity Output/Hour-All Personswas +1.9%, 2Q18 was +3.6%, 1Q18 +0.6%, 3Q17 +2.8%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says the US October 2018 Total Exports were $211.1 billion, Total Imports $266.6 billion, Total Deficit $55.5 billion, October 2017 Total Deficit was $47.0 billion; US October 2018 YTD(10 months) Total Exports were $2.093 trillion, Total Imports$2.596 trillion, Total Deficit YTD $502.7 billion, October 2017 YTD Total Deficit was $451.2 billion. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says US Preliminary October 2018 Manufacturing Durable Goods New Orders were at $249.0 billion, Non-Durable Goods $253.7 billion, Total Manufacturing New Orders $502.7 billion, -2.1% from September 2018, +6.9% from October 2018, Total Manufacturing New Orders YTD(10 months) were at $4.993 trillion, +7.5% from October 2017 YTD. USDOC PR link.

ADP(PBR217) says US Preliminary November 2018 Private Sector Employment grew by 179,000, -20.4% from October 2018, -10.5% from November 2017. 46,000 new jobs came from Small Businesses(1-49 employees), 119,000 from Mid Size Businesses(50-499 employees), and 13,000 from Large Businesses(500 or more employees); 16,000 jobs came from the Goods Producing Sector, and 163,000 jobs came from the Services Producing Sector. $ADP PR link.

The Institute for Supply Management says the US November 2018 Non-Manufacturing Index(>50 = Economy Growing) is at 60.7%, October 2018 was at 60.3%, September 201861.6%, November 2017 57.4%, “… represents continued growth in the non-manufacturing sector, at a slightly faster rate.” ISM PR link.

IHS Markit says the US November 2018 Composite PMI Output Index is at 54.7, October 2018 was at 54.9, September 201853.9, November 2017 54.5, “The
overall expansion in the US private sector was strong overall, despite slower rates of growth in both the manufacturing and service sectors.” IHS Markit PR link.

***Wednesday, December 5:

***A National Day of Mourning:
Remembering George HW Bush,
41st President of the United States.

US Stock Exchanges Closed,
US Federal Agencies Closed. ***

November 2018 Snapshot 13 Summary: The PBR1000 Top 5 Stock Performers since 12/30/16(23 months) (Rank, Company, PBR Ranking by Revenues, Stock Symbol, 11/30/18 Stock Price, % Increase from 12/30/16):

1. Square(PBR845 $SQ), $69.84, +412%
2. Weight Watchers(PBR974 $WTW), $50.02, +337%
3. Crocs(PBR1000 $CROX), $27.80, +305%
4. RH(PBR803 $RH), $116.14, +278%
5. BlueLinx(PBR895 $BXC), $27.10, +263%

Range: +412% to -96%
Number of Companies at 0% or Better:622/993
Average: +18.08%
Median: +9.02%
DJIA: +22.09%
NASDAQ: +36.18%
SPX: +23.29%

Tomorrow: The PBR1000 November 2018 Top 5 Stocks by Market Capitalization.

CVS Health(PBR7) introduces Guaranteed Net Cost pricing model incorporates rebates that simplifies the financial arrangements underlying Pharmacy Benefit Management contracts. $CVS PR link.

Alphabet(PBR21)’s Waymo unit now piloting its Waymo One commercial self-driving service. $GOOG PR link.

American Airlines(PBR63) launches its first-ever biometric boarding pilot program, a one-stop facial recognition scan, is at Los Angeles International Airport(LAX), 90 day pilot. $AAL PR link.

Facebook(PBR68) responds to Six4Three, creators of the Pikinis app, documents and emails mentioned in the British Parliamentinvestigation. A link to Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook post is included at the bottom. $FB PR link.

Dollar General(PBR118) says that for the 52-week fiscal year ending 01/31/20 (“fiscal year 2019”), the Company plans to execute approximately 2,075 real estate projects, including 975 new store openings, 1,000 mature store remodels, and 100 store relocations. $DG PR link.

Qualcomm(PBR124) unveils newest generation in the 8 Mobile Platform Series, the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 855 Mobile Platform, world’s first commercial mobile platform supporting multi-gigabit 5G, industry-leading AI and immersive extended reality (XR) collectively. $QCOM PR link.

Icahn Enterprises(PBR128) completes sale of its majority owned railcar manufacturer subsidiary American Railcar Industries(NASDAQ: ARII) for $70.00/share, $1.75 billion, to ITE Management LP subsidiary ITE Rail Fund. $IEP PR link.

Icahn Enterprises(PBR128) selling its 77% stake in majority-owned subsidiary Ferrous Resources Limited to a wholly-owned subsidiary of Brazil based Vale SA, for around $550 million, includes debt, to close in 2019. $IEP PR link.

TravelCenters(PBR450) completes $330.8 million sale of its 225 convenience stores Minit Mart non-core business to EG Group. $TA PR link.

LAM Research(PBR520) CEO Martin Anstice resigns per continuing investigation into allegations of misconduct in the workplace and conduct inconsistent with the company’s core values, does not involve financial systems, gets no severance pay, President/COO Tim Archer named President/CEO effective immediately. $LRCX PR link.

Gannett(PBR691) President/CEO Robert J. Dickey to retire upon appoint of succcessor but no later than 05/07/19. $GCI PR link.

The US Federal Reserve releases the Beige Book, “Most of the twelve Federal Reserve Districts reported that their economies expanded at a modest or moderate pace from mid-October through late November, though both Dallas and Philadelphia noted slower growth compared with the prior Beige Book period.” USFed PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR38) says “… housing stock is well short of what the US needs … if supply continues to fall short of demand, home prices and rents are likely to outpace income and household formation will fail to reach potential.” $FMCC PR link.

***Tuesday, December 4:

The November 2018 Snapshot 12 Summary: The PBR1000 Top 5 YTD(11 months) Stock Performers (Rank, Company, PBR Ranking by Revenues, Stock Symbol, 11/30/18 Stock Price, % Increase from 12/29/17):

1. BlueLinx(PBR895 BXC), $27.10, +178%
2. Fossil(PBR738 $FOSL), $19.33, +149%
3. Crocs(PBR1000 $CROX), $27.80, +120%
4. SeaWorld(PBR982 $SEAS), $28.48, +110%
5. Genesis Healthcare(PBR486 $GEN), $1.59, +109%

Range: +178% to -91%
Number of Companies at 0% or Better:419/1,000
Average: -1.24%
Median: -4.47%
DJIA: +3.31%
NASDAQ: +6.19%
SPX: +3.24%

Tomorrow: The PBR1000 Top 5 Stock Performers Since 12/30/16(23 months).

Kroger(PBR18) to expand pilot of Kroger Express with 2,300 items in 13 N Kentucky Walgreens Boots Alliance(PBR19) stores, announces Home Chef Express meal kits, with each kit serving 2 at $8.50/serving, now available in 65 Chicago area Walgreens stores. $KR PR link.

Alphabet(PBR21 $GOOG)’s Google unit suspends China developed Cheetah, Kika apps over ad-fraud allegations. MarketWatch PR link.

Microsoft(PBR22) expanding its Microsoft Airband Initiative to make broadband available to 2 million people in rural areas to 3 million by 07/04/22. $MSFT PR link.

Northrop Grumman(PBR111) authorizes additional $3 billion for its share repurchase program, balance available is now $4.1 billion. $NOC PR link.

PACCAR(PBR150) authorizes new $500 million share repurchase program, to start upon completion of current $300 million authorization, which has $124.8 million available. $PCAR PR link.

Wellcare Health Plans(PBR166) completes acquisition of CVS Health(PBR7)’s Aetna 2 million members Medicare Part D unit, Aetna will provide administrative services to, and assume the financial risk of, the Aetna Part D plans through the end of plan year 2019, Wellcare to recognize revenue starting in 2020. $WCG PR link.

CarMax(PBR202) rollout of a new customer-driven buying experience launching first in Atlanta, GA, with plans to scale nationwide. For the first time, CarMax customers will have a choice as to how they want to buy a car – from home, in-store, or a seamless combination of both in less than 30 minutes. $KMX PR link.

MasterCard(PBR233) authorizes new up to $6.5 billion share repurchase program of its Class Astock, will be effective upon completion of current $4 billion authorization which has $470 million remaining. $MA PR link.

WellTower(PBR405) announces new off-market investment volume of $1.0 billion at a blended cap rate of 6.4% comprised of 11 separate Seniors Housing and Medical Officetransactions. $WELL PR link.

YUM!(PBR459)’s Pizza Hut subsidiary to acquire online ordering software and service provider for the restaurant industry QuikOrder, already used for 50% of Pizza Hut sales, in use for around 20 years, to close in 12/18, terms not disclosed. $YUM PR link.

Windstream(PBR461) achieves 500,000 seat milestone with its cloud-based communications solutions, a 20% increase year over year growth rate. $WIN PR link.

Pyxus(PBR894) joint venture, Criticality, an integrated N Carolina-based industrial hemp company operating under N Carolina’s industrial hemp pilot program, has launched “Korent,” its new line of cannabidiol (CBD) oil products. $PYX PR link.

Humana(PBR54) hires Vishal Agrawal, MD, as Chief Strategy and Corporate Development Officer, realigning its Care Delivery Organization under the leadership of CFO Brian Kane. $HUM PR link.

AIG(PBR57) promotes Mark D. Lyons to EVP/CFO, succeeds Sid Sankaran. $AIG PR link.

Sealed Air(PBR540) hires Angel Willis as VP/General Counsel and Secretary, effective 01/07/19. $SEE PR link.

CIT Group(PBR811) hires Robert Rubino as President/CIT Bank, N.A., the banking subsidiary of CIT, and head of Commercial Banking, effective 02/25/19. $CIT PR link.

The Purdue U/CME Group US November 2018 Ag Economy Barometer Composite Index(100=Unchanged) is at 134, October 2018 was at 136, September 2018 114, November 2017 128. “…producers still have a relatively optimistic view of the future … expressed concern about Congress’ failure to pass a new Farm Bill to replace the expired 2014 Farm Bill.” Purdue U/CME Group PR link.

***Monday, December 3:

The November 2018 Snapshot 11 Summary: The PBR1000 Top 5 Month Stock Performers(Rank, Company, PBR Ranking by Revenues, Stock Symbol, 11/30/18 Stock Price, % Increase from 10/31/18):

1. Sears(PBR168 $SHLDQ), $0.34, +70%
2. Eastman Kodak(PBR945 $KODK, $3.94, +61%
3. Community Health(PBR153 $CYH), $4.75, +50%
4. Newell Brands(PBR196 $NWL, $23.40, +47%
5. Hertz Global(PBR323 $HTZ), $18.71, +36%

Range: +70% to -64%
Number of Companies at 0% or Better:647/1,000
Average: +2.81%
Median: +2.90%
DJIA: +1.68%
NASDAQ: +0.34%
SPX: +1.79%

Tomorrow: The PBR1000 Top 5 Stock Performers YTD.

ExxonMobil(PBR3) makes its 10th discovery offshore Guyana and increased its estimate of the discovered recoverable resource for the Stabroek Block to more than 5 billion oil-equivalent barrels. $XOM PR link.

Marriott Intl(PBR120 $MAR) pledges to pay for new passports if fraud has taken place per hack reported on 11/30/18. MarketWatch PR link.

Bristol-Myers Squibb(PBR139) to transfer $3.8 billion of US pension obligations through a full termination of its US Retirement Income Plan. $BMY PR link.

PPG(PBR193) will implement a 10% price increase on all of its industrial coatings products globally effective 01/01/19, cites unprecedented cost pressures. $PPG PR link.

Lennar(PBR227) completes sale of its Rialto Investment and Asset Management business to Stone Point Capital for $340 million. $LEN PR link.

Navistar(PBR332 $NAV) Defense unit to get 70% majority interest acquisition by Cerberus Capital Management, to close by end of 2018. http://bit.ly/NAVhl03Cerberus PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR441) acquires a 40% equity stake in Indonesian insurance broker and risk management services provider PT IBS Insurance Broking Service, as well as 100% of reinsurance broker, IBS Re Singapore, terms not disclosed. $AJG PR link.

Peabody Energy(PBR473) completes $400 million acquisition of Shoal Creek metallurgical coal mine from private coal producer Drummond Co, located on the Black Warrior River in Central Alabama, serves Asian and Europeansteel mills with high-vol A coking coal, sold 2.1 million tons in 2017. $BTU PR link.

Hub Group(PBR583) completes $255 million cash acquisition of 280 employees consolidation services to consumer packaged goods companies selling into the N American retail market and truck brokerage services provider CaseStack. $HUBG PR link.

FMC(PBR722) authorizes new $1 billion share buyback program, expects to be completed by mid 2020. $FMC PR link.

Trimble(PBR751) reinstates share repurchase program, was on temporarily on hold during Viewpoint acquisition, has about $392 million available. $TRMB PR link.

ResMed(PBR815) to acquire private Madison, WI, based digital therapeutics for people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma provider Propeller Healthfor $225 million. $RMD PR link.

Crocs(PBR1000) to repurchase half of the outstanding Preferred Shares owned by Blackstone(PBR386), representing approximately 6.9 million common shares on an as-converted basis, for $183.7 million, or $26.64 per share. Blackstone will immediately convert its remaining Preferred Shares into approximately 6.9 million shares of the Company’s common stock and has agreed not to sell or transfer those shares to a third party for approximately nine months for which Crocs will pay Blackstone $15 million, Blackstone director nominations to move from two to one. $CROX PR link.

CenterPoint Energy(PBR297) President/CEO Scott M. Prochazka upon completion of $72/share, $6 billion acquisition of Vectren(PBR756) will be appointed to the same role for the combined company, other executives named, to close in 1Q19. $CNP PR link.

Deere & Co(PBR95) SVP/Power Systems, Worldwide Parts Services, Advanced Technology and Engineering, and Global Supply Management and Logistics Jean Gilles to retire after 38 years with Deere, effective 01/11/19, current executives named to add these responsibilities to their roles. $DE PR link.

Patterson Cos(PBR471) hires Tony Pellegrin as VP/Business Development, Mergers and Acquisitions. $PDCO PR link.

E*Trade(PBR811) promotes Chad Turner to CFO, will report to COO Mike Pizzi. $ETFC PR link.

Hexcel(PBR872) hires Colleen Pritchett as President/Aerospace, Americas. $HXL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says US Preliminary October 2018 Total Residential Construction Spending Annual Rate was at $545.1 billion, Total Non-Residential Annual Rate at $763.8 billion, for Total Construction Spending Annual Rate of $1.309 trillion, -0.2% from September 2018, +4.9% from October 2017. USDOC PR link.

The Institute for Supply Management says The US November 2018 Manufacturing PMI Index(>50% economy is expanding) is at 59.3%, October 2018 was at 57.7%, September 2018 59.8%, November 2017 58.2%, “Comments from the panel reflect continued expanding business strength…” ISM PR link.

IHS Markit says the US November 2018 US Manufacturing PMI is at 55.3, October 2018was 55.7, September 2018 55.6, November 2017 53.9, “… survey data signalled a solid improvement in operating conditions across the U.S. manufacturing sector …” IHS Markit PR link.

