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The PBR1000 February 2016 Stocks/Commodities Snapshots

March 12, 2016 by admin

February 2016: Which Direction Are The Markets Heading?

Increase Decrease Chart-hywards ID-100395866

Stock Market and Commodities Prices…
Which Direction Will They Go
Short Term and Long Term?

By Larry C. Paxton

Throughout February 2016 the stock markets bounced up and down almost in synch with the price of oil. Annual corporate earnings reports continued to be mixed, also affected by oil industry companies. The markets also seemed to fluctuate on conjecture and mixed messages from Federal Reserve governors on how many and when interest rates will climb again.

In terms of volatility, out of the 20 trading days in February 2016, 11 of them were positive, 2 were less than -2%, compared to 5 in January, for the NASDAQ.

Both bulls and bears continue to make their case for the future, but the feeling is that there is really no overwhelming and convincing evidence one way or the other. However, I am sure there will be in hindsight down the road.

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In the following tables the stock price is for the close of trading on February 29th, Month % Chg is compared to December 31st, YTD % Chg is compared to January 30, 2015, and the 14 Mos % Chg is compared to December 31, 2014.

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

Table 1 Summary: The range was +75.74% to -70.43%. 619 out of 1,030 stock prices were up 0.00% or more, or 60.10% of the companies tracked. The median was a gain of 1.65%.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Price 02/29/16	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	14 Mos % Chg
Groupon	640	GRPN	4.78	+75.74	+55.70	-42.13
Titan International	887	TWI	5.07	+69.00	+28.68	-52.30
Freeport McMoRan	126	FCX	7.63	+65.87	+12.70	-67.34
Modine Manufacturing	962	MOD	9.48	+47.66	+4.75	-30.29
NII Holdings	588	NIHD	5.31	+45.48	+5.15	n/a

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

Table 2 Summary: The range was +212.50% to -83.97%. 383 out of 1,030 stock prices were up 0.00% or more, or 37.18% of the companies tracked. The median was a loss of 3.92%.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Price 02/29/16	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	14 Mos % Chg
Walter Energy	984	WLTGQ	0.04	+12.90	+212.50	-97.46
Groupon	640	GRPN	4.78	+75.74	+55.70	-42.13
J.C. Penney	232	JCP	10.20	+40.50	+53.15	+57.41
Newmont Mining	354	NEM	25.83	+29.41	+43.58	+36.67
Alpha Natural Resources	536	ANRZQ	0.02	-3.18	+38.18	-99.09

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

Table 3 Summary: Range was +117.95% to -99.09%. 340 out of 1,026 stock prices were up 0.00% or more, or 33.14% of the companies tracked. The median was a loss of -12.66%.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Price 02/29/15	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	14 Mos % Chg
A-Mark Precious Metals	410	AMRK	21.73	+28.35	+15.28	+117.95
Netflix	438	NFLX	93.41	+1.71	-18.33	+91.41
Skechers	527	SKX	32.92	+16.58	+8.97	+78.72
Amazon.com	31	AMZN	552.52	-5.87	-18.25	+78.03
Heartland Payment Systems	401	HPY	93.52	+1.56	-1.37	+73.35

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

Table 4 Summary: Range was $536.11 billion to $0.00 billion. The average is $18.56 billion, median is $5.71 billion, out of 1,030 companies tracked.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Market Cap($B) 02/29/16	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	14 Mos % Chg
Apple	3	AAPL	536.11	-1.21	-8.65	-17.19
Alphabet	44	GOOGL	480.29	-6.00	-7.97	+34.50
Microsoft	27	MSFT	402.43	-8.55	-9.19	+5.10
ExxonMobil	2	XOM	333.10	+2.78	+2.65	-14.92
Berkshire Hathaway	5	BRK.A	331.57	+6.95	+1.87	-8.30
The PBR1000			19,119.29	-0.54	-5.74	-7.73

Table 5: The PBR1000 Index & Selected Stock Exchanges/Commodities

Company	Price 02/29/16	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	14 Mos % Chg
The PBR1000	64,933.39	-0.28	-6.05	-7.47
DJIA	16,516.50	+0.30	-5.21	-7.33
NASDAQ	4,557.95	-1.21	-8.98	-3.76
S&P500	1,932.23	-0.41	-5.47	-6.15
Gold	1,244.80	+11.30	+17.41	+5.06
Silver	14.94	+4.77	+8.26	-4.23
Oil	33.76	+0.06	-8.86	-36.62

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The PBR1000 February 2016 Breaking News Recap

March 5, 2016 by admin

February 2016: Have You Checked Your Oil Levels Recently?

Hopefully Your Car Oil Levels
Are More Predictable
Than The Price Of Oil!

By Larry C. Paxton

In the office we try to summarize what were the big influences on news for that day. In February just about every day the top news event related to what was happening with oil. Were oil prices up or down? How were the major players adapting? Were they selling off or acquiring assets? Were they laying off people? What changes were they making for capital expenditures? On the world stage people were following OPEC decisions intently. Oil was the dominant theme by far in February, as it has been for some time now.

The other big influences were the earnings reports for 2015 which continued to flood in during February. Bottomline, the results were very mixed, not much to get excited about.

Jobs and wages had their few days of interest as well, once again not a big encouragement.

Perhaps the biggest entertainment value was watching the presidential debates, which continue to be mostly a lot of talk and not much substance, with a lot of focus on one candidate, Donald Trump, a capitalist icon for many, a member of the “One Percent Club” who seems to be having great appeal to a wide range of people who feel disenfranchised by the political system.

There were certainly other influences, like global growth concerns, shareholder activism, and mixed economic data. We will address these further in future blog posts.

Following are The PBR1000 and economic related news items of note for February 2016, starting with the last active day.

Monday, February 29:

The PBR1000 February US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA ends February at 16,516.50, -0.74% from last Friday, +0.30% MTD, -5.21% QTD/YTD, -9.81% from record 18,312.39 on 05/19/15.
NASDAQ ends February at 4,557.95, -0.71% from last Friday, -1.21% MTD, -8.98% QTD/YTD, -12.66% from record 5,218.86 on 07/20/15.
SPX ends February at 1,932.23, -0.81% from last Friday, -0.41% MTD, -5.47% QTD/YTD, -9.32% from record 2,130.82 on 05/21/15.

Berkshire Hathaway(PBR4)‘s Warren Buffett’s 2015 letter reflects his optimism about US business. $BRKA PR link.

Proctor & Gamble(PBR33) completes transfer of Duracell batteries unit to Berkshire Hathaway(PBR4 $BRKA), buys 52 million P&G shares from BH for $1.8 billion. $PG PR link.

MetLife(PBR39) 4,000 advisors Retail Advisor Force unit being acquired by MassMutual, to close by mid 2016, terms not disclosed. $MET PR link.

Sysco(PBR61) to reduce workforce by 2%, 1,200 people, within the next 15 months, part of 3 year plan. $SYY PR link.

American Express(PBR83) to sell its Costco(PBR18 $COST) US cobranded card portfolio to CitiGroup(PBR28 $C) for $1 billion. $AXP PR link.

Sprint(PBR86) to do joint venture with Europe’s Dixons Carphone wireless retailer, to open 500 Sprint stores in the U.S. $S PR link.

Icahn Enterprises(PBR147 $IEP) owns 82% of Federal-Mogul common shares, proposes $7.00/share buyout of remaining shares. $FDML PR link.

Computer Sciences(PBR237) completes acquisition of Australia based 3,000 employee IT services company UXC(ASX: UXC) for $308 million. $CSC PR link.

CONSOL Energy(PBR598) to sell SW Virginia Buchanan Mine and other assets to Coronado IV for $420 million. $CNX PR link.

DENTSPLY(PBR694) completes $14.5 billion acquisition of Sirona Dental(NASDAQ: SIRO), now DENTSPLY Sirona, now world’s largest manufacturer of professional dental products. $XRAY PR link.

GoPro(PBR1010) acquires mobile editing apps Splice & Replay, terms not disclosed. $GPRO PR link.

Target(PBR40) hires Arthur Valdez as EVP-Chief Supply Chain & Logistics Officer, reports to EVP/COO John Mulligan. $TGT PR link.

Lockheed Martin(PBR64) promotes John Rood to SVP-International, succeeds retiring Pat Dewar. $LMT PR link.

Lockheed Martin(PBR64) promotes John Mollard to VP & Treasurer, effective 04/04/16, succeeds Ken Possenriede who will be VP Finance/Business Operations at Aeronautics unit. $LMT PR link.

Carlisle Cos(PBR650) appoints Amelia Murillo as VP-Human Resources. $CSL PR link.

Cinemark(PBR739) president/COO Robert Copple has resigned. $CNK PR link.

Lumber Liquidators(PBR1061) hires Dennis Knowles as COO. $LL PR link.

Housing: FreddieMac(PBR42) releases February Insight & Outlook. $FMCC PR link.

Friday, February 26:

The PBR1000 End of Week US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA ends week at 16,639.77, +1.51% from last week, +1.05% MTD, -4.51% QTD/YTD, -9.13% from record 18,312.39 on 05/19/15.
NASDAQ ends week at 4,590.47, +1.91% from last week, -0.51 MTD, -8.33% QTD/YTD, -12.04% from record 5,218.86 on 07/20/15.
SPX ends week at 1,948.05, +1.58% from last week, +0.40% MTD, -4.69% QTD/YTD, -8.58% from record 2,130.82 on 05/21/15.

Apple(PBR5 $AAPL) fires back in court that FBI seeks ‘dangerous power.’ MarketWatch article link.

Caterpillar(PBR54) to end production of on-highway vocational trucks, to impact about 70 positions. $CAT PR link.

Honeywell(PBR74) reveals offer for United Technologies(PBR45 $UTX), $108/share, $39 billion cash/stock. $HON PR link.

United Technologies(PBR45) says Honeywell(PBR74 $HON) $108/share, $39 billion cash/stock offer has regulatory challenges, customer concerns, and is grossly undervalued. $UTX PR link.

Macy’s(PBR97) increases share repurchase program by $1.5 billion, new balance around $2 billion. $M PR link.

JCPenney(PBR234 $JCP) goes private (label) in fight to continue turnaround. MarketWatch article link.

Liberty Media(PBR534) settles litigation with Vivendi for $775 million, has $1.3 billion balance for share repurchase program. $LMCA PR link.

Groupon(PBR652) sells one billionth Groupon, first Groupon was sold in October 2008. $GRPN PR link.

Olin Corp(PBR838) president/COO John Fischer to become CEO on 05/01/16, succeeds retiring Joe Rupp. $OLN PR link.

Revlon(PBR900) president/CEO Lorenzo Delpani to step down effective 03/01/16, will remain on board; Gianni Pieraccioni appointed as new COO. $REV PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says January Personal Income Annual Rate at $15.691 trillion, +0.5% from December, Personal Savings Rate at 5.2%. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce restates 4th Quarter GDP Annual Rate from 0.7% to 1.0%, $18.148 trillion, 2015 GDP was 2.4%. USDOC PR link.

Energy: Energy companies’ latest move as oil prices slump? Sell, sell, sell. MarketWatch article link.

Consumer Credit: This is how many Americans have ‘great’ credit. MarketWatch article link.

Thursday, February 25:

McKesson(PBR6) making 2 acquisitions, Vantage Oncology & Biologics, for a total of $1.2 billion. $MCK PR link.

Best Buy(PBR73) authorizes new $1 billion share buyback program over 2 years. $BBY PR link.

Halliburton(PBR90 $HAL) to cut 5,000 jobs, 8% of workforce, had announced 22,000 job cuts previously. MarketWatch article link.

Kohl’s(PBR149) plans $600 million share buyback program with $50/share average. $KSS PR link.

Gap Inc(PBR179) authorizes $1 billion share buyback program, supersedes previous program. $GPS PR link.

Estee Lauder(PBR255) has acquired Paris-based global luxury fragrances provider By Kilian, terms not disclosed. $EL PR link.

Packaging Corp(PBR425) authorizes additional $200 million for share repurchase program. $PKG PR link.

Dynegy(PBR777) & Energy Capital Partners form joint venture to acquire ENGIE’s US fossil portfolio for $3.3 billion. $DYN PR link.

Equifax(PBR795) completes $1.9 billion acquisition of Australia based credit information company Veda Group. $EFX PR link.

Restoration Hardware(PBR915)’s new membership program gives analysts pause. $RH PR link.

Republic Airways(PBR1015) files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, appoints Lars Arnell as SVP/Chief Restructuring Officer. $RJET PR link.

Core-Mark(PBR271) SVP/CFO Stacy Lorentz-Congdon retiring at end of 2016, VP/Chief Accounting Officer Christopher Miller to be CFO on 05/01/16. $CORE PR link.

Ralph Lauren(PBR349) President-Global Brands Chris Peterson to leave on 05/31/16, position to be eliminated. $RL PR link.

Avery Dennison(PBR396) president/COO Mitchell Butier to be president/CEO on 05/01/16. CEO Dean Scarborough to become executive chairman. $AVY PR link.

Urban Outfitters(PBR638) promotes David McCreight to president. $URBN PR link.

Sprouts Farmers Market(PBR688) hires Brad Lukow as CFO, effective 03/04/16. $SFM PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US 02/20/16 Initial Unemployment Claims at 272,000, +10,000 from previous week, total at 2,253,000. USDOL PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR42) says US Average 30 Year Fixed Mortgage Rate at 3.62% with 0.6 points/fees. $FMCC PR link.

Wednesday, February 24:

Caterpillar(PBR54) VP Electric Power Division Steve Niehaus is retiring, division to be consolidated with Marine & Petroleum Power divisions. $CAT PR link.

TJX Cos(PBR96) adds $1.5-2.0 billion to share buyback pgm, current balance is $1.5 billion, expires 01/28/17. $TJX PR link.

Southern Co(PBR155) to acquire electric utilities technologies provider PowerSecure Intl(NYSE: POWR) for $18.75/share, $431 million cash, to close 2Q2016. $SO PR link.

BB&T(PBR277) to acquire $200 million revenues/year commercial wholesale insurance provider Swett & Crawford, terms not disclosed. $BBT PR link.

Marathon Petroleum(PBR23) chairman Thomas Usher to retire 04/27/16, president/CEO Gary Heminger to then add chairman title. $MPC PR link.

Boeing(PBR27) promotes Leanne Caret to president/CEO-Defense, Space, & Security, succeeds retiring Chris Chadwick. $BA PR link.

Level 3 Communications(PBR375) CEO Jeff Storey to take 2 month temporary medical leave for heart surgery, CFO Sunit Patel to also be Interim CEO. $LVLT PR link.

The US Dept of Housing & Urban Development says January New Single-Family Sales Annual Rate was at 494,000 units, -9.2% from December, -5.2% from January 2015. HUD PR link.

Taxes: 45% of Americans pay no federal income tax. MarketWatch article link.

Robotics: IDC Forecasts Worldwide Spending on Robotics to Reach $135 Billion in 2019. IDC PR link.

Opinion-US Economy: Markit’s PMI shows significant risk of US economy falling into contraction. Full analysis: Markit article link.

Tuesday, February 23:

Viacom(PBR212) to explore strategic investment partnership for Paramount Pictures. $VIA PR link.

Airgas(PBR461) stockholders approve acquisition by France based Air Liquide(Euronext Paris: AI) for $143/share, $13.4 billion cash, expected to close 2Q or 3Q2016. $ARG PR link.

Activision Blizzard(540) completes acquisition of London based gaming developer King Digital Entertainment(NYSE: KING) for $18.00/share, $5.9 billion, creating largest game network in the world with over 500 million users. $ATVI PR link.

Lexmark(PBR601) to eliminate 550 of 14,000 positions worldwide over next 12 months. $LXK PR link.

Cooper Tire & Rubber(PBR618) authorizes new $200 million share repurchase program through 12/31/17. $CTB PR link.

Monster Beverage(PBR785) to acquire American Fruits & Flavors for $690 million, to close 1Q2016. $MNST PR link.

Eastman Chemical(PBR288) retirements for COO Ron Lindsey, SVP Integrated Supply Chain Godefroy Motte; 5 promotions announced. $EMN PR link.

Discovery Communications(PBR399) CFO Andrew Warren to leave company at end of 2016. $DISCA PR link.

Toll Brothers(PBR577) Vice Chairman/Co-Founder Bruce Toll to retire on 03/08/16. $TOL PR link.

Cooper Tire & Rubber(PBR618) Chairman/CEO Roy Armes to retire on 08/31/16, COO Bradley Hughes to then become President/CEO. $CTB PR link.

The National Assn of Realtors says January Existing Home Sales was at a 5.47 million annual rate, median price $213,800. NAR PR link.

S&P/Case-Shiller December US National Home Prices Index was +0.1% from November, +5.4% from December 2014. C-S PR link.

Housing: What the shrinking amount of mortgage debt tells us about the housing market. MarketWatch article link.

Fashion: Wearable device sales soar, led by Fitbit MarketWatch article link.

Monday, February 22:

Verizon(PBR15) to acquire fiber-optic network business of XO Communications for about $1.8 billion, expected to close 1H2017. $VZ PR link.

United Technologies(PBR45) confirms it has been in talks with Honeywell(PBR74 $HON), has concerns about regulatory obstacles, customer concerns, & valuations issues. $UTX PR link.

Sysco(PBR61) to acquire European food services distributor Brakes Group for $3.1 billion, includes $2.3 billion of debt. $SYY PR link.

Bristol-Myers Squibb(PBR185) completes sale of its HIV R&D portfolio to ViiV Healthcare for $350 million up front with $2.5 billion in future incentives. $BMY PR link.

Fortune Brands(PBR469) authorizes $400 million share repurchase program over next 2 years. $FBHS PR link.

Lumber Liquidators(PBR1061 $LL) wood flooring cancer risk greater than previously reported because of inaccurate calculation by CDC. MarketWatch PR link.

Kroger(PBR20) Smith’s division president Jay Cummins to retire on 04/29/16 after 44 years with company. $KR PR link.

Blackhawk Network(PBR998) president Talbott Roche now also CEO, succeeds William Tauscher who remains chairman. $HAWK PR link.

Markit February Flash U.S. Manufacturing PMI of 51.0 flashes warning sign. MarketWatch PR link.

Friday, February 19:

The PBR1000 End of Week US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA ends week at 16,391.99, +2.62% from last week, -0.45% MTD, -5.93% QTD/YTD, -10.49% from record 18,312.39 on 05/19/15.
NASDAQ ends week at 4,504.43, +3.85% from last week, -2.37 MTD, -10.04% QTD/YTD, -13.69% from record 5,218.86 on 07/20/15.
SPX ends week at 1,917.78, +2.84% from last week, -1.16% MTD, -6.17% QTD/YTD, -10.00% from record 2,130.82 on 05/21/15.

Apple(PBR5 $AAPL) vs. the FBI: A complete guide regarding the phone encryption controversy. MarketWatch PR link.

Citigroup(PBR28) to sell consumer businesses in Brazil, Argentina, and Columbia. $C PR link.

Coca-Cola(PBR63) signs letter of intent to grant additional bottling territory to Swire Coca-Cola USA. $KO PR link.

AutoNation(PBR148) has $250 million available for share repurchase program. $AN PR link.

Yahoo!(PBR519) forms independent committee to explore strategic alternatives. $YHOO PR link.

Perrigo(PBR565) to relocate global investor relations, global treasury functions from US to Ireland headquarters. $PRGO PR link.

Intl Flavors & Fragrances(PBR666) promotes Dionisio Ferenc as VP, Global Fine Fragrances. $IFF PR link.

Mueller Industries(PBR812) to acquire 60% interest in S Korea based global copper-based pipe joining manufacturer Jungwoo Metal, terms not disclosed. $MLI PR link.

Booz Allen Hamilton(PBR466) CFO Kevin Cook to retire, EVP Lloyd Howell, Jr to be CFO on 07/01/16. $BAH PR link.

SeaWorld(PBR1013) promotes John Reilly to Chief Parks Operations Officer & Dr. Chris Dold to Chief Zoological Officer, effective 04/01/16; forms Resort Development Group. $SEAS PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the January Current Average Earnings/Hour was $25.39, +0.47% from December, +2.5% from January 2015. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the January Consumer Price Index was unchanged from December, +1.4% over the past 12 months, seasonally unadjusted. USDOL PR link.

Thursday, February 18:

IBM(PBR25) Watson Health unit to acquire Truven Health Analytics for $2.6 billion. strong>$IBM PR link.

Qualcomm(PBR106) & Lenova sign 3G/4G China patent license agreement. $QCOM PR link.

DISH Network(PBR196) ends 2015 with 13.897 million Pay-TV subscribers, ended 2014 with 13.978 million. $DISH PR link.

Alliance Data(PBR462) adds $500 million for new $1 billion balance available for 2016 share buyback program. $ADS PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) acquires Santa Monica, CA, based retail insurance broker White & Co Insurance, terms not disclosed. $AJG PR link.

Cabela’s(PBR606) EVP/COO Michael Copeland to transition to strategic advisory role over next month. $CAB PR link.

Wednesday, February 17:

Ingram Micro(PBR62) to be acquired by & become subsidiary of China based Tianjin Tianhai for $38.90/share, $6.0 billion cash, to close 2H2016. $IM PR link.

T-Mobile US(PBR95) reports 2.1 million net new adds to its wireless network in 4Q15, 8.3 million total in 2015. $TMUS PR link.

Capital One(PBR116) authorizes additional $300 billion for $3.125 billion share buyback program authorized in 2015. $COF PR link.

Devon Energy(PBR143) to offer 69,000,000 common shares at $18.75/share, proceeds to be used for a variety of financial purposes. $DVN PR link.

Targa Resources(PBR308) completes all equity acquisition of Targa Resources Partners. $TRGP PR link.

DSW(PBR778) to acquire e-commerce off-price footwear & accessories retailer eBuys for $62.5 million plus future performance payments. $DSW PR link.

Kroger(PBR20) SVP Retail Operations & Strategic Initiatives Marnette Perry retiring after 44 years with company, effective 04/29/16. $KR PR link.

Caterpillar(PBR54) announces new responsibilities for VPs Doug Hoerr, Greg Folley, & Tana Utley, effective 03/01/16. $CAT PR link.

Level 3 Communications(PBR375) makes EVP/Chief Admin Officer Laurinda Pang Regional President of N. America & Asia Pacific. $LVLT PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the January Producer Price Index for Final Demand was +0.1%, was -0.2% in Dec, -0.2% from January 2015. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says the January Private Housing Units Building Permits Issued annual rate was at 1,202,000, -0.2% from December, +13.5% from January 2015. USDOC PR link.

The US Federal Reserve says January Total Industrial Production Capacity at 77.1%, December was 76.4%, January 2015 was 79.1% FRB PR link.

The US Federal Reserve releases January FOMC Statement, reviews economic situation, maintains 0.25-0.50% funds rate. FRB PR link.

Tuesday, February 16:

United Continental(PBR77) & PAFCA reach tentative agreement for its 420 dispatchers. $UAL PR link.

Upon merger completion Staples(PBR122) & Office Depot(PBR182 $ODP) to sell $550+ million revs/yr from Fortune 500 clients to Essendant(PBR458 $ESND) for $22.5 million. $SPLS PR link.

Stryker Corp(PBR283) to acquire defibrillators provider Physio-Control Intl from Bain Capital for $1.28 billion cash. $SYK PR link.

Graphic Packaging(PBR553) completes acquisition of 2 location folding carton manufacturer Walter G Anderson, terms not disclosed. $GPK PR link.

ADT(PBR627) to be acquired by affiliate of Apollo Global Mgmt(PBR906 $APO) for $42.00/share, a 56% premium on 02/12/16 closing price. $ADT PR link.

Devon Energy(PBR143) restructures senior leadership, EVP E&P Tony Vaughn promoted to COO; EVP-HR, EVP-Marketing to retire. $DVN PR link.

Steel Dynamics(PBR306) co-founder/EVP Steelmaking & president/COO Steel Operations Richard Teets, Jr. retiring, 3 SVP promotions announced. $STLD PR link.

Caesars Entertainment(PBR314) hires Les Ottolenghi as EVP-Chief Information Officer, reports to president/CEO. $CZR PR link.

Fiserv(PBR474) hires Robert Hau as CFO, effective 03/14/16. $FISV PR link.

hhgregg(PBR864) CFO Robert Riesbeck now also interim president/CEO, Dennis May has left. $HGG PR link.

Monday, February 15:

***U.S. Presidents’ Day***
***U.S. Stock Markets Closed.***

Freeport-McMoRan(PBR128) sells 13% interest in Morenci Mine to Sumitoma Metal Mining for $1.0 billion cash. $FCX PR link.

JCPenney(PBR234) Chief Merchant John Tighe to oversee product development and design within merchandising organization; Supply Chain SVP Mike Robbins assumes added responsibility for global sourcing. $JCP PR link.

Crown Holdings(PBR298) promotes Robert Bourque, Jr to President-Asia Pacific Division, effective 05/01/16, succeeds retiring Jozef Salaerts, reports to president/CEO. $CCK PR link.

Celanese(PBR369) promotes SVP-HR Lori Johnston to EVP-Chief Administrative Officer. $CE PR link.

PulteGroup(PBR428) promotes Ryan Marshall to president, Harmon Smith to COO. $PHM PR link.

Friday, February 12:
The PBR1000 End of Week US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA ends week at 15,973.84, -1.43% from last week, -2.99% MTD, -8.33% QTD/YTD, -12.77% from record 18,312.39 on 05/19/15.
NASDAQ ends week at 4,337.51, -0.59% from last week, -5.99 MTD, -13.38% QTD/YTD, -16.89% from record 5,218.86 on 07/20/15.
SPX ends week at 1,864.78, -0.81% from last week, -3.89% MTD, -8.77% QTD/YTD, -12.49% from record 2,130.82 on 05/21/15.

Lear Corp(PBR165) increases share buyback program to $1 billion, expires 12/31/17. $LEA PR link.

L Brands(PBR247 $LB) Victoria’s Secret CEO Sharen Turney resigns. MarketWatch article link.

NASDAQ(PBR618) to acquire 8,500 clients global news distributor & analytics provider MarketWired, terms not disclosed. $NDAQ PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says January Year to Year Import Price Index was -6.2%, lead by fuel at -34.5%, Exports at -5.7%, USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says December Manufacturing/Trade Sales were $1.3 trillion, -0.6% from November, -2.7% from December 2014. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says January Retail/Food Services Sales were $449.9 billion, +0.2% from December, +3.4% from January 2014. USDOC PR link.

Thursday, February 11:

AIG(PBR46) adds $5.0 billion to share repurchase program, balance is $5.8 billion. $AIG PR link.

Brunswick(PBR584) increases share repurchase program by $300 billion, balance is $360 billion. $BC PR link.

JetBlue(PBR429) promotes John Culp to VP-Inflight Experience & Rachel McCarthy to VP-Talent. $JBLU PR link.

Hyatt Hotels(PBR537) hires Patrick Grismer as CFO, effective 03/14/16. $H PR link.

Brunswick(PBR584) president/COO Mark Schwabero elected as chairman/CEO, succeeds retiring Dustan McCoy. Brenna Preisser promoted to VP-Chief Human Resources Officer, succeeds retiring Russell Lockridge. $BC PR link.

W.R. Grace(PBR625) hires Thomas Blaser to be SVP-Finance/CFO. $GRA PR link.

Wednesday, February 10:

Amazon(PBR29) replaces current $2 billion share repurchase program with a $5 billion one, no termination date. $AMZN PR link.

Caterpillar(PBR54) names Rimco, its dealer for Puerto Rico & Eastern Caribbean, as its Cuba dealer. $CAT PR link.

Cisco(PBR60) adds $15 billion to share repurchase program, balance is $16.9 billion, no termination date set. $CSCO PR link.

Pilgrim’s Pride(PBR310) increases share buyback program from $150 million to $300 million over next 12 months. $PPC PR link.

Mylan(PBR346) to acquire Sweden based 4,500 employee global pharmaceuticals provider Meda for $9.9 billion, includes debt. $MYL PR link.

Carlyle Group(PBR581) announces $200 million share repurchase program. $CG PR link.

IGT(PBR878) North American subsidiary gets multi-year licensing deal for Life is Good lottery products. $IGT PR link.

UPS(PBR47) CEO David Abney elected to also be chairman. $UPS PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says January Federal Government Receipts were $313.6 billion, Outlays $258.4 billion, Surplus $55.2 billion, Fiscal YTD Deficit is $160.4 billion. Treasury PR link.