MNI Indicators says the US November 2018 Chicago Business Barometer(>50 is gaining)is at 66.4, October 2018 58.4, September 201860.4, November 2017 63.9,
“Business activity recorded its most impressive performance so far this year in November, ending a three-month run of declines.” MNI Indicators PR link.

Automotive News says US November 2018 Number of New Light Vehicles Sold was at 1,392,244, -0.5% from November 2017, Average Transaction Price(per ALG) was $34,438, +1.7% from November 2017, YTD(11 months) Total Sold is at 15,695,288, +0.4% from November 2017, New Light Vehicles Sold Annual Rate is at 17,550,000. “U.S. light-vehicle sales slipped 0.5 percent in November as robust fleet shipments by some automakers failed to offset slumping demand for passenger cars.” Automotive News PR link.

***Friday, November 30:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week and Month Ending 11/30/18:

DJIA ends the week and month at 25,538.46, +5.16% from last Friday, +1.68% MTD, -3.48% QTD, +3.31% YTD, -4.81% from record 26,743.50 set 09/21/18.

NASDAQ ends the week and month at 7,330.54, +5.64% from last Friday, +0.34% MTD, -8.90% QTD, +6.19% YTD, -9.61% from record 8,109.69 set 08/29/18.

SPX ends the week and month at 2,760.16, +4.85% from last Friday, +1.79% MTD, -5.28% QTD, +3.24% YTD, -5.82% from record 2,930.75 set 09/20/18.

The Stock Market Bull returned with a vengence after the embarrassing loss last week to The Stock Market Bear, and more than made up for the difference. With a resounding 3-0 victory The Stock Market Bull wins both the week and month.

The Month 11 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 6 months
The Stock Market Bear: 3 months
Mixed Results: 2 months

The Week 48 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 20 weeks
The Stock Market Bear: 18 weeks
Mixed Results: 10 weeks

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

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Filed Under: Recaps Tagged With: acquisitions, Business, Business Intelligence, business news, DJIA, Economy, Investing, Leadership, Market Research, mergers, Money, NASDAQ, Rankings, S&P 500, Spotlight, Stock Market, Stocks, The PBR1000, Trading, Wealth Management

The PBR1000 Spotlight: The Wendy’s Company(NASDAQ: WEN)

December 7, 2018 by admin

The Wendy’s Company(NASDAQ: WEN)

Description: Wendy’s is the world’s third largest quick-service restaurant company in the hamburger sandwich segment. At December 31, 2017, there were 6,130 Wendy’s restaurants in operation in North America. Of these restaurants, 337 were operated by the Company and 5,793 by a total of 349 franchisees. In addition, at December 31, 2017, there were 504 franchised Wendy’s restaurants in operation in 29 countries and territories other than North America.

Headquarters: One Dave Thomas Blvd, Dublin, OH, 43017, 614-764-3100

Website Hotlink: Wendy’s Logo above or www.Wendys.com

The PBR1000 Rank by Revenue: 984 (As of 10/31/18)
SIC: 5810-RETAIL-EATING & DRINKING PLACES
Stock Symbol: NASDAQ: WEN
Year Started: 1969
Fiscal Year End Month: December

The Wendy’s Company Analytics

	2014	2015	2016	2017
Revenues($MM)	$1,999	$1,870	$1,435	$1,223
Profits($MM)	$121	$161	$130	$194
Profits/Revenues	6.05%	8.61%	9.06%	15.86%
Earnings Per Share(Basic)	$ 0.33	$ 0.50	$ 0.49	$ 0.79
Dividend Per Share	$ 0.2050	$ 0.2250	$ 0.2450	$ 0.2800
Dividend Yield	2.27%	2.09%	1.81%	1.71%
Total Yield	5.91%	21.76%	27.81%	23.52%
Assets($MM)	$4,138	$4,109	$3,939	$4,097
Profits to Assets	2.92%	3.92%	3.30%	4.74%
Equity($MM)	$1,718	$753	$528	$573
Equity to Assets	41.52%	18.33%	13.40%	13.99%
Profits to Equity	7.04%	21.38%	24.62%	33.86%
Employees(FT-PT-Seasonal)	31,200	21,200	12,100	12,100
Market Capitalization($B)	$3.30	$2.96	$3.48	$3.99

	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q
Stock Price(2014)	$9.12	$8.53	$8.26	$9.03
Stock Price(2015)	$10.90	$11.28	$8.65	$10.77
Stock Price(2016)	$10.89	$10.77	$10.80	$13.52
Stock Price(2017)	$13.61	$15.51	$15.53	$16.42
Stock Price(2018)	$17.55	$17.18	$17.14

Current WEN Stock Price and Analyst Estimates are provided by:

Current WEN Stock Price Analyst Estimates (Overweight on 11/30/18)

Top WEN Shareholders

CEO Biography Todd Penegor, President/CEO since May, 2016.

Executive Team

Board Members

SEC Filings

December 2017 10-K Report

September 2018 3Q18 10-Q Report

September 2018 3Q18 10-Q Investors Conference Call Presentation

Investor Relations

News Releases

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Filed Under: Spotlight Tagged With: Business, Business Intelligence, Investing, Market Research, NASDAQ, Personal Finance, Rankings, Spotlight, Stock Market, Stocks, The PBR1000, Trading, Wealth Management

The PBR1000 November 2018 Stocks & Commodities Snapshots

December 5, 2018 by admin

November 2018 The PBR1000: The Stock Market Bull Comes From Behind

It was a wild ride in a volatile November as The Stock Market Bull pulls out a come from behind victory.

By Larry C. Paxton

It was the second month of Stock Market volatility even though the US economy again indicated good growth. There were also more mixed corporate earnings reports, US/China trade issues remain unresolved even though there seems to be some hope that they will be soon, the intensely negative US general elections have resulted in a divided Congress but there is relief that the ordeal is over, energy and tech stocks tumbled, but retail had record results from the Black Friday through Cyber Monday to kick off the holiday season, perhaps a result of rising wages and consumer optimism.

The Stock Market Bull prevailed with a big comeback in the last week of November to take the month. He heads into the last month of 2018 with the lead, but The Stock Market Bear is unlikely to give up and will battle to the end.

Month 11 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 6 months
The Stock Market Bear: 3 months
Mixed Results: 2 months

Week 48 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 20 weeks
The Stock Market Bear: 18 weeks
Mixed Results: 10 weeks

The November 2018 US Major Stock Market Exchanges Summary

Number of Trading Days: 21

Number of Gain(+)/Loss(-) Days: DJIA 11+/10-; NASDAQ 10+/11-; SPX 10+/11-.

Record Days: None

Longest Gain Streak(Consecutive Days): DJIA 4 days(11/05-08/18), NASDAQ 3 days(10/30/18-11/01/18, 11/16-20/18), SPX 3 days(10/30/18-11/01/18, 11/05-07/18, 11/26-29/18)

Longest Loss Streak(Consecutive Days): DJIA 4 days(11/09-14/18), NASDAQ 3 days(11/08-12/18, 11/16-20/18), SPX 5 days(11/08-14/18)

Big Swing Up Days(>1.00%): 5 days(11/01/18(D, +1.06%; N, +1.75%; S, +1.06%), 11/07/18(D, +2.13%; N, +2.64%; S, +2.12%), 11/15/18(N, +1.72%; S, +1.06%), 11/26/18(D, +1.46%; N, +2.06%; S, +1.55%), 11/28/18(D, +2.50%, N, +2.95%; S, +2.30%))

Big Swing Down Days(<-1.00%): 3 days(11/02/18(N, -1.04%), 11/09/18(N, -1.65%), 11/12/18(D, -2.23%; N, -2.78%; S, -1.97%))

The PBR1000 November 2018 Snapshots

The following are Top 5 partial tables excerpts from The PBR1000 November 2018 Snapshots. The price for stocks is for the close of trading on November 30, 2018, Month % Chg is compared to October 31, 2018, YTD % Chg is compared to December 29, 2017, and the 23 Months % Chg is compared to December 30, 2016. The PBR Rank is by annual revenues.

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Table 1(S11): The PBR1000 Top 5 Month Stock Price % Gainers

Table 1 Summary: The range was +70% to -64%. 647 out of 1,000 stocks were up 0% or more. The average was a gain of 2.81%, the median was a gain of 2.90%.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Price 11/30/18	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	23 Mos % Chg
Sears	168	SHLD	$ 0.34	+70	-91	-96
Eastman Kodak	945	KODK	$ 3.94	+61	+27	-75
Community Health	153	CYH	$ 4.75	+50	+12	-15
Newell Brands	196	NWL	$ 23.40	+47	-24	-48
Hertz Global	323	HTZ	$ 18.71	+36	-15	-13

Table 2(S12): The PBR1000 Top 5 Year-To-Date Stock Price % Gainers

Table 2 Summary: The range was +178% to -91%. 419 out of 1,000 stocks were up 0% or more. The average was a loss of 1.24%, the median was a loss of -4.47%.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Price 11/30/18	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	23 Mos % Chg
BlueLinx	895	BXC	$ 27.10	+15	+178	+263
Fossil	738	FOSL	$ 19.33	-11	+149	-25
Crocs	1000	CROX	$ 27.80	+35	+120	+305
SeaWorld	982	SEAS	$ 28.48	+9	+110	+50
Genesis Healthcare	486	GEN	$ 1.59	+3	+109	-63

Table 3(S13): The PBR1000 Top 5 23 Months Stock Price % Gainers

Table 3 Summary: The range was +412% to -96%. 622 out of 993 stocks were up 0% or more. The average was a gain of 18.08%. The median was a gain of 9.02%.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Price 11/30/18	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	23 Mos % Chg
Square	845	SQ	$ 69.84	-5	+101	+412
Weight Watchers	974	WTW	$ 50.02	-24	+13	+337
Crocs	1000	CROX	$ 27.80	+35	+120	+305
RH	803	RH	$ 116.14	+0	+35	+278
BlueLinx	895	BXC	$ 27.10	+15	+178	+263

Table 4(S15): The PBR1000 Top 5 Market Capitalization

Table 4 Summary: The range was $852 billion to $0.04 billion. The average is $26.383 billion, median is $7.86 billion, out of 1,000 companies.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Market Cap($B) 11/30/18	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	23 Mos % Chg
Microsoft	22	MSFT	$ 852 B	+7	+29	+76
Apple	2	AAPL	$ 849 B	-18	-3	+37
Amazon	8	AMZN	$ 827 B	+11	+49	+132
Alphabet	21	GOOG	$ 761 B	+5	+4	+43
Berkshire Hathaway	4	BRKB	$ 539 B	+7	+10	+34
The PBR1000			$ 26,383 B	+3	+2	+22

Table 5: The PBR1000 Index & Primary US Stock Exchanges/Commodities

Company	Price 11/30/18	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	23 Mos % Chg
The PBR1000	84,765.70	+2.8	-1.2	+18.1
DJIA	25,538.46	+1.7	+3.3	+29.2
NASDAQ	7,330.54	+0.3	+6.2	+36.2
S&P500	2,760.16	+1.8	+3.2	+23.3
GOLD	1,227.80	+0.7	-5.9	+6.6
SILVER	14.25	-0.4	-16.1	-10.9
OIL	50.72	-21.9	-15.6	-5.6

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Filed Under: Snapshots Tagged With: Business Intelligence, business news, Commodities, DJIA, Economy, Investing, Market Research, Money, NASDAQ, Personal Finance, Rankings, S&P 500, Stock Market, Stocks, The PBR1000, Trading, Wealth Management

The PBR1000 November 2018 Breaking News Recap

December 3, 2018 by admin

The PBR1000 November 2018 Breaking News Items

With the new USMCA replacing NAFTA, US/China trade negotiations, sanctions on Iran, and Brexit, international issues are a big item of interest for many in The PBR1000.

By Larry C. Paxton

November 2018 News Summary: The US economy continued to do very well overall, but corporate earnings were mixed, tech and energy stocks took a dive, while retailers had a record Black Friday and then Cyber Monday. The contentious US elections split Congress between a more Republican controlled Senate counterbalanced by a Democrats controlled House, California wildfires caused great devastation, illegal immigration is causing a lot of anxiety as the much awaited Caravan through Mexico arrives at the US borders, sanctions were imposed on Iran, US/China trade negotiations seesaw, the leaders of the US, Mexico, and Canada sign the new USMCA agreement that will replace NAFTA if their government bodies approve, the UK Brexit negotiations with Europe are not going all that well, the 41st President of the US, George HW Bush, passes away.

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

***Friday, November 30:

***George HW Bush, 41st President of the United States(1989-1993), passes away at the age of 94. White House bio link.

***

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week and Month Ending 11/30/18:

DJIA ends the week and month at 25,538.46, +5.16% from last Friday, +1.68% MTD, -3.48% QTD, +3.31% YTD, -4.81% from record 26,743.50 set 09/21/18.

NASDAQ ends the week and month at 7,330.54, +5.64% from last Friday, +0.34% MTD, -8.90% QTD, +6.19% YTD, -9.61% from record 8,109.69 set 08/29/18.

SPX ends the week and month at 2,760.16, +4.85% from last Friday, +1.79% MTD, -5.28% QTD, +3.24% YTD, -5.82% from record 2,930.75 set 09/20/18.

The Month 11 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 6 months
The Stock Market Bear: 3 months
Mixed Results: 2 months

The Week 48 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 20 weeks
The Stock Market Bear: 18 weeks
Mixed Results: 10 weeks

The Week 48 News Summary: The US economy continues to be robust as shown by the Thanksgiving Thursday through Cyber Monday holiday shopping period breaking records, especially from online sales. The Federal Open Market Committee minutes also indicated a strong economy, and comments by Federal Reserve Chairman Powell indicated a possible softening on federal short term interest rate increases. Tech and healthcare stocksrallied during the week, corporate earnings and guidance were somewhat mixed, some major acquisitions were completed, US/China trade tensions eased a bit, the new US/Mexico/Canada trade agreement was signed by its leaders and now needs to be ratified by those countries. The devastating California wildfires have been contained. The US elections are over, along with a lot of the acrimony that accompanied that process, but there are a lot of political ramifications and continued bitterness between political leaders as Presidential tweets continue to fuel the fires, contrasted by comments about the controversial migrant caravan arriving at US borders and the more peaceful annual lighting of the nation’s Christmas tree in Washington DC, which offers us some hope for peaceful times.

McKesson(PBR5) to relocate its corporate headquarters from San Francisco, CA, to Las Colinas, TX, effective 04/01/19, expanding upon its presence in the Dallas area. $MCK PR link.

Boeing(PBR30) delivers 2,000th airplane to a China operator, a 737 MAX for Xiamen Airlines, one in four Boeing-made commercial jets now goes to a Chinese operator. $BA PR link.

Proctor & Gamble(PBR41) completes $4.1 billion acquisition of Consumer Health business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, expands over-the-counter products, replaces and improves upon the highly successful PGT Healthcare joint venture P&G had with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (NYSE: TEVA), which was terminated 07/01/18. $PG PR link.

Tyson(PBR76) completes $2.16 billion acquisition of West Chester, PA, based 11,000 employees, $2.5 billion in revenues/year global chicken, beef, fish and pork supplier Keystone Foods from Marfrig Global Foods. $TSN PR link.

AbbVie(PBR102) grants Pfizer(PBR55) a non-exclusive license to AbbVie’s intellectual property relating to HUMIRA, US license begins on 11/20/23, European Union upon regulatory approvals there. $ABBV PR link.

Marriott Intl(PBR120) investigation indicates that there has been unauthorized access since 2014 to personal data for approximately 500 million guests who made a reservation at a Starwood property. $MAR PR link.

Tesla(PBR250 $TSLA) has achieved its goal of producing 1,000 Model 3 vehicles in a day, which would result in 7,000 units per week, but it is now focusing on maintaining that production rate and reducing costs. Electrek PR link.

Salesforce(PBR275) to expand regional headquarters with Salesforce Tower Chicago, to add over 1,000 jobs over 5 years, 57 story facility on the Chicago River, to be completed in 2023. $CRM PR link.

BGC Partners(PBR668) completes spinoff of real estate services provider Newmark Group(NASDAQ: NMRK). $BGC PR link.

Hexcel(PBR872) to acquire privately held Amesbury, MA, based 170 employees $50 million in revenues expected in 2018 custom RF/EMI and microwave absorbing composite materials for military, aerospace and industrial applications supplier ARC Technologies for $160 million. $HXL PR link.

NuStar(PBR894) completes $270 million sale of its European terminals and related assets to Inter Pipeline. $NS PR link.

SL Green Realty(PBR950) authorizes an additional $500 million share repurchase program, authorization is now at $2.5 billion. $SLG PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says the US 11/29/18 National Debt Held by Public was at $15.985 trillion, by Intragovernmental Holdings $5.833 trillion, Total US Debt $21.818 trillion, +0.5% from 10/31/18, +6.5% YTD(11 months), +6.0% from 11/30/17. USTreasury PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says the US 10 Year Treasury Note Yield Close on 11/30/18 was at 3.01%, 10/31/18 was 3.15%, 09/28/18 3.05%, 11/30/17 2.42%. USTreasury PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago says the US 7th District Preliminary October 2018 Midwest Economy Index is at +0.23, September 2018 was +0.31, August 2018+0.37, October 2017 +0.10. ChiFed PR link.

The American Automobile Assn says the US National Average Price Per Gallon for Regular Gas on 11/30/18 was $2.493, 10/31/18 was $2.801, 09/28/18 $2.875, 11/30/17 $2.495. AAA PR link.

The Gold Closing Price Per Ounce on 11/30/18 was $1,227.80, +0.7% from 10/31/18, -5.9% since 12/31/17, -3.83% from 10/31/17. MarketWatch PR link.

The Euro closed at $1.1320 US on 11/30/18, it was $1.1345 on 10/31/18, $1.1605 on 09/28/18, $1.1904 on 11/30/17. MarketWatch PR link.

***Thursday, November 29:

Kraft Heinz(PBR106) to acquire Primal Nutrition, LLC, makers of Primal Kitchenbranded products, including Mayonnaise, Salad Dressings and Avocado Oil, with growing product lines in Healthy Snacks and other categories, for approximately $200 million, expects $50 million in sales in 2018, to be completed in early 2019. $KHC PR link.

AmTrust Financial(PBR446) $14.75/share cash acquisition for 45% stake not owned by the Evergreen Parent made up of Stone Capital and the Karfunkel- Zyzskind Family, represents $2.95 billion total equity value, has been completed, now a private company. $AFSI PR link.

Sprouts(PBR529) CEO Amin Maredia leaving company effective 12/30/18, President/COO Jim Nielsen and CFO Brad Lukow will serve as the co-interim CEOs until a permanent successor has been named. $SFM PR link.

General Motors(PBR12) appoints Dan Ammann as CEO of Cruise, Cruise co-founder Kyle Vogt will partner with Ammann to set strategic direction and lead technology development for commercializing autonomous vehicle technology as Cruise President/Chief Technology Officer, both effective 01/01/19. $GM PR link.

CDW(PBR185) hires Elizabeth H. Connelly as Chief Human Resources Officer and SVP/CoWorker Services, effective by end of 2018. $CDW PR link.

Symantec(PBR519) President/COO Michael Fey resigns, CEO Greg Clark adds President role, Art Gilliland hired as EVP and GM Enterprise Products, Marc Andrews continues as SVP/Worldwide Sales. $SYMC PR link.

Abercrombie & Fitch(PBR643)‘s Brand President of Hollister, Kristin Scott, appointed to new position of President/Global Brands. $ANF PR link.

OGE Energy(PBR835) hires Ken Miller as VP/Regulatory and State Government Affairs, effective 01/02/19. $OGE PR link.

The Federal Open Market Committee releases the minutes from the 11/07-08/18 meeting, says that “… labor market conditions continued to strengthen in recent months and that real gross domestic product (GDP) rose at a strong rate in the third quarter, similar to its pace in the first half of the year. Consumer price inflation, as measured by the 12-month percentage change in the price index for personal consumption expenditures (PCE), was 2.0 percent in September. Survey-based measures of longer-run inflation expectations were little changed on balance.” FOMC PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US Initial Unemployment Claims 4 Week Moving Average for the Week Ending 11/24/18 was at 223,250, +5.4% from 10/20/18, -7.8% from 11/25/17; Total Insured Unemployment 4 Week Moving Average for the Week Ending 11/17/18 was at 1,667,750, +1.3% from 10/13/18, -12.7% from 11/18/17. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/BEA says US Preliminary October 2018 Total Personal Income Annual Rate was at $17.776 trillion, +0.5% from September 2018, +7.1% from October 2017, October 2018 Total Personal Savings are at $967.8 billion, 6.2% Savings Rate, 11.7% Effective Tax Rate. USDOC PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR38) says the US Average 30 Year Fixed Mortgage Rate on 11/29/18 was at 4.81% with 0.5 fees/points, was 4.86% on 10/25/18, 3.90% on 11/30/17. $FMCC PR link.

The NonProfit Times reports that #GivingTuesday raised $380 million online, a 27% increase from last years’ $300 million, 3.6+ million donors averaged $105.55, has surpassed $1 billion since starting in 2012. TNPT PR link.

***Wednesday, November 28:

CVS Health(PBR7) completes $212/share, $70 billion, stock/cash acquisition of Aetna(PBR48). $CVS PR link.

Amazon(PBR8) Web Services announces 13 new machine learning services and capabilities, including a custom chip for machine learning inference, and a 1/18 scale autonomous race car for developers. $AMZN PR link.

Humana(PBR54) will repurchase $750 million of its common stock through an accelerated stock repurchase agreement with Goldman Sachs(PBR88), part of current $3.0 billion program, revising its net membership growth estimate for its individual Medicare Advantageproducts for year ending 12/31/19 to 350,000 to 400,000 members, compared to its initial estimate of 250,000 to 300,000 members. $HUM PR link.

Facebook(PBR69) news service Today In is now in over 400 US cities, connects people to local news and information about their community. $FB PR link.

Qualcomm(PBR125) launches $100 million Artificial Intelligence fund, will focus on startups that share the vision of on-device AI becoming more powerful and widespread, with an emphasis on those developing new technology for autonomous cars, robotics and machine learning platforms and makes an initial investment in face, body, and object recognition startup AnyVision. $QCOM PR link.

Newell Brands(PBR194) will voluntarily transfer its stock exchange listing from the New York Stock Exchange to the Nasdaq Global Select Market (“Nasdaq”) effective 12/10/18 after market close, ticker symbol to remain NWL. $NWL PR link.

Quest Diagnostics(PBR356) to build a flagship laboratory in Clifton, NJ, 250,000 sf facility to be largest of its 20 laboratories, will employ 1,100+ people, to be operational in early 2021. $DGX PR link.

Green Plains(PBR634) completes $350 million sale of its Fleischmann’s Vinegar Co to Kerry Group. $GPRE PR link.

TripAdvisor(PBR942) partners with DoorDashfor online food ordering and then delivery in over 1,800 N America cities. $TRIP PR link.

Tenet Healthcare(PBR141) hires Saumya (“Saum”) Sutaria, MD, as COO, effective 01/06/19, succeeds Eric Evans, President of Hospital Operations, who is leaving at end of 2018. $THC PR link.

Principal Financial(PBR206) SVP/COO International Renee Schaaf to become President/Retirement and Income Solutions effective 03/01/19, to succeed retiring Nora Everett. $PFG PR link.

Magellan Health(PBR461)’s Healthcaredivision CEO Sam K. Srivastava’s employment will be terminated without cause on 12/28/18, Chairman Barry Smith will add CEO role to his responsibilities. $MGLN PR link.

Devon Energy(PBR209) elects Duane C. Radtke as its new Vice-Chairman, Chairman John Richels not standing for re-election in 06/19 and to retire. $DVN PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says US 2nd Estimate 3Q18 of Gross Domestic Product Annual Rate remains at 3.5%, $20.660 trillion, +1.2% from 2Q18, +5.5% from 3Q17. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/HUD says US Preliminary October 2018 New Family Homes Sold Annual Rate is at 544,000 units, -8.9% from September 2018, -12.0% from October 2017; October 2018 Median Price is at $309,700, -3.6% from September 2018, -3.1% from October 2017; October 2018 New Houses Available at 336,000 units, +4.3% from September 2018, +17.5% from October 2017; October 2018 Months Supply at 8.1 months, September 2018 was at 7.2 months, October 2017 5.9 months. USDOC PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond says the 5th District November 2018 Manufacturing Index(Annualized) is at 14%, October 2018was 15%, September 2018 29%, November 2017 30%, “… manufacturing activity grew moderately in November, … Firms were optimistic, expecting growth to continue in the next six months.” Richmond Fed PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond says the 5th District November 2018 Service Sector Revenues Index(Annualized) is at 5%, October 2018 was -1%, September 2018 18%, November 2017 30%, “… service sector activity grew slightly in November, … Firms were optimistic, expecting growth to continue in the next six months.” Richmond Fed PR link.

The US Energy Information Administrationsays US Crude Oil Stocks on 11/23/18 were at 450.5 Millions of Barrels, +5.8% from 10/26/18, -0.7% from 11/24/18. USEIA PR link.

***Tuesday, November 27:

Alphabet(PBR21 $GOOG)’s Google unit to be notified by the European Consumer Organisation(ECO) that seven consumer organisations from across Europe have announced that they will file complaints against Google with their national data protection authorities for breaching the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in relation to how the company tracks its users’ location. ECO PR link.

Dominion Energy(PBR228) and Smithfield Foods to form a joint venture called Align Renewable Natural Gas (RNG)℠ that will capture methane emissions from hog farms and convert them into clean renewable energy for residential home heating and power for local businesses, first projects to be in N Carolina, Virginia, and Utah. $D PR link.

MGM Resorts(PBR270) becomes Major League Baseball‘s first-ever Official Gaming Partner and Official Entertainment Partner in multi-year partnership. $MGM PR link.

Altice USA(PBR307) completes combination of its Suddenlink (Cequel) and Optimum (Cablevision) businesses under a single credit silo to further simplify its structure and operations. $ATUS PR link.

Alliance Data(PBR357) is exploring strategic alternatives, including possible sale, for its Epsilon® business, including its digital media arm Conversant®, a global marketing innovator with $2.2 billion of revenue for the trailing 12 months ending 09/30/18. $ADS PR link.

Quad/Graphics(PBR577) to acquire Minneapolis, MN, based 500+ employees Periscope, one of the US top five independent creative agencies by annual revenue, for $132.5 million, to close in early 2019. $QUAD PR link.

Par Pacific(PBR801) to acquire privately held Tacoma, WA, based downstream business with a 42,000 bpd refinery, a marine terminal, a unit train-capable rail loading terminal, and 2.9 MMbbls of refined product and crude oil storage US Oil & Refining Co for $358 million plus net working capital, to close in 01/19. $PARR PR link.

Western Digital(PBR141) CFO/Chief Strategy Officer and President/Western Digital Capital Mark Long to step down from his current role to pursue opportunities as a private equity investor, will remain CFO until his departure on 06/01/19 or until a permanent successor is appointed. $WDC PR link.

Mohawk Industries(PBR303) CFO Frank H. Boykin to retire in 2019 after 25 years with the company, successor search starts. $MHK PR link.

The US Federal Housing Finance Agencyannounces that in 2019 in most of the US the maximum conforming loan limits for one-unit properties will be $484,350, an increase from $453,100 in 2018 for mortgages to be acquired by FannieMae(PBR20 $FNMA) and FreddieMac(PBR38 $FMCC). FHFA PR link.

The Conference Board says the US Preliminary November 2018 Consumer Confidence Index(1985=100) is at 135.7, October 2018 was at 137.9, September 2018135.3, November 2017 128.6. “Despite a small decline in November, Consumer Confidence remains at historically strong levels…” TCB PR link.

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller US National September 2018 Home Price Index(01/2000=100) is at 205.82, August 2018was 205.66, July 2018 205.29, September 2017195.07. Case-Shiller PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR38) forecasts 2018 GDP at 3%, 2019 GDP at 2.4%, 2020 GDP at 1.8%; forecasts 2018 total home sales at 6.02 million, 6.08 million in 2019, 6.20 million in 2020; also forecasts home prices and mortgage originations. $FMCC PR link.

Adobe Systems(PBR377 $ADBE)’s Analyticsunit says Cyber Monday 2018 was the biggest US online shopping day in history, generated $7.9 billion in retail sales, up 20% from last year, surpasses Black Friday 2018‘s $6.2 billion in sales, up 24% from 2017. MarketWatch PR link.

***Monday, November 26:

General Motors(PBR12) reorganizing its global product development staffs by prioritizing future vehicle investments in its next-generation battery-electric architectures, realigning of its manufacturing capacity by ‘unallocating’ 5 plants in the US/Canada, 1 in S Korea, and 2 in other parts of the world, and a reducing salaried and salaried contract staff by 15 percent, which includes 25 percent fewer executives. $GM PR link.

United Technologies(PBR50) completes $140/share, $30 billion cash/stock acquisition of avionics, flight controls, aircraft interior and data connectivity solutions provider Rockwell Collins(PBR399), to spinoff $12.3 billion in revenues in 2017 people-moving products, including elevators, escalators and moving walkways global manufacturer Otis Elevatorand to spinoff $17.8 billion in 2017 revenues HVAC, refrigeration, building automation, fire safety and security products global provider Carrier as independent public companies in 2020. $UTX PR link.

Bristol-Myers Squibb(PBR139) says Phase 3 CheckMate -451 study did not meet its primary endpoint of overall survival (OS) with Opdivo (nivolumab) 1 mg/kg in combination with Yervoy (ipilimumab) 3 mg/kg versus placebo as a maintenance therapy for patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer. $BMY PR link.

PayPal(PBR219 $PYPL)’s $2.2 billion acquisition of Europe and Latin Americapayments company iZettle on 09/20/18 raises antitrust concerns in the UK. MarketWatch PR link.

Tesla(PBR250 $TSLA) CEO Elon Musk in interview on ‘Axios on HBO’ says Tesla was weeks from dying earlier this year. MarketWatch PR link.

Steel Dynamics(PBR301) to invest $1.7+ billion to construct a new state-of-the-art, electric-arc-furnace (EAF) flat roll steel mill, will create 600 jobs, to be located in the Southwest US to also serve Mexico market, site not yet determined, to begin construction in 2020, in production in 2H21. $STLD PR link.