The Natl Retail Federation forecasts 2016 Retail Sales to grow by 3.1%, non-store sales to grow 6-9%. NRF PR link.

Tuesday, February 9:

Amazon(PBR29) Web Services announces Amazon Lumberyard, a free cross-platform, 3D game engine integrated with AWS & Twitch. $AMZN PR link.

Cummins(PBR146) to do $500 million, 4 million shares, accelerated share repurchase deal with Goldman Sachs(PBR76 $GS). $CMI PR link.

Viacom(PBR212) and Snapchat enter into global content production and ad sales deal. $VIA PR link.

Cabela’s(PBR606) promotes EVP/Chief Commercial Officer Scott Williams to president. $CAB PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says December Job Openings at 5.6 million, Hires at 5.4 million, Separations at 5.1 millions. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says December US Wholesale Sales were $440.0 billion, -0.3% from November, -4.5% from December 2014. USDOC PR link.

Monday, February 8:

Pfizer(PBR56) names executive leadership team for combined organization upon close of proposed Allergan(PBR219 $AGN) transaction, expected in 2nd half of 2016. $PFE PR link.

Apollo Education(PBR681) to be taken private in $9.50/share, $1.1 billion cash transaction. $APOL PR link.

Sunday, February 7:

Super Bowl 50: The Denver Broncos win 24-10 against the Carolina Panthers in a defense dominated championship game.

Friday, February 5:
The PBR1000 End of Week US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA ends week at 16,204.97, -1.59% from last week/MTD, -7.00% QTD/YTD. Record: 18,312.39 on 05/19/15.
NASDAQ ends week at 4,363.14, -5.44% from last week/MTD, -12.87% QTD/YTD. Record: 5,218.86 on 07/20/15.
SPX ends week at 1,880.05, -3.10% from last week/MTD, -8.02% QTD/YTD. Record: 2,130.82 on 05/21/15.

Calpine Corp(PBR330) completes $500 million acquisition of 745 megawatt power plan New Hampshire based Granite Ridge Energy Center. $CPN PR link.

Mattress Firm(PBR932) completes $780 million acquisition of 1,050 stores Sleepy’s, now has nearly 3,500 locations. $MFRM PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US Number of Employed at 150.5 million, unemployed at 7.8 million, unemployment rate at 4.9%. USDOL PR link.

The US Federal Reserve says December US Total Consumer Credit at $3.547 trillion, +0.60% from November, +6.92% from December 2014. FRB PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says 2015 US Total Exports were $2.230 trillion, Imports $2.762 trillion, Deficit $0.532 trillion. USDOC PR link.

Thursday, February 4:

Duke Energy(PBR114) considering sale of all or a portion of its International Energy business. $DUK PR link.

Icahn Enterprises(PBR147) completes $18.50/share, $1.03 billion acquisition of Pep Boys(PBR872). $IEP PR link.

Viacom(PBR212) names Sumner Redstone as chairman emeritus, president/CEO Phillipe Dauman elected executive chairman. $VIA PR link.

Genworth Financial(PBR287) to restructure, to separate longterm care business, suspend sales of traditional life & fixed annuity products. $GNW PR link.

Symantec(PBR384) gets $500 million from Silver Lake Partners, total capital return program increased to $5.5 billion. $SYMC PR link.

Group 1 Automotive(PBR276) acquires UK 12 dealerships Spire Automotive Group with $575 million annual revenues; divests 3 US dealerships with $160 million revenues/year; promotes Frank Grese, Jr, to SVP-Human Resources, Daryl Kenningham to Regional VP-West, David Fesmire Regional VP-East. $GPI PR link.

Bemis(PBR545) increases repurchase program by 20 million shares, balance is now 22.8 million shares. $BMS PR link.

TD Ameritrade(PBR662) acquires big data firm FA Insights, terms not disclosed. $AMTD PR link.

W.R. Grace(PBR625) promotes SVP/CFO Hudson La Force to president/COO. $GRA PR link.

Kennametal(PBR706) hires Ronald DeFeo as president/CEO, effective immediately, Donald Nolan has left. $KMT PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the 2015 Average Annual Labor Productivity was +0.6% from 2014. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says the December US Shipments at $467.0 billion, -1.4% from November, 8th down month in last 9 months. USDOC PR link.

Wednesday, February 3:

Wells Fargo(PBR30 $WFC) reaches $1.2 billion settlement with the US Dept of Justice regarding 2001-2010 FHA loan issues. SEC filing link.

Home Depot(PBR32) hiring more than 80,000 for Spring. $HD PR link.

Comcast(PBR42) authorizes $10 billion share repurchase program, $5 billion to be spent in 2016. $CMCSA PR link.

Lowe’s(PBR50) to acquire Canadian home improvement retailer/distributor RONA for $2.3 billion cash. $LOW PR link.

Cisco(PBR60) to acquire private IoT services platform provider Jasper Technologies for $1.4 billion cash. $CSCO PR link.

W.R. Grace(PBR625) completes separation of GCP Applied Technologies(NYSE: GCP) into a separate public company. $GRA PR link.

Autodesk(PBR773) to restructure, reduce staff by 10%(925 positions), transition to cloud, focus on subscription business. $ADSK PR link.

GoPro(PBR1010) ships 6.6 million cameras in 2015, +27% from 2014, promotes Brian McGee to CFO, succeeds retirng Jack Lazar, effective 03/11/16. $GPRO PR link.

Delta Air Lines(PBR72) CEO Richard Anderson to become executive chairman on 05/02/16, president Ed Bastian to be CEO, Gil West is now SEVP/COO. $DAL PR link.

Manpower(PBR132) hires Jack McGinnis as CFO, Michael Van Handel to be Sr EVP, effective 02/15/16. $MAN PR link.

SuperValu(PBR164) hires Mark Gross as president/CEO, succeeds retiring Sam Duncan. $SVU PR link.

CBS(PBR210) president/CEO Leslie Moonves adds chairman title with resignation of Sumner Redstone who is now chairman emeritus. $CBS PR link.

Greenbrier Cos(PBR846) promotes CFO Mark Rittenbaum to EVP-Commercial, Leasing & Finance, Lorie Tekorius promoted to SVP-CFO & Treasurer. $GBX PR link.

ADP says the January Change in Non-Farm Private Sector Employment was +205,000 jobs, 192,000 were from services sector. $ADP PR link.

Institute for Supply Management says the January Non-Manufacturing Index was at 53.5%, down from 55.8% in December. $ISM PR link.

Tuesday, February 2:

Alphabet(PBR44 $GOOG) officially surpasses Apple(PBR5 $AAPL) as world’s most valuable company. MarketWatch PR link.

3M(PBR92) authorizes $10 billion share repurchase program with no completion date. $MMM PR link.

Staples(PBR122) and Office Depot(PBR182 $ODP) extend completion of merger from 02/04/16 to 05/16/16 for completion of FTC litigation. $SPLS PR link.

Lithia Motors(PBR451) acquires $65 million/year Toyota/Scion of Milford, MA. $LAD PR link.

Yahoo!(PBR519) announces 4 point strategic plan, includes 15% reduction in workforce. $YHOO PR link.

Chipotle(PBR561) opened 229 restaurants in 2015, has 2,010 stores, plans to add 220-235 in 2016. $CMG PR link.

Salesforce(PBR453) vice chairman/president Keith Block adds COO to responsibilities. $CRM PR link.

Hub Group(PBR611) hires Geoff DeMartino as VP Corporate Development. $HUBG PR link.

KB Home(PBR802) hires Jill Peters as SVP-Investor Relations. $KBH PR link.

Viavi Solutions(PBR944) hires Oleg Khaykin as president/CEO. $VIAV PR link.

Allscripts Healthcare(PBR1014) hires Melinda Whittington to be CFO. $MDRX PR link.

Mergers/Acquisitions: US retail, consumer M&A rose in value, declined in volume in 2015. MarketWatch article link.

Auto Industry: January US New Auto Sales at 1.148 million vehicles, -0.4% from January 2015, annual rate 17.55 million. Auto News article link.

Auto Industry: January US New Auto Sales Revenues at $38.052B, +1.4% from January 2015, avg trans price $33,155. TrueCar article link.

Monday, February 1:
Click here for The PBR1000 January 2016 Monthly Breaking News Recap.

Amazon(PBR29) inks production deal with Mattel(PBR412 $MAT) to greenlight American Girl specials for prime video. $AMZN PR link.

Abbott Labs(PBR134) to acquire global point of care diagnostics provider Alere(PBR752 $ALR) for $56/share, $5.8 billion. $ABT PR link.

Dominion Resources(PBR229) to combine with natural gas supplier Questar(NYSE: STR) for $25/share, $4.4 billion, includes debt assumption. $D PR link.

Stryker Corp(PBR283) to acquire medical disposable products provider Sage Products from Madison Dearborn Partners for $2.775 billion cash. $SYK PR link.

Ashland(PBR407) completes acquisition of 89 Oil Can Henry’s quick lube stores. $ASH PR link.

Chipotle(PBR561 $CMG) gets final report from Center for Disease Control regarding e. coli outbreaks, appears over. CDC PR link.

NASDAQ(PBR618) completes acquisition of alternate trading platform Chi-X Canada, terms not disclosed. $NDAQ PR link.

TreeHouse Foods(PBR690) completes $2.7 billion acquisition of ConAgra(PBR166 $CAG) Private Brands. $THS PR link.

Walter Energy(PBR1006) to sell remaining US assets to Seminole Coal Resources to satisfy bankruptcy restructuring program. $WLTGQ PR link.

TJX Cos(PBR96) president Ernie Herman now also CEO, chairman/CEO Carol Meyrowitz now executive chairman. $TJX PR link.

Macy’s(PBR97) names Peter Sachse as Chief Growth Officer, hires Justin MacFarlane as Chief Strategy, Analytics & Innovations Officer, both report to president Jeff Gennette. $M PR link.

Medtronic(PBR133) acquires private Italy based hemodialysis treatment solutions provider Bellco, terms not disclosed. $MDT PR link.

Gilead Sciences(PBR107) promotes Katie Watson to EVP-Human Resources. $GILD PR link.

CarMax(PBR202) EVP-HR Bill Nash promoted to president, to become CEO upon retirement of Tom Follard by end of 2016, Cliff Wood promoted to COO. $KMX PR link.

Herbalife(PBR487) hires Dr. John Agwunobi as Chief Health and Nutrition Officer. $HLF PR link.

Patterson Cos(PBR542) hires Kelly Baker as Chief Human Resources Officer. $PDCO PR link.

Cabot Corp(PBR607) president/CEO Patrick Prevost continues to be on medical leave, working part-time from home, expects to return full-time soon. $CBT PR link.

Cooper-Standard(PBR644) promotes Sharon Wenzl to SVP-Corporate Communications/Community Affairs. $CPS PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says December Disposable Personal Income Annual Rate at $13.654 trillion, +0.3% from November, Personal Savings at 5.5%. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says December US Construction Spending at $1.117 trillion annual rate, +0.1% from November, +8.2% from December 2014. USDOC PR link.

The Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business® January PMI at 48.2, up 0.2 from December. ISM PR link.

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Filed Under: Recaps Tagged With: acquisitions, Business, business news, Commodities, DJIA, Economy, Investing, Leadership, mergers, NASDAQ, Rankings, S&P 500, Stock Market, The PBR1000

The PBR1000 January 2016 Breaking News Recap

February 1, 2016 by admin

ID-10035635 Statue of Liberty Storm-Damian Brandon

Lady Liberty Experienced
A Stormy Start To 2016.
When Will The Skies Start To Clear?

January 2016: A Stormy Start

By Larry C. Paxton

Many people were happy to see 2015 come to an end. Most experts were painting a cautious rosy picture for 2016.

But January 2016 turned out to be even more volatile than December.

Oil prices plummeted again, but did recover a little by month end. There are concerns about the collateral damage of lower and negative profits from major oil industry companies. Towards the end of the month 4th quarter earnings came in with mixed results across all business sectors.

Internationally the Bank of Japan surprised most by introducing a negative funds rate. China is experiencing much slower growth as it transitions into a more internal consumer based economy, and there is continuing concern about the numbers China provides. Europe growth is mostly flat.

While US economic indices indicate consumer confidence, other indices show moderate growth at best, and there still seems to be no sense of stability yet. As the year progresses the US Presidential Race might have an impact, especially if the attack ads are especially negative regarding the economy and how big business affects it.

So, what will happen in February? It’s anybody’s guess. A few of our feeble predictions are that the volatility will continue; mergers, acquisitions, and spinoffs will increase; there will be some layoffs; oil will recover a bit more, and; the initial caucuses and primary elections in the US Presidential Race will only confuse and anger voters.

Following are The PBR1000 and economic related news items of note for January 2016, starting with the last active day.

Friday, January 29:
The PBR1000 End of January US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes month at 16,466.30, +2.32% from last week, -5.50% MTD/QTD/YTD. Record: 18,312.39 on 05/19/15.
NASDAQ closes month at 4,613.95, +0.50% from last week, -7.86% MTD/QTD/YTD. Record: 5,218.86 on 07/20/15.
SPX closes week at 1,940.24, +1.75% from last week, -5.07% MTD/QTD/YTD. Record: 2,130.82 on 05/21/15.

Apple(PBR5 $AAPL) aims for virtual reality with Flyby acquisition, reported hiring. MarketWatch article link.

Xerox(PBR144) to split into 2 public companies, $11 billion Document Technology and a $7 billion Business Process Outsourcing, to be completed by end of 2016. $XRX PR link.

Axiall(PBR521) rejects as undervalued unsolicited $20.00/share offer from Westlake Chemical(NYSE: WLK). $AXLL PR link.

Men’s Wearhouse(PBR643) forming a holding company, Tailored Brands, Inc., to start trading on 02/01/16 as NYSE: TLRD. $MW PR link.

Gilead Sciences(PBR107) president/COO John Milligan, PhD, to become CEO on 03/10/16, John Martin to become executive chairman. $GILD PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US 4th Quarter Employment Cost Index at 125.2, +0.6% from 3rd Quarter, compensation +2.0% from 4th Quarter 2014. USDOL article link.

The US Dept of Commerce says US 4th Quarter Gross Domestic Product Advance Estimate at 0.7% annual rate, $18.128 billion, 2015 rate at 2.4%. USDOC article link.

The US Energy Information Administration says the Weekly Average Price/Gallon for gas at $1.856, diesel $2.071, heating oil $2.064, propane $2.024. USEIA article link.

The US Dept of Treasury says the US Total National Debt on 01/28/16 was $18.990 trillion. Treasury article link.

The FreddieMac releases its January Insight & Outlook, emphasis on housing buy-to-rent trends, economic headwinds $FMCC PR link.

ISM-Chicago says the January Chicago Business Barometer at 55.6, up 12.7 points from December. ISM-Chicago PR link.

U of Michigan says the January Survey of Consumers Confidence at 92.0, -0.6% from December, -6.2% from January 2015. UM PR link.

Opinion: US manufacturing teeters on the edge of recession. MarketWatch article link.

Thursday, January 28:
General Motors(PBR8 $GM) creates product team for autonomous vehicles. MarketWatch article link.

Hershey(PBR354) authorizes $500 million shares repurchase program. $HSY PR link.

Lithia Motors(PBR451) acquires $45 million/year Riverside Subaru in Riverside, CA. $LAD PR link.

Brown-Forman(PBR563) approves new 1 year $1 billion share repurchase program starting 04/01/16. $BF.B PR link.

NII Holdings(PBR604) completes $178 million sale of Nextel Argentina, to focus on Brazil operations. $NIHD PR link.

NASDAQ(PBR618) EVP-Corporate Strategy/CFO Lee Shavel to retire 03/31/16. $NDAQ PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR41) says 30 Year Fixed Mortgage Rates averaging 3.79%, -.02% from last wk, 0.6 points/fees unchanged. $FMCC PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US Initial Unemployment Insurance Claims for the week ending 01/23/16 were at 278,000, -16,000 from the previous week. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says the US 4th Quarter Homeownership Rate at 63.8%, -0.2% from 4th Quarter 2014, +0.1% from 3rd Quarter. USDOC PR link.

The National Retail Federation says Super Bowl 50 Average Spending per Viewer/Partygoer at $82.19, up from $77.88 last year. NRF PR link.

Commentary: Earnings take a dark turn as profit warnings, sales misses mount. MarketWatch article link.

Opinion: Behind the puzzle of why companies aren’t firing. MarketWatch article link.

Wednesday, January 27:
Norfolk Southern(PBR242) to achieve $650 million in annual savings by 2020, includes reduction of workforce by 2,000. $NSC PR link.

Cognizant Technology(PBR272) acquires private global cloud consulting/technology services firm KBACE Technologies, terms not disclosed. $CTSH PR link.

Enbridge Energy(PBR333) acquires NE British Columbia Tupper Main & West gas plants from Murphy Oil(PBR448) Canadian subsidiary for $538 million. $EEP PR link.

DeVry(PBR905) to contest complaint filed by the Federal Trade Commission challenging employment and earnings outcomes of its graduates. $DV PR link.

Meredith Corp(PBR994) $2.4 billion acquisition by Media General(NYSE: MEG) has been terminated. $MDP PR link.

The Andersons(PBR525) SVP-Human Resources Arthur DePompei to retire, being succeeded by Val Blanchett, effective 02/15/16. $ANDE PR link.

The US Federal Reserve issues a statement from its 01/26-27/16 meeting, no change in funds rate because of mixed economic signals. FRB PR link.

The US Dept of HUD says December New Single Family House Sales Annual Rate at 544,000, +10.8% from November, +9.9% from December 2014. HUD PR link.

Tuesday, January 26:
Apple(PBR5) reports slowing growth in iPhone sales. MarketWatch article link.

AIG(46) to sell of some units, restructure into 9 business units, return at least $25 billion to shareholders over 2 years. $AIG PR link.

AIG(PBR46) to sell AIG Advisor Group to Lightyear Capital & PSP Investments, terms not disclosed. $AIG PR link.

Lockheed Martin(PBR64) to separate and combine IT and Technical Services with Leidos(PBR475 $LDOS) for $1.8 billion and 50.5% equity. $LMT PR link.

Praxair(PBR233) signs 15 year contract with energy producer Total, further expands pipeline network in the Port of Antwerp. $PX PR link.

Terex(PBR357) confirms receipt of unsolicited $30.00/share offer from Zoomlion. $TEX PR link.

Total System(PBR790) to acquire 1,000 employee, 235,000 merchant clients TransFirst for $2.35 billion cash. $TSS PR link.

Arrow Electronics(PBR120) COO Global Components/Enterprise Computing retiring effective 04/30/16. $ARW PR link.

The Conference Board says that the January Consumer Confidence Index was at 98.1, up from December’s 96.3. CB article link.

Monday, January 25:
Berkshire Hathaway(PBR4 $BRK.A) to complete $235/share, $37.2 billion acquisition of Precision Castparts(PBR274) on 01/29/16. $PCP PR link.

JPMorgan Chase(PBR21) to settle most of Lehman suit for $1.42 billion. MarketWatch article link.

Johnson Controls(PBR68) & Tyco plc(NYSE: $TYC) to merge, to be Johnson Controls plc with global headquarters in Cork, Ireland, stock symbol to be JCI. $JCI PR link.

Sprint(86 $S) Nextel Corp to cut up to 2,500 jobs, cut labor costs by $350 million/year. MarketWatch article link.

Under Armour(PBR668) announces global partnership with actor/producer Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. $UA PR link.

Huntington Bancshares(PBR895) to acquire FirstMerit(NASDAQ: $FMER) for $3.4 billion, creates largest Ohio bank by deposit share, expands operations into Chicago & Wisconsin. $HBAN PR link.

Staples(PBR122) appoints Shira Goodman as president, N American Operations, John Wilson as president, International Operations & Transformation. $SPLS PR link.

Friday, January 22:
The PBR1000 Weekly US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 16,093.51, +0.66% from last week, -7.64% MTD/QTD/YTD. Record: 18,312.39 on 05/19/15.
NASDAQ closes week at 4,591.18, +2.29% from last week, -8.31% MTD/QTD/YTD. Record: 5,218.86 on 07/20/15.
SPX closes week at 1,906.90, +1.41% from last week, -6.70% MTD/QTD/YTD. Record: 2,130.82 on 05/21/15.

United Continental(PBR77) 12,000+ pilots approve contract extension through 01/31/19. $UAL PR link.

Cigna(PBR85) says Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) intends to impose sanctions to suspend enrollment in its Medicare Advantage program because of Parts C & D discrepancies. $CI PR link.

Legg Mason(PBR709) acquires 83% majority interest in real estate investment & $40 billion portfolio management firm Clarion Partners for $585 million. $LM PR link.

Piedmont Natural Gas(PBR993) stockholders approve $4.9 billion acquisition by Duke Energy(PBR114 $DUK), to close by end of 2016. $PNY PR link.

The National Assn of Realtors says December Existing Home Sales at 5.46 million annual rate, +14.7% from November, median price $224,100. NAR PR link.

Thursday, January 21:
IBM(PBR25) acquires cloud based video streaming 80 million users/month service Ustream, terms not disclosed. $IBM PR link.

CBS(PBR210) and SKY announce long-term Pan-European agreement for Showtime portfolio of programming. $CBS PR link.

BB&T(PBR277) to complete $1.8 billion acquisition of National Penn Bancshares on or about 04/01/16. $BBT PR link.

Tiffany & Co(PBR551) authorizes new $500 million stock repurchase program, expires 01/31/19. $TIF PR link.

TD Ameritrade(PBR662) launches new investment services for AARP‘s 38 million members. $AMTD PR link.

IAC(PBR665) restructures into 5 segments, changes stock symbol from IACI to IAC. $IAC PR link.

H&R Block(PBR669) opens over 280 offices for its new brand Block Advisors providing tax services all year. $HRB PR link.

Wednesday, January 20:
Staples(PBR122) & Office Depot(PBR182 $ODP) extend merger termination date to 05/16/16 to satisfy FTC litigation & obtain financing. $SPLS PR link.

Fiserv(PBR474) to acquire for $200 million the assets of Community Financial Services unit of ACI Worldwide(NASDAQ $ACIW). $FISV PR link.

Brunswick(PBR584) has acquired commercial fitness equipment maker Cybex International for $195 million. $BC PR link.

Cenveo(PBR899) completes $105 million sale of Packaging Business to WestRock. $CVO PR link.

Citrix(PBR658) hires Kirill Tatarinov as president/CEO, effective 01/25/16. $CTXS PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says December Current Average Earnings at $25.24/hr, -0.04% from November, +2.5% from December 2014. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says December Consumer Price Index was -0.1% from December, +0.7% over last 12 months. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of HUD says the December Family Housing New Construction Permits Annual Rate at 1,232,000, -3.9% from November, +14.4% from December 2014. USHUD PR link.

Investing: BlackRock(PBR252) sponsored report says US institutional investors to increase & broaden use of ETFs in 2016. $BLK PR link.

Tuesday, January 19:
Johnson & Johnson(PBR37) to restructure Medical Devices to save around $1 billion, includes 4-6% reduction in global workforce over 2 years. $JNJ PR link.

AIG(PBR46) raises available global commercial property limits to $2.5 billion per occurrence. $AIG PR link.

JCPenney(PBR234) introducing major appliances in 22 pilot stores starting 02/01/16. $JCP PR link.

Chipotle(PBR561) new food safety procedures iin place, to close all locations 11AM-3PM on 02/08/16 for all team meeting. $CMG PR link.

Genesco(PBR702) has sold its school/youth sports apparel& equipment Lids Team Sports unit to Varsity Sports subsidiary BSN Sports, terms not disclosed. $GCO PR link.

Chico’s FAS(PBR730) completes sale of its Boston Proper direct-to-consumer business. $CHS PR link.

Tetra Tech(PBR781) completes acquisition of Australian based $407 million revenues/2015 geoservices/project management co Coffey Intl. $TTEK PR link.

ABM Industries(PBR478) hires David Goodes as SVP-Chief Human Resources Officer. $ABM PR link.

The Andersons(PBR525) president Grain/Ethanol groups Neill McKinstray retiring, Corey Jorgenson to be president-Grain. $ANDE PR link.

Monday, January 18:
***Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
***US Stock Markets Closed.

Qualcomm(PBR106) & Guizhou Province form joint venture to design & sell server chipsets in China. $QCOM PR link.

CSX(PBR226) restructuring from 10 to 9 division, closing Huntington, WV, admin office. $CSX PR link.

Alcoa(PBR115) hires Karl Tragl as president, Transportation/Construction Solutions, effective 02/15/16, succeeds leaving Jose Drummond. $AA PR link.

JCPenney(PBR234) hires Joe McFarland as EVP-Stores, succeeds Tony Bartlett. $JCP PR link.

Friday, January 15:
The PBR1000 Weekly US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 15,988.08, -2.19% from last week, -8.25% MTD/QTD/YTD. Record: 18,312.39 on 05/19/15.
NASDAQ closes week at 4,488.42, -3.34% from last week, -10.36% MTD/QTD/YTD. Record: 5,218.86 on 07/20/15.
SPX closes week at 1,880.33, -2.17% from last week, -8.00% MTD/QTD/YTD. Record: 2,130.82 on 05/21/15.

Walmart(PBR1) to close 269 stores worldwide, affects 16,000 associates, to offer jobs assistance. $WMT PR link.

General Electric(PBR9) to sell Appliances business to Qingdao Haier Co for $5.4 billion. $GE PR link.

Genworth Financial(PBR287) closes sale of certain blocks of term life insurance policies to Protective Life Insurance Company. $GNW PR link.

PulteGroup(PBR428) completes $450 million acquisition of 7,400 controlled lots, 280 homes in backlog, from John Wieland Homes. $PHM PR link.

Intuit(PBR529) to sell its online marketing/communications software service Demandforce unit to Internet Brands. $INTU PR link.

Graphic Packaging(PBR553) to acquire 2 location folding carton manufacturer Walter G Anderson, terms not disclosed. $GPK PR link.

Pinnacle Foods(PBR751) completes $11.00/share, $975 million acquisition of health & wellness foods brands manufacturer Boulder Brands. $PF PR link.

Equinix(PBR793) completes $3.8 billion acquisition of UK based 40+ data centers services provider Telecity. $EQIX PR link.

Caterpillar(PBR54) promotes VP Denise Johnson to group president of Resources Industries unit, effective 04/01/16, succeeds retiring Ed Rapp. $CAT PR link.

Polaris Industries(PBR531) VP Corporate Development Todd Balan has left, Guido Neizert appointed interim. $PII PR link.

Cinemark(PBR739) hires Angelia Pelham as EVP-Chief Human Relations Officer. $CNK PR link.

US Federal Reserve says December Total US Industrial Production was at 106.0% of 2012 average, -1.8% from December 2014. FRB PR link.

US Dept of Labor says the December Producer Price Index was -0.2%, goods at -0.7%, services +0.1%, 2015 at -1.0%. USDOL PR link.

US Dept of Commerce says November Trade Sales/Manufacturers’ Shipments Value at $1.314 trillion, -0.2% from October, -2.8% from November 2014. USDOC PR link.

US Dept of Commerce says December US Retail/Food Services Sales were $448.1 billion, -0.1% from November, +2.2% from December 2014. USDOC PR link.

Energy: Obama halts most new coal-mining leases on public lands. MarketWatch article link.

Personal Finance: America’s growing student-loan-debt crisis, $1.2 trillion for 40 million students. MarketWatch article link.

Thursday, January 14:
Goldman Sachs(PBR76) agrees to $2.285 billion settlement regarding pre-recession mortgage securities. $GS PR link.

Brown-Forman(PBR563) to sell its Southern Comfort & Tuaca trademarks to Sazerac for $544 million. $BF PR link.

Orbital ATK(PBR655) gets new NASA contract to deliver cargo to the International Space Station. $OA PR link.

United Technologies(PBR45) appoints Robert Leduc as president, Pratt & Whitney unit, Paul Adams retiring. $UTX PR link.

Lowe’s Cos(PBR50) hires Jennifer Weber as Chief Human Resources Officer, effective 03/01/16, succeeds retiring Maureen Ausura. $LOW PR link.

MGM Resorts(PBR273) hires James Steward as CEO & Andy Chien as CFO for future REIT spinoff MGP. $MGM PR link.

Alaska Air(PBR454) promotes Kurt Kinder to VP, Maintenance and Engineering. $ALK PR link.

Fortune Brands(PBR569) hires Brett Finley as President of Therma-Tru Doors. $FBHS PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says December Import Prices were -1.2% from November, -8.2% from December 2014, driven mostly by fuel prices. USDOL PR link.

Apple(PBR5)‘s slowing iPhone sales weigh on suppliers. MarketWatch PR link.

Entertainment: 21st Century Fox(PBR91 $FOX) films prove dominant, racking up 26 Oscar nominations. MarketWatch article link.

The PBR1000 Fact: The PBR1000 Total Market Capitalization(1,036 companies) on 12/31/15 was $20.364 trillion, -2.08% from Nov, -2.06% for the year.

Wednesday, January 13:
General Motors(PBR8) adds $4 billion to shares repurchase program, $9 billion now available. $GM PR link.

General Electric(PBR9 $GE) to cut 6,500 jobs in Europe at ex-Alstom units. MarketWatch article link.

General Electric(PBR9) to move headquarters from Fairfield, CT, to Boston, MA, to be completed by end of 2018. $GE PR link.

World’s #1 golfer Jordan Spieth signs multi-year partnership deal with Coca-Cola(PBR63). $KO PR link.

Reynolds American(PBR317) completes $5.0 billion sale of Natural American Spirit international businesses. $RAI PR link.

TreeHouse Foods(PBR690) to hire additional Omaha-based ConAgra(PBR166 $CAG) Private Brands employees. $THS PR link.

Activision Blizzard(PBR540) hires Stacey Sher to be co-president with Nick van Dyk of television/films Studios unit. $ATVI PR link.

Boyd Gaming(PBR727) promotes Josh Hirsberg to EVP/CFO & treasurer, Steve Thompson to EVP-Operations, Nevada, & corporate procurement, admin, & slot operations, & Ted Bogich to EVP-Operations Midwest/South/Peninsula, & corporate marketing, design, & construction. $BYD PR link.

HCP(PBR831) promotes Troy McHenry to EVP-General Counsel, Corporate Secretary, succeeds retiring Jim Mercer. $HCP PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says US FY(3 mos) YTD Receipts through December were $765.645 billion, Outlays $981.190 billion, Deficit $215.546 billion. Treasury PR link.

The US Federal Reserve releases Beige Book. 12 Districts report overall flat to moderate growth since last release . FRB PR link.

Economy: So many jobs, so little growth. What gives? MarketWatch article link.

Auto Industry: Auto execs shrug off fears for global car sales. MarketWatch article link.

Tuesday, January 12:
Ford(PBR10) sells 1.3 million vehicles in Europe in 2015, +11% from 2014. $F PR link.

MetLife(PBR39) to pursue spinoff of US Retail Business into separate public company. $MET PR link.

Visteon(PBR351) to acquire India based 140 employee automotive multimedia systems supplier AllGo Systems. $VC PR link.

Graphic Packaging(PBR553) to acquire Australian based 3 locations folding carton manufacturer Colorpak(ASX: CKL) in 2Q2016. $GPK PR link.

W.R. Grace(PBR625) approves separation of GCP Applied Technologies, to be completed 02/03/16, to trade as NYSE: GCP. $GRA PR link.

Aeropostale(PBR924) has new cost reduction program, to eliminate 100 corporate positions. $ARO PR link.

Kroger(PBR20) Fred Meyer president Lynn Gust retiring, Jeff Burt promoted, takes over 01/31/16. $KR PR link.

Boyd Gaming(PBR727) 40 year employee EVP/Chief Business Development Officer Bob Boughner retiring this summer, will remain on board. $BYD PR link.

FTI Consulting(PBR941) CFO David Johnson leaving 02/29/16, joining an NGO. $FCN PR link.

The Dept of Labor says November Job Openings at 5.432 million, was 5.349 million in October, was 4.886 million in November 2014. USDOL PR link.

2016 Outlook: KKR(PBR332) releases its global Outlook 2016: Adult Swim Only. $KKR article link.

Computer Industry: 4Q2015 worldwide PC shipments were 75.7 million units, -8.3% from 4Q2014. Gartner article link.

CoreLogic says November Houses in Foreclosure at 448,000, 1.2% of all mortgages, -21.8% from November 2014. Corelogic article link.

Monday, January 11:
Walgreens Boots Alliance(PBR36) turning over ownership of the 56 Chicago-land area health care retail clinics to operator Advocate Health Care. $WBA article link.

Alcoa(PBR115) gets longterm $1.5 billion contract to supply jet engine components to General Electric(PBR9) Aviation unit. $AA article link.

Apollo Education(PBR681) to explore strategic alternatives, including change of ownership. $APOL article link.

Arch Coal(PBR691) files for Chapter 11 reorganization, to restructure $1.9 billion of debt, will stay open. $ACI article link.

DENTSPLY(PBR694) and Sirona Dental(NASDAQ: SIRO) shareholders approve $13 billion merger, to close 1Q2016. $XRAY article link.

Celgene(PBR347) Bob Hugin to be Executive Chairman, Pres/COO Mark Alles to be CEO, CFO Jacqualyn Fouse to be Pres/COO. $CELG article link.

Acxiom(PBR1062) promotes Dennis Self to president/general manager of Marketing Services. $ACXM article link.

Sports: Alabama wins the national college football championship 45-40 over Clemson. USA Today article link.

Friday, January 8:
The PBR1000 Weekly US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 16,346.45, -6.19% from last week & MTD/QTD/YTD. Record: 18,312.39 on 05/19/15.
NASDAQ closes week at 4,643.63, -7.26% from last week & MTD/QTD/YTD. Record: 5,218.86 on 07/20/15.
SPX closes week at 1,922.03, -5.96% from last week & MTD/QTD/YTD. Record: 2,130.82 on 05/21/15.

Ford(PBR10) sets annual sales record in China, more than 1.1 million vehicles sold in 2015. $F PR link.

FedEx(PBR65) gets unconditional European Union approval for its $4.8 billion acquisition of Netherlands based TNT Express, to close in 1st half 2016. $FDX PR link.

Thermo Fisher Scientific(PBR175) to acquire cellular/genetic analysis products provider Affymetrix(NASDAQ: $AFFX) for $14.00/share, $1.3 billion cash. $TMO PR link.

Charter Communications(PBR297) gets NY approval for $78.7 billion acquisition of Time Warner Cable(PBR119). $CHTR PR link.

Dollar Tree(PBR309) announces departure of Howard R. Levine, CEO of acquired Family Dollar. $DLTR PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says December Civilian Workforce at 157.8 million available, 149.9 million employed, 7.9 million unemployed for 5.0% unemployment rate. USDOL PR link.

The Federal Reserve says December Total Consumer Credit is at $3.526 trillion, +0.40% from November, +6.29% from December 2014. FRB PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says November US Wholesale Sales at $442.8 billion, -1.0% from October, -4.6% from November 2014. USDOC PR link.

Thursday, January 7:
Ford(PBR10) Adopts Mark-to-Market for Pension and OPEB Plans; Improves Transparency of Automotive Operating Performance. $F PR link.

Boeing(PBR27) delivers record 762 airplanes in 2015, 768 net orders booked. $BA PR link.

Alcoa(PBR115) to close Indiana based Warrick Smelter and curtail remaining capacity at Pt. Comfort refinery in Texas. $AA PR link.

SuperValu(PBR164) files Form 10 for possible spin-off of its Save-A-Lot unit into a separate, publicly traded company. $SVU PR link.

Penske Automotive(PBR170) acquires 49% interest in interest in Japan based BMW/MINI/Rolls-Royce/Ferrari luxury dealerships Nicole Group. $PAG PR link.

Omnicon(PBR192) division BBDO Worldwide acquires majority stake in fashion/luxury brands creative agency 100+ employees Wednesday Agency Group. $OMC PR link.

Dover(PBR343) completes $465 million acquisition of dispenser & system businesses from France based Tokheim Group. $DOV PR link.

Constellation Brands(PBR377) To Build New 10 Million Hectoliter Brewery In Mexicali, Mexico And Further Expand Its Nava Brewery. $STZ PR link.

NCR(PBR383) to sell Interactive Printer Solutions Division to Atlas Holdings LLC, terms not disclosed. $NCR PR link.

Meredith Corp(PBR994) proposes amended $20+/share “merger of equals” with Media General(NYSE: MEG). $MDP PR link.

Charles River Labs(PBR1025) to acquire biopharma/ag/industrial chemicals CDMO company WIL Research for $585 million cash. $CRL PR link.

United Continental(PBR77) CEO Oscar Munoz recovering from heart transplant, expects to return late 1st/early 2nd quarter. $UAL PR link.

Time Warner(PBR103) extends chairman/CEO Jeff Bewkes contract through 2020. $TWX PR link.

Northrop Grumman(PBR113) promotes Lisa R. Davis to Corporate VP, Communications, effective 02/29/16; Darryl M. Fraser to retire. $NOC PR link.

Lincoln National(PBR213) promotes Ken Solon to SVP, Chief Information Officer, reports to president/CEO. $LNC PR link.

Mylan(PBR346) CFO John Sheehan to retire on 04/01/16. $MYL PR link.

EMCOR(PBR392) promotes Maxine Lum Mauricio general counsel, succeeds Sheldon Cammaker who is now vice chairman. $EME PR link.

The Andersons(PBR525) COO & a corporate VP to retire, positions to be eliminated. $ANDE PR link.

Domino’s Pizza(PBR889) promotes Eric Anderson to EVP-International Operations, reports to International unit president in the Netherlands. $DPZ PR link.

Verisk Analytics(PBR943) promotes Bill Churney to president of its catastropic modeling unit AIR Worldwide. $VRSK PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says 2015 US Jobless Claims finish at lowest level since 1973. MarketWatch article link.

Wednesday, January 6:
T-Mobile US(PBR95) has 63.3 million subscribers with net 8.3 million added in 2015. $TMUS PR link.

Macy’s(PBR97) to reduce expenses by $400 million, eliminate 3,000 jobs, close 40 of 770 stores. $M PR link.

Carnival Corp(PBR184) to launch 4 new ships in 2016. $CCL PR link.

Monsanto(PBR187 $MON) to eliminate 1,000 more jobs on top of 2,600 annunced earlier. MarketWatch article link.

Facebook(PBR228) Oculus unit blogs that Oculus Rift pre-orders now open, $599 price, first shipments 03/28/16. $FB article link.

Netflix(PBR447) claims global presence after launching in 130 new countries. MarketWatch article link.

Alliance Data(PBR462) authorizes $500 million stock repurchase program for 2016. $ADS PR link.

Yahoo!(PBR519) receives letter from major stockholder Starboard Value suggesting management changes, new strategic directions. Starboard letter link.

Chipotle(PBR561) files SEC 8-K form regarding effects of recent health incidents on 4th quarter earnings & receipt of Federal Grand Jury Subpoena. $CMG PR link.

Amkor Technology(PBR659) now has 100% ownership in auto market OSAT $832 million/year J-Devices. $AMKR PR link.

Blackhawk Network(PBR998) acquires GiftCards.com & OmniCard.com for $120 million. $HAWK PR link.

Oshkosh(PBR368) Defense segment president John Urias retiring for health reasons, effective 02/06/16. $OSK PR link.

NetApp(PBR405) restructures, promotes Jeffrey Bergmann to interim CFO, succeeds leaving Nick Noviello. $NTAP PR link.

Clean Harbors(PBR629) promotes Michael Battles to EVP/CFO. $CLH PR link.

Fresh Market(PBR942) hires Pamela Kohn as EVP/Chief Merchandising Officer. $TFM PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says Total US Exports YTD(11 months) were at $2.049 trillion, Imports $2.537 trillion, Balance -$0.488 trillion. USDOC article link.

The US Dept of Commerce says November New Orders of Manufactured Goods was $472.2 billion, -0.2% from October, -3.2% from November 2014. USDOC article link.

The Federal Reserve releases the December Meeting Open Market Committee Minutes. FOMC article link.

Healthcare: Here’s how much government healthcare spending has ballooned over two decades. MarketWatch article link.

World Bank forecasts modest 2.9% global growth in 2016, up from 2.4% in 2015, advanced economies to gain speed. WB article link.

Tuesday, January 5:
Apple(PBR5 $AAPL) scaling back iPhone production. MarketWatch article link.

Ford(PBR10) tripling its fleet of Fusion Hybrid autonomous research vehicles, largest such fleet among all automakers. $F PR link.

Netflix(PBR447) and DreamWorks($DWA) are making the leap to global markets. $NFLX PR link.

Fairchild Semiconductor(PBR1000) says revised unsolicited $21.70 from China Resources is superior offer. $FCS PR link.

NVR(PBR533) promotes Jeffrey Martchek to president, Homebuilding Operations. $NVR PR link.

Magellan Health(PBR592) hires Srini Koushik as Chief Technology Officer. $MGLN PR link.

2015 US Auto Sales set record with 17.5 million sold, +5.7% from 2014. Auto News article link.

December US Auto Sales at $57.9 billion, average unit price was $34,081. TrueCar article link.

RealEstate: Median price for Manhattan apartment is at a record $1.15 million, +17.3% from 2014. MarketWatch article link.

Yahoo!(PBR519) Flurry Analytics unit in State of Mobile study says mobile use grew by 58% in 2015. $YHOO article link.

Monday, January 4:
General Motors(PBR8) to invest $500 million in ridesharing service Lyft. $GM article link.

Baylor Scott & White Health and Tenet Healthcare(PBR161) Complete Joint Venture to Own Five North Texas Hospitals. $THC article link.

CBRE Group(PBR301) acquires 100+ employee Memphis, TN, affiliate. $CBG article link.

LifePoint Hospitals(PBR463) completes acquisition of 376 bed, 2,800 employees, 300 physicians St. Francis Hospital. $LPNT PR link.

LifePoint Hospital(PBR463) Duke unit joined by former Tenet Healthcare(PBR161 $THC) NC based 137 bed Central Carolina Hospital & 355 bed Frye Regional, includes 19 regional physician practices. $LPNT PR link.

NVIDIA(PBR510) Boosts IQ of Self-Driving Cars With World’s First In-Car Artificial Intelligence Supercomputer. $NVDA PR link.

Polaris Industries(PBR531) acquires private aftermarket snowmobile helmets & goggles provider 509, terms not disclosed. $PII PR link.

Activision Blizzard(PBR540) acquires esports live streaming gaming & competitive leagues developer Major League Gaming. $ATVI PR link.

Brink’s(PBR613) to add 3 directors per agreement with 12.3% stakeholder Starboard Value; Chairman/President/CEO to retire by 2016 annual meeting. $BCO PR link.

NASDAQ(PBR618) leads exchanges with 275 new listings in 2015. $NDAQ PR link.

General Motors(PBR8) CEO Mary Barra adds Chairman title. $GM PR link.

Target(PBR40) promotes Janna Potts to EVP, Chief Stores Officer, oversees 1,805 US stores, reports to COO. $TGT PR link.

Micron Technology(PBR180) president Mark Adams resigns for personal health reasons effective 02/01/16. $MU PR link.

Pitney Bowes(PBR588) hires Bob Guidotti as EVP & president, Software Solutions. Mark Wright now EVP, Strategic Growth Initiatives. $PBI PR link.

Analog Devices(PBR701) hires Jean Philibert as SVP-Human Resources. $ADI PR link.

Domino’s Pizza(PBR889) hires Judy Werthauser as EVP-Chief People Officer. $DPZ PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says November Construction Spending is estimated at a $1.123 trillion annual rate, -0.4% from October, +10.5% from November 2014. USDOC PR link.

Economy: Here’s how the government miscalculated a decade’s worth of construction data. MarketWatch article link.

Opinion: Blackstone(PBR352)‘s Byron Wien Announces Predictions for Ten Surprises for 2016. $BX PR link.

Friday, January 1:
***Happy, Blessed, Peaceful, and Prosperous New Year!***
(Stock Markets Closed.)

Click here for The PBR1000 December 2015 Monthly Breaking News Recap.

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

Click here to follow The PBR1000 on Twitter!

(Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net, Damian Brandon.)

Filed Under: Recaps Tagged With: acquisitions, Business, business news, Commodities, DJIA, Economy, Investing, Leadership, mergers, NASDAQ, Personal Finance, Rankings, Research, S&P 500, Stock Market, The PBR1000

The PBR1000 December 2015 Breaking News Recap

January 3, 2016 by admin

December 2015: The End of a Volatile Year,
the Start of a _________ Year???

ID-100212664 Oil Refinery Night-Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee

The Oil industry had a big impact on us in 2015.
How will it affect 2016?

By Larry C. Paxton

The end of December 2015 finally came to an end and for many it was with a big sigh of relief. For everyone it left with big question marks about what lies ahead in 2016.

Economic indices showed moderate growth at best. But the Federal Reserve finally took the big step in December 2015 of doing its first minimal interest rate hike in several years. Now the big questions are what metrics will the Fed use in 2016, how many interest rate hikes are anticipated? Oil prices plummeted, but the OPEC nations plan to maintain production. After 40 years the U.S. ban on oil exports ended, and the first shipment left on the last day of the year. Predictions on oil in 2016 are all over the place. Which logic will prevail? U.S. car drivers have benefited from lower prices at the pump, but the expected increase in spending in other areas does not appear to have materialized. Will it in 2016? Because growth was moderate many companies found it necessary to either acquire or be acquired. Mergers and acquisitions were at a record level. Will this continue in 2016? A lot of leadership changes are scheduled for the beginning of 2016. What directions will we see from this new blood in 2016? Internationally results were mixed as well. China is experiencing less robust growth. The European economy was stagnant. The recent climate change treaty has implications for all countries involved, but what will be the level of follow up and what will be the real results? Most experts predict a rather flat year for 2016 internationally, with continued volatility. Are the assumptions used realistic or are they just being extra cautious? With 2015 behind us, there are an endless number of variables to consider when trying to make predictions for 2016. It is in our human nature, especially the competitive part of us, to publicly make projections, and get some recognition, especially if we have been right a few times in the past. It makes good press, but sometimes it does seem like a futile exercise in wishful thinking. As for me, I will keep my predictions private, hope for the best, but if you are more brave, let us know how you fill in the blank for yourself.

Happy New Year, let 2016 begin, let’s do our best, be optimistic, and let’s see how the year unfolds!

Following are The PBR1000 and economic related news items of note for December 2015, starting with the last active day.

Thursday, December 31:
The PBR1000 End of 2015 US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes 2015 at 17,425.03, -0.72% from last Friday, -1.66% MTD, +7.00% QTD, -2.23% YTD.
NASDAQ closes 2015 at 5,007.41, -0.81% from last Friday, -1.98% MTD, +8.38% QTD, +5.73% YTD.
SPX closes 2015 at 2,043.94, -0.83% from last Friday, -1.75% MTD, +6.45% QTD, -0.73% YTD.

EMC Corp(PBR111 $EMC) $850 million/year cost reduction plan includes job cuts, most by end of 1Q2016 at $250 million cost. SEC filing link.

The US Dept of Labor says 12/26/15 Initial Unemployment Claims was 287,000, +20,000 from previous week, insured unemployment rate at 1.6% USDOL PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR41) says 30 Year Fixed Mortgage Rates on 12/31/15 averaged 4.01%, +0.05% from previous week, 0.6 points/fees. $FMCC PR link.

NuStar(PBR673) & ConocoPhillips(PBR53 $COP) exporting US oil shipment from Corpus Christi, TX, first since 40 year ban lifted on 12/18/15. $NS PR link.

Housing: Why first-time home buyers are staying on the sidelines. MarketWatch article link.

Economy: December Chicago PMI falls to 42.9, -5.8 from November. MNI/ISM Chicago article link.

Entertainment: ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Jurassic World’ push box office to record-breaking year. MarketWatch article link.

Investing: 2015 year in review: The S&P 500’s winners and losers. MarketWatch article link.

Energy: 2015 Gas Prices Second-Cheapest in a Decade, ends year at $2.00/gal. AAA Year-End Gas Price Report. AAA article link.

Wednesday, December 30:
Icahn Enterprises(PBR147 $IEP) files SEC Form 8 regarding its planned acquisition of Pep Boys(PBR872 $PBY) for $18.50/share. SEC filing link.

Facebook(PBR228) Oculus unit blogs that every Oculus Rift will ship with VR adventure game Lucky’s Tale. $FB filing link.

Range Resources(PBR726) completes $865 million sale of its southwest Virginia 3,500 wells, 460,000 acres, Nora assets. $RRC PR link.

Opinion: And the award for the worst forecast of 2015 goes to… MarketWatch article link.

2016 predictions: The six tech trends that will rule. MarketWatch article link.

IMF head Lagarde warns of disappointing growth in 2016. MarketWatch article link.

Tuesday, December 29:
DuPont(PBR82) to cut 1,700 jobs in Delaware ahead of spinoffs. $DD PR link.

QUALCOMM(PBR106) signs 3G/4G Chinese patent agreements with Tianyu & Haier. $QCOM PR link. $QCOM PR link.

Community Health System(PBR125) to acquire 80% interest in Indiana University Health 227 bed & 50 bed hospitals. $CYH PR link.

Activision Blizzard(PBR540 $ATVI) named big winner this holiday, as ‘Call of Duty’ sales soar. MarketWatch PR link.

Tesla(PBR651 $TSLA) plans to hire thousands more as competition heats up. MarketWatch article link.

Beacon Roofing(PBR818) to acquire Denver based residential/commercial roofing supplies company Statewide Wholesale, terms not disclosed. $BECN PR link.

Japanese based Bridgestone says it will not counter Icahn Engerprises(PBR147) $18.50/share bid for Pep Boys(PBR872). Bridgestone PR link.

Fairchild Semiconductor(PBR1000) receives unsolicited $21.70/share offer from unnamed source, counters On Semiconductor $20.00/share bid. $FCS PR link.

Sysco(PBR61) promotes Tom Bené to president/COO effective 01/01/16. $SYY PR link.

Triumph Group(PBR578) hires Daniel Crowley as president/CEO, effective 01/04/16. Succeeds founder Richard Ill. $TGI PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says the 3Q2015 US Net International Investment Position was $23.312 trillion in assets, $30.582 trillion in liabilities, for a -$7.270 trillion balance. USDOC PR link.

Sentier Research says November Median Household Income at $56,746, 1st time exceeds pre-recession level of December 2007. Sentier article link.

Consumer Confidence Improves Nearly Four Points to 96.5 in December. Conference Board article link.

S&P/Case-Shiller says the October US National Home Price Index was at 175.65, was 175.47 in September. S&P/C-S article link.

Opinion: 10 dividend stocks for safe income as interest rates rise in 2016. MarketWatch article link.

Monday, December 28:
Apple(PBR5 $AAPL) on track to to deliver about 75 million iPhones in 1Q2016. MarketWatch article link.

General Electric(PBR9 $GE) to acquire private precision cooling hole manufacturing NJ based company Metem, terms not disclosed, to close 1Q2016. MarketWatch article link.

Amazon(PBR29) says 3 million new Prime subscribers in 3rd week of December, other holiday records set. $AMZN PR link.

Intel(PBR51) completes $54/share, $16.7 billion acquisition of field-programmable gate array technology company Altera(PBR903 $ALTR). $INTC PR link.

Walt Disney(PBR57 $DIS)‘s ‘Star Wars’ the fastest to earn $1 billion at box office. MarketWatch PR link.

Willis Tower Watson to replace Fossil Group(PBR617 $FOSL) on S&P 500 on 01/04/16. MarketWatch PR link.

Pep Boys(PBR872) gets new $18.50/share bid from Icahn Enterprises(PBR147). $PBY PR link.

Freeport-McMoRan(PBR128) Chairman/Co-Founder James Moffett stepping down, named Chairman Emeritus, director Gerald J Ford elected Non-Executive Chairman. $FCX PR link.

Manitowoc(PBR579) hires Barry Pennypacker as president/CEO of soon to be public spinoff Manitowoc Cranes. $MTW PR link.

MasterCard(PBR291) says US holiday retail sales rose 7.9%, eCommerce up 20% over 2014. $MA PR link.

Dealogic data shows 2015 M&A volume surpasses $5 trillion. PRNewswire PR link.

Friday, December 25:
***Christmas Day***
Let there be Peace on Earth.
Stock Markets Closed.

Thursday, December 24:
***Christmas Eve***
US Stock Markets close early for the week at 1PM Eastern.

The PBR1000 End of Week US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 17,552.17, +2.47% from last Friday, -0.95% MTD, +7.78% QTD, -1.52% YTD.
NASDAQ closes week at 5,048.49, +2.55% from last Friday, -1.18% MTD, +9.27% QTD, +6.60% YTD.
SPX closes week at 2,060.99, +2.77% from last Friday, -0.93% MTD, +7.34% QTD, +0.10% YTD.

Nike(PBR98) 2:1 stock split in effect.

Pep Boys(PBR872) gets new $17/share offer from Japan’s Bridgestone, regarded as superior to Icahn Enterprises(PBR147) bid. MarketWatch article link.

Apparel retailers saw online sales spike on >strong>’Manic Monday.’ MarketWatch article link.

3 reasons U.S. oil is trading at premium to global benchmark MarketWatch article link.

Wednesday, December 23:
Norfolk Southern(PBR242) board unanimously rejects revised merger proposal from Canadian Pacific. $NSC PR link

BB&T(PBR277) receives federal regulatory approvals for $1.8 billion acquisition of National Penn Bancshares. To close in next few months. $BBT PR link

Salesforce(PBR453) to acquire quote-to-cash platform software developer SteelBrick for $360 million. http://1.usa.gov/1Ogjs5B$CRM SEC filing link

Hubbell(PBR632) shareholders approve consolidation of Class A & B stocks into one common stock, symbol now HUBB. $HUBB PR link

The US Housing and Urban Development estimates that November Sales of New Single-Family Houses were at a 490,000 annual rate, +4.3% from October, +9.1% from November, 2014. HUD PR link

The US Dept of Commerce says November Total Personal Income was at a $15.618 trillion annual rate, +0.3% from October, Personal Savings Rate was at 5.5%, -0.1% from October. USDOC PR link

Jobs/Housing: 15 cities with the best job and housing prospects. MarketWatch article link

The U of Michigan says the Final December Index of Consumer Sentiment was at 92.6, the highest level since July. UMich PR link.

Tuesday, December 22:
Cisco(PBR60) completes $452.5 million acquisition of private network security company Lancope. $CSCO PR link.

Celgene(PBR347) settles cancer treatment drug REVLIMID® patent litigation. $CELG PR link.

Cliffs Natural Resources(PBR518) completes sale of remaining N American coal business for $268 million. $CLF PR link.

Vornado Realty Trust(PBR738) sells leasehold interest in 473,000 sf Manhattan office building 20 Broad St for $200 million aggregate consideration. $VNO PR link.

Vornado Realty Trust(PBR738) completes $450 million financing of St. Regis Fifth Avenue Retail. $VNO PR link.

Penn Natl Gaming(PBR750) gets agreement with Scientific Games(PBR937 $SMGS) subsidiary Bally Gaming to provide Prairie State Gaming customers next-generation video gaming terminals and exclusive new game content. $PENN PR link.

Hillenbrand(PBR962) to acquire highly-engineered valves for water, power, & mining developer/manufacturer Red Valve for $131.9 million cash. $HI PR link.

Meredith Corp(PBR994) gets new 10 year licensing agreement for Martha Stewart Media Brands. $MDP PR link.

CF Industries(PBR502) promotes Terry Huch to VP-Supply Chain, succeeds Christopher Bonn who is now SVP-Manufacturing. $CF PR link.

Abercrombie & Fitch(PBR595) promotes Fran Horowitz to new position of President/Chief Merchandising Officer. $ANF PR link.

Under Armour(PBR668) hires Chip Molloy as CFO, effective 01/19/16. $UA PR link.

Bright Horizons(PBR1018) promotes chief development officer Stephen Kramer to president, effective 01/01/16. Other executive promotions announced. $BFAM PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says the 3rd Quarter Gross Domestic Product 3rd Estimate was at a 2.0% annual rate, $18.060 trillion. USDOC PR link.

The National Assn of Realtors says November Existing Home Sales were at a 4.760 million annual rate, -10.5% from October, median price $220,300. NAR PR link.

Freddie Mac(PBR41) in its December Insight & Outlook forecasts 2016 2.5% GDP, drop in value of family mortgage originations. $FMCC PR link.

Amazon(PBR29) will account for more than half of 2015 e-commerce growth, says Macquarie. MarketWatch PR link.

Monday, December 21:
Apple(PBR5) CEO Tim Cook is interviewed on CBS’ 60 Minutes by Charlie Rose. CBS article/video link.

Walt Disney(PBR57) crosses $5 billion in global box office for 2015 as “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” posts record $529 million global, $248 million domestic debut. $DIS PR link.