Campbell Soup(PBR328) to add 2 new independent directors from nominees slate of Third Point (NYSE: TPRE) which also agrees to a 12-month standstill and certain support commitments. $CPB PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR441) acquires California based retail property/casualty and employee benefits agency and consultant specializing in commercial and agribusiness provider Buckman-Mitchell, terms not disclosed. $AJG PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR441) acquires Long Beach, CA, based US retail property/casualty broker R.T. Beers & Company Insurance Services, terms not disclosed. $AJG PR link.

SCANA(PBR545) and S Carolina Electric & Gas Co settle class action lawsuit with attorney general and plaintiffs related to VC Summer Nuclear costs, agree to a credit of up to $2 billion in future electric rate relief, a cash payment of $115 million, transfer of SCE&G owned real estate or sales proceeds of certain real estate holdings. $SCG PR link.

MEDNAX(PBR648) acquires private radiology physician group based in Boynton Beach, FL, Bethesda Radiology Associates, terms not disclosed, 9th radiology practice acquired this year, now reading more than 11.7 million studies through its more than 750 board-certified or eligible radiologists across the US. $MD PR link.

PayChex(PBR655) to acquire W Palm Beach, FL, based 1,100 employees 8,400 clients largest US privately owned professional employer organization Oasis Outsourcing Acquisition Corp for $1.2 billion cash. $PAYX PR link.

Southwest Gas(PBR781) wholly-owned subsidiary Centuri Construction Group to acquire 80% stake in recurring maintenance, refurbishment, upgrade, and installation services for electrical transmission and distribution infrastructure throughout the Gulf Coast and Mid-Atlantic regions provider Linetec Servicesfor $336 million, includes option to acquire remaining 20%, to close by end of 2018. $SWX PR link.

Cleveland-Cliffs(PBR819) authorizes up to $200 million share buyback program, expires 12/31/19. $CLF PR link.

Nelnet(PBR988) Business Solutions division acquires Cognition Financial‘s division Tuition Management Systems, provides tuition payment plans, billing services, payment technology solutions, and refund management to educational institutions, terms not disclosed. $NNI PR link.

Newell Brands(PBR194) hires Christopher Peterson as EVP/CFO, effective 12/03/18, succeeds retiring Ralph Nicoletti. $NWL PR link.

Ocwen Financial(PBR991) hires Timothy J. Yanoti as EVP/Chief Growth Officer and appoints Albert J. Celini as SVP/Chief Risk and Compliance Officer. $OCN PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago says the US Preliminary October 2018 National Activity Index is at +0.24, September 2018 was +0.14, August 2018 +0.53, October 2017+0.84. ChiFed PR link.

***Friday, November 23:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week Ending 11/23/18:

DJIA ends the week at 24,285.95, -4.44% from last Friday, -3.30% MTD, -8.21% QTD, -1.75% YTD, -9.48% from record 26,743.50 set 09/21/18.

NASDAQ ends the week at 6,938.98, -4.26% from last Friday, -5.02% MTD, -13.76% QTD, +0.52% YTD, -14.44% from record 8,109.69 set 08/29/18.

SPX ends the week at 2,632.56, -3.79% from last Friday, -2.92% MTD, -9.66% QTD, -1.54% YTD, -10.17% from record 2,930.75 set 09/20/18.

With a great roar The Stock Market Beardragged a big Thanksgiving feast of plummeting stocks into his den as The Stock Market Bulllooked dazed and confused. The Stock Market Bear takes the week big time 3-0 in Week 47and threatens to take the year as well.

The Week 47 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 19 weeks
The Stock Market Bear: 18 weeks
Mixed Results: 10 weeks

Week 47 News Summary: In a Thanksgiving 3 1/2 day business week tech stocks took big losses again and oil prices dropped down significantly impacting energy stocks. Economic indices for the week slipped a little bit as well but still the US economy remains robust. Quarterly corporate earnings reports were mixed, with many showing revenue gains but declining profits. California wildfires continued to do a lot of damage but rains seem to be quenching them. The UK Brexit deal is entering its final stages of negotiation with a lot of uncertainty.

United Technologies(PBR50) receives the final regulatory approval, from China’s State Administration for Market Regulation, needed to close its $140/share, $30 billion cash/stock acquisition of avionics, flight controls, aircraft interior and data connectivity solutions provider Rockwell Collins(PBR399), to close within 3 business days. $UTX PR link.

Tesla(PBR250 $TSLA) cuts Model X and Model S cars prices 12-26% in China to absorb hit from trade war tariffs. Reuters PR link.

The US Global Change Research Program, a program of the US federal government, releases its Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II, says “Earth’s climate is now changing faster than at any point in the history of modern civilization, primarily as a result of human activities… are already being felt in the United States and are projected to intensify in the future…” USGCRP PR link.

Adobe(PBR377) Analytics says online retail sales on Thanksgiving day jump 28% from last year to $3.7 billion. MarketWatch PR link.

***Thursday, November 22:

*** US Thanksgiving Day. US stock exchanges closed. Remembering and giving Thanks for the Pilgrims whose sacrifices and pursuit of ideals set the stage for the freedoms we enjoy today. ***

***Wednesday, November 21:

Facebook(PBR69)‘s outgoing Head of Communications and Policy Elliot Schrage shares more details about their hiring Definers, a Washington, DC PR firm, and other firms to research Russian interferene and later its response to George Soros saying that Facebook is a “menace to society.” $FB PR link.

AbbVie(PBR102) gets US FDA accelerated approval for VENCLEXTA® (venetoclax) for treatment of newly-diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia patients ineligible for intensive chemotherapy. $ABBV PR link.

GameStop(PBR310) to sell its Spring Mobilebusiness, which owns and operates 1,289 AT&Twireless stores, to Prime Communications for $700 million, to close in 4Q18. $GME PR link.

Taylor Morrison Homes(PBR599) extends current share repurchase program to 12/31/19, increases amount available by $100 million, balance is now $113 million. $TMHC PR link.

Albemarle(PBR697) signs Exclusivity Agreement with Australia based Mineral Resources(ASX: MIN) for potential creation of a 50/50 joint venture to own and operate the Wodgina hard rock lithium mine and develop an integrated lithium hydroxide operation at the resource site, mine life is over 30 years, investment to be $1.15 billion each, to close in 4Q18. $ALB PR link.

Scientific Games(PBR699) launches eInstantand Digital Games with Norsk Tipping, Norway’s national lottery operator and longtime partner. $SGMS PR link.

Spirit AeroSystems(PBR370) EVP/CFO Sanjay Kapoor to retire in 1Q19, successor search starts. $SPR PR link.

Axalta(PBR552)‘s SVP/General Counsel and Corporate / Government Affairs and Corporate Secretary Michael Flinn leaving to pursue another opportunity; Tabitha Oman, VP/Deputy General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, is appointed Interim General Counsel. $AXTA PR link.

The Conference Board says the US Preliminary October 2018 Leading Economic Index(2016=100) is at 112.1, September 2018was 112.0, August 2018 111.4, October 2017106.1, “The index still points to robust economic growth in early 2019, but the rapid pace of growth may already have peaked…” TCB PR link.

The U of Michigan Final October 2018 Consumer Sentiment Index is at 97.5, September 2018 was at 98.6, August 2018100.1, October 2017 100.7, “Consumer sentiment has remained largely unchanged at very favorable levels during 2018, with the November reading nearly at the center of the eleven month range from 95.7 to 101.4…” UMichigan PR link.

The Natl Assn of Realtors says US Preliminary October 2018 Existing Home Sales Annual Rate is at 5,220,000, +1.4% from September 2018, -5.1% from October 2017; October 2018 Median Home Sales Price was $255,400, -1.0% from September 2018, +3.8% from October 2017. “…increasing housing inventory has brought more buyers to the market…”
NAR PR link.

***Tuesday, November 20:

Lowe’s(PBR40) in 3Q18 report says it intends to exit retail operations in Mexico, exit non-core units Alacrity Renovation Services, and Iris Smart Home, actions are in addition to the previously announced decisions to exit its Orchard Supply Hardware operations, and close 20 underperforming stores in the US and 31 stores and other locations in Canada. $LOW PR link.

Office Depot(PBR281) authorizes new $100 million share buyback program starting 01/01/19, expires 12/31/19, $41 million remaining from current plan which expires 12/31/18. $ODP PR link.

Ryder(PBR375) orders 1,000 medium-duty electric panel vans by Chanje Energy, to be used by FedEx(PBR42) Express for commercial and residential pick-up and delivery services in the US, to be deployed throughout Californiaover the next two years. $R PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR441) acquires Los Angeles, CA-based insurance and risk management coverages and services to life science, technology, financial institution, REIT and hedge fund clients around the world provider JP Tech Insurance Services, terms not disclosed. $AJG PR link.

Essendant(PBR507) $12.80/share, $996 million cash, includes net debt, acquisition by Staplestender offer extended to 11/29/18, 64.4% of shares have been tendered. $ESND PR link.

Autodesk(PBR864) to acquire San Francisco, CA-based cloud real-time collaboration construction productivity software provider PlanGrid for $875 million net of cash. $ADSK PR link.

Navient(PBR965) President/CEO Jack Remondi says an Associated Press article ignores facts to make false, sensational and harmful accusations that discourage borrowers from working with their servicers, article includes hotlinks to documents. $NAVI PR link.

L Brands(PBR225) in 3Q18 report says it has hired John Mehas as CEO of its Victoria’s Secret Lingerie, effective early 2019, succeeds departed Jan Singer. $LB PR link.

Dominion Energy(PBR228) hires Adam Lee as VP/Chief Security Officer effective 12/01/18. $D PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/HUD says US Preliminary October 2018 Private Housing Building Permits Issued Annual Rate was at 1,263,000, -0.6% from September 2018, -6.0% from October 2017. USDOC PR link.

***Monday, November 19:

Kroger(PBR17) to partner with UK-based Ocado (LSE: OCDO), one of the world’s largest dedicated online grocery retailers, will invest $55 million in Cincinnati, OH, region to build a 335,000 sf facility, the “shed,” for a customer fulfillment center, will create 410+ jobs, 1st of 20 facilities planned. $KR PR link.

Walt Disney(PBR53 $DIS) $38/share, $71.3 billion acquisition of certain 21st Century Fox(PBR92) assets approved without conditions by China. MarketWatch PR link.

Community Health Systems(PBR152) to sell 4 S Carolina hospitals to the Medical University Hospital Authority in Charleston, SC, part of divestiture plan announced in 3Q18 report, terms not disclosed. $CYH PR link.

Dominion Energy(PBR228) and SCANA(PBR545) $7.9 billion all stock transaction, $14.6 billion with debt, merger gets N Carolina Utilities Commission approval, last needed approval is by S Carolina, expected by 12/21/18. $D PR link.

Colfax(PBR673) to acquire global orthopedic devices, software and services provider DJO Global from private equity funds managed by Blackstone(PBR385) for $3.15 billion in cash, to close in 1Q19. $CFX PR link.

Cimarex Energy(PBR873) to acquire Delaware pure-play Resolute Energy Corporation (NYSE: REN) for $35/share, $1.6 billion cash & stock, includes long term debt of $710 million, adds 21,100 acres to Reeves County, TX, holdings, to close by end of 1Q19. $XEC PR link.

QEP Resources(PBR928) to sell natural gas and oil producing properties, undeveloped acreage and associated gas gathering and treating systems in the NW Louisiana Haynesville/Cotton Valley area for $735.0 million to an Aethon Energy affiliate, to close in 01/19. $QEP PR link.

Babcock & Wilcox(PBR941) CEO Leslie Kass leaving, hires Kenny Young as CEO, effective immediately, Lou Salamone appointed EVP/Finance and to be CFO soon, Henry E. Bartoli to serve as Chief Strategy Officer and remain a director. $BW PR link.

GE(PBR18) hires its former Vice Chairman John Rice as Chairman of the new GE Gas Power unit, President of Power Services Scott Strazik to serve as CEO, GE Power CEO Russell Stokes to be CEO of GE Power Portfolio. $GE PR link.

Thor Industries(PBR337) hires Mark Trinske as VP/Investor Relations. $THO PR link.

M&T Bank(PBR452) hires Christopher E. Kay as EVP & Head of Consumer Banking, Business Banking and Marketing. $MTB PR link.

National Fuel Gas(PBR939) Chief Information Officer Ann M. Wegrzyn to retire on 02/01/19 after 33 years with the company, Martin A. Krebs hired as successor. $NFG PR link.

Willis Towers Watson(PBR338) Chairman James McCann will complete his current term, will remain on the Board, Victor Ganzi to become Chairman on 01/01/19. $WLTW PR link.

YUM!(PBR458) Non-Executive Chairman Robert D. Walter retires, Target(PBR39) Chairman/CEO Brian C. Cornell is successor. $YUM PR link.

The Natl Assn of Home Builders/Wells Fargo US Preliminary November 2018 Housing Market Composite Index is a 60, October 2018was 68, September 2018 67, November 201769. “Builders report that they continue to see signs of consumer demand for new homes but that customers are taking a pause due to concerns over rising interest rates and home prices,” said NAHB Chairman Randy Noel. NAHB PR link.

***Friday, November 16:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week Ending 11/16/18:

DJIA ends the week at 25,413.22, -2.22% from last Friday, +1.18% MTD, -3.95% QTD, +2.81% YTD, -5.27% from record 26,743.50 set 09/21/18.

NASDAQ ends the week at 7,247.87, -2.15% from last Friday, -0.79% MTD, -9.92% QTD, +4.99% YTD, -10.63% from record 8,109.69 set 08/29/18.

SPX ends the week at 2,736.27, -1.61% from last Friday, +0.90% MTD, -6.10% QTD, +2.34% YTD, -6.64% from record 2,930.75 set 09/20/18.

The Stock Market Bear took some big bites out of the exchanges Monday through Wednesday, then The Stock Market Bull managed a slight comeback on Thursday and Friday. The Stock Market Bear easily prevailed taking the week 3-0 in Week 46.

The Week 46 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 19 weeks
The Stock Market Bear: 17 weeks
Mixed Results: 10 weeks

Week 46 News Summary: The expected rebound from the US general election did not happen. Tech stocks got hammered, corporate earnings and guidance was often not reassuring, oil prices dropped after OPEC mixed messages, the UK Brexit plan doesn’t seem satisfactory for anyone, California wildfires have taken several lives and destroyed a lot of property, at the end of the week US/China trade tensions seemed to ease but N Korea is becoming a concern again, President Trump’s relationship with the press got a lot of attention, there are rumors of significant White House staff shakeups, there is a lot of uncertainty about what Congress can achieve with split houses and questions on leadership, especially for the Democrats, Florida electionprocedures and recounts are concerning, the immigrant caravans traveling through Mexico are starting to arrive at the US borders amid a lot of uncertainty on both sides as US military units arrive. On the other hand, economic reportscontinue to show a strong US economy, but there are some question marks about the global economy.

LifePoint Health(PBR378) $65.00/share, $5.6 billion acquisition by Apollo Global Mgmt(PBR765) and affiliates unit RCCH HealthCare Partners is completed. $LPNT PR link.

Brown & Brown(PBR877) completes acquisition of Minneapolis, MN, 700 risk management and employee benefits professionals in 32 locations across 21 states $200 million/year US insurance broker Hays Companies, terms not disclosed. $BRO PR link.

AutoZone(PBR268) promotes Mitch Major to SVP/Supply Chain, Customer Satisfaction. $AZO PR link.

BOK Financial(PBR926) promotes Derek Martin to EVP/Consumer Banking division, effective 11/30/18, succeeds Pat Piper who is retiring after 37 years with the company. $BOKF PR link.

The US Federal Reserve says US Preliminary October 2018 Industrial Production Total Index(2012=100) is at 109.1, September 2018was 109.0, August 2018 108.8, October 2017104.8. USFed PR link.

***Thursday, November 15:

October 2018 Snapshot 15 Summary: The PBR1000 Top 5 by Market Capitalization(Rank, Company, PBR Ranking by Revenues, Stock Symbol, Market Capitalization in billions):

1. Apple(PBR4), $AAPL, $1,030B
2. Microsoft(PBR22), $MSFT, $796B
3. Amazon(PBR8), $AMZN, $748B
4. Alphabet(PBR21), $GOOG, $725B
5. Berkshire Hathaway(PBR3), $BRK.B, $502B

Range: $1,030 billion to $0.03 billion
The PBR1000 Total: $25.611 trillion
Average: $25.611 billion
Median: $7.55 billion

Intel(PBR45) increases share buypack program by $15 billion, had $4.7 billion remaining under its existing repurchase authorization as of 09/29/18. $INTC PR link.

Sears(PBR169 $SHLD) gets bankruptcy judge approval to sell at least 400 of its best-performing stores to avoid liquidation, Chairman Edward Lampert’s hedge fund, ESL Investment, is expected to make a stalking-horse offer.MarketWatch PR link.

PayPal(PBR219) completes $400 million acquisition of global payout platform provider Hyperwallet. $PYPL PR link.

Tesla(PBR250 $TSLA) cuts prices on its residential solar systems by as much as 25% to lift lagging sales, has streamlined its sales and marketing organization. Reuters PR link.

Tenneco(PBR308) to acquire Sweden based premium suspension systems and components for the automotive and motorsport industries developer Öhlins Racing AB for $160 million, to close in 1Q19. $TEN PR link.

ON Semiconductor(PBR474) authorizes new 4 year up to $1.5 billion share repurchase program. $ON PR link.

Post Holdings(PBR494) plans to pursue an initial public offering of a company comprised of its Active Nutrition business, markets and distributes ready-to-drink protein and other beverages, protein powders, nutrition bars and other nutritional supplements under the Premier Protein, Dymatize, PowerBar, Supreme Protein and Joint Juice brands, CEO named, to be completed in 2H19. $POST PR link.

Spectrum Brands(PBR529) to sell its Global Auto Care business to Energizer Holdings(NYSE: ENR) for $1.25 billion, to close 2Q19; amends acquisition agreement with Energizer for sale of its Global Battery and Lighting Business, to address a proposed remedy that Energizer has submitted to the European Commission for review, includes a potential downward adjustment to the purchase price of up to $200 million. $SPB PR link.

SAIC(PBR540) $40.44/share, $2.5 billion all stock acquisition of systems engineering and integration services primarily for the US government provider Engility Holdings(NYSE: EGL) to be voted on by stockholders of both companies on 01/11/19. $SAIC PR link.

Green Plains(PBR634) completes $328 million sale of three of its ethanol plants located in Lakota, IA, Bluffton, IN, and Riga, MI, to Valero Renewable Fuels Co, involves 280 million gallons of nameplate capacity. $GPRE PR link.

Ashland(PBR679) to sell Composites business and butanediol facility in Marl, Germany, to INEOS Enterprises for $1.1 billion. $ASH PR link.

Wabash Natl(PBR903) increases share repurchase program by up to $100 million, balance available is up to $105 billion, expires at end of 02/22. $WNC PR link.

Anadarko(PBR246) EVP/CFO Bob Gwin is now President, Benjamin M. Fink is now EVP/CFO, other leadership changes announced. $APC PR link.

Whiting Petroleum(PBR953) hires Chip Rimer as COO. $WLL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US Preliminary October 2018 Import Prices were +0.5%, Export Prices +0.4%, Import Prices Last 12 Months +3.5%, Exports +3.1%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says US Preliminary September 2018 Sales for Manufacturers were at $509.8 billion, Retailers$447.1 billion, Wholesalers $511.2, Total Sales$1,468.0 billion, +0.4% from August 2018, +6.62% from September 2017. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says US Advance October 2018 Retail Sales were at $451.1 billion, Food Services & Drinking Places $60.4 billion, for Total Retail Sales of $511.5 billion, +0.8% from September 2018, +4.6% from October 2017. USDOC PR link.

The NY Federal Reserve Bank says the Empire State November 2018 Manufacturing General Business Conditions Index is at 23.3, “Business activity continued to grow at a solid clip in NY State … firms remained fairly optimistic about the six-month outlook.” October 2018 was 21.1, September 2018 19.0, November 201720.9. NYFed PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphiasays 3rd District November 2018 Manufacturing General Activity Indicator was +12.9, “The survey’s broad indicators … remained positive but fell from their readings last month … firms remained generally optimistic about future growth.” October 2018 was at +22.2, September 2018 +22.9, November 2017+24.3. PhillyFed PR link.

***Wednesday, November 14:

October 2018 Snapshot 13 Summary: The PBR1000 Top 5 Stock Performers since 12/30/16(22 months) (Rank, Company, PBR Ranking by Revenues, Stock Symbol, 10/31/18 Stock Price, % Increase from 12/30/16):

1. Weight Watchers(PBR974 $WTW), $66.10, +477%
2. Square(PBR841 $SQ), $73.45, +439%
3. RH(PBR802 $RH), $115.71, +277%
4. Systemax(PBR980 $SYX), $32.31, +268%
5. BlueLinx(PBR891 $BXC), $23.55, +215%

Range: +477% to -96%
Number of Companies at 0% or Better:580/993
Average: +14.76%
Median: +6.72%
DJIA: +27.09%
NASDAQ: +35.72%
SPX: +21.12%

Tomorrow: The PBR1000 October 2018 Top 5 Stocks by Market Capitalization.

Walmart(PBR1) partnering with Ford(PBR10) to explore delivery with autonomous vehicle technology, initial pilot program is in Miami-Dade County, FL. $WMT PR link.

Sprint(PBR87) launches buy online with pick up at 7,500 FedEx(PBR42) locations in Walgreens Boots Alliance(PBR19) stores. $S PR link.

Performance Food(PBR159) authorizes up to $250 million share repurchase program, no expiration date. $PFGC PR link.

Kellogg(PBR222) debuts new HI! Happy Insidecereal, supports digestive wellness with prebiotics, probiotics, and fiber, 34.5 oz resealable bags at Costco and Boxed for $12.99 and 6 count cups pack on Amazon for $13.99. $K PR link.

Owens-Illinois(PBR394) increases share repurchase program by $313 million, balance available is now $600 million. $OI PR link.

Markel(PBR449) completes acquisition of $12 billion in managed assets global insurance-linked securities manager Nephila, will continue to operate as a separate business unit, terms not disclosed. $MKL PR link.

Sabre Corp(PBR630) to acquire Miami, FL, based $40 million in revenues in 2018 Farelogixfor $360 million, to close by early 2019. $SABR PR link.

Penn Natl Gaming(PBR691) to acquire downtown Detroit, MI, operations of Greektown Casino-Hotel for around $300 million, will enter into a triple net lease agreement with VICI Properties(NYSE: VICI) with an initial annual rent of approximately $55.6 million and an initial term of 15 years. $PENN PR link.

ResMed(PBR815) completes $750 million acquisition of privately held $122 million in 2018 pro forma revenues US long-term post-acute care software developer, serving more than 15,000 providers across skilled nursing, life plan communities, senior living and private duty company MatrixCare. $RMD PR link.

L Brands(PBR225 $LB) Victoria’s Secret unit CEO Jan Singer has resigned after 2 years with the company. MarketWatch PR link.

Kansas City Southern(PBR777) SVP/Chief Legal Officer Jim Wochner to retire 03/31/19, Adam J. Godderz to be successor as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. $KSU PR link.

Wabash Natl(PBR903) promotes Kristin Glazner SVP/Chief Human Resources Officer. $WNC PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US October 2018 Consumer Price Index(All Items) was +0.3%, Food was -0.1%, Energy +2.4%, All Items Less Food & Energy +0.2%, Last 12 Months(All Items, Unadjusted) +2.5%, September 2018was +2.3%, August 2018 +2.7%, October 2017+2.0%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US Preliminary October 2018 Current Average Earnings Per Hour is at $27.30, Average Hours Worked Per Week at 34.5, for Average Current Weekly Earnings of $941.85, +0.5% from September 2018, +3.4% from October 2017. USDOL PR link.

***Tuesday, November 13:

October 2018 Snapshot 12 Summary: The PBR1000 Top 5 YTD(10 months) Stock Performers (Rank, Company, PBR Ranking by Revenues, Stock Symbol, 10/31/18 Stock Price, % Increase from 12/29/17):

1. Fossil(PBR738 $FOSL), $21.71, +179%
2. BlueLinx(PBR891 $BXC), $23.55, +141%
3. UNISYS(PBR747 $UIS), $18.41, +126%
4. Endo Intl(PBR645 $ENDP), $16.94, +119%
5. Square(PBR841 $SQ), $73.45, +112%

Range: +179% to -90%
Number of Companies at 0% or Better:383/1,000
Average: -3.96%
Median: -5.38%
DJIA: +1.60%
NASDAQ: +5.83%
SPX: +1.43%

Tomorrow: The PBR1000 Top 5 Stock Performers Since 12/30/18(22 months).

Amazon(PBR8) selects New York City and Arlington, VA, for its 2 new headquarters, will invest $5 billion, will create 25,000+ jobs at each location, average wage over $150,000/year per local/state incentives. Also selects Nashville, TN, for its for a new Center of Excellence for its Operations business, will create 5,000+ jobs, average wage over $150,000/year. $AMZN PR link.

GE(PBR18) to sell 92 million shares of Baker Hughes, a GE company(NYSE: BHGE) Class A Common stock as a secondary offering, valued at around $4 billion, part of accelerated separation plan. $GE PR link.

GE(PBR18) to form a joint venture with Baker Hughes, a GE company (NYSE: BHGE) to provide aeroderivative engine services and product management for use in the oil and gas and industrial spaces. $GE PR link.

Citigroup(PBR32 $C) to move 1,100 workers out of Long Island City tower to free up space for Amazon(PBR8) HQ2 move. MarketWatch PR link.

3M(PBR89) authorizes up to $10 billion share repurchase program, no expiration date, replaces existing program. $MMM PR link.

Johnson Controls(PBR93) to sell its $8 billion in revenues in fiscal year 2018 Power Solutionsbusiness to Brookfield Business Partners(NYSE:BBU) and associates for $13.2 billion cash, to close by 06/30/19. $JCI PR link.

Starbucks(PBR124 $SBUX) cutting 350 corporate jobs, about 5% of the company’s global, non-retail workforce. -MarketWatch PR link.

HollyFrontier(PBR201) to acquire global white oils, petrolatums and waxes supplier Sonneborn US Holdings and Sonneborn Coӧperatief UAfor $655 million, to close in 2019. $HFC PR link.

DR Horton(PBR211) acquires Westport Homesfor $190 million, includes approximately 3,500 lots, 400 homes in inventory and 550 homes in sales order backlog, the majority of which relate to Westport’s Indianapolis and Columbusoperations. $DHI PR link.

Baxter(PBR272) authorizes additional $2 billion for share repurchase program, balance is now around $3.4 billion. $BAX PR link.

O’Reilly Automotive(PBR318) authorizes $1 billion share repurchase program over 3 years. $ORLY PR link.

Pioneer Natural Resources(PBR477) to sell its pressure pumping assets to ProPetro in $400 million cash/stock deal, ProPetro to provide Pioneer with pressure pumping and related services for up to 10 years. $PXD PR link.

Essendant(PBR507) $12.80/share, $996 million cash, includes net debt, acquisition by Staplestender offer extended to 11/19/18, 63.78% of shares have been tendered. $ESND PR link.

Brunswick(PBR535) files Form 10 registration statement with US SEC to spinoff its Fitnessdivision as independent public company with over $1 billion in revenues in 2017 Life Fitness Holdings. $BC PR link.

BGC Partners(PBR668) to complete spinoff of real estate services provider Newmark Group(NASDAQ: NMRK) on 11/30/18. $BGC PR link.

Kimco Realty(PBR989) provides update on its Pentagon Centre projects, includes nearly 700 luxury apartments next to new Amazon(PBR8) Arlington, VA, based headquarters. $KIM PR link.

CEO Interview: GE(PBR19 $GE)Chairman/CEO Larry Culp, former CEO of Danaher(PBR154 $DHR), joined the GE Board in April, and became GE Chairman/CEO in September 2018. GE has a lot of issues. After just a few weeks on the job why does he think he can solve the problems, what are his plans? An interesting 20 minute video interview by CNBCon 11/12/18. CNBC PR link.

Mohawk Industries(PBR303) promotes Paul De Cock to President/Flooring North America segment, succeeds departing Brian Carson. $MHK PR link.

JetBlue(PBR389) promotes Brandon Nelson to General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. $JBLU PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says US October 2018 Federal Government Receipts were $252.7 billion(October 2017 was $235.3 billion), Outlays $353.2 billion(October 2017 was $298.6 billion), Total October 2018 Deficit was $100.5 billion(October 2017 was $63.2). USTreasury PR link.

CoreLogic says US August 2018 Housing Mortgages 30 or More Days Delinquent were at 4.0%, July 2018 was 4.1%, June 2018 4.3%, August 2017 4.6%, Total Homes in Foreclosure remains at 0.5%. CoreLogic PR link.

***Monday, November 12:

***US Federal Government Holiday in observance of Veterans Day.
US Stock Markets Open. ***

October 2018 Snapshot 11 Summary: The PBR1000 Top 5 Month Stock Performers(Rank, Company, PBR Ranking by Revenues, Stock Symbol, 10/31/18 Stock Price, % Increase from 09/28/18):

1. Fred’s(PBR898 $FRED), $2.74, +34%
2. Esterline Tech(PBR869 $ESL), $117.36, +29%
3. Tesla Motors(PBR250 $TSLA), $337.32, +27%
4. Red Hat(PBR717 $RHT), $171.64, +26%
5. Twitter(PBR801 $TWTR), $34.75, +22%

Range: +34% to -62%
Number of Companies at 0% or Better:158/1,000
Average: -8.00%
Median: -8.33%
DJIA: -5.07%
NASDAQ: -9.20%
SPX: -6.94%

Tomorrow: The PBR1000 Top 5 Stock Performers YTD.

UPS(PBR42 $UPS) Freight new 5 year contract with the Intl Brotherhood of Teamsters is ratified by 77% to 23% by union members, covers around 11,600 workers, averts a national strike. Teamsters PR link.

21st Century Fox(PBR92 $FOX)’s Fox Business Network subsidiary is debuting a new weekly primetime show with The Wall Street Journal‘s editor at large, Gerry Baker, entitled “WSJ at Large with Gerry Baker,” will feature discussions with leaders in business, finance, politics and tech, will air on Fridays at 9:30 pm ET starting 11/30/18. MarketWatch PR link.