Ingram Micro(PBR62) completes $175 million acquisition of the e-commerce fulfillment business of public Netherlands based DOCdata. $IM PR link.

Staples(PBR122) offers $1.25 billion in divestitures for Office Depot(PBR182 $ODP) acquisition, rejected by FTC, litigation being pursued to get deal. $SPLS PR link.

Icahn Enterprises(PBR147 $IEP) raises offer for Pep Boys(PBR872 $PBY) to $16.50/share after Bridgestone matches previous $15.50/share bid. MarketWatch article link.

Marriott Intl(PBR211) announces closing of $500 million construction loan for 2 million sq ft, 1,500 room Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center, to create 12,000 construction and hotel jobs. $MAR PR link.

NetApp(PBR405) to acquire SolidFire for $870 million cash, accelerates adoption of all-flash data centers. $NTAP PR link.

Lithia Motors(PBR451) acquires Spokane, WA, based $50 million/year Barton Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Alpha Fiat. $LAD PR link.

CF Industries(PBR502) & Netherlands’ based OCI change jurisdiction of new company of $8 billion merger from the UK to the Netherlands. Close planned for mid 2016. $CF PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) acquires Midwest retail insurance provider Peoria, IL, based The Hawk Agency. $AJG PR link.

International Economy: China reveals focus of its 2016 economic plan. MarketWatch article link.

Money: Here’s all the money in the world, in one chart. MarketWatch article link.

Corporate Deals 2015: 10 most remarkable corporate deals of 2015. MarketWatch article link.

Friday, December 18:
The PBR1000 End of Week US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 17,128.45, -0.79% from last Friday, -3.34% MTD, +5.18% QTD, -3.90% YTD.
NASDAQ closes week at 4,923.08, -0.21% from last Friday, -3.63% MTD, +6.56% QTD, +3.95% YTD.
SPX closes week at 2,005.52, -0.34% from last Friday, -3.60% MTD, +4.45% QTD, -2.59% YTD.

Wells Fargo(PBR30) to sell crop insurance businesses to US subsidiary of Zurich Insurance for up to $1.05 billion. $WFC PR link.

Southern Co(PBR155) to acquire controlling interest in Kern County, CA, 200 megawatt solar facility from Canadian Solar subsidiary. $SO PR link.

Tenet Healthcare(PBR161) to provide healthcare services to Aetna(PBR49 $AET)‘s 8.5 million members in new 4 year agreement. $THC PR link.

Bristol-Myers Squibb(PBR185) to sell its HIV R&D portfolio to ViiV Healthcare for $350 million up front with $2.5 billion in future incentives. $BMY PR link.

Air Products(PBR267) files initial SEC Form 10 for spinoff of Materials Technologies business as Versum Materials, scheduled for 09/16. $APD PR link.

Darden Restaurants(PBR398) authorizes new $500 million share repurchase program, increases dividend 14%. $DRI PR link.

Windstream(PBR426) begins ultra-fast 1 Gbps service in Lexington, KY, to launch in 5 markets in 1H2016. $WIN PR link.

Windstream(PBR426) completes $575 million cash sale of its data center business to TierPoint. $WIN PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) acquires Atlanta, GA, based Managed Healthcare Solutions. $AJG PR link.

Arthur J Gallgher(PBR515) acquires midwest retail insurance broker Brown Hobbs & McMurray. $AJG PR link.

Diebold(PBR676) forms new joint venture with China IT firm Inspur to provide ATMs & kiosks in Chinese market. $DBD PR link.

Beacon Roofing(PBR818) acquires 20 branch residential/commercial distributor Dallas based Roofing & Insulation Supply. $BECN PR link.

JCPenney(PBR234) hires Therace Risch as EVP-Chief Information Officer, effective immediately. $JCP PR link.

Allison Transmission(PBR865) global sales, marketing & services SVP Mike Headly retiring, effective 03/31/16. $ALSN PR link.

Red Robin(PBR1046) hires Jonathan Muhtar as SVP-Chief Marketing Officer, reports to EVP-Chief Concept Officer Denny Marie Post. $RRGB PR link.

Thursday, December 17:

Cameron Intl(PBR269) stockholders approve $14.8 billion acquisition by Schlumberger, expected to close 1Q2016. $CAM PR link.

Avon(PBR303) gets $605 million equity investment from Cerberus, Avon North America to become separate private entity, quarterly dividends suspended. $AVP PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) acquires Australia based Strathearn Insurance Brokers. $AJG PR link.

Boston Properties(PBR803) completes sale of 26 acre, San Jose, CA, 4 office buildings Innovation Place for $207 million. $BXP PR link.

Corrections Corp(965) gets 10 year, 2 5 year renewable options, $25 million/year award for Red Rock, AZ, corrections center. $CCA PR link.

Apple(PBR5) promotes Jeff Williams to COO, Johny Srouji SVP-Hardware Technologies; Tor Myhren to join as VP Marketing Communications in 1Q2016. $AAPL PR link.

DeVry(PBR905) hires Joe Mozden as VP-Workforce Solutions. $DV PR link.

Society: 5 key takeaways about parenting in changing times. Pew Research article link.

Wednesday, December 16:
AIG(PBR46) adds $3.0 billion to share buyback program, balance now $4.3 billion. $AIG PR link.

Coca-Cola Enterprises(PBR327) files SEC registration to combine CCE, CCIP, & CCEAG into Coca-Cola European Partners, to close by 2Q2016. $CCE PR link.

Blackstone(PBR352) completes acquisition of leading global tier 1 engine component manufacturer MB Aerospace. $BX PR link.

PulteGroup(PBR428) to acquire 7,400 controlled lots, 280 homes in backlog, from from John Wieland Homes for up to $450 million. $PHM PR link.

Albemarle(PBR792) to sell its Mineral Flame Retardants and Specialty Chemicals businesses to Huber Engineered Materials. $ALB PR link.

AMSURG(PBR945) has acquired Atlanta area 60 physicians Northside Anesthesiology Consultants. $AMSG PR link.

Key Energy(PBR1001) to seek stockholder approval for reverse stock split with ratio exceeding 1:10 to regain NYSE listing requirement. $KEG PR link.

Carnival Corp(PBR184) SVP Heidi Capozzi to succeed retiring Tony Parasida as head of human resources, effective 03/01/16. $CCL PR link.

Genworth Financial(PBR287) promotes EVP Kevin Schneider to COO, effective 01/01/16. $GNW PR link.

NASDAQ(PBR618) promotes Adena Friedman to president/COO, effective immediately. $NDAQ PR link.

Avista Corp(PBR990) promotes Roger Woodworth to president, Avista Development division. $AVA PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Board votes 10-0 to a 0.25% increase in discount rate, eff 12/17/15. FRB PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says the November New Private Housing Building Permits Issued Annual Rate was at 1,289,000, +11.0% from October, +19.5% from November 2014. USDOC PR link.

The US Federal Reserve says that November Industrial Capacity Utilization was -0.5% to 77.0%, -3.1% from long-run (1972–2014) average. FRB PR link.

Tuesday, December 15:
Halliburton(PBR90) & Baker Hughes(PBR108 $BHI) provide update on merger status, extending closing date to no later than 04/30/16 pending discussions with US Dept of Justice. $HAL PR link.

Expedia(PBR433) completes $3.9 billion acquisition of 1.2 million alternative accommodations space HomeAway. $EXPE PR link.

Ascena Retail(PBR499) authorizes $200 million share repurchase program. $ASNA PR link.

Activision Blizzard(PBR540) profits have helped fund 17,500 quality careers for veterans, goal is 25,000 by 2018. $ATVI PR link.

Global Payments(PBR762) to acquire Heartland Payment Systems(PBR821 $HPY) for $100/share, $4.3 billion. $GPN PR link.

Clearwater Paper(PBR898) announces $100 million stock repurchase program. $CLW PR link.

DeVry(PBR905) authorizes 9th share repurchase program, for $100 million through 12/31/17. $DV PR link.

DeVry(PBR905) Brasil has acquired 96.4% of Grupo Ibmec Educacional, has 15,000 students. $DV PR link.

PharMerica(PBR911) completes acquisition of 2 more healthcare companies, achieves 2015 goal of acquisitions with total of over $100 million in revenues. $PMC PR link.

Parker-Hannifin(PBR218) promotes Mark Hart to EVP, Human Resources & External Affairs, effective 01/01/16, succeeds retiring Dan Serbin. $PH PR link.

Starwood Hotels(PBR417) EVP/CFO Thomas Mangas to become CEO effective 12/31/15, Alan Schnaid being promoted to CFO. $HOT PR link.

JM Smucker(PBR437) names new president for Big Heart Pet Food and Snacks, for corporate strategy, expanded role for SVP/CFO. $SJM PR link.

Scientific Games(PBR937) promotes Michael Quartieri to EVP/CFO & Secretary. $SGMS PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says November Worker Current Earnings averaged $25.25/hr, 34.5 hrs/week, $871.13 weekly pay, -0.13% from October, +2.0% from November 2014. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says that the November All Urban Consumer Price Index was +0.0% from October, +0.5% over the last 12 months. USDOL PR link.

Monday, December 14:
The PBR1000 November Snapshots have been emailed to Subscribers. Not an Annual or Monthly Subscriber yet? Just click here!.

Boeing(PBR27) raises share repurchase authorization to $14 billion, ups dividend 20%. $BA PR link.

Micron Technology(PBR180) to acquire remaining 67% interest in Inotera Memories of Taiwan for $0.92/share, $3.2 billion. $MU PR link.

Newell Rubbermaid(PBR434) to acquire Jarden(PBR324 $JAH) for $60/share cash/stock, to be called Newell Brands, be a $16 billion/year consumer products company, to close 2Q16. $NWL PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) acquires Western US retail insurance broker Colorado based Centennial Insurance Agency. $AJG PR link.

IGT(PBR878) gets agreement with Oklahoma’s Kaw Nation to provide casino management systems & games to its two locations. $IGT PR link.

BlueLinx(PBR892) to seek approval at annual stockholders meeting for 1:10 reverse stock split. $BXC PR link.

Fairchild Semiconductor(PBR1000) declines unsolicited $21.70/share offer, will proceed with $20.00/share buy offer from ON Semiconductor(PBR656 $ON). $FCS PR link.

DuPont(PBR82) announces some executive leadership retirements and promotions/re-assignments. $DD PR link.

Hershey(PBR354) hires Rob Gehrig as Global Chief Sales Officer, effective 01/18/16. $HSY PR link.

Barnes & Noble(PBR408) hires Bill Wood as Chief Information Officer, reports to CEO Ron Boire. $BKS PR link.

Black Hills(PBR1009) promotes Linn Evans to president/COO, effective 01/01/16. $BKH PR link.

Friday, December 11:
The PBR1000 End of Week US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 17,265.21, -3.26% from last Friday, -2.57% MTD, +6.02% QTD, -3.13% YTD.
NASDAQ closes week at 4,933.47, -4.06% from last Friday, -3.43% MTD, +6.78% QTD, +4.17% YTD.
SPX closes week at 2,012.37, -3.79% from last Friday, -3.27% MTD, +4.81% QTD, -2.26% YTD.

Ford(PBR10) had November European Sales of 101,500 vehicles, +20.5% from October, total Europe market share is 7.9%. $F PR link.

Lockheed Martin(PBR64) delivers 2,500th C-130 Hercules, 1st delivery was 12/09/56. $LMT PR link.

DuPont(PBR82) & Dow Chemical(PBR48 $DOW) to merge in all stock deal, form DowDuPont, then separate into 3 independent public companies. $DD PR link.

Atmel(PBR1004) confirms receipt of unsolicited $9.00 cash/share offer, already has $4.6 billion cash/stock offer from UK based Dialog Semiconductor. $ATML PR link.

Caterpillar(PBR54) Resource Industries group president Ed Rapp to retire; will turn his focus to fighting Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). $CAT PR link.

DISH Network(PBR196) announces promotions to president/COO, EVP-Strategic Planning, Chief Accounting Officer, others. $DISH PR link.

Carlisle Cos(PBR650) to promote pres/COO D. Christian Koch to CEO effective 01/01/16; David A. Roberts continues as Chairman. $CSL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the November Producer Price Index Final Demand was +0.3% from October, with Goods at -0.1%, Services +0.5%, & 12 mos at -1.1%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says October Manufacturing & Trade Sales were $1.318 trillion, September was $1.320 trillion, Oct 2014 was $1.354 trillion. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce in Advance report says November Retail/Food Services Sales were at $448.1 billion, October was $447.1 billion, November 2014 was $442.1 billion. USDOC PR link.

Thursday, December 10:
Ford(PBR10) investing additional $4.5 billion by 2020 in electrified vehicle solutions. $F PR link.

Bank of America(PBR24) resubmitted capital plan accepted without objection by the Federal Reserve Board. $BAC PR link.

ConocoPhillips(PBR53) sets $7.7 billion capital expenditure plan for 2016, 25% less than 2015. $COP PR link.

YUM!(PBR217) to return up to $6.2 billion to stockholders before China spinoff as an independent public company. $YUM PR link.

Visteon(PBR351) announces $3.75 billion special cash distribution to shareholders, authorizes $500 million share buyback program. $VC PR link.

Herbalife(PBR487) chairman/CEO Michael Johnson does net transaction exercise involving 280,000 stock appreciation rights. $HLF PR link.

Electronics Arts(PBR527) starts EA Competitive Gaming Division, to be lead by EVP-Chief Competitive Officer Peter Moore. $EA PR link.

T Rowe Price(PBR570) appoints William Stromberg as president/CEO, effective 01/01/16, increases share buyback program to 20.9 million shares. $TROW PR link.

Arch Coal(PBR691) receives non-compliance notice from NYSE, capitlization under $50 million. $ACI PR link.

AIG(PBR46) announces new executive leadership structure, including new CFO. $AIG PR link.

Occidental Petroleum(PBR123) promotes Vicki Hollub to president/COO, to become CEO at 2016 annual meeting. $OXY PR link.

Whole Foods(PBR203) hires Tien Ho for new position of global VP of culinary & hospitality. $WFM PR link.

Yahoo!(PBR519) CEO Marissa Mayer announces birth of identical twin girls. $YHOO PR link.

Rackspace(PBR935) hires Alex Pinchev as EVP/president of global sales & marketing, effective 01/01/16. $RAX PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says November US Imports Prices were -0.4% from October. November Exports Prices were -0.6% from October. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury reports November Government Receipts of $205.0 billion, Outlays $270.0 billion, Deficit $65.0 billion. Fiscal YTD Deficit(2 months) is $201.1 billion, was $178.5 in November 2014. Treas PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Board says in 3rd Quarter Z1 Report that Household Debt was at $14.1 trillion, Business Debt $12.6 trillion, Government Debt $17.5 trillion, Total Nonfinancial Debt $44.2 trillion. FRB PR link.

Analysis: America’s middle class has lost nearly 30% of wealth. MarketWatch article link.

Wednesday, December 9:
Freeport-McMoRan(PBR128) suspends dividend program, cutting oil & gas expenses. $FCX PR link.

CSX(PBR226) to move from NYSE to NASDAQ on 12/21/15, to keep CSX symbol. $CSX PR link.

Computer Sciences(PBR237) to acquire UK based commercial insurance industry software developer Xchanging for $720 million. $CSC PR link.

BlackRock(PBR252) Investment Institute releases 2016 Outlook. $BLK PR link.

Yahoo!(PBR519) suspends plan to spinoff Alibaba holdings, considering transfer of Yahoo! assets & liabilities to a new public company. $YHOO PR link.

Orbital ATK(PBR655) resupply mission Cygnus spacecraft berths with International Space Station. $OA PR link.

SunEdison(PBR782) acquisition of Vivint Solar amended, Blackstone(PBR352 $BX) to be key stakeholder, provide $250 million credit facility. $SUNE PR link.

Curtiss-Wright(PBR837) has new $200 million share repurchase program for 2016. $CW PR link.

Express(PBR860) authorizes up to $100 million for new share repurchase program. $EXPR PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says October Merchant Wholesalers Sales at $448.0 billion, -0.0% from September, -3.7% from October 2014. USDOC article link.

Tuesday, December 8:
Morgan Stanley(PBR79) to cut 1,200 jobs. MarketWatch article link.

QUALCOMM(PBR106) gets slapped with antitrust charges by the European Union. MarketWatch article link.

Icahn Enterprises(PBR147) & related entities boost stake in Hertz(PBR259) to 14.3%. MarketWatch article link.

Bristol-Myers-Squibb(PBR185) completes up to $2.1 billion acquisition of private biotech company Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals. $BMY PR link.

L-3 Communications(PBR238) selling its National Security Solutions business to CACI Intl(PBR612 $CACI) for $550 million cash. $LLL PR link.

Norfolk Southern(PBR242) says Canadian Pacific’s revised unsolicited $91.62/share offer is less than previous unacceptable offer. $NSC PR link.

MasterCard(PBR291) to start a $4 billion share repurchase program upon completion of $786 million remaining under current plan. $MA PR link.

Wynn Resorts(PBR427) chairman/CEO Stephen Wynn buys 1 million shares on the open market, now holds over 11 million shares. $WYNN PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) acquires Mississippi based McPherson Benefits Group, terms not disclosed. $AJG PR link.

Interactive Exchange(PBR556) to close $5.2 billion cash/stock deal for Interactive Data Corp on 12/14/15. $ICE PR link.

NASDAQ(PBR618) to acquire alternate trading platform Chi-X Canada, to close 1Q2016, terms not disclosed. $NDAQ PR link.

Pep Boys(PBR872) determines Icahn Enterprises(PBR147) $15.50/share bid is superior to Bridgestone’s $15.00/share. $PBY PR link.

Fairchild Semiconductor(PBR1000) receives unsolicited $21.70/share offer, has $20.00/share offer from ON Semiconductor(PBR656 $ON). $FCS PR link.

CIT Group(PBR608) appoints executive leaders for CIT Bank NA, Chief Risk Officer, Business Capital, & Treasurer. $CIT PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says October Private Job Openings at 4,887,000, was 5,041,000 in September, 4,440,000 in October 2014. USDOL PR link.

CoreLogic says October Homes in Foreclosure at 463,000, was 589,000 in October 2014. CoreLogic report download.

Manpower(PBR132) in employment outlook forecasts continued optimism for hiring, stable at start of 2016. $MAN article link.

Monday, December 7:
General Electric(PBR9) terminates its $3.3 billion appliances unit sale to Sweden based Electrolux. $GE PR link.

Staples(PBR122) $6.3 billion acquisition of Office Depot(PBR182 $ODP) being blocked by FTC, companies to contest decision. $SPLS PR link.

Omnicom(PBR192 $OMC) wins bulk of Proctor & Gamble(PBR33 $PG)’s North America business. MarketWatch article link.

CBRE Group(PBR301) acquires national services leader for Affordable Housing act, 50+ employee Tax Credit Group. $CBG article link.

Keurig Green Mountain(PBR507) to be acquired by JAB Holding for $92/share, $13.9 billion, expected to close 1Q2016. $GMCR PR link.

Keurig(PBR507)’s buyout turns Coca-Cola(PBR63)’s $1 billion loss into a profit. MarketWatch article link.

Carlyle Group(PBR581) acquires Toronto based displays & store fixtures for global prestige cosmetics industry provider Array, terms not disclosed. $CG article link.

Pep Boys(PBR872) gets $15.50/share offer from Icahn Enterprises(PBR147), already has $15.00/share bid from Japan’s Bridgestone. MarketWatch article link.

HollyFrontier(PBR140) promotes EVP/COO George Damiris to president/CEO effective 01/01/16. CEO Michael Jennings to be executive chairman. $HFC PR link.

Marriott Intl(PBR211) EVP/CFO Carl Berquist to retire 12/31/15, subsidiary Ritz-Carlton CFO Lenny Oberg to become CFO 01/01/16. $MAR PR link.

YUM!(PBR217) CFO Patrick Grismer resigning, effective 02/19/16. $YUM article link.

Gannett(PBR414) hires Joanne Lipman to new position of Chief Content Officer & Daniel Bernard to Chief Product Officer, both report to pres/CEO. $GCI article link.

American Axle & Mfg(PBR602) hires Timothy Bowes SVP-Corporate Planning. $AXL article link.

HealthSouth(PBR800) hires Patrick Darby as EVP-General Counsel/Corporate Secretary, effective mid 02/16. $HLS article link.

Energy: Oil settles at lowest levels since early 2009. MarketWatch article link.

The US Federal Reserve says October Consumer Total Credit Outstanding at $3.512 trillion, +0.46% from September, +5.89% YTD. FRB PR link.

Friday, December 4:
The PBR1000 End of Week US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 17,847.63, +0.28% from last Friday, +0.72% MTD, +9.60% QTD, +0.14% YTD.
NASDAQ closes week at 5,142.27, +0.29% from last Friday, +0.66% MTD, +11.30% QTD, +8.58% YTD.
SPX closes week at 2,091.69, +0.08% from last Friday, +0.54% MTD, +8.94% QTD, +1.59% YTD.

Norfolk Southern(PBR242) rejects unsolicited, low-premium, highly conditional cash/stock offer from Canadian Pacific. $NSC PR link.

NCR(PBR383) closes $820 million equity investment from Blackstone(PBR352), adds 2 members to the board. $NCR PR link.

Pep Boys(PBR872) shares surge as Carl Icahn(PBR147 $IEP) takes 12.12% stake. MarketWatch article link.

Groupon(PBR652) promotes Jay Sullivan to Chief Product Officer, makes leadership changes in North American segment. $GRPN PR link.

Donaldson Co(PBR783) hires Scott Robinson as VP/CFO. $DCI PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says November Available Workforce at 157.3 million, 149.4 million employed, unemployment rate stays at 5.0%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says October Total Exports at $184.1 billion, Imports $228.9 billion, deficit $43.9 billion, was $42.4 billion in September. USDOC PR link.

Thursday, December 3:
GE(PBR9) releases statement: 5 Things You Should Know About The GE/Alstom Deal. $GE PR link.

Express Scripts(PBR22) has 265 million shares available for buyback program after additional 60 million authorized. $ESRX PR link.

Anthem(PBR38) shareholders approve $54.2 billion acquisition of Cigna(PBR85), close planned for 2nd half 2016. Cigna shareholders also approve. $ANTM PR link.

Avon(PBR303) is sent letter by Barington Capital Group regarding several concerns about performance. $AVP PR link.

NRG Energy(PBR186) CEO Dave Crane steps down, EVP/COO Mauricio Gutierrez becomes president/CEO. $NRG PR link.

TECO Energy(PBR758) shareholders approve $10.4 billion acquisition by Emera, expected to close mid 2016. $TE PR link.

Windstream(PBR426) promotes Sarah Day to president, Consumer/Small Business, effective 01/01/16, reports to CEO. $WIN PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says October Manufacturing New Orders were at $473.9B, +1.5% from September, -7.1% YTD from 2014. USDOC PR link.

Wednesday, December 2:
General Dynamics(PBR94) authorizes 10 million shares for share buyback program. $GD PR link.

AutoNation(PBR148) reports retail new vehicle unit sales of 25,555 in November 2015, -6% from November 2014. $AN PR link.

Genworth Financial(PBR287) completes adjusted $490 million sale of its lifestyle protection insurance business to France based AXA SA. $GNW PR link.

PulteGroup(PBR428) has $305 million for share buyback program after adding $300 million. $PHM PR link.

Cabela’s(PBR606) announces it is exploring strategic alternatives, including possible sale of company. $CAB PR link.

SuperValu(PBR164) hires Eric Claus as CEO of its Save-A-Lot hard-discount grocery segment. $SVU PR link.

American Financial(PBR435) promotes John Rogers to divisional VP & Chief Information Security Officer. $AFG PR link.

Cabot Corp(PBR607) president/CEO Patrick Prevost to take medical leave of absence for minor stroke, expects to return 01/16. $CBT PR link.

American Eagle Outfitters(PBR640) Exec Chairman Jay Schottenstein also CEO, no longer interim. $AEO PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says 3rd Quarter 2015 Nonfarm Business Labor Productivity grew at a +2.2% annual rate, output +1.8%, hours worked -0.3% USDOL PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Board releases Beige Book, says economic activity generally increased at a modest rate. FRB PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Board chairman Yellen moves Fed to brink of December rate hike. MarketWatch article link.

ADP(PBR235) says US Private Business Sector added 217,000 jobs in November. $ADP PR link.

Equifax(PBR795) says 3rd quarter US Consumer Debt grew to $10.5 trillion, +2.3% from 3rd quarter 2014. $EFX PR link.

Discover Financial(PBR286) says 2015 Holiday Consumer Spending to rise after 2014 dip. $DFS PR link.

Vanguard says bull market will keep sparkling in 2016 MarketWatch article link.

MasterCard(PBR291) says holiday season starting out strong, 4.6% US retail growth in November. $MA PR link.

News: 14 dead and many injured in San Bernardino shooting.

Tuesday, December 1:
Amazon(PBR29) says its Fire TV is #1 best seller streaming media player in US, sales up 6x year over year. $AMZN PR link.

Capital One(PBR116) completes acquisition of General Electric(PBR9) Capital’s Healthcare Financial Services business. $COF PR link.

Goodyear Tire(PBR157) combines N & S America units, names new leaders for American, EMEA regions. $GT PR link.

Tenet Healthcare(PBR161) to sell Atlanta area 5 hospitals, 26 physician clinics to regional network WellStar Health. $THC PR link.

Zuckerberg, wife pledge 99% of Facebook(PBR228 $FB) shares to charity to mark daughter’s birth. MarketWatch article link.

Henry Schein(PBR270) has $425 million share repurchase program balance after $400 million added. $HSIC PR link.

Systemax(PBR623) completes $14 million sale of certain of its North American Technology Group assets, including TigerDirect, to PCM, Inc. (NASDAQ: PCMI). $SYX PR link.

TD Ameritrade(PBR662) to move from NYSE to NASDAQ, effective 12/14/15, keeps AMTD symbol. $AMTD PR link.

Beacon Roofing(PBR818) acquires 5 branch residential/commercial distributor RCI Roofing Supply, terms not disclosed. $BECN PR link.

IDEX(PBR861) authorizes additional $300 million for share repurchase program. $IEX PR link.

Scientific Games(PBR937) gets new contract with West Virginia Lottery to supply its Connexus system to monitor 14,000 gaming machines in 1,350 locations. $SGMS PR link.

Ford(PBR10) announces senior leadership changes for some business units. $F PR link.

Alaska Air(PBR454) promotes Greg Mays to VP of Labor Relations. $ALK PR link.

Sonoco Products(PBR480) announces senior leadership changes for primary business units. $SON PR link.

Institute for Supply Management says November Manufacturing PMI at 48.6, -1.5 from October, 12 month average is 51.9. ISM article link.

November US New Vehicle Sales: 1,284,735 units, +1.6% from Nov 2014; YTD: 15,485,092 units, +5.4% from 2014. Automotive News article link.

The US Dept of Commerce says the October Annual Construction Spending Rate was at $1,107.4 billion, +1.0% from September, +13.0% from October 2014. USDOC PR link.

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Filed Under: Recaps Tagged With: acquisitions, business news, Commodities, DJIA, Economy, Investing, Leadership, mergers, NASDAQ, Personal Finance, Rankings, S&P 500, Stock Market, Stocks, The PBR1000

The PBR1000 November 2015 Breaking News Recap

December 2, 2015 by admin

ID-10024082 Christmas SALE-Salvatore Vuono

Here’s Your Favorite Sign for the Season.
Make the Retailers Happy,
Spend in the Stores and Online.
Happy Holidays from PBRMarketTools.com!

By Larry C. Paxton

The first part of November 2015 saw quite a bit of activity. However, as the month progressed, especially during the normally slow Thanksgiving Week, there was a noticeable slowdown, almost a pause, as the business world anxiously awaits the Federal Reserve decision as to whether or not it will raise interest rates in December. Sometimes there is a sense that the Federal Reserve is rather tired, maybe fatigued might be a better word, of waiting for years and years to exercise this responsibility. Even though the economic indices are not perfectly aligned, they might proceed any way to take that action just to get some excitement going and a new round of second guessing.

There was significant merger/acquisitions activity in November 2015. There were 15 $1 billion or more deals initiated affecting 25 of The PBR1000 companies. The biggest deal by far is the Pfizer/Allergan deal with a record $160 billion transaction value. It is also controversial because it is one of those ghastly inversion deals which would create a major pharma company with jurisdiction outside the US, with primary operations in the US, to avoid taxes. It will be interesting to see how this all works out and if the current administration and legislative bodies make any changes to discourage such a move.

The stock markets ended the month a little up, except for the slightly down DJIA. Economic indices continue to be mixed, and corporate 3rd quarter reports results were lackluster overall.

But now we are into the Christmas season, there is some anxiety over how buyer behavior will be with more emphasis on online sales, but still a push to get the consumer into stores. Thanksgiving/Black Friday/Cyber Monday initial results seem to indicate perhaps a slight gain in sales.

As the New Year approaches we can look forward to a lot of rhetoric and ads from the I-Wanna-Be-US President candidates about how they will solve all the problems of the US and the world.

The PBRMarketTools.com staff wishes you and your loved ones a wonderful and blessed holiday season, and look forward to providing you with even more services regarding The PBR1000 in the New Year!

Following are The PBR1000 and economic related news items of note for November 2015, starting with the last active day.

Monday, November 30:
The PBR1000 End of November US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes month at 17,719.92, -0.44% from last Friday, +0.32% MTD, +8.81% QTD, -0.58% YTD.
NASDAQ closes month at 5,108.67, -0.37% from last Friday, +1.09% MTD, +10.57% QTD, +7.87% YTD.
SPX closes month at 2,080.41, -0.46% from last Friday, +0.05% MTD, +8.35% QTD, +1.04% YTD.

General Electric(PBR9 $GE) & Alstom unit get $5.6 billion in locomotive orders from Indian Railways. MarketWatch article link.

Ford(PBR10) to make $9 billion investment in US plants, create/secure 8,500 jobs, US labor cost limited to less than 1.5%/year per agreement with UAW. $F PR link.

Ford(PBR10) to make $1.3 billion investment in new Ford F-Series Kentucky plant, to employ 2,000. $F PR link.

Microsoft(PBR31) introduces new Skype for Business service. $MSFT PR link.

Morgan Stanley(PBR79) to layoff up to 25% of fixed-income staff over next 2 weeks. Bloomberg PR link.

Deere & Co(PBR81) to layoff 220 workers at its Seeding and Cylinder unit in Moline, IL, effective 02/15/16. $DE PR link.

Lear Corp(PBR165) has acquired vehicle-to-vehicle & vehicle-to-infrastructure communications developer Arada Systems, terms not disclosed. http://bit.ly/1LKzQW1$LEA PR link.

Computer Sciences(PBR237) completes spinoff of 19,000 employee, $5.5 billion in pro forma revenues CSRA(NYSE: CSRA) as an independent public company. $CSC PR link.

Blackstone(PBR352) & KIRKBI have acquired 2,600 employee global manufacturer of flexible foam products Armacell, terms not disclosed. $BX PR link.

FIS(PBR394) completes $9.1 billion acquisition of 13,000 employee $2.8 billion/yr software/technology services company SunGard. $FIS PR link.

Mattress Firm(PBR932) to have nearly 3,500 US locations after it acquires privately held 1,050 stores Sleepy’s for $780 million. $MFRM PR link.

Kaman Corp(PBR934) completes acquisition of Germany based super precision miniature ball bearings designer/manufacturer GRW Bearing. $KAMN PR link.

Allscripts Healthcare(PBR1014) authorizes $150 million for share repurchase program through 12/31/18. $MDRX PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Board approves rule ending emergency lending for to-big-to-fail companies. FRB PR link.

Adobe Systems(PBR557) says there was a record $11 billion of online spending from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday. $ADBE PR link.

Friday, November 27:
The PBR1000 Weekly US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 17,798.49, -0.14% from last Friday, +0.76% MTD, +9.30% QTD, -0.14% YTD.
NASDAQ closes week at 5,127.52, +0.44% from last Friday, +1.46% MTD, +10.98% QTD, +8.27% YTD.
SPX closes week at 2,090.11, +0.04% from last Friday, +0.52% MTD, +8.86% QTD, +1.52% YTD.

NextEra Energy(PBR173) to sell 2 Texas fossil generating assets to Energy Future Holdings affiliate for $1.59 billion, will have 17,000 MW of generating assets left. $NEE PR link.

Adobe Systems(PBR557) reports that $4.45 billion was spent online on Black Friday, Thanksgiving; mobile sets new record with 34% share in sales. $ADBE PR link.

Thursday, November 26:
Happy Thanksgiving!
US Stock Exchanges Closed.

Wednesday, November 25:
Netherlands based NXP Semiconductor gets FTC approval for $11.8 billion merger with Freescale Semiconductor(PBR514 $FSL), to close on 12/07/15. $NXPI PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says the October Personal Income Annual Rate was at $15.6 trillion, personal savings $761.9 billing, savings rate at 5.6%, was 5.3% in September. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of HUD says the October New Family Homes Sold Annual Rate is at 495,000, median price $281,500, 5.5 months supply. HUD PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR41) says 30 Year Fixed Mortgage Rates averaged 3.95% with 0.7 points for week ending 11/25/15. $FMCC PR link.

Tuesday, November 24:
Carnival Corp(PBR184) initiates $1 billion share buyback program. $CCL PR link.

Computer Sciences(PBR237) to acquire Australia based 3,000 employee IT services company UXC(ASX: UXC) for $308 million, to close in 02/16. $CSC PR link.

Crestwood Equity(PBR574) completes 1:10 reverse stock split. $CEQP PR link.

Chico’s FAS(PBR730) authorizes new $300 million share repurchase program. $CHS PR link.

Pinnacle Foods(PBR751) to acquire health & wellness foods brands manufacturer Boulder Brands for $11.00/share, $975 million , to close in 1st quarter 2016. $PF PR link.

Cytec(PBR887) stockholders approve merger with Brussels based global chemical company Solvay for $75.25/share, $5.5 billion, to close in 12/15. $CYT PR link.

Alcoa(PBR115) announces post separation executive teams for its Upstream & Value-Add companies, scheduled for 2nd half 2016. $AA PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce in 2nd estimate says 3rd Quarter US Gross Domestic Product Annual Rate was +2.1%, was +1.5% in Advance estimate. USDOC PR link.

Monday, November 23:
General Electric(PBR9) to sell UK home lending portfolio with face value of $5.9 billion to Blackstone(PBR352), TSSP, & CarVal consortium, terms not disclosed. $GE PR link.

Omnicom(PBR192)’s DDB Worldwide unit acquires Grupo ABC, largest independent advertising/marketing communications company in Brazil. $OMC PR link.

Allergan(PBR219) to be acquired by Pfizer(PBR56 $PFE) for $363.63/share, $160 billion stock deal, to be completed in 2nd half 2016, to be called Pfizer Plc, headquarters in Ireland, global operations in NY. $AGN PR link.

TeamHealth(PBR498) completes $1.6 billion acquisition of national acute/post-acute provider IPC Healthcare(NASDAQ: IPCM). $TMH PR link.

Diebold(PBR676) to acquire Germany based 9,000 employee retail banks IT solutions/services provider Wincor Nixdorf(FWB: $WIN) for $1.8 billion cash/stock. $DBD PR link.

Equifax(PBR795) to acquire Australia based credit information company Veda Group for $1.8 billion. $EFX PR link.

Owens-Illinois(PBR373) hires Jan Bertsch as SVP/CFO, also leads IT. $OI PR link.

The National Assn of Realtors says October Existing Home Sales were at a 5.36 million annual rate, -3.4% from September, +3.9% from October 2014. NAR PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR41) releases its economic November outlook, +55 age group a special focus. $FMCC PR link.

Friday, November 20:
The PBR1000 Weekly US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 17,823.81, +3.35% from last Friday, +0.91% MTD, +9.45% QTD, +0.00% YTD.
NASDAQ closes week at 5,104.92, +3.59% from last Friday, +1.01% MTD, +10.49% QTD, +7.79% YTD.
SPX closes week at 2,089.17, +3.27% from last Friday, +0.47% MTD, +8.81% QTD, +1.47% YTD.

Cisco(PBR60) to acquire private London based collaboration infrastructure & conferencing software provider Acano for $700 million cash. $CSCO PR link.

Sprint(PBR86) signs $1.2 billion deal for the sale and lease-back of certain leased devices to newly formed Mobile Leasing Solutions. $S PR link.

Peabody Energy(PBR372) to sell New Mexico/Colorado coal assets to Bowie Resource Partners for $358 million cash. $BTU PR link.

Chipotle(PBR561) provides updates on E. coli investigation, especially with new cases identified. $CMG PR link.

Mylan(PBR618) completes acquisition of certain women’s healthcare businesses with 1,000 employees from Famy Care. $MYL PR link.

C.R. Bard(PBR637) to acquire durable medical equipment distributor Liberator Medical(NYSEMKT: LBMH) for $3.35/share, $181 million in stock. $BCR PR link.

Sprint(PBR86) promotes Jaime Jones to South area president, part of restructuring plan. $S PR link.

Sprint(PBR86) hires Annette Jacobs as president, Pacific Northwest region, part of restructuring plan. $S PR link.

Estee Lauder(PBR255) promotes John Demsey to executive group president, Jane Hertzmark-Hudis to group president. $EL PR link.

Owens-Illinois(PBR373) promotes CFO John Haudrich to Chief Strategy/Integration Officer. $OI PR link.

Opinion: The big hang-ups in Dell’s deal for EMC MarketWatch article link.

Thursday, November 19:
UnitedHealthcare(PBR14) to evaluate viability of the Affordable Care Act insurance exchange product segment in 1st half of 2016. $UNH PR link.

Nike(PBR98) new $12 billion class B share buyback program to start at completion of current $8 billion plan; 2:1 Class A & B stock split set for 12/23/15. $NKE PR link.

Kellogg(PBR198) to debut 40 new food products in early 2016, reflects new trends. $K PR link.

AGL Resources(PBR452) shareholders approve $12 billion acquisition by Southern Co(PBR155), expected to close in 2nd half 2016. $GAS PR link.

Skechers USA(PBR808) wins favorable ruling in Nike(PBR98 $NKE) lawsuit. $SKX PR link.

Edwards Lifesciences(PBR819) to do 2:1 stock split on 12/11/15. $EW PR link.

E*Trade(PBR930) authorizes $800 million share buyback program through 03/31/17. $ETFC PR link.

Graphic Packaging(PBR553) promotes president/COO Michael Doss to president/CEO, effective 01/01/16, succeeds David Scheible, who will be chairman through 05/16. $GPK PR link.

Wednesday, November 18:
Amazon(PBR29) to open 2 fulfillment centers in Ohio, total of 1.8+ million square feet, to employ 2,000+. $AMZN PR link.

Amazon(PBR29) : Martha Stewart American Made launches on Handmade at Amazon, features 200,000 items from 10,000 artisans. $AMZN PR link.

Raytheon(PBR118) authorizes an additional $2 billion for share repurchase program. $RTN PR link.

Medtronic(PBR133) acquires Scotland based private video laryngoscopes developer Aircraft Medical for $110 million cash. $MDT PR link.

Delta Air Lines(PBR72) intends to acquire 49% stake in Grupo Aeromexico. $DAL PR link.

ConAgra(PBR166) to split into 2 public companies, frozen potatoes related businesses to be called Lamb Weston. $CAG PR link.

CBRE Group(PBR301) has acquired Chicago based 20+ person retailers & restaurants analytics firm Forum Analytics, terms not disclosed. $CBG PR link.

Wynn Resorts(PBR427) says Macau Wynn Palace completion date has moved from 03/25/16 to 06/25/16. $WYNN PR link.

Newell Rubbermaid(PBR434) completes sale of Endicia online shipping business to Stamps.com for $215 million. $NWL PR link.

Fiserv(PBR474) authorizes 15 million shares repurchase program. $FISV PR link.

ON Semiconductor(PBR656) to acquire Fairchild Semiconductor(PBR1000 $FCS) for $2.4 billion cash. $ON PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says October New Private Housing Bldg Permits were at an annual rate of 1,150,000, +4.1% from September, +2.7% from October 2014. USDOC PR link.

The US Federal Reserve releases minutes from the October 27-28 Federal Open Market Committee meeting, notes moderate US growth. USFRB PR link.

Housing: FreddieMac(PBR41) survey shows 66% of renters carry debt, saving for a home downpayment not a priority. $FMCC PR link.

Tuesday, November 17:
General Electric(PBR9) completes stock exchange for Synchrony Financial(NYSE: SYF) spinoff, nets $20.4 billion share buyback equivalent. $GE PR link.

Penske Automotive(PBR170) acquires Audi, Porsche, Jaguar, & Land Rover franchises in Monmouth County, NJ, represent $175 million annual revenues. $PAG PR link.

Norfolk Southern(PBR242) evaluating unsolicited, low-premium, highly conditional cash/stock offer from Canadian Pacific. $NSC PR link.

Airgas(PBR461) to be acquired by France based Air Liquide(Euronext Paris: AI) for $143/share, $13.4 billion cash. $ARG PR link.

Citrix(PBR658) to spin off GoTo family of products as a separate public company in 2nd half 2016. $CTXS PR link.

Angie’s List determines not to pursue IAC(PBR665) $8.75/share offer, says undervalued. $ANGI PR link.

Wells Fargo(PBR30) promotes Tim Sloan to president/COO. $WFC PR link.

Kohl’s(PBR149) hires Sona Chawla to be in new position of COO on 11/30/15. $KSS PR link.

Priceline(PBR319) promotes Christa Quarles to CEO of its OpenTable unit, reports to Priceline CEO. $PCLN PR link.

Colfax(PBR517) president/CEO Matt Trerotola to be interim president of ESAB unit with retirement of Clay Kiefaber on 12/31/15. $CFX PR link.

Axiall(PBR521) appoints Timothy Mann as president/CEO, had been an interim. $AXLL PR link.

Citrix(PBR658) hires Tim Minahan as Chief Marketing Officer, reports to CEO. $CTXS PR link.

Bob Evans(PBR1020) hires Saed Mohseni as president/CEO, effective 01/01/16. $BOBE PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the October Consumer Price Index(CPI) was +0.2% from September, seasonally adjusted, and +0.2% over last 12 months, unadjusted. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says October Current Average Earnings was $25.20/hr, +0.36% from September, +2.5% from October 2014. USDOL PR link.

The US Federal Reserve says October Total Industry Capacity Utilization was at 77.5%, was 77.7% in September, 78.5% in October 2014. USFRB PR link.

Construction: NAHB/Wells Fargo says builders dial back confidence in November MarketWatch article link.

Consumer Credit: Default rates rise in October MarketWatch article link.

Jobs: Retail hiring for October strongest in 75 years (but the good news stops there) MarketWatch article link.

Monday, November 16:
Marriott Intl(PBR211) to acquire Starwood Hotels(PBR417 $HOT) for $79.88/share, $12.2 billion stock/cash, creates world’s largest hotel company. $MAR PR link.

Mylan(PBR346) authorizes $1 billion share buyback program through 08/27/16. $MYL PR link.

Blackstone(PBR352) buys 7 location independent jewelry retailer Diamonds Direct, terms not disclosed. $BX PR link.

Blackstone(PBR352) to sell 37,000 employees facility management services unit GCA, terms not disclosed. $BX PR link.

Constellation Brands(PBR377) to acquire 40+ beer styles craft brewer Ballast Point for $1 billion. $STZ PR link.

Intercontinental Exchange(PBR556) to acquire European OTC energy markets technology provider Trayport from BGC Partners & GFI for $650 million in Stock. $ICE PR link.

Urban Outfitters(PBR638) to acquire The Vetri Family of pizzeria restaurants, terms not disclosed. $URBN PR link.

Meredith(PBR994) comments on unsolicited offer by NextStar Broadcasting(NASDAQ: NXST) for Media General(NYSE: MEG), reiterates Meredith-Media General in best interests of all. $MDP PR link.

SuperValu(PBR164) president/Cub Foods unit Mike Stigers to be EVP/president of Independent Supply Chain upon retirement of Janel Haugarth on 12/26/15. $SVU PR link.

AutoZone(PBR290) to promote Rick Smith to SVP, Human Resources, in 01/16, succeeds leaving Mike Womack. $AZO PR link.

WhiteWave Foods(PBR624) leaders selected for COO, US Group President, & CFO. $WWAV PR link.

Scientific Games(PBR937) CFO Scott Schweinfurth retiring, effective after next 10-K filing. $SGMS PR link.

FHA meets minimum reserve requirement for first time since 2009 MarketWatch article link.

Friday, November 13:
The PBR1000 Weekly US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 17,245.24, -3.71% from last Friday, -2.37% MTD, +5.40% QTD, -3.24% YTD.
NASDAQ closes week at 4,927.88, -4.26% from last Friday, -2.49% MTD, +6.66% QTD, +4.05% YTD.
SPX closes week at 2,023.04, -3.63% from last Friday, -2.71% MTD, +5.37% QTD, -1.74% YTD.

Apple(PBR5 $AAPL) cancelling Beats Music subscriptions MarketWatch article link.

United Continental(PBR77) opens new clubs as part of $100 million investment to transform lounge experience. $UAL PR link.

Perrigo(PBR565) shareholders reject Mylan(PBR346 $MYL) unsolicited $75/share +2.3 Mylan shares tender offer. $PRGO PR link.

Graham Holdings(PBR615) acquires electrical solutions manufacturer Group Dekko, terms not disclosed. $GHC PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says that the October Producer Price Index was -0.4% from August, a record -1.6% for last 12 months. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates September Trade Sales/Manufacturers’ Shipments at $1,320.3 billion, unchanged from August, -2.8% from September 2014. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce advance estimate of October Retail & Food Services Sales were $447.3 billion, +0.1% from September, +1.7% from October 2014. USDOC PR link.

Opinion: ExxonMobil(PBR2 $XOM) cover-up case shows why energy investors need a new strategy MarketWatch PR link.

Terrorism: Terrorists launch several attacks in Paris, over 100 killed.

Thursday, November 12:
American Electric Power(PBR174) completes $550 million sale of inland barge unit AEP River Operations to American Commercial Lines. $AEP PR link.

DISH Network(PBR196) files reply with FCC on proposed Charter Communications(PBR297)/Time Warner Cable(PBR119) merger, says not in public interest. $DISH PR link.

Liberty Interactive(PBR263) to separately spin-off CommerceHub & Liberty Expedia Holdings in 1st half 2016. $QVCA PR link.

Blackstone(PBR352) fund to acquire $3 billion of secondary real estate interests from CalPERS. $BX PR link.

NCR(PBR383) to get $820 million equity investment from Blackstone(PBR352 $BX) in strategic partnership, will be used in $1 billion share buyback program. $NCR PR link.

Liberty Media(PBR534) to recapitalize into 3 tracking stock groups in 1st half 2016. $LMCA PR link.

Orbital ATK(PBR655) forms subsidiary in Saudi Arabia to serve defense customers. $OA PR link.

Apollo Global Mgmt(PBR906) to acquire 8 hospital system RegionalCare Hospital Partners. $APO PR link.

Conn’s(PBR986) opens 100th furniture & specialty home goods store in Las Vegas. $CONN PR link.

Bank of America(PBR24) hires David Leitch as global general counsel, effective 01/01/16, succeeds Gary Lynch who remains vice chairman. $BAC PR link.

Advance Auto Parts(PBR279) CEO Darren Jackson to retire 01/02/16, pres George Sherman to be interim CEO. $AAP PR link.

Graham Holdings(PBR615) promotes president Timothy O’Shaughnessy to president/CEO, Donald Graham remains chairman. $GHC PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says September Job Openings were 5.526 million, August was 5.377 million, September 2014 was 4.678 million. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says US Govt October Receipts were $211.0 billion, Outlays $347.6 billion, Deficit $136.5 billion, was $121.7 billion in October 2014. Treasury PR link.

Healthcare: 15 million Americans dodge steep hike in Medicare Part B premiums MarketWatch article link.

Wednesday, November 11:
Kroger(PBR20) to acquire 151 stores Roundy’s(PBR582 $RNDY) for $3.60/share, $800 million, includes debt. $KR PR link.

Express Scripts(PBR22 $ESRX) cuts off pharmacy that sold Horizon Pharma drugs. MarketWatch PR link.

Cisco(PBR60 $CSCO) CEO’s busy start: If you can’t buy ’em, join ’em. MarketWatch PR link.

Macy’s(PBR97) & Luxottica Group sign exclusive agreement to open LensCrafters licensed departments In up to 500 Macy’s Stores over three years. $M PR link.

Altria Group(PBR110) endorses AB InBev/SABMiller $107 billion stock/cash deal, would have a 10.5% stake, receive $2.5 billion cash. $MO PR link.

Anadarko Petroleum(PBR154) statement says unsolicited bid for Apache(PBR208) was rejected. $APC PR link.

Activision Blizzard(PBR540) launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops III does over record $550 million over 3 day weekend. $ATVI PR link.

IAC(PBR665 $IACI) bids more than $500 million for Angie’s List, no response yet. MarketWatch article link.

3M(PBR92) promotes Kimberly Price to SVP, Corporate Communications & Enterprise Services, effective 01/01/16, succeeds retiring Ian Hardgrove. $MMM PR link.

C.H. Robinson(PBR215) promotes Bob Biesterfeld to president, North American Surface Transportation division, effective 01/01/16, reports to CEO. $CHRW PR link.

AMD(PBR446) promotes Ruth Cotter to expanded role of SVP Human Relations, Corporate Communications & Investor Relations. $AMD PR link.

Analysis: Goldman Sachs(PBR76) says U.S. economic recovery has about 4 years before it ends. MarketWatch article link.

Investing: Foreign investors flock to U.S. Treasurys, betting on policy divergence MarketWatch article link.

Investing: When it comes to investing, it pays to keep it simple. MarketWatch article link.

Tuesday, November 10:
McDonald’s(PBR101) plans longterm goal of being 95% franchised; will not pursue REIT spinoff. $MCD PR link.

McDonald’s(PBR101 $MCD) credit downgraded to just 3 notches above junk at S&P. MarketWatch article link.

Cummins(PBR146) authorizes new $1 billion share buypack program. $CMI PR link.

Chipotle(PBR561) to reopen 43 stores in Seattle & Portland, e. coli tests negative, stocking with all new ingredients. $CMG PR link.

TD Ameritrade(PBR662) president/CEO Fred Tomczyk to retire on 09/30/16; Tim Hockey promoted to be president on 02/02/16, add CEO title on 10/01/16. $AMTD PR link.

Heartland Payment Systems(PBR821) promotes Christopher Sebes to EVP as head of commerce. $HPY PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says September Total Wholesale Sales were $448.0 billion, +0.5% from August, -3.9% from September 2014. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says October US Import Prices were -0.5% from September, US Export Prices were -0.2%. USDOL PR link.

Monday, November 9:
Cisco(PBR60) to partner with Sweden’s Ericsson($ERIC) to create networks of the future worldwide. $CSCO PR link.

Community Health System(PBR125) authorizes 10 million share repurchase program, not to exceed $300 million. $CYH PR link.

DISH Network(PBR196) 3rd quarter revenues up over last year, has 13.909 million Pay-TV subscribers compared to 14.041 million same period last year. $DISH PR link.

Priceline(PBR319) Booking.com unit hits 1 billion guests since its start, has 21 million rooms available worldwide. $PCLN PR link.

Weyerhauser(PBR355) & Plum Creek Timber(PBR989 $PCL) to merge in all stock deal, then do $2.5 million share repurchase program. $WY PR link.

Darden Restaurants(PBR398) completes spinoff of independent public REIT Four Corners Property Trust(NYSE: $FCPT). $DRI PR link.

SeaWorld(PBR674) announces partnerships with Panasonic, Evans Hotel Group, change in orca show. $SEAS PR link.

Harsco(PBR876) to pursue strategic options for spinoff of Metals & Minerals segment. $HSC PR link.

DuPont(PBR82) names Edward Breen as chairman/CEO, had been the interim. $DD PR link.

Ashland(PBR407) hires Greg Elliott as VP/chief human resources & communications officer. $ASH PR link.

AGL Resources(PBR452) chairman/CEO John W. Somerhalder II to retire 12/31/15, president/COO Drew Evans to become president/CEO at that time. $GAS PR link.

Avista Corp(PBR990) Heather Rosentrater being promoted to VP-Energy Delivery/Customer Service upon retirement of Don Kopczynski on 12/01/15. $AVA PR link.

Jobs: New reports suggest October jobs blowout is an outlier. MarketWatch article link.

Banking: New ‘too big to fail’ rules could force banks to raise up to $1.19 trillion MarketWatch article link.

Holiday Shopping: Target(PBR40) to open stores on Thanksgiving Day, joining growing list of retailers. MarketWatch article link.

International Trade: China passes Canada to become U.S.’s largest trading partner MarketWatch article link.

OECD says emerging market slowdown & drop in trade is clouding global outlook, growth at +2.9% in 2015. OECD article link.

Friday, November 6:
The PBR1000 Weekly US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 17,910.33, +1.40% from last Friday/MTD, +9.98% QTD, +0.49% YTD.
NASDAQ closes week at 5,147.12, +1.85% from last Friday/MTD, +11.41% QTD, +8.68% YTD.
SPX closes week at 2,099.20, +0.95% from last Friday/MTD, +9.33% QTD, +1.96% YTD.

AmerisourceBergen(PBR16) completes $2.575 billion cash acquisition of private outsourced compounded sterile preparations for acute care hospitals provider PharMEDium Healthcare. $ABC PR link.

Wells Fargo(PBR30 $WFC) must issue about $40 billion in debt to meet requirement, says CFO. MarketWatch article link.

Lockheed Martin(PBR64) completes $9 billion acquisition of Sikorsky Aircraft unit from United Technologies(PBR45 $UTX). $LMT PR link.

Carnival Corp(PBR184) divides into 2 sales regions, names regional vice presidents & other sales appointments. $CCL PR link.

PG&E(PBR172) to promote Jason Wells to SVP/CFO on 01/01/16, succeeds retiring Kent Harvey. $PCG PR link.

President Obama says Keystone XL wouldn’t serve U.S. interests MarketWatch article link.

The US Dept of Labor says October US Employed was at 149.1 million, was 147.3 million in October 2014, Unemployment Rate at 5.0%. USDOL PR link.

The US Federal Reserve says 3rd Quarter Consumer Credit grew at a +7.5% annual rate, was +10% in September. FRB article link.

Thursday, November 5:
Walt Disney(PBR57 $DIS), PlayStation just agreed to a major Internet-streaming deal. MarketWatch article link.

PharMerica(PBR911) acquires Texas based hospital pharmacy management services company Luker Pharmacy Management. $PMC PR link.

Scientific Games(PBR937) wins 5 year contract for Arizona Lottery’s integrated lottery system. $SGMS PR link.

Walter Energy(PBR1006) to sell its Alabama assets to a new company formed by its senior lender group. $WLTGQ PR link.

United Continental(PBR77) president/CEO Oscar Munoz in email to employees says doctors to clear him for return in 1st quarter 2016. $UAL PR link.

Ross Stores hires Brian Morrow as president/Chief Merchandising Officer of dd’s DISCOUNTS. $ROST PR link.

USPS to hire 30,000 employees for holiday season. MarketWatch article link.

The US Dept of Labor says 3rd Quarter Labor Productivity was at a +1.6% annual rate from previous quarter, output +1.2%, hours worked -0.5%. USDOL PR link.

Wednesday, November 4:
AutoNation(PBR148) reports retail new vehicle unit sales of 28,247 in October 2015, Up 14% versus October 2014. $AN PR link.

Expedia(PBR433) to acquire 1.2 million alternative accomodations space HomeAway for $38.31/share, $3.9 billion in cash/stock. $EXPE PR link.

Exterran(PBR698) completes spinoff of international services & fabrication businesses into new public company Exterran Partners, renames itself ArchRock(NYSE). $AROC PR link.

Community Health system(PBR125) division president Bill Hussey & CIO J Gary Seay to retire on 12/31/15. $CYH PR link.

Bon-Ton Stores(PBR707) hires Nancy Walsh as CFO, effective 11/09/15. $BONT PR link.

Lumber Liquidators(PBR1061) appoints independent chairman John Presley as CEO, effective 11/16/15. $LL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says the September US International Trade of Goods & Services Deficit was $40.8 billion, was $48.9 billion in August. USDOC PR link.

Federal Reserve: U.S. stocks end lower as Yellen hints December rate hike MarketWatch article link.

Tuesday, November 3:
Amazon(PBR29 $AMZN) to open its first bricks-and-mortar bookstore, will be in Seattle, WA. MarketWatch article link.

American Express(PBR83) to provide technical integration with sharing economy accommodations service Airbnb in partnership. $AXP article link.