Viacom(PBR218)’s MTV unit acquires SnowGlobe Music Festival, the annual three-day event takes place December 29-31 in S Lake Tahoe, CA, has more than 20,000 fans each day with a mix of musical performances, live action sports, and interactive art exhibitions, plans to expand SnowGlobe to additional dates and locations worldwide and to launch other new events as well. $VIA PR link.

Kellogg(PBR222) to consolidate its N America US Morning Foods, Snacks and Frozen Foods businesses into one unit, is exploring the sale of its cookies business (including Keebler, Famous Amos, Mother’s and Murray brands), and fruit snacks business (including Stretch Island brand). $K PR link.

eBay(PBR299) announces partnerships with service providers Handy, Porch and InstallerNet, which will allow shoppers to easily book installation services. $EBAY PR link.

Brown & Brown(PBR877) has acquired most of the assets of Massachusetts based $9.5 million in revenues/year property and casualty insurance products and services to commercial customers in the real estate, habitational, restaurant, and transportation industries provider Rodman Insurance Agency, terms not disclosed. $BRO PR link.

Eastman Kodak(PBR944) to sell its Flexographic Packaging Division to Montagu Private Equity for $390 million, includes $50 million of incentives, to close in 1H19. $KODK PR link.

athenahealth(PBR992) to be acquired by Veritas Capita and Evergreen Coast Capitalfor $135/share, 12% premium from 11/09/18 closing price, $5.7 billion cash, has approval of activist investor Elliott Management, to close 1Q19. $ATHN PR link.

CEO Interview: Ford(PBR10 $F) CEO Jim Hackett is interviewed by Freakonomics, podcast from 11/07/18. Freakonomics PR link.

Coty(PBR305) CEO Camillo Pane resigns for family reasons, hires Pierre Laubies as successor, effective immediately, Peter Harf takes over Chairman role from Bart Becht and Erhard Schoewel appointed Lead Independent Director. $COTY PR link.

Halliburton(PBR142) CFO Chris Weber is leaving, VP/Investor Relations Lance Loeffler named as successor. $HAL PR link.

Tenneco(PBR308) hires Ron Hundzinski as EVP/Finance, effective 01/01/19, expected to become EVP/CFO upon spinoff of the new aftermarket ride performance company in 2019. $TEN PR link.

PolyOne(PBR680) hires Christopher L. Pederson as SVP & President/Specialty Engineered Materials. $POL PR link.

***Friday, November 9:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week Ending 11/09/18:

DJIA ends the week at 25,989.30, +2.84% from last Friday, +3.48% MTD, -1.77% QTD, +5.14% YTD, -3.13% from record 26,743.50 set 09/21/18.

NASDAQ ends the week at 7,406.90, +0.68% from last Friday, +1.38% MTD, -7.95% QTD, +7.29% YTD, -8.67% from record 8,109.69 set 08/29/18.

SPX ends the week at 2,781.01, +2.13% from last Friday, +2.55% MTD, -4.56% QTD, +4.02% YTD, -5.11% from record 2,930.75 set 09/20/18.

The Stock Market Bull took charge the first 3 days of the week, then The Stock Market Bullcrept in to take the last couple of days. But it was not enough and The Stock Market Bull takes his second consecutive week 3-0 in Week 45.

The Week 45 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 19 weeks
The Stock Market Bear: 16 weeks
Mixed Results: 10 weeks

Week 45 News Summary: The US general election was center stage Tuesday. The Democrats took over the majority in the House of Representatives with many races close and not quite the ‘Blue Wave’ some had predicted. The Republicans added to their majority in the Senate. The US economy continued to be strong and the FOMC kept short term federal interest rates at the current 2.00-2.25% level, but the Producer Price Index came in higher than expected. Corporate earnings were mixed. Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigned per President Trump’s request. Sanctions on Irantook effect. More troops are on the Southwest border in anticipation of the arrival of caravans of asylum seekers traveling through Mexico. President Trump signed an executive ordermaking it difficult for illegal immigrants to claim asylum. The killing of 12 people at a bar in Thousand Oaks, CA, has stirred up gun issues controversies again.

Apple(PBR4 $AAPL) to expand its product offerings on Amazon(PBR8 $AMZN) in new deal. CNBC PR link.

Walt Disney(PBR53) to launch new direct-to-consumer streaming service Disney+ in late 2019, projects include a Lucasfilm second Star Wars live-action series and a Marvel Studiosseries based on Loki, the god of mischief. $DIS PR link.

Facebook(PBR69 $FB) to quadruple its EMEA headquarters space to 870,000 sf in Dublin, Ireland, for an additional 5,000 people, to be ready in 2022. Independent.ie PR link.

Honeywell(PBR71) completes around $500 million acquisition of Germany-based $120 million/year, growing at 30% annual rate, warehouse automation business Transnormfrom IK Investment Partners. $HON PR link.

Merck(PBR73) gets US FDA approval for KEYTRUDA, Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy, for the treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. $MRK PR link.

Cummins(PBR143)’ Charleston Turbo Planthas produced its 5 millionth turbocharger, has 50 jobs available across all shifts. $CMI PR link.

Sears(PBR169) to close 40 Sears/Kmart storesin 02/19, liquidation sales to start late next week, is in addition to 142 stores to be closed announced 10/15/18. $SHLD PR link.

Stryker Corp(PBR233) completes $27.50/share, total equity value of about $1.4 billion acquisition of nearly $300 million in annual sales complex spine and minimally invasive solutions for surgeons provider K2M Group Holdings(NASDAQ: KTWO). $SYK PR link.

Theravance Biopharma(NASDAQ: TBPH) and Mylan(PBR247) get US FDA approval for the New Drug Application for YUPELRITM (revefenacin) inhalation solution for the maintenance treatment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). $MYL PR link.

Meredith Corp(PBR836) to sell its FORTUNEmedia brand for $150 million cash to businessman Chatchaval Jiaravanon, to close by end of 2018. $MDP PR link.

Bristow Group(PBR961) to acquire privately held Aurora, OR based $281 million in revenues in 2018 Columbia Helicopters for $560 million, will become a subsidiary, to close by end of 4Q18. $BRS PR link.

Bristow Group(PBR961) CEO Jonathan E. Baliff to retire upon completion of $560 million acquisition of Columbia Helicopters, Vice-Chairman Thomas N. Amonett appointed interim President, new CEO search starts. $BRS PR link.

Marriott Intl(PBR120)‘s Liam Brown, President, Select Brands and Owner and Franchise Services, North America, take on the role of President and Managing Director of Europe, succeeds Amy McPherson who is retiring in early 2019. $MAR PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US Preliminary October 2018 Total Final Monthly Demand Producer Price Index is at +0.6%, September 2018 was +0.2%, August 2018 -0.1%, October 2017 +0.4%; October 2018 Last 12 Months Total Final Monthly Demand Producer Price Index is at +2.9%, September 2018 was +2.6%, August 2018 +2.8%, October 2017 +2.8%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says US Preliminary September 2018 Durable Goods Wholesale Sales were at $246.7 billion, Non-Durable Goods Sales $264.5 billion, Total Wholesale Sales $511.2 billion, +0.2% from August 2018, +7.8% from September 2017. USDOC PR link.

The U of Michigan Preliminary November 2018 Consumer Sentiment Index is at 98.3, “… Sentiment Index remained higher thus far in 2018 (98.4) than in any prior year since 2000…,” October 2018 was 98.6, September 2018100.1, November 2017 98.5. UMichigan PR link.

Federal judge blocks long-delayed Keystone XLpipeline permit for environmental review. MarketWatch PR link.

***Thursday, November 8:

Alphabet(PBR21)’s Google unit CEO Sundar Pichai sends email letter to employees, to provide more transparency on how they handle concerns, announces action plan with emphasis on sexual harassment issues. $GOOG PR link.

Proctor & Gamble(PBR41) to restructure into six industry-based Sector Business Units(SBU)for the largest geographic markets starting 07/01/19, remaining markets under another SBU. $PG PR link.

American Express(PBR80) launches new Business Gold Card, 4X Membership Rewards® points on the top two categories where their business spends the most each month, 25% airline bonus, built-in Pay Over Time* with interest feature. $AXP PR link.

Johnson Controls(PBR93) authorizes additional $1 billion for its share repurchase program, balance is now $1.9 billion. $JCI PR link.

DXC Technology(PBR114) approves $2 billion incremental share repurchase authorization, balance is now $3.3 billion. $DXC PR link.

PNC Financial(PBR172) receives approval from the Federal Reserve to repurchase up to an additional $900 million in common shares through the end of 2Q19, is in addition to the share repurchase programs of up to $2.0 billion previously approved. $PNC PR link.

Anadarko(PBR246) to sell substantially all of its remaining midstream assets for $4.015 billion to Western Gas Partners, LP (NYSE: WES), with $2.0075 billion cash proceeds, and the balance to be paid in new Western Gas equity, to close 1Q19. $APC PR link.

Tesla(PBR250 $TSLA) former employee Salil Parulekar charged by a federal grand jury of embezzling roughly $9.3 million from Tesla in 2016-2017 according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. USDOJ N CA PR link.

Netflix(PBR251) unveils 17 new Asian original productions from Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, India and South Korea, projects join 100 new and returning originals across eight countries in Asia through 2019. $NFLX PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR441) acquires Alexandria, VA-based affinity member benefit programs for more than 600 professional and trade associations across the US and Canada provider Meridian One Corporation, terms not disclosed. $AJG PR link.

CommScope(PBR534) to acquire broadband, video and wireless technology provider ARRIS Intl(PBR408 $ARRS) for $31.75/share, around $7.4 billion cash, includes repayment of debt, to close in 1H19. Carlyle Group(PBR613 $CG), a former CommScope owner, is reestablishing a minority ownership position in the company through a $1 billion equity investment, equal to approximately 16% of CommScope’s outstanding shares. $COMM PR link.

Brink’s(PBR669) gets multi-year agreement with Canada’s Canopy Growth Corporation (NYSE:CGC; TSX:WEED) to provide secure logistics and cash management services for Canopy Growth’s domestic and international cannabis operations. $BCO PR link.

Graco(PBR954) to expand its David A. Koch Center facility in Rogers, MN, is the worldwide headquarters for its Contractor Equipment Division, project will add 480,000 sf to the existing 316,000 sf manufacturing, office and product development facility, to break ground later this month, project to be completed by the end of 2019. $GGG PR link.

Adtalem Education(PBR983) authorizes up to $300 million share repurchase program, expires 12/31/21, takes effect upon completion of current program in early 2019. $ATGE PR link.

Owens & Minor(PBR308) elects Robert C. Sledd as Chairman and Interim President/CEO, succeeds P. Cody Phipps, new CEO search starts. $OMI PR link.

W.R. Grace(PBR914) President/COO Hudson La Force elected President/CEO, succeeds Chairman/CEO Fred Festa who is now Non-Executive Chairman. $GRA PR link.

Moody’s(PBR570) appoints David Platt to the new position of Chief Strategy Officer, effective 11/14/18. $MCO PR link.

Tesla(PBR250) appoints independent director since 2014 Robyn Denholm as Chair of the Board, currently CFO and Head of Strategy at Telstra, Australia’s largest telecommunications company, will be leaving in 6 months to be at Tesla full-time. $TSLA PR link.

The US Federal Open Market Committee says the labor market has continued to strengthen and that economic activity has been rising at a strong rate, inflation at around 2% target, Indicators of longer-term inflation expectations are little changed, on balance, maintains the target range for the federal funds rate at 2.00 to 2.25%. FOMC PR link.

***Wednesday, November 7:

The US 2018 General Elections Recap: The US House of Representatives swings to the Democrats, the US Senate retains and expands on its Republican majority.

Amazon(PBR8) launches Amazon Music for Mexico, Unlimited Individual Plan at MXN$99/month, or MXN$990/year for Prime members only, additional plans available. $AMZN PR link.

Citigroup(PBR32 $C)’s Citibank NA to pay $38.7 million fine to the US Securities and Exchange Commission to settle charges of improper handling of “pre-released” American Depositary Receipts(US securities that represent foreign shares of a foreign company).SEC PR link.

Tyson Foods(PBR76 $TSN) CEO Noel White says he is looking to expand Tyson internationally to help stabilize its business and reduce exposure to US agricultural-market swings. MarketWatch PR link.

Starbucks(PBR124) strategic initiatives in Japan include Uber Eats Japan delivery service, digital payments options, to open Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Tokyo on 02/28/19, to open 100 stores in 2019, have 1,700 stores by end of 2021. $SBUX PR link.

AutoNation(PBR131) is first American Automobile Assn(AAA) nationally Approved Auto Repair (AAR) program partner, with over 220 facilities approved under the program. $AN PR link.

Newell Brands(PBR194) to sell its $556 million in revenues in 2017 fishing gear provider Pure Fishing unit to Sycamore Partners for $1.3 billion and its $768 million in 2017 revenues yearbooks, publications, jewelry and consumer goods that serve the K-12 educational, college and professional sports segments provider Jostens unit to Platinum Equity for $1.3 billion, both to close in 4Q18. $NWL PR link.

Axalta(PBR552) opens its 175,000 sf Global Innovation Center, the largest coatings research and development (R&D) center in the world in Philadelphia’s historic Navy Yard. $AXTA PR link.

Flowers Foods(PBR594) to acquire privately held, gluten-free baking company Johnstown, CO, based $70-80 million in revenues anticipated in 2019 Canyon Bakehouse for around $205 million, to close in 4Q18. $FLO PR link.

Monster Beverage(PBR653 $MNST) reveals that beverage giant and partner Coca-Cola(PBR82 $KO) could compete with Monster if it can win an arbitration fight. MarketWatch PR link.

GNC(PBR790) closes deal to get Harbin Pharmaceutical Group(Hayao) $300 million investment, will be funded in three separate tranches: (i) an initial $100 million investment to be made by 11/09/18 (the “Initial Closing”) and will get 2 seats on the GNC Board, (ii) an additional $50 million investment to be made by 12/28/18 and (iii) a final approximately $150 million investment to be made by 02/13/19. $GNC PR link.

Dun & Bradstreet(PBR907) $145.00/share, $6.9 billion cash acquisition by Star Parent Group approved by DNB shareholders, to close by 03/31/19. $DNB PR link.

QEP Resources(PBR928) affiliate to sell Williston Basin Assets for up to $1.725 billion to subsidiary of Vantage Acquisition Operating Co(NASDAQ: VEAC), to close in 1H19. $QEP PR link.

Colony Capital(PBR735) President/CEO Richard Saltzman resigns after mutual agreement with Board, remains non-executive Chairman of subsidiaries both Colony Credit Real Estate Inc. (NYSE: CLNC) and NorthStar Realty Europe (NYSE: NRE), Executive Chairman Thomas J. Barrack, Jr, adds CEO role, which he held when he founded privately held Colony until going public in 2014. $CLNY PR link.

PPL Corp(PBR371)’s Western Power Distribution subsidiary CEO Robert A. Symons passes away due to illness, WPD Operations Director Philip Swift named successor. $PPL PR link.

Worldpay(PBR585) promotes COO/Executive Director Mark Heimbouch to President/COO. $WP PR link.