JM Smucker(PBR437) to sell its $200 million/year US canned milk brands & operations to Eagle Family Foods Group. $SJM article link.

Coty(PBR524) to reorganize leadership team & functions upon completion of merger with Proctor & Gamble(PBR33 $PG) specialty beauty business, to relocate to London. $COTY article link.

Chipotle(PBR561) outlines aggressive actions taken regarding e. coli incident at 8 Oregon/Washington restaurants. $CMG PR link.

Range Resources(PBR726) to sell its southwest Virginia 3,500 wells, 460,000 acres, Nora assets for $876 million. $RRC PR link.

Aeropostale(PBR924) announces additional expansion plans in Asia & the EMEA areas, will be in Thailand & Egypt over the next 5 years. $ARO PR link.

MasterCard(PBR291) to promote Craig Vosburg to president, North America Markets, on 01/01/16, succeeds Chris McWilton, who is leaving. $MA PR link.

ABM Industries(PBR478) hires Anthony Piniella as Chief Communication Officer. $ABM PR link.

Tesla(PBR651) hires Jason Wheeler as next CFO, hires Jon McNeil as president, Global Sales & Service. $TSLA PR link.

Groupon(PBR652) promotes COO Rich Williams to CEO, co-founder Eric Lefkofsky becomes chairman again. $GRPN PR link.

DSW(PBR778) EVP Roger Rawlins to become CEO 01/01/16, succeeds retiring Mike MacDonald; authorizes new $200 million share repurchase program. $DSW PR link.

Fannie(PBR17), Freddie(PBR41) may need to tap Treasury, FHFA director says MarketWatch article link.

US auto sales jump by double-digits in 5 week October. MarketWatch article link.

Retail CMOs forecast 4.2% growth in holiday season sales MarketWatch article link.

The US Dept of Commerce says September New Orders for Manufactured Goods were $466.3 billion, -1.0% from August, -7.2% YTD. USDOC PR link.

Monday, November 2:
The PBR1000 October 2015 Breaking News Recap is published. Click here.

The PBR October US Economic Indices Snapshot has been released. Click here for a 13 month subscription.

General Electric(PBR9) completes $13.5 billion acquisition of Alstom, forms largest GE digital industrial business, GE Power. $GE PR link.

Hewlett-Packard(PBR19) re-launches as printing & personal systems company with completion of Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Group spinoff. $HPQ PR link.

HCA(PBR75) acquires Urgent Care Extra’s Nevada operations, includes 14 Las Vegas urgent care centers. $HCA PR link.

PBF Energy(PBR139) completes $322 million acquisition of New Orleans area 189,000 barrels/day Chalmette Refining. $PBF PR link.

Bristol-Myers-Squibb(PBR185) to acquire private biotech company Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals for up to $2.1 billion. $BMY PR link.

VISA(PBR224) to acquire VISA Europe for up to $23+ billion. $V PR link.

Molina Healthcare(PBR284) completes $200 million acquisition of Providence Human Services & Providence Community Services, the behavioral & mental health subsidiaries of the Providence Service Corporation(NASDAQ: PRSC). $MOH PR link.

Dollar Tree(PBR309) completes divestiture of 330 Family Dollar Stores to Dollar Express. $DLTR PR link.

Jarden(PBR324) completes $1.5 billion acquisition of school yearbooks, rings, caps/gowns supplier Jostens. $JAH PR link.

Zoetis(PBR500) to acquire Norway based leading farmed fish vaccines provider PHARMAQ for $765 million. $ZTS PR link.

M&T Bank(PBR504) completes acquisition of $19 billion in loans 135 NJ/NY branches Hudson City Bancorp(PBR1042). $MTB PR link.

Activision Blizzard(PBR540) to acquire London based gaming developer King Digital Entertainment(NYSE: $KING) for $18.00/share, $5.9 billion. $ATVI PR link.

TreeHouse Foods(PBR690) to acquire ConAgra(PBR166 $CAG) private brands business for $2.7 billion. $THS PR link.

AMSURG(PBR945) withdraws unsolicited increased offer to acquire TeamHealth(PBR498 $TMH). $AMSG PR link.

Equifax(PBR795) to hire 400 people in Costa Rica for expansion in new business areas. $EFX PR link.

Anadarko Petroleum(PBR154) hires Mitch Ingram as EVP, Global LNG. $APC PR link.

Fidelity Natl Financial(PBR331) promotes Mike Nolan to president, Brent Bickett to EVP, Corporate Strategy, effective 01/01/16. $FNF PR link.

Brookdale Senior Living(PBR587) hires Labeed Diab as COO, Lucinda Baier as CFO, promotes Mary Sue Patchett to EVP-Community/Field Operations. $BKD PR link.

Dun & Bradstreet(PBR957) promotes Josh Peirez to president/COO, Curtis Brown to Chief Content/Technology Officer. $DNB PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says 2015 Construction Spending through September was $786.6 billion, +10.5% from same 2014 period. USDOC PR link.

U.S. manufacturers still struggling, ISM finds MarketWatch PR link.

(Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net, Salvatore Vuono.)

Filed Under: Recaps Tagged With: acquisitions, business news, DJIA, Economy, Investing, Leadership, mergers, NASDAQ, Rankings, S&P 500, Stock Market, The PBR1000

The PBR1000 October 2015 Breaking News Recap

November 2, 2015 by admin

2015 Is Coming To An End.
Are The Puzzle Pieces Coming together
For Upcoming 2016?

By Larry C. Paxton

When October 2015 started there was a lot of concern, especially with the dramatic drop in the stock markets in September. But from a stock market perspective October ended up being a stellar month with a major recovery.

It is difficult to say what really caused the rebound. US and world economics indicators continue to be mixed, with overall moderate/modest growth in the US. You get a sense that while there is some strength, it is still a fragile situation. Third quarter corporate results were submitted with mixed results as well. Several of The PBR1000 announced restructuring plans, many included workforce reductions. Executive leadership changes had a pick up as well as the year ends. There were also a lot of share buyback programs being utilized. Activist investors continue to play a role as well. There were some major deals, mostly related to the healthcare business. This is true with the energy sector as well as it continues to adjust to lower oil prices.

So, what’s in store for November? The holiday season is already starting, retailers have announced seasonal hiring plans. E-commerce should have another big increase in activity and spending this year. With the new embedded chip cards, what form will cyber crime take and how successful will hackers be?

Another continuing big question is whether or not the Federal Reserve will increase interest rates.

The 2016 political season has already started. There is a new Speaker of the House. Republican and Democrat presidential debates are happening. The PACs should start their annoying advertising campaigns.

It’s an interesting time. There are still a lot of uncertainties, but that also means there are major opportunities available as well.

With all of that we at PBRMarketTools hope that The PBR1000 is helpful for full subscribers in making important and difficult decisions now and for the upcoming new year.

Following are The PBR1000 and economic related news items of note for October 2015, starting with the last active day.

Friday, October 30:
The PBR1000 Weekly US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes month at 17,663.54, +0.10% from last Friday, +8.47% MTD/QTD, -0.90% YTD.
NASDAQ closes month at 5,053.75, +0.44% from last Friday, +9.38% MTD/QTD, +6.71% YTD.
SPX closes month at 2,079.36, +0.20% from last Friday, +8.30% MTD/QTD, +0.99% YTD.

Chevron(PBR3) announces 3rd quarter results, expects to reduce workforce by around 7,000. $CVX PR link.

Visteon(PBR351) sells it last non-core automotive interiors plant in Germany, to focus on automotive cockpit electronics business. $VC PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says 3rd Quarter Compensation Costs for Civilian Workers was +0.6% from 2nd Quarter, +2.0% over past 12 months. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says September US Total Personal Income at $15,421.7B, +0,1% from August, Personal Savings Rate at 4.8%, +0.1. USDOC PR link.

Thursday, October 29:
LPL Financial(PBR50) increases share buyback program authorization to $500 million. $LPLA PR link.

Pfizer(PBR56) confirms it is in talks with Allergan(PBR219 $AGN) regarding possible merger/acquisition. $PFE PR link.

Manpower(PBR132) authorizes 6 million share repurchase program. $MAN PR link.

General Mills(PBR162) to close Berwick, UK, 265 employee facility; also announces it will close a New Zealand plant. $GIS PR link.

Corning(PBR281) to return $10 billion to stockholders by 2019 end, adds $4 billion to share repurchase program. $GLW PR link.

KKR(PBR332) purchasing 343,000 sf, the top 10 office floors, at 30 Hudson Yards, in Manhattan, relocating corporate offices there in 2020. $KKR PR link.

Nu Skin(PBR756) adds $260 million to its share buyback program, now has $500 million available. $NUS PR link.

Manpower(PBR132) Executive Chairman Jeffrey A. Joerres to retire 12/30/15 after 22 Years; CEO Jonas Prising to add Chairman title on 12/31/15. $MAN PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR41) says 30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage averaged 3.76% with 0.6 points/fees for week ending 10/29/15. $FMCC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says the 3rd Quarter Gross Domestic Product was at a +1.5% annual rate, was +3.9% in the 2nd quarter. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the Unemployment Insurance Weekly Initial Claims 4 week moving average was at 259,250, lowest level since 12/15/73. USDOL PR link.

The National Assn of Realtors says that the September Pending Homes Sales Index was at 106.8, -2.3% from August, +3.0% from September 2014. NAR PR link.

The AAII says Retail Investors are the most bullish, and least bearish, in 8 months MarketWatch article link.

US Politics Update: Republican Paul Ryan elected 62nd Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Wednesday, October 28:
IBM(PBR25) to acquire The Weather Company’s product & technology businesses, terms not disclosed. $IBM PR link.

Anthem(PBR38) sets 12/03/15 for special shareholders meeting to vote on acquisition of Cigna(PBR85 $CI). Cigna sets same date. $ANTM PR link.

American Express(PBR83) announces organizational & leadership changes in global consumer, commercial payments, & merchant services units. $AXP PR link.

Carl Icahn/Icahn Enterprises(PBR147) takes ‘large stake’ in AIG(PBR46). MarketWatch article link.

AutoNation(PBR148) to acquire 12 Texas stores with 31 franchises representing approximately $800 million in annual revenue. $AN PR link.

Baxter Intl(PBR176) hires Joe Almeida as chairman/CEO, effective 01/01/16, succeeds retiring Robert Parkinson, Jr. $BAX PR link.

Manitowoc(PBR579) appoints board member Kenneth Krueger as interim chairman/president/CEO, effective immediately. $MTW PR link.

Chico’s FAS(PBR730) hires Shelley Broader as president/CEO, effective 12/01/15, succeeds David Dyer who becomes vice chairman. $CHS PR link.

The Federal Reserve issues a statement on its 10/27-28/15 meeting, moderate economic progress, possible interest rate hike at next meeting. FOMC PR link.

Tuesday, October 27:
IBM(PBR25) adds $4 billion to stock buyback program, now has $6.4 billion available. $IBM PR link.

Microsoft(PBR31) releases Halo 5: Guardians globally, latest in $4.6 billion sci-fi franchise. $MSFT PR link.

Walgreens Boots Alliance(PBR36) to acquire US retail pharmacy chain Rite Aid(PBR105 $RAD) for $17.2 billion cash. $WBA PR link.

Cisco(PBR60) to acquire private network security company Lancope for $452.5 million. $CSCO PR link.

HCA(PBR75) adds $3 billion to share repurchase program, $3.235 billion available. $HCA PR link.

Northrop Grumman(PBR113) selected by US Air Force to deliver the new Long-Range Strike Bomber(LRS-B). $NOC PR link.

Cummins(PBR146) to layoff up to 2,000 professional workers because of global slowdown. $CMI PR link.

Core-Mark(PBR271) gets new 5 year supply agreement for 900 Western region 7-Eleven stores. $CORE PR link.

Ball Corp(PBR312) to acquire remaining 39.9% interest in Brazil based beverage can business Latapack-Ball for 6 million common shares, around $400 million. $BLL PR link.

HCC Insurance(PBR736) acquisition by Tokio Marine for $7.5 billion has been completed, to be delisted effective 10/28/15. $HCC PR link.

Domino’s Pizza(PBR889) completes recapitalization, authorizes $600 million accelerated share repurchase program. $DPZ PR link.

In one chart: How Microsoft(PBR31 $MSFT) has trumped Apple(PBR5 $AAPL) since Steve Jobs’s death MarketWatch article link.

The US Dept of Commerce says the 3rd Quarter Homeownership Rate was 63.7%, +0.3% from 2nd Quarter, – 0.7% from 3rd Quarter 2014. USDOC PR link.

Monday, October 26:
FedEx(PBR65) estimates 317 million packages to be delivered during the holiday season, +12.4% from 2014. $FDX PR link.

Duke Energy(PBR114) to acquire Piedmont Natural Gas(PBR993 $PNY) for $4.9 billion cash. $DUK PR link.

ABM Industries(PBR478) completes the sale of Its security business to Universal Services of America for $131 million. $ABM PR link.

TeamHealth(PBR498) has acquired 3 Las Vegas emergency dept medical groups with 120+ physicians serving 8 hospital emergency departments. $TMH PR link.

Yahoo!(PBR519) delivers over 33.6 million streams of the first free global live stream of an NFL game. $YHOO PR link.

Roper Technologies(PBR614) to acquire European based lab info management systems provider Clinisys Group for about $260 million. $ROP PR link.

Welltower(PBR635) joint venture with Canada’s Revera completes $623 million acquisition of 23 senior housing communities 3,600 units Canada based Regal Lifestyle Communities. $HCN PR link.

Diebold(PBR676) selling its North America electronic security business to Swedish based Securitas AB for $350 million. $DBD PR link.

Pep Boys(PBR872) to be acquired by Japan based tire/rubber company Bridgestone for $15.00/share, $835 million. $PBY PR link.

Yahoo!(PBR510) hires Bob Lord as Chief Information Security Officer. $YHOO PR link.

IDEX(PBR861) hires Denise Cade as SVP/General Counsel. $IEX PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says September New Single-Family Home Sales were at a 468,000 annual rate, -11.5% from August, +2.0% from September 2014 USDOC PR link.

Friday, October 23:
The PBR1000 Weekly US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 17,646.70, +2.50% from last Friday, +8.36% MTD/QTD, -0.99% YTD.
NASDAQ closes week at 5,031.86, +2.97% from last Friday, +8.91% MTD/QTD, +6.25% YTD.
SPX closes week at 2,075.15, +2.07% from last Friday, +8.08% MTD/QTD, +0.79% YTD.

American Airlines(PBR69) adds $2.0 billion to current $4.0 billion share buyback program, to be used by end of 2016. $AAL PR link.

Tenneco(PBR321) adds $200 million to its $350 million share repurchase program, to be used by end of 2017. $TEN PR link.

Royal Caribbean(PBR329) enters $200 million accelerated stock repurchase program with Morgan Stanley(PBR79). $RCL PR link.

LabCorp(PBR413) has acquired Safe Foods International, to operate under Covance unit, terms not disclosed. $LH PR link.

Thursday, October 22:
Alphabet(PBR44), now parent of Google, announces $5.1 billion stock repurchase program. $GOOGL PR link.

Dow Chemical(PBR48) outlines next 24-36 months of targeted action, reorganizes executive team. $DOW PR link.

3M(PBR92) announces restructuring plan, to eliminate 1,500 positions. $MMM PR link.

AbbVie(PBR136 $ABBV)‘s stock tumbles after FDA warns on company’s Hep C treatments. MarketWatch article link.

Newell Rubbermaid(PBR434) completes $600 million acquisition of $240 million/2015 revenues adhesive & cutting products provider Elmer’s Products. $NWL PR link.

Perrigo(PBR565) announces $2.0 billion share repurchase program, promotes John Hendrickson to president, to reduce workforce by 6%, around 800 employees. $PRGO PR link.

NASDAQ(PBR618 $NDAQ) acquires SecondMarket, profit up 12%. MarketWatch article link.

GNC(PBR743) disputes and responds to suit filed by Oregon attorney general about selling illegal ingredients. $GNC article link.

Greenbrier Cos(PBR846) names Victoria McManus as EVP, Chief Strategy Officer, reports to chairman/CEO William Furman. $GBX PR link.

The Natl Assn of Realtors says September Total Existing Home Sales were at a 5.55 million annual rate, +4.7% from August, +8.8% from September 2014 NAR article link.

FreddieMac(PBR41) says 30 yr Fixed Rate Mortgages averaged 3.79% with 0.6 points/fees for the week ending 10/22/15. $FMCC PR link.

Housing Construction: Labor shortages trip up big home builders http://on.mktw.net/1M8Ft0JMarketWatch article link.

Wednesday, October 21:
Walt Disney(PBR57 $DIS) ESPN unit to lay off about 300 employees. MarketWatch article link.

Carnival Corp(PBR184) forms joint venture in China to launch domestic Chinese cruise brand, to have 6 ships in 2016. $CCL PR link.

Western Digital(PBR194) to acquire flash storage developer SanDisk(PBR379 $SNDK) for $86.50/share, $19 billion cash/stock. $WDC PR link.

RR Donnelley(PBR243) acquires 34 locations in Eastern/Midwest US logistics company Courier Advisory Group. $RRD PR link.

Biogen(PBR282) revenues increase 11% in 3rd quarter, to layoff 11% of workforce by end of 2015. $BIIB PR link.

Netflix(PBR447 $NFLX) chief Reed Hastings needs loads of cash to feed his growing empire. MarketWatch article link.

LAM Research(PBR520) to acquire products/services for the semiconductor, LED, & nanoelectronics provider KLA-Tencor(PBR692) for $67.02/share, $10.6 billion cash/stock. $LCRX PR link.

American Tower(PBR562) to acquire 51% in India’s 42,200 wireless communications towers company Viom for $1.2 billion. $AMT PR link.

Aeropostale(PBR924) to open 10 retail stores in 5 years in Ireland through licensing agreement with Shuz 4 U International. $ARO PR link.

Whirlpool(PBR138) promotes Marc Bitzer to president/COO. $WHR PR link.

PG&E(PBR172) CFO Kent Harvey to retire in 1st half of 2016. $PCG PR link.

Hormel Foods(PBR293) promotes Jim Snee to president/COO, Jeffrey Ettinger to continue to be chairman/CEO. $HRL PR link.

CIT Group(PBR608) CEO John Thain to retire 03/31/15, stay chairman, board member Ellen Alemany to become CEO 04/01/15. $CIT PR link.

Citrix(PBR658) executive chairman Robert Calderoni to also be interim president/CEO as CEO search continues. $CTXS PR link.

Tuesday, October 20:
Apple(PBR5 $AMZN) CEO Tim Cook says Apple Music has 6.5 million paying subscribers, 8.5 million on free 3 month trial; also talks about other areas. MarketWatch article link.

Amazon(PBR29 $AMZN) now has around 47 million paying Prime members, average member spending is $1,200/year. MarketWatch article link.

Comcast(PBR42 $CMCSA) Fandango unit sells record 8 times more advance tickets than ‘Hunger Games’ for upcoming Walt Disney(PBR57 $DIS) ‘Star Wars’ movie. MarketWatch article link.

United Technologies(PBR45) authorizes additional $12 billion share repurchase plan, $16 billion expected for 2015-2017. $UTX PR link.

Ingram Micro(PBR62) to acquire Brazil based IT value-added $300 million revenues/year ACAO. $IM PR link.

YUM!(PBR217) to create a separate publicly held China focused company. $YUM PR link.

Dover(PBR343) to acquire Italy based textile inks provider JK Group & plastics compounding company Gala Industries for $520 million. $DOV PR link.

Cabot Corp(PBR607) to restructure, includes 300 positions reduction globally. $CBT PR link.

Tesla(PBR651 $TSLA) Model S dropped from top 10 Consumer Reports list for reliability issues, gets positive remarks for customer service response. MarketWatch article link.

Sigma-Aldrich(PBR716) to sell its solvents & inorganics business in the EEA to Honeywell(PBR74 $HON) to satisfy requirement to be acquired by Germany’s Merck. $SIAL PR link.

PharMerica(PBR911) has acquired Buffalo-Niagara Falls area long-term care pharmacy services McGuire Group Pharmacy. $PMC PR link.

Fresh Market(PBR942) conducting strategic/financial review to operate as a standalone company, capital structure optimization, & sale of company. $TFM PR link.

AmSurg(PBR945) proposes merger with physicians services provider TeamHealth(PBR498) for $71.47/share, $7.8 billion. $AMSG PR link.

TeamHealth(PBR498) rejects unsolicited $71.47/share, $7.8 billion offer from AmSurg(PBR945), says undervalues company. $TMH PR link.

Ford Motor(PBR10) makes 7 executive changes for corporate, Europe, and Asian operations. $F PR link.

Community Health System(PBR125) names Martin Smith as EVP/Operations, for future spinoff Quorum Health Corp. $CYH PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says September New Residential Building Permits were at a 1,103,000 annual rate, -5% from August, +4.7% from September 2014. USDOC article link.

Monday, October 19:
Walmart(PBR1 $WMT)’s Asda delays London store expansion. MarketWatch article link.

Amazon.com(PBR29) has recently hired 25,000 fulltime associates, to hire 100,000 seasonal workers. $AMZN PR link.

Amazon.com(PBR29 $AMZN) sues 1,000 people for writing fake reviews. MarketWatch article link.

Freddie Mac(PBR41) & 2nd largest mortgage lender Quicken Loans enter partnership to make home financing accessible for new buyers. $FMCC PR link.

Humana(PBR58) shareholders approve acquisition by Aetna(PBR49), closing in 2nd half 2016. $HUM PR link.

ConAgra Foods(PBR166) Marie Callender’s unit continues Comforts From Home partnership with USO to US troops globally. $CAG PR link.

Starbucks(PBR178) to open coffee shops in 2016 in larger stores of Germany based 3,000 stores retailer REWE. $SBUX PR link.

Allergan(PBR219) completes $300 million acquisition of private glaucoma treatment company AqueSys. $AGN PR link.

Gannett(PBR414) sites reach more than 100 million unique visitors in September 2015. $GCI PR link.

Windstream(PBR426) to sell its data center business to TierPoint for $575 million cash. $WIN PR link.

Weight Watchers(PBR988) partners with Oprah Winfrey as member, board member, and who now has a 10% company stake, with additional 5% option. $WTW PR link.

United Continental(PBR77) President/CEO Oscar Munoz on medical leave, EVP/General Counsel Brett Hart named Acting CEO. $UAL PR link.

Sherwin-Williams(PBR251) to promote EVP/COO John Morikis to CEO on 01/01/16. $SHW PR link.

FMC Technologies(PBR334) names Nicholas Pfeiffer VP, promotes Eric Norris to President of Health and Nutrition business. $FTI PR link.

CIT Group(PBR608) CFO Scott Parker is leaving in 11/15, to be EVP/CFO for Springleaf Holdings(NYSE $LEAF). $CIT PR link.

W.R.Grace(PBR625) hires Naren Srinivasan as VP, Strategy & Development, of planned spinoff GCP Applied Technologies. $GRA PR link.

Friday, October 16:
The PBR1000 Weekly US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 17,215.97, +0.77% from last Friday, +5.72% MTD/QTD, -3.41% YTD.
NASDAQ closes week at 4,886.69, +1.16% from last Friday, +5.77% MTD/QTD, +3.18% YTD.
SPX closes week at 2,033.11, +0.90% from last Friday, +5.89% MTD/QTD, -1.25% YTD.

Archer-Daniels-Midland(PBR34) completes $1.2 billion sale of its 1,500 employee global cocoa business to Olam International. $ADM PR link.

New United Continental(PBR77) CEO Oscar Munoz suffers heart attack MarketWatch article link.

Carpenter Technology(PBR856) hires Damon Audia as CFO. $CRS PR link.

US Dept of Labor says end of August Job Openings at 5.4 million, hires at 5.1 million, separations at 4.8 million. PR link.

The US Federal Reserve says September Industrial Production was -0.2% from August, +0.4% from September 2014. FRB PR link.

Thursday, October 15:
CSX(PBR226) to cut 300 jobs in Tennessee as it reduces train operations. $CSX article link.

Genworth Financial(PBR287) promotes Kelly Groh as CFO, succeeds Martin Klein who has resigned. $GNW PR link.

SunTrust Bank(PBR307) appoints execs for Consumer Banking, Risk, & Mortgage segments. $STI PR link.

Terex(PBR357) hires John Garrison as President/CEO, effective 11/02/15. $TEX PR link.

US Dept of Labor says September Current Average Earnings/Hour at $25.09, -0.04% from August, +2.2% from September 2014. USDOL PR link.

US Dept of Labor says the September Consumer Price Index was -0.2% from August, unchanged over last 12 mos. USDOL PR link.

US Treasury Dept says FY2015 Receipts at $3.249 trillion, Outlays $3.688 trillion, Deficit $0.439 trillion. Treasury PR link.

Wednesday, October 14:
Walmart(PBR1) strategy drives growth and sustainable returns, plans $20 billion share repurchase program over two years. $WMT PR link.

Microsoft(PBR31 $MSFT)’s Surface Book sells out in 5 days. MarketWatch PR link.

Northrop Grumman(PBR113) to reorganize structure, to promote Gloria Flach to COO, effective 01/01/16. $NOC PR link.

Priceline(PBR319) to add global hotel inventory to TripAdvisor(NASDAQ: $TRIP) instant booking platform in strategic partnership. $PCLN PR link.

Jarden(PBR324) to acquire school yearbooks, rings, caps/gowns supplier Jostens for $1.5 billion. $JAH PR link.

Hershey Co(PBR354) announces 5-year partnership with the US Olympic Committee, & will support the US Olympic & Paralympic teams through the Rio 2016, PyeongChang 2018 & Tokyo 2020 Games. $HSY PR link.

Lithia Motors(PBR451) acquires Crown Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Fiat in Concord, California, & Bennett Motors in Great Falls, Montana. Will add $75 million in revenues. $LAD PR link.

Iron Mountain(PBR663) to acquire international arts storage, logistics & transportation company Crozier Fine Arts. $IRM PR link.

Tetra Tech(PBR781) to acquire Australian based $407 million revenues/2015 geoservices/project management co Coffey Intl. $TTEK PR link.

Coach(PBR496) hires Caroline Deroche Pasquier as SVP, Global Public Relations & Communications, in early 2016, and Jo Baldwin as VP, Global Head of Creative Studio. $COH PR link.

Equifax(PBR795) announces 5 key executive leadership promotions for Workforce Solutions, Personal Solutions, USIS, International, & Corporate Development. $EFX PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the September Producer Price Index for Final Demand was -1.1% for the past 12 months, the 8th straight 12-month decline. $USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says August Total Trade Sales & Mfrs’ Shipments are estimated at $1,320.5 billion, -0.6% from July, -3.1% from August 2014. $USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says the Advance Estimate of September US Retail & Food Services Sales were $447.7B, +0.1% from August, +2.4% from September 2014. $USDOC PR link.

The Federal Reserve releases the Beige Book, reports modest/moderate growth, strong dollar restraining economy. $USFRB PR link.

Tuesday, October 13:
General Electric(PBR9) to sell $30 billion commercial lending and leasing businesses, with 3,000 employees, to Wells Fargo(PBR30 $WFC). $GE PR link.

Johnson & Johnson(PBR37) announces $10 billion share repurchase program. $JNJ PR link.

Ingram Micro(PBR62) to acquire DOCdata, the e-commerce fulfillment business of public Netherlands based DOCDATA for $175 million. $IM PR link.

Dollar General(PBR151) eliminating 255 positions in restructuring. $DG PR link.

PG&E(PBR172) leads the nation with 200,000 solar customers. $PCG PR link.

DISH Network(PBR196) petitions FCC to deny Charter Communications(PBR297 $CHTR)/Time Warner Cable(PBR119 $TWC) merger. $DISH PR link.

Calpine Corp(PBR330) to acquire 745 megawatt power plant New Hampshire based Granite Ridge Energy Center for $500 million. $CPN PR link.

Flowers Foods(PBR591) completes $120 million acquisition of private organic & all natural breads provider Alpine Valley Bread Co. $FLO PR link.

Greif(PBR554) President/CEO David Fischer resigning effective 10/31/15, COO Pete Wilson to be President/CEO on 11/01/15. $GEF PR link.

Under Armour(PBR668) COO/CFO Brad Dickerson leaving by 02/01/16. $UA PR link.

Monday, October 12:
***Columbus Day***
Federal Holiday.
Stock Markets Open,
Bond Markets Closed.

EMC Corp(PBR111) to be acquired by Dell through Michael Dell group of investors for $33.15/share, $67 billion cash/stock. $EMC PR link.

CDW(PBR239) to expand its offering of Dell products and services in the U.S. and Canada. $CDW PR link.

Ross Stores(PBR253) adds 26 more stores, achieves planned 90 stores opened in 2015. $ROST PR link.

Coca-Cola Enterprises(PBR327) announces Damian Gammell has joined as COO as planned. $CCE PR link.

Visteon(PBR351) hires David Pettyes as VP, Chief Human Resources Officer. $VC PR link.

Darden Restaurants(PBR398) hires Matt Broad as SVP, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary. $DRI PR link.

Chipotle(PBR561) hires its first Chief Information Officer, Curt Garner. $CMG PR link.

Friday, October 9:
The PBR1000 Weekly US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 17,084.49, +3.72% from last Friday, +4.91% MTD/QTD, -4.14% YTD.
NASDAQ closes week at 4,830.47, +2.61% from last Friday, +4.55% MTD/QTD, +1.99% YTD.
SPX closes week at 2,014.89, +3.26% from last Friday, +4.94% MTD/QTD, -2.14% YTD.

The US military bars Apollo Education Group(PBR681) flagship unit University of Phoenix recruiting. MarketWatch article link.

Walmart(PBR1) promotes Brett Biggs to CFO, succeeds retiring Charles Holley. $WMT PR link.

Biogen(PBR282) EVP of Global Commercial Operations, Tony Kingsley, is leaving. $BIIB PR link.

Newell Rubbermaid(PBR434) promotes Joe Arcuri to newly created position of Chief Commercial Officer; Chief Marketing & Insights Officer Richard Davies to add Chief Development Officer role. $NWL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says August 2015 Merchant Wholesalers Sales were $445.4B, -1.0% from July, -4.7% from August 2014. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says that the US Imports Prices Index was -10.7% between September 2014 & September 2015. USDOL PR link.

US consumers splurged with gas savings after all, study finds MarketWatch article link.

Thursday, October 8:
Jacobs Engineering(PBR225) reorganizes into 4 global units, names executive leadership. $JEC PR link.

Entergy(PBR227) to sell its 583 megawatt Rhode Island State Energy Center to Carlyle Power Partners for $490 million. $ETR PR link.

Roper Technologies(PBR614) to acquire legal industry business management software developer Aderant for $675 million. $ROP PR link.

Bon-Ton Stores(PBR707) plans to hire 13,000 seasonal associates for the holidays. $BONT PR link.

Aeropostale(PBR924) signs license agreement with Himatsingka America for home textiles, to be available during Back to School 2016 season. $ARO PR link.

Pinnacle Foods(PBR751) hires D Michael Wittman as EVP, Chief Supply Officer, reports to CEO. $PF PR link.

Itron(PBR896) hires Tom Dietrich as COO. $ITRI PR link.

Apple(PBR5 $AAPL) shines in otherwise dismal PC market. MarketWatch article link.

Hewlett-Packard(PBR19 $HPQ)/SanDisk(PBR379 $SNDK) partner on new memory chips, counters Intel(PBR51 $INTC)/Micron(PBR180 $MU) alliance. MarketWatch article link.

The Netflix(PBR447 $NFLX) effect: North American bandwidth dominance in one chart. MarketWatch article link.

The US Federal Reserve releases the Federal Open Market Committee 09/16-17/15 minutes, no interest rate increase, continued modest/moderate economic growth, with uncertainties. FOMC PR link.

Wednesday, October 7:
Hewlett-Packard(PBR19) releases new pc and notebook lines. $HPQ PR link.

Alcoa(PBR115) wins $1.1 billion titanium contract with Lockheed Martin(PBR64 $LMT) for F-35 joint strike fighter. $AA PR link.

Freeport-McMoRan(PBR128) appoints 2 new board directors from Icahn Enterprises(PBR147 $IEP) which owns 8.8% of the company. $FCX PR link.

Monsanto(PBR187) announces new $3 billion share repurchase program. $MON PR link.

Core-Mark(PBR271) gets 5 year, $1.7 billion/yr deal to be primary wholesale distributor of merchandise to Murphy USA(NYSE: MUSA) retail stores. $CORE PR link.

AutoZone(PBR290) authorizes an additional $750 million for its share repurchase program. $AZO PR link.

Liberty Media(PBR534) Sirius XM public unit & NFL agree to 6 year broadcasting & marketing extension. $SIRI PR link.

Lumber Liquidators(PBR1061) announces settlement with US Dept of Justice for Lacey Act infractions. $LL PR link.

3M(PBR92) promotes Jim Bauman to EVP, Electronics & Energy Business Group, succeeds retiring Michael Kelly. $MMM PR link.

TJX Cos(PBR96) to elect Ernie Herrman to CEO 01/31/16, chairman/CEO Carol Meyrowitz to become Executive Chairman. $TJX PR link.

AutoZone(PBR290) announces 3 SVP to EVP promotions for merchandising, Brazil/Mexico stores, & store operations. $AZO PR link.

Ascena Retail(PBR499) ANN unit president/CEO Kay Krill to transition to board, Gary Muto to be president/CEO of ANN. $ASNA PR link.

Allscripts Healthcare(PBR1014) promotes CFO Rick Poulton to President, extends president/CEO Paul Black’s contract to 2018 as CEO. $MDTX PR link.

The US Federal Reserve says August Consumer Credit was at a +5.5% annual rate, revolving credit +5.25%, nonrevolving credit +5.75%. FRB PR link.

Tuesday, October 6:
strong>AmerisourceBergen(PBR16) to acquire private outsourced compounded sterile preparations for acute care hospitals provider PharMEDium Healthcare for $2.575 billion cash. $ABC PR link.

Freeport-McMoRan(PBR128) announces new board structure & review of strategic alternatives for Its oil & gas business. $FCX PR link.

US Steel(PBR167)‘s Illinois plant idling could affect up to 2,000 workers. MarketWatch article link.

Marriott Intl(PBR211) plans to open 60 new hotels in the Caribbean and Latin America by 2018. $MAR PR link.

SunEdison(PBR782 $SUNE) files SEC Form 8-K regarding its plans to reduce its global workforce by 15% in line with current market conditions. SEC document link.

Universal Corp(PBR833) announces agreement with Philip Morris Intl(PBR35 $PM) to process Polish tobaccos. $UVV PR link.

Altera(PBR903) shareholders overwhelming approve merger with Intel(PBR51 $INTC). $ALTR PR link.

Here’s how Apple(PBR5), Nike(PBR98) and others avoided $620 billion in taxes MarketWatch article link.

Alcoa(PBR115) promotes EVP/HR Roy Harvey to President, Global Primary Products. $AA PR link.

Alcoa(PBR115) promotes Vas Nair to EVP, Human Resources and Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability, succeeds Roy Harvey. $AA PR link.

Starbucks(PBR178) hires Gerri Martin-Flickinger as Chief Technology Officer. $SBUX PR link.

CrossAmerica Partners(PBR731) CEO Joe Topper has stepped down, president Jeremy Bergeron to take over leadership role. $CAPL PR link.

SunEdison(PBR782) hires Stephen Cerrone as Chief Human Resources Officer. $SUNE PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says August Total Exports were $185.1 billion, Imports $233.4 billion, Deficit $48.3B, was $41.8 billion in July. USDOC PR link.

The International Monetary Fund says global growth moderate & uneven, forecast at 3.1% this year, 3.6% in 2016. IMF PR link.

Monday, October 5:
General Electric(PBR9 $GE) to sell corporate aircraft portfolio in $2.5 billion deal. MarketWatch article link.

Cardinal Health(PBR26) completes $1.944 billion cash acquisition of Johnson & Johnson’s(PBR39) cardiac/endovascular medical products unit Cordis. $CAH PR link.

Anixter(PBR391) completes $825 million acquisition of $1.9 billion/2014 in revenues distributor Power Solutions segment of HD Supply. $AXE PR link.

Newell Rubbermaid(PBR434) to acquire $240 million/2015 revenues adhesive & cutting products provider Elmer’s Products for $600 milliion. $NWL PR link.

Brink’s(PBR613) gets letter from 12.4% stakeholder Starboard Value proposing ways to increase value. MarketWatch article link.

Olin Corp(PBR838) completes $5 billion acquisition of Dow Chemical(PBR48) chlor-alkali business. $OLN PR link.

Domino’s Pizza(PBR889) opens first store in Italy through its master franchise operator, emphasis on use of local products. $DPZ PR link.

Scientific Games(PBR937) wins new 8 year lottery retail technology contract in Germany, supplies products to all 16 German state lotteries. $SGMS PR link.

DuPont(PBR82) chairman/CEO Ellen Kullman retiring on 10/16/15, board member Edward Breen to be Interim chair/CEO. $DD PR link.

Cameron Intl(PBR269) Pres/COO R Scott Rowe is now President/CEO as planned. $CAM PR link.

Charter Communications(PBR297) hires David Kline as EVP, President of Media Sales, reports to president/CEO. $CHTR PR link.

Wendy’s(PBR877) pres/CEO Emil Brolick retiring in May, 2016, CFO Todd Penegor expected to be successor. $WEN PR link.

Friday, October 2:
The PBR1000 Weekly US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 16,472,37, +0.97% from last Friday, +1.15% MTD/QTD, -7.58% YTD.
NASDAQ closes week at 4,707.78, +0.45% from last Friday, +1.90% MTD/QTD, -0.60% YTD.
SPX closes week at 1,951.36, +1.04% from last Friday, +1.63% MTD/QTD, -5.22% YTD.

Walmart(PBR1 $WMT) to cut 450 jobs at its headquarters. MarketWatch article link.

Apple(PBR5 $AAPL) looks to improve Siri with artificial-intelligence acquisition MarketWatch article link.

Google(PBR44) files Form 8-K to reorganize as previously stated, to be called Alphabet, stock symbols do not change. $GOOGL PR link.

Sprint(PBR86 $S) gets ready to ax jobs in $2.5 billion cost-cutting push MarketWatch article link.

Medtronic(PBR133) completes acquisition of privately-held transcatheter mitral valve replacement device developer Twelve, Inc., for up to $458 million. $MDT PR link.

JCPenney(PBR234) to reduce $5 billion pension obligation by 25-35%. $JCP PR link.

Tesla(PBR651) delivers 11,580 vehicles in 3rd quarter, +49% over 3rd quarter 2014. $TSLA PR link.

Applied Industrial Technologies(PBR787) acquires fluid power components/engineered fluid power systems provider 68 employees SG Morris, terms not disclosed. $AIT PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says September Total Nonfarm Payroll Employment was +142,000 from August, Unemployment Rate unchanged at 5.1%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says August New Orders for Manufactured Goods were at $473.0 billion, -1.7% from July. USDOC PR link.

Thursday, October 1:
The PBR1000 September 2015 Breaking News Recap is published. Click here.

The PBR September US Economic Indices Snapshot has been released. Click here for a 13 month subscription.

Amazon.com(PBR29) gets new agreement to make Prime Video the exclusive subscription streaming home for three new CBS(PBR210 $CBS) summer series through 2018. $AMZN PR link.

ConAgra Foods(PBR166) to restructure, reduce workforce by 1,500, move headquarters from Omaha to Chicago in summer of 2016. $CAG PR link.

American Electric Power(PBR174) to sell inland barge unit AEP River Operations to American Commercial Lines for $550 million. $AEP PR link.

PNC Financial(PBR189) moves into new 33 stories headquarters LEED building for 2,200 employees. $PNC PR link.

Nordstrom(PBR214) sells credit card portfolio for $2.2 billion, announces special dividend of $4.85/share, $1 billion share buyback program. $JWN PR link.

Allergan(PBR219) completes $2.1 billion cash acquisition of facial aesthetics developer KYTHERA Pharmaceuticals. $AGN PR link.

Mosaic Co(PBR300) fertilizer subsidiary reaches $800 million regulatory settlement in Florida & Louisiana. $MOS PR link.

Calpine Corp(PBR330) completes $240 million acquisition of retail electric provider Champion Energy Marketing. $CPN PR link.

Blackstone Group(PBR352) completes spinoff of financial advisory services with PJT Capital to form public PJT Partners(NYSE: PJT). $BX PR link.

AMD(PBR446) announces restructuring program, to reduce workforce by 5%. $AMD PR link.

Netflix(PBR447) adds 7 new original series for older kids, now has 35 series for kids of all ages. $NFLX PR link.

Berry Plastics(PBR488) completes $2.45 billion cash acquisition of specialty materials provider AVINTIV from Blackstone Group(PBR352 $BX). $BERY PR link.

HealthSouth(PBR800) completes $730 million buy of Reliant Hospital Partners inpatient rehab operations. $HLS PR link.

Beacon Roofing(PBR818) completes $1.1 billion cash/stock acquisition of roofing products distributor Roofing Supply Group. $BECN PR link.

SuperValu(PBR164) President/CEO Sam Duncan retiring on 02/29/16. Bruce Besanko promoted to EVP/COO, Susan Grafton to EVP/CFO. $SVU PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says August Construction Spending was at an annual rate of $1,086.2 billion, +0.7% over July, +13.7% from August 2014. USDOC PR link.

Secretary of the US Treasury Lew says U.S. will reach debt limit by Nov. 5 MarketWatch article link.

The PNC Financial(PBR189) bi-annual small/mid-sized businesses survey says 1 in 4 to hire more employees within the next 6 mos. $PNC PR link.

U.S. auto sales in August reached 10-year high of 18.2 million MarketWatch article link.

(Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net, ddpavumba.)

Filed Under: Recaps Tagged With: acquisitions, business news, Economy, Investing, Leadership, mergers, Rankings, The PBR1000

The PBR1000 September 2015 Breaking News Recap

October 1, 2015 by admin

ID-10088157 Plan ABC Signpost-Stuart Miles

Slowing Global Growth.
Uncertain Economies.
Volatile Stock Markets.
Which Plan Will You Use?

By Larry C. Paxton

The Fall season has started early. This is not only a reference to the tilting of the Earth, but also the dramatic descent of the stock markets worldwide. The major US stock markets went into YTD negative territory in early August and continued their plummet through September 2015.

Major energy related The PBR1000 companies continue to adjust based on the low prices for oil and an uncertain future. There is selling off of assets, restructuring, workforce reductions, and other necessary actions taking place.

China’s slower growth has affected US international companies who are starting to take similar type steps.

The holiday season is approaching. Retailers are announcing their intention for hiring seasonal workers, with numbers staying about the same as last year.

The US modest/moderate growth and somewhat fragile economy, along with China’s slowdown, has delayed the Federal Reserve’s intention to do a small increase in interest rates, but it seems they are committed to such a raise before the end of the year. If they do that, there is a big question mark about the responses of companies, governments, and the markets. On which plans will they decide?

The US Congress can’t get off the dime to renew the Export Bank. Some international US companies are going offshore for financing and committing workforces to those countries as part of their agreements.

On a more positive note, the US Football Season is in full swing. Even though there have been some surprises, it has been more predictable.

Following are The PBR1000 and economic related news items of note for September 2015, starting with the last active day.

Wednesday, September 30:
The PBR1000 September US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes month at 16,284.70, -0.18% from last Friday, -1.47% MTD, -7.58% QTD, -8.63% YTD.
NASDAQ closes month at 4,620.16, -1.42% from last Friday, -3.27% MTD, -7.35% QTD, -2.45% YTD.
SPX closes month at 1,920.03, -0.59% from last Friday, -2.64% MTD, -6.94% QTD, -6.74% YTD.

General Motors(PBR8) & Navistar(PBR258 $NAV) agree to develop/assemble medium duty, conventional cab Class 4/5 commercial vehicles in 2018. $GM PR link.

General Electric(PBR9) to sell its tank car fleet assets/railcar repair facilities to Marmon Holdings, its remaining railcar leasing business to Wells Fargo(PBR30 $WFC). $GE PR link.

Microsoft(PBR31 $MSFT), Google(PBR44 $GOOGL) agree to dismiss all pending patent infringement lawsuits. MarketWatch article link.

PBF Energy(PBR139) to purchase the Torrance Refinery & related logistics assets from ExxonMobil(PBR2) for $537.5 million plus working capital; announces senior management changes. $PBF PR link.

Western Digital(PBR194) to get $3.775 billion at $92.50/share investment from China based Unisplendour, represents a 15% equity stake. $WDC PR link.

Reynolds American(PBR317) companies to consolidate manufacturing operations for VUSE Digital Vapor Cigarette to Tobaccoville, NC.$RAI PR link.

Fifth Third Bancorp(PBR387) sells retail operations in St. Louis; keeps wholesale and institutional services. $FITB PR link.

M&T Bank(PBR504) receives approval from Federal Reserve for Hudson City Bancorp(PBR1042) acquisition. Expects to close around 11/01/15. $MTB PR link.

Crestwood Equity(PBR574) completes merger with Crestwood Midstream Partners(NYSE CMLP), which will be delisted. $CEQP PR link.

C.R. Bard(PBR637) to acquire Japan based Kobayashi Pharmaceutical’s 50% share of their joint venture in Medicon. $BCR PR link.

Brocade Communication(PBR845) adds $700 million to share buyback program, balance over $1.0 billion. $BRCD PR link.

Macerich(PBR1055) authorizes $1.2 billion share buyback program over 24 months. $MAC PR link.

Macerich(PBR1055) announces commercial real estate joint ventures on assets valued at $5.4 billion. $MAC PR link.

Aetna(PBR49) hires Gary Loveman as EVP & president of Healthagen unit; hires Rick Jelinek as EVP for strategy & the Aetna-Humana(PBR58) integration. Both report to Chairman/CEO. $AET PR link.

Tenneco(PBR321) promotes Josep Fornos to newly created position of EVP, enterprise business initiatives. $TEN PR link.

SunCoke Energy(PBR991) promotes Katherine Gates to SVP, General Counsel/Chief Compliance Officer, reports to CEO. $SXC PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR41) releases September Insights & Outlook newsletter. Comments on student loans/home ownership. $FMCC article link.

Tuesday, September 29:
Google(PBR44) announces Nexus 5X & 6P smartphones, $14.99/mo Google Play Music family plan. $GOOGL PR link.

Chesapeake Energy(PBR131 $CHK) to cut 15% of workforce. MarketWatch PR link.

GameStop(PBR294) to hire 28,000 seasonal associates nationwide, 12% more than 2014. $GME PR link.

Avis Budget(PBR316) reaches 3,000 dealers for its Avis Direct used-car sales program. $CAR PR link.

Reynolds American(PBR317) announces sale of Natural American Spirit international businesses to Japan Tobacco Group for $5.0 billion. $RAI PR link.

AGL Resources(PBR452) sets special stockholders meeting for 11/19/15 to vote on $12 billion acquisition by Southern Co(PBR155 $SO). $GAS PR link.

Yahoo!(PBR519) throws caution to wind with Alibaba spinoff. $YHOO PR link.

Carlyle Group(PBR578) to acquire 51% of London based consulting, technology, & innovation firm PA Consulting Group, values company at $1 billion. $CG PR link.

Aeropostale(PBR924) stock price below $1 for 30 consecutive days, gets NYSE compliance letter, plans to be in compliance, possibly with reverse stock split. $ARO PR link.

ConAgra Foods(PBR166) hires David Biegger as Chief Supply Chain Officer, effective 10/05/15. $CAG PR link.

Gap Inc(PBR179) Old Navy unit president Stefan Larsson leaving effective 10/02/15, EVP Jill Stanton to also be interim president. $GPS PR link.

Ralph Lauren(PBR349) hires Stefan Larsson as CEO, effective in November. Ralph Lauren remains executive chairman/chief creative officer. $RL PR link.

AAR Corp(PBR883) promotes Michael Sharp to CFO. $AIR PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says 2nd Quarter US Net International Investment Position was -$6.7 trillion with $24.5 trillion in assets, $31.2 trillion in liabilities USDOC PR link.

Monday, September 28:
IBM(PBR25) to acquire Meteorix, a 200+ person Workday financial/HR services partner. $IBM PR link.

Comcast(PBR42) NBC Universal to purchase 51% ownership in Universal Studios Japan for $1.5 billion. $CMCSA PR link.

Energy transfer Equity(PBR52) to acquire Williams Cos(PBR348 $WMB) for $43.50/share, $37.7 billion, creates 3rd largest energy franchise in North America. $ETE PR link.

Halliburton(PBR90) & Baker Hughes(PBR108) announce additional divestiture proposals per Dept of Justice(DOJ) requirements, extend closing date to 12/15/15. $HAL PR link.

Exelon(PBR102) & Pepco(PBR493 $POM) file a petition with the DC Commission for reconsideration of their $6.83 billion merger. $EXC PR link.

Alcoa(PBR115) to separate into two independent public companies, an Upstream company, and a Value-Add company. $AA PR link.

Medtronic(PBR133) gets big cut in repatriation taxes after move to Ireland. $MDT PR link.

Medtronic(PBR133) acquires acute ischemic stroke products medical device developer Lazarus Effect for $100 million cash. $MDT PR link.

Kellogg(PBR198) has acquired Egypt based leading cereal company Mass Food Group for $50 million. $K PR link.

Whole Foods(PBR203 $WFM) to cut 1,500 jobs over next 2 months. MarketWatch article link.

Parker-Hannifin(PBR218) acquires UK based $29 million/yr 120 employee cryogenic valves manufacturer President Engineering Group. $PH PR link.

Chipotle(PBR561) gets new pork supplier, to return carnitas to its menu in all restaurants by end of November. $CMG PR link.

Endo International(PBR700) completes $8.05 billion acquisition of private generics company Par Pharmaceutical from TPG. $ENDP PR link.

IGT(PBR878) mints its 1,000th Wheel of Fortune® Slot Millionaire at Golden Nugget Lake Charles in Louisiana. $IGT PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says that US August Personal Income was $15.404 trillion, +0.3% from July, Personal Savings rate at 4.6%. USDOC PR link.

The National Assn of Realtors says its August Pending Home Sales Index at 109.4, -1.4% from July, +6.1% from August 2014. NAR PR link.

Friday, September 25:
The PBR1000 Weekly US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 16,314.67, -0.43% from last Friday, -1.29% MTD, -7.41% QTD, -8.46% YTD.
NASDAQ closes week at 4,686.50, -2.92% from last Friday, -1.88% MTD, -6.02% QTD, -1.05% YTD.
SPX closes week at 1,931.34, -1.37% from last Friday, -2.07% MTD, -6.39% QTD, -6.20% YTD.

Johnson & Johnson(PBR37) Consumer unit completes sale of $370 million in 2014 sales SPLENDA® Brand to Heartland Food Products Group, terms not disclosed. $JNJ PR link.

Computer Sciences(PBR237) completes acquisition of front-office management trading solutions provider Fixnetix, terms not disclosed. $CSC PR link.

Gartner(PBR885) acquires business software consulting provider Capterra, terms not disclosed. $IT PR link.

Donaldson Co(PBR783) hires Sheila Kramer as VP, Human Resources, effective 10/12/15. $DCI PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says in 3rd Estimate that 2nd Quarter GDP was at a 3.9% annual rate, $17.914 trillion. USDOC PR link.

University of Michigan September Surveys of Consumers shows Consumer Sentiment is at 87.2, the lowest level in 11 months. UMich article link.

Other News: John Boehner announces he will resign as Speaker of the House and his Representative seat from Ohio, effective 10/30/15.

Thursday, September 24:
General Electric(PBR9) enters into a $12 billion export financing agreement with the UK Government; could create up to 1000 new jobs in the UK. $GE PR link.

Caterpillar(PBR54) restructuring, to reduce workforce by up to 10,000, close some facilities by end of 2018. $CAT PR link.

Caterpillar(PBR54) announces new organizational structure for Mining, Customer, & Dealer-facing divisions. $CAT PR link.

Coca-Cola(PBR63) forms new National Product Supply System (“NPSS”) to facilitate optimal operation of the US product supply system for Coca-Cola bottlers. $KO PR link.

Lockheed Martin(PBR64) increases share repurchase authority by $3.0 billion. $LMT PR link.

Alcoa(PBR115) completes $300 milliion automotive expansion in Tennessee. $AA PR link.

CarMax(PBR202) hiring more than 2,000 for full/part-time positions nationwide. $KMX PR link.

Autodesk(PBR773) to acquire Germany based industrial additive design & manufacturing software developer netfabb & take stake in parent FIT Technology. $ADSK PR link.

McDonald’s(PBR101) promotes David Fairhurst to EVP, Chief People Officer, effective 10/01/15, & hires Chris Kempczinski as EVP, Strategy, Business Development, & Innovation, effective 10/26/15. $MCD PR link.

Assurant(PBR268) makes executive changes for CFO, risk management, strategy & business development, communications/marketing, & technology. $AIZ PR link.

Ingredion(PBR415) promotes Martin Sonntag SVP, Strategy & Global Development. $INGR PR link.

Carlisle Cos(PBR650) hires Ted Messmer as President, Carlisle Brake & Friction, succeeds Matt Dietrich, who has left. $CSL PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Bank chairperson’s Yellen says it is appropriate to raise interest rates this year MarketWatch article link.

The Dept of HUD says that August Sales of New Single-Family Houses were at a 552,000 annual rate, +5.7% from July, +21.6% from August 2014. HUD PR link.

Other News: Pope Francis is the first pontiff to give a speech to a joint meeting of the US Congress.

Wednesday, September 23:
Amazon.com(PBR29) announces 6 new TV shows for the fall pilot season. $AMZN PR link.

JCPenney(PBR234) promotes John Tighe to EVP, Chief Merchant, effective 10/01/15, other merchandising unit appointments named. $JCP PR link.

Public Service Enterprise(PBR257) promotes Daniel Cregg to EVP/CFO, effective 10/08/15, succeeds retiring Caroline Dorsa. $PEG PR link.

BB&T(PBR277) Insurance Holdings unit Chairman/CEO Wade Reece retiring effective 12/31/15, John Howard is successor. $BBT PR link.

Apple(PBR5 $AAPL) will have more people working on cars than Tesla(PBR651 $TSLA) had at time of IPO. MarketWatch article link.

Flash US Markit Manufacturing Index flat in September. MarketWatch article link.

Third-quarter GDP tracking below 2%, complicating Fed decision MarketWatch article link.

Tuesday, September 22:
Apple(PBR5) widens gap between iOS, Android use in US. $AAPL article link.

MetLife(PBR39) increases share repurchase authorization to $1 billion. $MET article link.

Walt Disney(PBR57) ESPN unit to cut hundreds of jobs: report. MarketWatch article link.

Facebook(PBR228)’s Instagram unit celebrates 400+ million users mark, 75% outside US. Instagram blog link.

Ashland(PBR407) to split into two independent public companies, a specialty chemicals company and Valvoline. $ASH PR link.

Groupon(PBR652 $GRPN) to cut 1,100 jobs, 10% of workforce, & pull out of 7 countries. Chicago Tribune article link.

hhgregg(PBR864) celebrates 60 years as an appliances and electronics retailer. $HGG PR link.

Norfolk Southern(PBR242) names Mike Wheeler EVP/COO effective 02/01/16, upon retirement of Mark Manion, promotes Cindy Earhart to EVP, Admin & CIO, effective 10/01/15. $NSC PR link.

Ball Corp(PBR312) SVP/COO metal food & household products packaging Mike Feldser retiring 12/31/15, Jim Peterson to succeed him. $BLL PR link.

EnerSys(PBR776) CEO John Craig retiring 03/31/16, President/COO David Shaffer to become CEO 04/01/16. $ENS PR link.

Clearwater Paper(PBR898) president of consumer products division Pat Burke to also assume leadership of pulp & paperboard division per retirement of Dan Johansen. $CLW PR link.

Monday, September 21:
Apple(PBR5)’s iPhone installed base could surpass 500 million this year. MarketWatch article link.

Apple(PBR5) electric car targets 2019 rollout, Wall Street Journal sources say. MarketWatch article link.

AmerisourceBergen(PBR16) authorizes $2.4 billion share repurchase program to support warrant hedging strategy. $ABC PR link.

Macy’s(PBR97) to hire 85,000 seasonal associates in 2015. $M PR link.

Time Warner(PBR103) HBO unit is the biggest Emmys winner with 43 total awards received. $TWX PR link.

Computer Sciences(PBR237) completes acquisition of cloud-based service management solutions provider Fruition Partners, terms not disclosed. $CSC PR link.

Pentair(PBR363) completes $1.8 billion cash acquisition of electrical & fastening products manufacturer ERICO Global. $PNR PR link.

Jack in the Box(PBR987) announces new $200 million share repurchase program. $JACK PR link.