Wynn Resorts(PBR402) Chairman D. Boone Wayson retiring from the Board, Vice Chairman Philip G. Satre elected successor. $WYNN PR link.

HNI Corp(PBR835) Chairman Stan A. Askren, formerly President/CEO, to retire as planned on 12/31/18, lead director Larry B. Porcellato to become Chairman on 01/01/19. $HNI PR link.

The US Federal Reserve says US Preliminary September 2018 Consumer Debt-Revolvingwas at $1.041 trillion, Non-Revolving $2.909 trillion, Total Consumer Debt $3.950 trillion, +0.3% from August 2018, +3.1% YTD(9 months), +4.8% from September 2017. USFed PR link.

The FannieMae(PBR20) US October 2018 Home Purchase Sentiment Index is at 85.7, September 2018 was 87.7, August 2018 88.0, October 2017 85.2. $FNMA PR link.

***Tuesday, November 6:

US General Midterms Election Day, Vote!

CVS Health(PBR7) in 3Q18 report says its $207/share, $69 billion, stock/cash acquisition of Aetna(PBR48) is meeting all regulatory issues, to close transaction before Thanksgiving. $CVS PR link.

GE(PBR18) to sell its digital engine for energy efficient & productive environments Current unit to American Industrial Partners, a NY-based private equity firm, to close in early 2019, terms not disclosed. $GE PR link.

Walt Disney(PBR53 $DIS) $38/share, $71.3 billion acquisition of certain 21st Century Fox(PBR92) assets approved by the European Commission conditional upon Disney divesting its interest in all factual channels it controls in the European Economic Area through its joint venture with Hearst in A+E Television Networks. European Commission PR link.

AIG(PBR58) completes acquisition of privately held York, PA, 500 associates serving 30,000 insureds full-service broker and insurance services provider Glatfelter Insurance Group, terms not disclosed. $AIG PR link.

Kraft Heinz(PBR106) to sell its Canadiannatural cheese business to Parmalat for approximately $1.23 billion, includes sale of natural cheese brands Cracker Barrel, P’tit Quebec and aMOOza! in the Canadian market, to close in 1H19. $KHC PR link.

Starbucks(PBR124) “Starbucks Delivers” in China delivery service, launched in partnership with Ele.Me, is now available across more than 1,100 stores in 17 Chinese cities, with full-service coverage in Beijing and Shanghai. $SBUX PR link.

Qualcomm(PBR125 $QCOM) dealt a potentially major setback in FTC antitrust case, ruling could threaten chip maker’s business model. MarketWatch PR link.

Bristol-Myers Squibb(PBR139) gets US FDA approval for Empliciti (elotuzumab) injection for intravenous use in combination with pomalidomide and dexamethasone (EPd) for the treatment of adult patients with multiple myeloma. $BMY PR link.

XCEL Energy(PBR241) to acquire Minnesotabased 760-megawatt natural gas power plant Mankato Energy Center from Southern Co(PBR119) Power subsidiary for $650 million, to close mid 2019. $XEL PR link.

Natl Oilwell Varco(PBR377) authorizes up to $500 million share repurchase program. $NOV PR link.

Essendant(PBR507) $12.80/share, $996 million cash, includes net debt, acquisition by Staplestender offer extended to 11/12/18, 63.2% of shares have been tendered. $ESND PR link.

DSW(PBR731) and Authentic Brands complete around $375 million acquisition of several intellectual property rights from the footwear and accessories product design and development company Camuto Group. $DSW PR link.

E*Trade(PBR811) completes around $109 million acquisition of approximately one million retail brokerage accounts with $15.4 billion in total customer assets, including $1.6 billion in customer cash, from Capital One(PBR93). $ETFC PR link.

Valero Energy(PBR29) EVP/General Counsel Jay Browning to retire effective 01/01/19, Jason Fraser to be successor. $VLO PR link.

CenturyLink(PBR160) promotes interim CFO Neel Dev to EVP/CFO. $CTL PR link.

Tapestry(PBR459) CFO Kevin Wills to depart for another opportunity at end of 02/19, successor search starts. $TPR PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US Preliminary September 2018 Job Openings-Private were at 6,407,000, Government 602,000, Total Job Openings 7,009,000, -3.9% from August 2018, +12.5% from September 2017. USDOL PR link.

The PurdueU/CME Group says the US October 2018 Composite Agriculture Barometer is at 136, “This month’s recovery in the barometer was underpinned by improved perceptions of both current conditions and future expectations …,” September 2018 was 114, August 2018129, October 2017 135. PurdueU/CME Group PR link.

***Monday, November 5:

Amazon(PBR8) providing customers with free shipping with no minimum purchase amount on orders that will arrive in time for the Christmas holiday starting 11/05/18, Amazon Primemembers get free same-day service on over 3 million items. $AMZN PR link.

Verizon(PBR16) announces a new operating structure focused on three customer-facing areas: Consumer, Business and Verizon Media Group / Oath, effective 01/01/19. $VZ PR link.

Lowe’s(PBR40) to wind-down underperforming stores, 20 in the US, 31 in Canada, by 02/01/19. $LOW PR link.

FedEx(PBR42) to increase FedEx Express, FedEx Ground and FedEx Freight, subsidiaries of FedEx Corp., by an average of 4.9% for US domestic, US export and US import services effective 01/17/19. FedEx Freight shipping rates will increase by an average of 5.9%. $FDX PR link.

Broadcom(PBR158) completes $44.50/share, $18.9 billion cash acquisition of CA Technologies(PBR567). $AVGO PR link.

Activision Blizzard(PBR389)’s Hearthstone®, a free-to-play digital collectible card game, hits 100-million-player mark. $ATVI PR link.

Citizens Financial(PBR418) to purchase $6.6 billion of assets under management and approximately $900 million of assets under administration wealth management firm Clarfeld Financial Advisors, terms not disclosed. $CFG PR link.

Assurant(PBR424) authorizes new $600 million share repurchase program, to start upon completion of $176 million remaining from current authorization. $AIZ PR link.

AMC Entertainment(PBR504) now has over 17 million AMC Stubs members, had 2.5 members 2 1/2 years ago, to exceed 500,000 $19.95/mo AMC Stubs A-List members in next week, started program 4 1/2 months ago. $AMC PR link.

Hub Group(PBR583) to acquire 280 employees consolidation services to consumer packaged goods companies selling into the N Americanretail market and truck brokerage services provider CaseStack for $255 million cash, to close by early 12/18. $HUBG PR link.

ResMed(PBR815) to acquire privately held $122 million in 2018 pro forma revenues US long-term post-acute care software developer, serving more than 15,000 providers across skilled nursing, life plan communities, senior living and private duty company MatrixCare for $750 million, to close by end of 2Q19. $RMD PR link.

The Cheesecake Factory(PBR827 $CAKE) will complete its acquisition in 2H19 of the North Italia eatery chain from Phoenix-based Fox Restaurant Concepts. Dallas Business Journal PR link.

SeaWorld(PBR984) 3Q18 report says 9 months attendance up 1.4 million to 18.0 million, +8.7%, over 3Q17. $SEAS PR link.

Greif(PBR627) hires Bala V. Sathyanarayanan as SVP/Chief Human Resources Officer. $GEF PR link.

Tupperware(PBR835) SVP/Controller Nick Poucher appointed to the newly created role of SVP/Business Transformation. $TUP PR link.

The Children’s Place(PBR887) executives Pamela Wallack and Anurup Pruthi have left, President/CEO Jane Elfers to add Product responsibilities to her role, COO Mike Scarpa to also be CFO. $PLCE PR link.

Pier 1 Imports(PBR916) hires Donna Noce Colaco to newly created role of Chief Customer Officer, effective 12/03/18. $PIR PR link.

National Fuel Gas(PBR939)‘ President/National Fuel Gas Distribution Corp Carl M. Carlotti to retire on 02/01/19 after 34+ years with the company, VP/Business Development Donna L. DeCarolis to be successor. $NFG PR link.

Citigroup(PBR32) Chairman Michael O’Neill will retire 01/01/19, John C. Dugan selected to be successor. $C PR link.

The Institute for Supply Management says its US October 2018 Non-Manufacturing Index(>50=economy growing) is at 60.3%, “The non-manufacturing sector has again reflected strong growth despite a slight cooling off after a record month in September. There are continued concerns about capacity, logistics and tariffs. The respondents are positive about current business conditions and the economy.”
September 2018 was 61.6%, August 201858.5%, October 2017 60.1%. $ISM PR link.

IHS Markit says the US October 2018 Composite PMI Index Output was at 54.9, “… upturn was supported by robust expansions in both the manufacturing and service sectors…,” September 2018 was 53.9, August 2018 54.7, October 2017 55.2. IHS Markit PR link.

***Friday, November 2:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week Ending 11/02/18:

DJIA ends the week at 25,270.83, +2.36% from last Friday, +0.62% MTD, -4.49% QTD, +2.23% YTD, -5.81% from record 26,743.50 set 09/21/18.

NASDAQ ends the week at 7,356.99, +2.65% from last Friday, +0.70% MTD, -8.57% QTD, +6.57% YTD, -9.28% from record 8,109.69 set 08/29/18.

SPX ends the week at 2,723.06, +2.42% from last Friday, +0.42% MTD, -6.55% QTD, +1.85% YTD, -7.09% from record 2,930.75 set 09/20/18.

The Stock Market Bear took Monday and Friday in Week 44, but The Stock Market Bullhad the run in the pasture Tuesday through Thursday, and ends the week dominating the major US exchanges and, after no outright wins in October, takes the first week in November 3-0 to keep a narrow lead YTD.

The Week 44 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 18 weeks
The Stock Market Bear: 16 weeks
Mixed Results: 10 weeks

Week 44 News Summary: The big news for the economy was jobs growth, which exceeded expectations. China/US trade negotiations and Brexit issues concerns lessened a little bit. Corporate earnings were somewhat mixed. The last full week before US general electionscontinued to be contentious, with the shootings at a Pittsburgh synagogue last weekend and the immigrant caravan continuing to make its way through Mexico to the US and President Trump’s response of adding troops to the border creating a lot of political discussion.

Amazon(PBR8) to open California’s 14th Inland Empire fulfillment center, to be located in Beaumont, CA, 4 stories tall, 640,000 sf, will create more than 1,000 full-time jobs. $AMZN PR link.

Kroger(PBR17) partners with Geoffrey’s Toy Box, which previously had an exclusive partnership with Toys “R” Us, for 35 children’s toys, ranging in price from $19.99 to $49.99, features exclusive toys from Animal Zone®, Imaginarium®, Journey Girls®, Edu Science®, You & Me®, and Just Like Home®, to be in 600 Kroger family of stores for the holidays. $KR PR link.

Fannie Mae(PBR20) has net income of $4.0 billion in 3Q18, will pay US Treasury $4.0 billion dividend by 12/31/18, through 3Q18 has paid $171.8 billion in dividends. $FNMA PR link.

WestRock(PBR192) completes $35/share, $4.9 billion, includes $1.36 billion debt, acquisition of Kapstone(PBR672), a N American producer/distributor of containerboard, corrugated products and specialty papers, including liner and medium containerboard, kraft papers and saturating kraft. $WRK PR link.

Tesla(PBR250 $TSLA) founder Elon Musk in interview with Recode says Tesla will be cashflow positive ‘all quarters going forward…’ Recode PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR441) acquires Auburn, MA-based John R. Sharry, Inc., dba Group Benefits Strategies, serves self-funded and fully insured municipalities and businesses throughout New England, and has developed group benefit plans for clients ranging in size from 100 to up to 10,000 employees. $AJG PR link.

Vistra Energy(PBR481) adds $1.25 billion to share repurchase program, expects to use it over next 12-18 months. $VST PR link.

Buckeye Partners(PBR623) after strategic review to sell its entire equity interest in VTTI B.V. for $975 million cash, to sell a package of non-integrated domestic pipeline and terminal assets for $450 million cash, both to close by end of 2018. $BPL PR link.

CME Group(PBR626) completes $14.10/share share and cash acquisition of UK based OTC provider NEX. $CME PR link.

Alexion Pharmaceuticals(PBR639) completes $400 million upfront plus up to $800 million for milestone achievements acquisition of Syntimmune, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing antibody therapeutics targeting the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn). $ALXN PR link.

GE(PBR18) SEC filing provides details on separation agreement with former CEO John Flannery, includes $4.25 million severance pay to be paid in 12 monthly installments, plus stock vesting options for which he is eligible, and other benefits after 32 years with the company. $GE PR link.

Booking(PBR223) hires Matt Swann as Chief Technology Officer. $BKNG PR link.

AES Corp(PBR276) EVP/CFO Tom O’Flynn to step down as CFO, focus on raising third-party capital to systematically and cost effectively help finance AES’ attractive growth opportunities, current Deputy CFO Gustavo Pimenta to become CFO, both effective 01/01/19. http://bit.ly/BKNGhk02$AES PR link.

Rockwell Automation(PBR427) SVP/Global Sales and Marketing John McDermott to retire from company effective 03/31/19, VP John Genovesi to assume the new role of SVP/Enterprise Accounts and Software, President/Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Thomas Donato will assume role of SVP/Sales and Marketing, both effective 01/01/19. $ROK PR link.

Dana(PBR380) hires Shelley Bridarolli as SVP/Human Resources, effective 11/26/18. $DAN PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US October 2018 Total Employed was at 156,562,000, +600,000 from September 2018, +2,716,000 from October 2017, October 2018 Unemployed was at 6,075,000, October 2018 Unemployment Rate is 3.7%, September 2018 was 3.7%, August 2018 3.9%, October 2017 4.1%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says US Preliminary September 2018 Exports for Goods was $141.9 billion, Services $70.7 billion, Total Exports for Goods & Services$212.6 billion, Imports for Goods was $219.1 billion, Services $47.5 billion, Total Imports for Goods & Services $266.6 billion, Total Deficit Goods $77.2 billion, Total Surplus Services
$23.2 billion, Total Deficit for Goods & Services $54.0 billion, Total September 2017 Deficit Goods & Services $44.4 billion, Total Deficit 2018 YTD(9 months) $445.2 billion, Total Deficit 2017 YTD(9 months) $404.2 billion. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says US Preliminary September 2018 Total Manufacturing New Orders for Durable Goods was $262.0 billion, Non-Durable Goods$253.3 billion, Total New Orders $515.3 billion, +0.6% from August 2018, +7.9% from September 2017, Total Orders September 2018 YTD(9 months) $4.492 trillion, +7.6% from September 2017 YTD. USDOC PR link.

***Thursday, November 1:

Amazon(PBR8) launches Amazon Future Engineer, a comprehensive childhood-to-career program to inspire, educate, and train children and young adults from underserved and low-income communities to pursue careers in computer science. $AMZN PR link.

Alphabet(PBR21 $GOOG)’s Google Walkout:Employees Stage Protest Over Handling of Sexual Harassment. NY Times PR link.

Target(PBR39) reveals Black Friday Deals, new “Skip-the-Line” mobile checkout technology, to be open on Thanksgiving Dayfrom 5PM-1AM, open Friday at 7AM. $TGT PR link.

DowDuPont(PBR46) in 3Q18 report says it has authorized a $3 billion share buyback program, expects to complete by the first intended spin. $DWDP PR link.

MetLife(PBR47) authorizes new $2 billion share repurchase program, will have $2.5 billion available with current authorization. $MET PR link.

Icahn Enterprises(PBR128 $IEP) and affiliates sue Dell Technologies, says company has “refused to provide much basic information” related to its plans to go public again via a complex plan. MarketWatch PR link.

Whirlpool(PBR138) to become official kitchen and laundry appliance of Walt Disney World® Resort and Disneyland® Resort. $WHR PR link.

Micron Technology(PBR145) responds positively to news of the US Dept of Justiceindictments relating to theft of Micron trade secrets by former employees. $MU PR link.

Kohl’s(PBR149) to offer $15 Kohl’s Cash for every $50 spent during certain times of the holidays, to open at 5PM on Thanksgiving Day. $KSS PR link.

Sears(PBR169) signs several licensing agreements to broaden the assortment and reach of its Kenmore and DieHard brands at US retailers. $SHLD PR link.

JCPenney(PBR229) customers can shop select Black Friday deals at JCPenney.com beginning 11/18/18, stores to open at 2PM on Thanksgiving Day, coupons for early shoppers. $JCP PR link.

Tesla(PBR250)‘s Elon Musk tweets Summonoption to have your Tesla drive to your location, to be available in 6 weeks, software upgrade. $TSLA PR link.

Tesla(PBR250 $TSLA) investor group calls for board overhaul, more oversight of Elon Musk.MarketWatch PR link.

Constellation Brands(PBR334) completes $4 billion investment in cannibis focused Canopy Growth Corp(TSX: WEED, NYSE: CGC), has 37% common shares stake and will have 2 members on the Board. $STZ PR link.

AMC Networks(PBR726) completes $6.25/share, $274 million cash acquisition of digital channel company RLJ Entertainment(NASDAQ: RLJE), to become an independent subsidiary, has 800,000 subscribers from its British/international oriented Acorn TVand Urban Movie Channel(UMC) with emphasis on African American and urban audiences. $AMCX PR link.

Meredith Corp(PBR836) completes $190 million cash sale of TIME media brand reaching 175 million consumers monthly to Salesforce(PBR275) Chairman/Co-CEO/Founder Marc Benioff and wife Lynne. $MDP PR link.

Newfield Exploration(PBR904) to be acquired by N American energy producer Encana(TSX, NYSE: ECA) in all stock deal valued at $5.5 billion, includes $2.2 billion debt, to close 1Q19. $NFX PR link.

The New York Times(PBR923) ends 3Q18 with 3.095 million total digital subscriptions, +24.4% from 3Q17. $NYT PR link.

McKesson(PBR5) Chairman/CEO John H. Hammergren to retire, effective 03/31/19, President/COO Brian Tyler to become President/CEO on 04/01/18, Edward Mueller to become independent Chairman. $MCK PR link.

Reliance Steel & Aluminum(PBR297)President/CEO Gregg J. Mollins to retire at end of 2018, EVP/COO James D. Hoffman named successor. $RS PR link.

Caesars Entertainment(PBR518)President/CEO Mark Frissora to leave company on 02/08/19. $CZR PR link.

Worthington Industries(PBR635) promotes Joseph Hayek to VP/CFO, President/CFO Andy Rose remains President. $WOR PR link.

Triumph Group(PBR687) hires Frank Dubey as EVP/Integrated Systems, effective 11/26/18, succeeds retiring Tom Holzthum. $TGI PR link.

DowDuPont(PBR46) announces Boards of Directors of the three future independent companies: Dow, DuPont, and Corteva. $DWDP PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US Preliminary 3Q18 Business Sector Labor Output/Hourwas +1.9%, 2Q18 was +3.6%, 1Q18 +0.6%, 3Q17 +2.8%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says US Preliminary September 2018 Residential Construction Spending Annual Rate is at $562.3 billion, Non-Residential Construction Spending Annual Rate $767.1 billion, for Total Construction Spending Annual Rate of $1.329 trillion, +0.1% from August 2018, +7.2% from September 2017. USDOC PR link.

The Institute for Supply Management says its US October 2018 Manufacturing PMI Index(>50%=economy growing) is at 57.7%, September 2018 was 59.8%, August 201861.3%, October 2017 58.5%. ISM PR link.

IHS Markit says US October 2018 Manufacturing PMI Index was at 55.7, “…signalled a further pick up in growth momentum and a strong improvement in the health of the manufacturing sector…,” September 2018 was at 55.6, August 201854.7, October 2017 54.6. IHS Markit PR link.

Automotive News says US October 2018 New Light Vehicle Sales were at 1,345,299 units, -5.4% from September 2018, +0.6% from October 2017; Average Transaction Price(JD Power) was $32,947, +3.0% from September 2018, +1.5% from October 2017. Automotive News PR link.

FTI Consulting(PBR894) projects 2018 holiday retail sales to grow by 5.8% over 2017, 60% store driven, 40% online. $FCN PR link.

Adobe Systems(PBR377) forecasts US 2018 Holiday On-Line Sales to be $124.1 billion, a 14.8% increase from 2017, provides information on best shopping days and items. $ADBE PR link.

***Wednesday, October 31:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Month of October Ending 10/31/18:

DJIA ends October at 25,115.76, +1.73% from last Friday, -5.07% MTD/QTD, +1.60% YTD, -6.38% from record 26,743.50 set 09/21/18.

NASDAQ ends October at 7,305.90, +1.94% from last Friday, -9.20% MTD/QTD, +5.83% YTD, -9.91% from record 8,109.69 set 08/29/18.

SPX ends October at 2,711.74, +2.00% from last Friday, -6.94 MTD/QTD, -+1.43% YTD, -7.47% from record 2,930.75 set 09/20/18.

October US Stock Exchanges Summary:‘Volatile’ is the word for October as stock exchanges had nearly half their days swing up or down by at least 1%, and mostly down. In the end The Stock Market Bear had a large margin 3-0 victoryfor the month.

The Month 10 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 5 months
The Stock Market Bear: 3 months
Mixed Results: 2 months

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The PBR1000 October 2018 Stocks & Commodities Snapshots

November 5, 2018 by admin

October 2018 The PBR1000: A Bear of a Month

The Stock Market Bear chewed and clawed away viciously to dominate October 2018. Investors are encouraged to hold on, but many wonder if this is the end of The Stock Market Bull run.

By Larry C. Paxton

Even though the US economy continued to be robust, with low unemployment and increasing wages starting to take effect, it was balanced out by a combination of mixed corporate earnings reports(especially by the tech sector), US/China trade issues, intensely negative US general elections campaigning, and perhaps just a weariness from the US stock market doing so well for so long. As a result, volatility reigned during the month.

The Stock Market Bear took advantage of the most volatile month of 2018 so far to easily win bragging rights for October and now threatens what was shaping up as another a good year.

Month 10 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 5 months
The Stock Market Bear: 3 months
Mixed Results: 2 months

Week 43 YTD tally is:
The Stock Market Bull: 17 weeks
The Stock Market Bear: 16 weeks
Mixed Results: 10 weeks

The October 2018 US Major Stock Market Exchanges Summary

Number of Trading Days: 23

Number of Gain(+)/Loss(-) Days: DJIA 10+/13-; NASDAQ 8+/15-; SPX 7+/16-.

Record Days: DJIA 2, NASDAQ 0, SPX 0

Longest Gain Streak(Consecutive Days): DJIA 5 days(09/27-10/03/18), NASDAQ 2 days(10/30-31/18), SPX 2 days(10/30-31/18)

Longest Loss Streak(Consecutive Days): DJIA 3 days(10/09-11/18), NASDAQ 3 days(10/04-08/18, 10/17-19/18), SPX 6 days(10/04-11/18, 10/17-24/18)

Big Swing Up Days(>1.00%): 5 days(10/12/18(D, +1.15%; N, +2.29%; S, +1.42%), 10/16/18(D, +2.17%; N, +2.29%; S, +2.15%), 10/25/18(D, +1.63%; N, +2.95%; S, +1.86%), 10/30/18(D, +1.77%; N, +1.58%; S, +1.57%), 10/31/18(N, +2.01%; S, +1.09%))

Big Swing Down Days(<-1.00%): 8 days(10/04/18(N, -1.81%), 10/05/18(N, -1.16%), 10/10/18(D, -3.15%; N, -4.08%; S, -3.29%), 10/11/18(D, -2.13%; N, -1.25%; S, -2.06%), 10/18/18(D, -1.27%; N, -2.06%; S, -1.44%), 10/24/18(D, -2.41%; N, -4.43%; S, -3.09), 10/26/18(D, -1.19%; N, -2.07%; S, -1.73%), 10/29/18(N, -1.63%))

The PBR1000 October 2018 Snapshots

The following are Top 5 partial tables excerpts from The PBR1000 October 2018 Snapshots. The price for stocks is for the close of trading on October 31, 2018, Month % Chg is compared to September 28, 2018, YTD % Chg is compared to December 29, 2017, and the 22 Months % Chg is compared to December 30, 2016. The PBR Rank is by annual revenues.

To get the complete The PBR1000 Snapshots just click here to get your 2 month or significantly discounted 12 month subscription and automatically download the October 2018 edition with the complete 15 Snapshots and 26 rankings and the bonus The PBRMarketTools US Monthly Indices Snapshots.

Table 1(S11): The PBR1000 Top 5 Month Stock Price % Gainers

Table 1 Summary: The range was +34% to -62%. 158 out of 1,000 stocks were up 0% or more. The average was a loss of -8.00%%, the median was a loss of -8.33%.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Price 10/31/18	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	22 Mos % Chg
Fred’s	899	FRED	2.74	+34	-32	-85
Esterline Tech	870	ESL	117.36	+29	+57	+32
Tesla Motors	249	TSLA	337.32	+27	+8	+58
Red Hat	713	RHT	171.64	+26	+43	+146
Twitter	802	TWTR	34.75	+22	+45	+113

Table 2(S12): The PBR1000 Top 5 Year-To-Date Stock Price % Gainers

Table 2 Summary: The range was +179% to -90%. 383 out of 1,000 stocks were up 0% or more. The average was a loss of 3.96%, the median was a loss of 5.38%.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Price 10/31/18	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	22 Mos % Chg
Fossil	733	FOSL	21.71	-7	+179	-16
BlueLinx	892	BXC	23.55	-25	+141	+215
UNISYS	743	UIS	18.41	-10	+126	+23
Endo Intl	642	ENDP	16.94	+1	+119	+3
Square	843	SQ	73.45	-26	+112	+439

Table 3(S13): The PBR1000 Top 5 22 Months Stock Price % Gainers

Table 3 Summary: The range was +477% to -96%. 580 out of 993 stocks were up 0% or more. The average was a gain of 14.76%. The median was a gain of 6.72%.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Price 10/31/18	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	22 Mos % Chg
Weight Watchers	974	WTW	66.10	-8	+49	+477
Square	843	SQ	73.45	-26	+112	+439
RH	803	RH	115.71	-12	+34	+277
Systemax	980	SYX	32.31	-2	-3	+268
BlueLinx	892	BXC	23.55	-25	+141	+215

Table 4(S15): The PBR1000 Top 5 Market Capitalization

Table 4 Summary: The range was $1,030 billion to $0.03 billion. The average is $25.610 billion, median is $7.55 billion, out of 1,000 companies.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Market Cap($B) 10/31/18	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	22 Mos % Chg
Apple	4	AAPL	1,030	-7	+18	+67
Microsoft	22	MSFT	796	-9	+21	+65
Amazon	8	AMZN	748	-24	+35	+110
Alphabet	21	GOOG	725	-13	-1	+36
Berkshire Hathaway	3	BRKB	502	-6	+2	+25
The PBR1000			25,610	-8	-1	+18

Table 5: The PBR1000 Index & Primary US Stock Exchanges/Commodities

Company	Price 10/31/18	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	22 Mos % Chg
The PBR1000	82,552.72	-8.0	-4.0	+14.7
DJIA	25,115.76	-5.1	+1.6	+27.1
NASDAQ	7,305.90	-9.2	+5.8	+35.7
S&P500	2,711.74	-6.9	+1.4	+21.1
GOLD	1,219.00	+1.9	-6.6	+5.8
SILVER	14.31	-2.6	-15.8	-10.5
OIL	64.92	-11.8	+8.0	+20.9

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February 2019 The PBR1000: A Sweetheart of a Month for The Stock Market Bull

The February 2019 US Major Stock Market Exchanges Summary

The PBR1000 February 2019 Snapshots

Table 1(S11): The PBR1000 Top 5 Month Stock Price % Gainers

Table 2(S12): The PBR1000 Top 5 Year-To-Date Stock Price % Gainers

Table 3(S13): The PBR1000 Top 5 14 Months Stock Price % Gainers

Table 4(S15): The PBR1000 Top 5 Market Capitalization

Table 5: The PBR1000 Index & Primary US Stock Exchanges/Commodities

January 2019 The PBR1000: The Stock Market Bull Starts With A Big Snort

The January 2019 US Major Stock Market Exchanges Summary

The PBR1000 January 2019 SnapShots

Table 1(S11): The PBR1000 Top 5 Month Stock Price % Gainers

Table 2(S12): The PBR1000 Top 5 Year-To-Date Stock Price % Gainers

Table 3(S13): The PBR1000 Top 5 13 Months Stock Price % Gainers

Table 4(S15): The PBR1000 Top 5 Market Capitalization

Table 5: The PBR1000 Index & Primary US Stock Exchanges/Commodities

December 2018 The PBR1000: The Stock Market Bear Wins The Year

The December 2018 US Major Stock Market Exchanges Summary

The PBR1000 December 2018 SnapShots

Table 1(S11): The PBR1000 Top 5 Month Stock Price % Gainers

Table 2(S12): The PBR1000 Top 5 Year-To-Date Stock Price % Gainers

Table 3(S13): The PBR1000 Top 5 24 Months Stock Price % Gainers

Table 4(S15): The PBR1000 Top 5 Market Capitalization

Table 5: The PBR1000 Index & Primary US Stock Exchanges/Commodities

The PBR1000 December 2018 Breaking News Items

The Wendy’s Company(NASDAQ: WEN)

The Wendy’s Company Analytics

November 2018 The PBR1000: The Stock Market Bull Comes From Behind

The November 2018 US Major Stock Market Exchanges Summary

The PBR1000 November 2018 Snapshots

Table 1(S11): The PBR1000 Top 5 Month Stock Price % Gainers

Table 2(S12): The PBR1000 Top 5 Year-To-Date Stock Price % Gainers

Table 3(S13): The PBR1000 Top 5 23 Months Stock Price % Gainers

Table 4(S15): The PBR1000 Top 5 Market Capitalization

Table 5: The PBR1000 Index & Primary US Stock Exchanges/Commodities

The PBR1000 November 2018 Breaking News Items

October 2018 The PBR1000: A Bear of a Month

The October 2018 US Major Stock Market Exchanges Summary

The PBR1000 October 2018 Snapshots

Table 1(S11): The PBR1000 Top 5 Month Stock Price % Gainers

Table 2(S12): The PBR1000 Top 5 Year-To-Date Stock Price % Gainers

Table 3(S13): The PBR1000 Top 5 22 Months Stock Price % Gainers

Table 4(S15): The PBR1000 Top 5 Market Capitalization

Table 5: The PBR1000 Index & Primary US Stock Exchanges/Commodities

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