Atmel(PBR1004) to be acquired by UK based Dialog Semiconductor(XTRA: DLG) for $4.6 billion cash/stock. $ATML PR link.

Mattel(PBR412) hires Richard Gros as Chief Human Resources Officer, announces 3 other executive management changes. $MAT PR link.

Equifax(PBR795) reports that there were 3.26 million first mortgages originated YTD through 05/31/15. $EFX PR link.

The National Assn of Realtors says August Existing Home Sales are at a 5.31 million annual rate, -4.8% from July, +6.2% from August 2014. NAR article link.

Harvard University study says number of households spending >50% of income on rent expected to rise to 13.1 million by 2025. Harvard article link.

The Brookings Institution reports that the typical male U.S. worker earned less in 2014 than in 1973. BI article link.

Friday, September 18:
The PBR1000 Weekly US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 16,384.79, -0.29% from last Friday, -0.87% MTD, -7.01% QTD, -8.07% YTD.
NASDAQ closes week at 4,827.33, +0.10% from last Friday, +1.06% MTD, -3.20% QTD, +1.93% YTD.
SPX closes week at 1,958.08, -0.15% from last Friday, -0.71% MTD, -5.09% QTD, -4.90% YTD.

McKesson(PBR6) to acquire pharmaceutical distribution division of Northern Ireland based UDG Healthcare for $461 million. $MCK PR link.

Home Depot(PBR32) opens 3rd fulfillment center, 1.6 million sq ft, in Troy Township, Ohio, to employ 500. $HD PR link.

Coca-Cola(PBR63 $KO) owes $3.3 billion in taxes over transfer pricing. MarketWatch article link.

Freeport-McMoRan(PBR128) completes $1 billion at-the-market equity offering and files prospectus supplement for up to $1 billion in additional at-the-market sales of common stock. $FCX PR link.

Norfolk Southern(PBR242) completes $214.5 million acquisition of 282 miles of the Delaware & Hudson Railway line between Sunbury, PA, & Schenectday, NY. $NSC PR link.

Norfolk Southern(PBR242) to focus on automobile parts transportation, restructuring $350 million revenues/year subsidiary Triple Crown Services, downsize workforce of 240 by 200. $NSC PR link.

Universal Health(PBR305) to acquire 4 facilities & 8 outpatient addiction treatment centers Foundations Recover Network for $350 million. $UHS PR link.

Windstream(PBR426) adopts shareholder plan to protect $1.2 billion of net operating loss carryforwards. $WIN PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) acquires managing general agent/wholesale insurance broker North Alabama Insurance, terms not disclosed. $AJG PR link.

Equifax(PBR795) confirms proposal to acquire Australia’s leading credit bureau Veda Group(ASX: VED) for $1.6 billion cash. $EFX PR link.

Brown & Brown(PBR972) realigns insurance Retail Division, overseen by President/CEO, 6 Regional Presidents appointed. $BRO PR link.

Plum Creek Timber(PBR989) completes $120 million sale of 98,000 acres of timberland in west-central Florida to Hancock Timber. $PCL PR link.

The US Federal Reserve reports that businesses racked up new debt at the fastest rate in seven years with total US debt at $43.98 trillion. MarketWatch article link.

Thursday, September 17:
Walmart(PBR1) plans to hire 60,000 seasonal associates for the holidays. $WMT PR link.

General Motors(PBR8) reaches agreement with U.S Attorney’s Office on ignition switch recalls, to pay $900 million fine. $GM PR link.

General Electric(PBR9) Aviation unit to create European Turboprop Center of Excellence to pursue non-US options to secure export credit financing for customers. $GE PR link.

Amazon.com(PBR29) announces new Fire HD tablet designed for entertainment, from $149.99. $AMZN PR link.

Cablevision(PBR390) to be acquired by Netherlands based Altice NV(Euronext: ATC) for $34.90/share, $17.7 billion enterprise value, creates 4th largest cable TV operator in the US. $ATC PR link.

Expedia(PBR433) completes $1.6 billion cash acquisition of global online travel company Orbitz. $EXPE PR link.

Activision(PBR540) announces record-breaking day-one PlayStation game downloads for Destiny: The Taken King. $ATVI PR link.

Perrigo(PBR565) board rejects the Mylan(PBR346) unsolicited $75/share +2.3 Mylan shares offer as inadequate. $PRGO PR link.

Oshkosh(PBR368) CEO Charles Szews to retire 12/31/15, President/COO Wilson Jones named successor. $OSK PR link.

Adobe Systems(PBR557) SVP David Wahdwani leaving, Bryan Lamkin to lead Digital Media business, other executive changes announced. $ADBE PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says August Private Housing Units Bldg Permits were at a 1,170,000 annual rate, +3.5% from July, 12.5% from August 2014 USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says that the US Current Account Deficit narrows to $109.7 billion in second quarter. MarketWatch article link.

The American Petroleum Institute says August Demand for Petroleum rose to 5 year highs, averaged 19.6 million barrels/day. API article link.

Wednesday, September 16:
General Electric(PBR9) completes sales of $2 billion European Sponsor Finance business & $3.7 billion portfolio of home loans. Real estate closings reach $30 billion. $GE PR link.

Northrop Grumman(PBR113) announces new $4 billion shares repurchase authorization. $NOC PR link.

Amgen(PBR135) to pay Xencor(NASDAQ: XNCR) up to $1.7 billion in strategic collaboration In cancer immuno and inflammation therapies. $AMGN PR link.

Amgen(PBR135) to acquire Netherlands based privately held biotech company Dezima Pharma for $300 million plus up to $1.25 billion based on milestones achieved. $AMGN PR link.

Kohl’s(PBR149) anticipates hiring more than 69,000 associates nationwide this holiday season. $KSS PR link.

Air Products(PBR267) to fully separate its Materials Technologies business via a tax-free spinoff before 09/16. $APD PR link.

Assurant(PBR268) Solutions unit to acquire Canadian auto services contracts provider Coast To Coast Dealer Services. $AIZ PR link.

Peabody Energy(PBR372) announces 1-for-15 reverse stock split following shareholder approval, to be effective 10/01/15. $BTU PR link.

The US Justice Dept says it will not challenge the Expedia(PBR433) acquisition of Orbitz. USJD PR link.

BE Aerospace(PBR748) to close several facilities, consolidate product lines, reduce headcount by 450. $BEAV PR link.

Avis Budget(PBR316) promotes Larry De Shon to President/COO, effective 10/01/15, to become CEO on 01/01/16. $CAR PR link.

Hub Group(PBR611) appoints Donald Maltby as President/COO. $HUBG PR link.

Crocs(PBR1037) promotes Terence Reilly to Chief Marketing Officer. $CROX PR link.

The National Assn of Homebuilders says homebuilder confidence is at 62, projects 1.1 million single family home starts in 2015. NAHB PR link.

The US Census Bureau says the 2014 poverty level remains at 14.8%, 46.7M people; median household income at $53,657 USCB PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says August Current Earnings averaged $25.09/hour, +0.3% over July, +2.2% from Aug 2014. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says August Consumer Price Index was -0.1% from July, +0.2% over the past 12 mos. USDOL PR link.

Tuesday, September 15:

Who were the Top 5 Monthly The PBR1000 Stock Market Gainers in August and YTD? Check it out here: Blog PR link.

Future public Hewlett-Packard(PBR19) Enterprise company provides fiscal 2016 outlook, includes 25,000+ people leaving. $HPQ PR link.

Future public Hewlett-Packard(PBR19) Inc company provides fiscal 2016 outlook, plans for printing & personal systems businesses. $HPQ PR link.

Sysco(PBR61) announces 3 year plan to create $1 billion in free cash flow per year. $SYY PR link.

YUM!(PBR217) Taco Bell unit introducing new urban fast food concept in Chicago & San Francisco, includes shared appetizers/alcohol. $YUM PR link.

Praxair(PBR233) to acquire Yara International’s European CO2 gas business for $352 million. $PX PR link.

The US Dept of Food & Drug Administration issues orders that will stop further U.S. sale and distribution of Reynolds American(PBR317) four R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company cigarette products. FDA PR link.

Reynolds American(PBR317) – R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company disagrees with FDA ruling on four of its cigarette brands. $RAI PR link.

DENTSPLY(PBR694) and Sirona Dental(NASDAQ: SIRO) announce combination to create the dental solutions company in $13 billion merger of equals. $XRAY PR link.

Olin Corp(PBR838) shareholders approve steps to merge with Dow Chemical(PBR48) separated chlor-alkali business for $5 billion, to close in Oct. $OLN PR link.

INTL FCStone(PBR88) CEO Sean O’Connor to also be President, Xuong Nguyen to be COO, & Trish Harrod to be Chief Risk Officer on 10/01/15. $INTL PR link.

CBS(PBR210) Entertainment unit chairman Nina Tassler stepping down end of 2015, serve in an advisory role, Glenn Geller to be promoted to president. $CBS PR link.

St Jude Medical(PBR440) incoming President/CEO Mike Rousseau announces executive leadership team, effective 01/01/16. $STJ PR link.

Xylem(PBR575) promotes Colin Sabol to SVP/President, Analytics & Treatment, and David Flinton to SVP/President, Dewatering, both report to President/CEO. $XYL PR link.

Hillenbrand(PBR962) names former Batesville unit president Kim Ryan as president of Coperion unit, Chris Traynor promoted to Batesville president. $HI PR link.

The US Federal Reserve says that at 107.1% of 2012 average, August Total Industrial Production was +0.9% from August 2014. USFR PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says July Trade Sales/Manufacturers’ Shipments are estimated at $1,328.0 billion, +0.1% from June, -2.7% from July 2014. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says that August US Retail/Food Services Sales are estimated at $447.7 billion, +0.2% from July, +2.2% from August 2014 USDOC PR link.

Monday, September 14:
Apple(PBR5 $AAPL) TV streaming service still to come and could cost $40 a month MarketWatch article link.

Kroger(PBR20) unit Ralphs Grocery to hold open interviews 09/15/15 for military veterans & family members, hopes to fill 1,000 positions across its 209 stores. $KR PR link.

Google(PBR44) found guilty of ‘abusing dominant market position’ in Russia. MarketWatch article link.

Mylan(PBR346) offers Perrigo(PBR565) shareholders $75/share + 2.3 Mylan shares to acquire Perrigo. $MYL PR link.

Flowers Foods(PBR591) completes $275 million cash acquisition of US best selling organic bread maker Dave’s Killer Bread. $FLO PR link.

NII Holdings(PBR604) selling Nextel Argentina to Argentina’s largest media company Grupo Clarin in 2 part deal for $178 million. $NIHD PR link.

SunEdison(PBR782) to partner with Tucson-based SOLON to add 5 megawatts of solar power across 11 projects for Pima County, Arizona, Government. $SUNE PR link.

Zebra Technologies(PBR961) tracking technology may change how NFL fans see the game and teams play it. $ZBRA PR link.

W.R. Grace(PBR645) hires Dean Freeman as VP/CFO of future spinoff GCP Applied Technologies. $GRA PR link.

Friday, September 11:
Patriot Day: 14th Anniversary of 9/11.

The PBR1000 Weekly US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 16,433.09, +2.05% from last Friday, -0.57% MTD, -6.73% QTD, -7.80% YTD.
NASDAQ closes week at 4,822.34, +2.96% from last Friday, +0.96% MTD, -3.30% QTD, +1.82% YTD.
SPX closes week at 1,961.05, +2.07% from last Friday, -0.56% MTD, -4.95% QTD, -4.75% YTD.

AutoNation(PBR148) adds $250 million for shares repurchasing program, total available is now $338 million. $AN PR link.

Conn’s(PBR986) terminates Stockholders’ Rights Plan adopted in October 2014. $CONN PR link.

Microsoft(PBR31 $MSFT) promotes general counsel Brad Smith to President, first since 2002, & as Chief Legal Officer. MarketWatch article link.

Owens & Minor(PBR292) hires W. Marshall Simpson as EVP, Chief Commercial Officer, effective 10/04/15. $OMI PR link.

Yahoo!(PBR519 $YHOO) media/marketing head Kathy Savitt leaving after 3 years. MarketWatch article link.

Mattress Firm(PBR932) promotes Ken Murphy to President, Robert Killgore to COO. $MFRM PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says that the August Final Demand Producer Price Index was unchanged, last 12 months final demand index is -0.8% USDOL PR link.

The US Treasury Dept says that Fiscal YTD Receipts through August are $2.883 trillion, Outlays $3.413 trillion, Deficit is $530 billion. USTD PR link.

The University of Michigan reports that the Consumer Sentiment Index tumbled from 91.9 in August to 85.7 in September. UMich article link.

Thursday, September 10:
Walmart(PBR1) division 650 locations Sam’s Club to start accepting American Express(PBR83) cards on 10/01/15. $AXP PR link.

Google(PBR44) announces Android Pay for the US. $GOOGL PR link.

3M(PBR92) to explore strategic alternatives for Its growing $730 million/yr Health Information Systems business. $MMM PR link.

Avon(PBR303 $AVP) climbs on stake sale talks with private-equity firms MarketWatch article link.

Perrigo(PBR565) responds to the Mylan(PBR346 $MYL) planned acquisition offer, says undervalued. $PRGO PR link.

Global Payments(PBR762) announces full support for Google(PBR44)’s Android Pay in the US. $GPN PR link.

Kroger(PBR20) names 4 new EVPs for Merchandising, CIO, Retail Operations, & CFO. $KR PR link.

Express Scripts(PBR22) hires Eric Slusser as EVP/CFO. $ESRX PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says July Wholesalers Sales were $449.5 billion, -0.3% from June, -4.2% from July 2014. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says August US Import Prices dropped 1.8%, primarily from lower fuel prices, US Export Prices dropped 1.4%. USDOL PR link.

Wednesday, September 9:
Apple(PBR5) introduces iPhone 6s & 6s Plus, new Apple TV, iPad Pro, watchOS 2 in a series of announcements. $AAPL PR link.

Here’s where Apple(PBR5) Pay stands after its first year. MarketWatch article link.

Amazon.com(PBR29) ends sales of its ‘Fire Phone’. MarketWatch article link.

Lockheed Martin(PBR64) to reduce its IT services business workforce by 500 by mid 11/15. $LMT PR link.

21st Century Fox(PBR91) acquires a 73% stake in non-profit National Geographic Society for $725 million. $FOX PR link.

McDonald’s(PBR101) to fully transition to cage-free eggs for all restaurants in the U.S. and Canada within 10 years. $MCD PR link.

Southern Co(PBR155) Power subsidiary to acquire 2nd wind project, surpassing 1,600 MW of renewable generation development. $SO PR link.

Assurant(PBR268) to sell employee benefits business to Sun Life Financial for $940 million, increases share repurchase program to $1 billion. $AIZ PR link.

Discover Financial(PBR286) to accept Apple(PBR5) Pay, offers 10% cashback bonus through end of year. $DFS PR link.

Agilent Technologies(PBR364) to acquire private tools for measuring cell metabolism developer Seahorse Bioscience for $235 million cash. $A PR link.

Con-Way(PBR430) to be acquired by XPO Logistics(NYSE: XPO) for $47.60/share, $3 billion. $CNW PR link.

Flowers Foods(PBR591) to acquire private organic & all natural breads provider Alpine Valley Bread Co for $120 million cash/stock. $FLO PR link.

Express Scripts(PBR22) to promote president Tim Wentworth to CEO, effective 05/16; George Paz to retire, remain Chairman. $ESRX PR link.

Fifth Third Bancorp(PBR387) promotes Teresa Tanner to EVP, Chief Administration Officer. $FITB PR link.

St Jude Medical(PBR440) to promote COO Michael Rousseau to President/CEO on 01/01/16, Daniel Starks to keep Chairman responsibilities. $STJ PR link.

The Andersons(PBR525) hires Patrick Bowe as President/CEO, effective 11/02/15, Mike Anderson remains Chairman. $ANDE PR link.

Conn’s(PBR986) hires Norman Miller as President/CEO. $CONN PR link.

US Dept of Labor says in the July Job Openings & Labor Turnover Report that over last 12 months hires were 60.6 million, separations 57.8 million, net employment gain was 2.7 million. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says that the June Total Compensation Costs for civilian workers from all categories averaged $33.19/hour. USDOL PR link.

US health spending accelerates, up 2.2% in second quarter MarketWatch article link.

Tuesday, September 8:
General Electric(PBR9) gets European Commission approval for $13.5 billion acquisition of France based Alstom, with conditions. $GE PR link.

Macy’s(PBR97) to close 35-40 underperforming stores in early 2016. $M PR link.

Macy’s(PBR97) & Best Buy(PBR73, $BBY) partner to test consumer electronics departments in 10 Macy’s stores starting in November. $M PR link.

Praxair(PBR233) signs longterm agreement with Nacogdoches Oil & Gas for up to 100 million scf/year of helium. $PX PR link.

Dover(PBR343) to acquire dispenser & system businesses from France based Tokheim Group for $465 million. $DOV PR link.

Mylan(PBR346) to offer on 09/14/15 Perrigo(PBR565 $PRGO) shareholders a $75/share & 2.3 Mylan shares per Perrigo share acquisition offer. $MYL PR link.

Blackstone Group(PBR352) to acquire luxury hotels REIT Strategic Hotels(NYSE: BEE) for $14.25/share, $6 billion cash. $BX PR link.

Netflix(PBR447) to launch In South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong & Taiwan In early 2016. $NFLX PR link.

McGraw Hill(PBR477) completes $2.225 billion acquisition of SNL Financial, announces leadership changes. $MHFI PR link.

Cerner(PBR628) authorizes $245 million for shares repurchase program. $CERN PR link.

Meredith(PBR994) to be acquired by Media General(NYSE: MEG) for $2.4 billion cash/stock, to close by 06/30/16, creates 3rd largest owner of major TV networks affiliates. $MDP PR link.

Prudential Financial(PBR55) promotes Timothy Harris to EVP, General Counsel, effective 10/01/15, succeeds retiring Susan Blount. $PRU PR link.

United Continental(PBR77) hires Oscar Munoz to be President/CEO, succeeds Jeff Smisek who has stepped down. $UAL PR link.

CSX(PBR226) announces Oscar Munoz leaving to become President/CEO of United Continental(PBR77), 4 executive leadership changes made. $CSX PR link.

AECOM(PBR322) promotes W Troy Rudd to EVP/CFO, effective 10/05/15. $ACM PR link.

Fifth Third Bancorp(PBR387) hires Timothy Spence as EVP, Chief Strategy Officer, effective 09/11/15. Succeeds Dan Poston who is leaving to become EVP, Strategic Client Relations at Vantiv(PBR754). $FITB PR link.

Tempur Sealy(PBR687) hires Scott Thompson as Chairman/President/CEO, effective immediately. $TPX PR link.

Crocs(PBR1037) SVP/CFO Jeff Lasher leaving, SVP Finance Mike Smith named interim CFO effective 10/01/15. $CROX PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Bank says the July Consumer Credit was at a+6.75% annual rate, revolving credit +5.75%, nonrevolving credit +7.00%. FRB PR link.

Conference Board: US likely to keep pumping out steady flow of new jobs through end of year. MarketWatch article link.

Monday, September 7:
US Stock Markets Closed
in Observance of Labor Day.

Friday, September 4:
The PBR1000 Weekly US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 16,102.38, -2.58% from last Friday/MTD, -8.61% QTD, -9.65% YTD.
NASDAQ closes week at 4,683.92, -1.94% from last Friday/MTD, -6.07% QTD, -1.10% YTD.
SPX closes week at 1,921.22, -2.58% from last Friday/MTD, -6.88% QTD, -6.69% YTD.

Community Health System(PBR125) files Form 10 for spinoff of 38 hospitals Quorum Health Resources as separate independent public company, announces key executives. $CYH article link.

SEC complaints against Navistar(PBR258) feature a who’s who of Chicago clout. MarketWatch article link.

TECO Energy(PBR758) to be acquired by energy company Emira(TSX: EMA) for $27.55/share, $10.4 billion. $TE PR link.

The solar-panel market is ready to heat up. MarketWatch article link.

Companies rush to borrow cash before Fed raises rates MarketWatch article link.

The US Dept of Labor says August Total Nonfarm Payroll Employment was up by 173,000, unemployment rate down to 5.1%. USDOL PR link.

Thursday, September 3:
Amazon(PBR29) Web Services unit to acquire video software/multiscreen content developer Elemental Technologies, terms not disclosed. $AMZN PR link.

Pfizer(PBR56) completes $90/share, $17 billion acquisition of injectable drugs, infusion technologies, and biosimilars company Hospira(PBR532 $HSP). $PFE PR link.

General Mills(PBR162) is selling its Green Giant and Le Sueur vegetable businesses to B&G Foods(NYSE: BGS) for $765 million cash. $GIS PR link.

Allergan(PBR219) to acquire private glaucoma treatment company AqueSys for $300 million cash. $AGN PR link.

Molina Healthcare(PBR284) to acquire Providence Human Services & Providence Community Services, the Behavioral & Mental Health Subsidiaries of the Providence Service Corporation(NASDAQ: PRSC) for $200 million. $MOH PR link.

Priceline(PBR319) has acquired Australian based restaurant table & reservation management solutions ResPAK provider AS Digital, terms not disclosed. $PCLN PR link.

PVH(PBR328) Calvin Klein unit to reacquire Calvin Klein Platinum Label Accessories License from CK21. $PVH PR link.

ABM Industries(PBR595) announces comprehensive strategy & transformation initiative, $200 million share repurchase program. $ABM PR link.

Tesla(PBR651) Model 3 to cost $35K, preorders start in March MarketWatch article link.

Facebook(PBR228 $FB) is most successful app, beating out Google(PBR44 $GOOGL), Apple(PBR5 $AAPL). MarketWatch article link.

Ciena Corp(PBR829) promotes François Locoh-Donou as COO, effective 11/01/15. $CIEN PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says that the July International Goods & Services deficit was $41.9 billion, down $3.3 billion from June, down $306.1 billion calendar YTD. USDOC PR link.

Wednesday, September 2:
Subscriber Alert: The PBR August US Indices Snapshot has been emailed to Subscribers. USI Info/Subscribe link.

Raytheon(PBR118) to hire up to 700 employees by end of 2016 in Colorado Springs area in support of $700 million NORAD contract. $RTN PR link.

Abbott Labs(PBR134) completes $250 million acquisition of private minimally invasive mitral valve medical device provider Tendyne. $ABT PR link.

Southern Co(PBR155) Power subsidiary acquires controlling interest in First Solar(PBR630) largest solar asset 300MW Desert Stateline Facility in California. $FSLR PR link.

Yahoo!(PBR519) completes acquisition of social shopping site Polyvore, terms not disclosed. $YHOO PR link.

Tesla(PBR651 $TSLA)’s Model X ‘Signature’ will set you back $132,000 MarketWatch article link.

Apple(PBR5 $AAPL) set to join exclusve-content contest before Netflix(PBR447 $NFLX) & Amazon(PBR29 $AMZN) run away with it MarketWatch article link.

Juniper Networks(PBR516) hires Brian Martin as SVP, General Counsel, effective 10/05/15. $JNPR PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says from 2nd quarter 2014 to 2nd quarter 2015 Nonfarm Labor Productivity was +0.7%, output +3.3%, hours worked +2.6%. USDOL PR link.

The US Federal Reserve says that the US economy continued modest-moderate growth across most regions/sectors during the July to mid-August period. FRB Beige Book PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says July New Orders for Manufactured Goods were $482.0 billion, +0.4% over June, which was +2.2% over May. USDOC PR link.

Study finds 14% of Americans were entrepreneurs in 2014 USDOCMarketWatch PR link.

Tuesday, September 1:
The PBR1000 August 2015 Breaking News Recap is published. Click here.

Apple(PBR5 $AAPL) talking to Hollywood execs about exclusive Apple TV content: reports MarketWatch article link.

General Electric(PBR9) gets over $1 billion in power generation & software sales from Asia Pacific customers. $GE PR link.

ConocoPhillips(PBR53, $COP) to cut global workforce by 10%, including more than 500 jobs in Houston. MarketWatch article link.

Sprint(PBR86) to add over 1,000 jobs & invest $150 million by the end of 2016 in the Chicago area. $S PR link.

McDonald’s(PBR101, $MCD) starts serving breakfast all day on 10/06/15. USAToday article link.

CBRE Group(PBR301) completes $1.475 billion acquisition of Johnson Controls(PBR68) Global Workplace Solutions unit. $CBG PR link.

Enbridge Energy(PBR333) completes transfer of $30.4 billion of Canadian pipelines & energy business to its Income Fund. $EEP PR link.

Manitowoc(PBR579) files Form 10 to separate into 2 public companies, one for Cranes, the other for Foodservices, on track for 1st quarter 2016. $MTW PR link.

Cabela’s(PBR606) authorizes an up to 2 year $500 million share repurchase program. $CAB PR link.

H&R Block(PBR669) completes divesture of BofI Federal Bank, to do $3.5 billion share repurchase program. $HRB PR link.

Synopsys(PBR879) replenishes stock repurchase authorization to $500 million. $SNPS PR link.

Bob Evans(PBR1020) to pursue a $200 million sale-leaseback transaction for a select portion of its restaurant properties. $BOBE PR link.

Kroger(PBR20) hires Jessica Adelman as Group VP of Corporate Affairs, effective 11/01/15. $KR PR link.

C.H. Robinson(PBR215) hires Jeroen Eijsink as President, European Operations, reports to President/CEO John Wiehoff. $CHRW PR link.

Fresh Market(PBR942) hires Rick Anicetti as President/CEO. $TFM PR link.

August US car sales are stronger than expected MarketWatch article link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates July Construction Spending Annual Rate was at $1,083.4 billion, +0.7% from June, +13.7% from July 2014. USDOC PR link.

(The PBR1000 is the premiere comparative data and reporting service covering over 1,000 of the largest publicly held companies with principle or administration headquarters in the US. These companies generate nearly $14 trillion in annual worldwide revenues, more than all other companies in the US combined. These are the key drivers in the US and world economies. On a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis several analytical reports in customizable Microsoft Excel format are provided to The PBR1000 subscribers. Users include C-level executives, entrepreneurs, sales/marketing/advertising professionals, investors/investment advisors, business professors/students, career counselors/job seekers, to name just a few. To order your annual subscription, just go to the PBRMarketTools.com Order page.)

(Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net, Stuart Miles.)

Filed Under: Recaps Tagged With: acquisitions, business news, DJIA, Economy, Leadership, mergers, NASDAQ, Research, S&P 500, The PBR1000

The PBR1000 August 2015 Breaking News Recap

September 2, 2015 by admin

ID-100220727 Global Currencies-sheelamohan

What Effect Will Global Currencies Have
On US Businesses In The Near Future?

By Larry C. Paxton

August 2015 will be memorable for some records set in the volatile stock markets. We will be commenting more on that in the upcoming The PBR1000 August 2015 Stocks/Commodities Snapshots which will be published sometime in the next week.

But there were also important transitions among The PBR1000 companies, including new major mergers, spinoffs, share repurchase programs, and key C-level personnel changes.

The modestly growing US economy seemed finally poised for the Federal Reserve to make its first interest rate increase in September. Then China devalued its currency and now it is a big question mark around the globe for all countries.

International issues continue to catch us by surprise. The latest development is the continued growing of the Mideast Crisis which is now creating major immigration/refugee problems, especially for Europe, as large populations in areas of conflict are subjected to making quick life or death decisions and are forced to take big chances for their families as they attempt to escape. With China’s slowing economy, out of control conflicts in the Mideast, and some growing uncertainties about Europe, what effect will these international situations have on US business both short and long term?

August 2015 was more tumultuous in more ways than expected. Has that set a similar stage for September? Let’s see how it unfolds, but let’s wish and work for the best as autumn and cooler temperatures approach, and most importantly, the US football season gets into full swing!

Following are The PBR1000 and economic related news items of note for August 2015, starting with the last active day.

Monday, August 31:
The PBR1000 Monthly US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes August at 16,528.03, -0.69% from last Friday, -6.57% MTD, -6.19% QTD, -7.27% YTD.
NASDAQ closes August at 4,776.51, -1.07% from last Friday, -6.86% MTD, -4.22% QTD, +0.85% YTD.
SPX closes August at 1,972.18, -0.84% from last Friday, -6.26% MTD, -4.41% QTD, -4.21% YTD.

Apple(PBR5, $AAPL) & Cisco(PBR60) partner to deliver fast-lane for iOS enterprise users. $CSCO PR link.

General Electric(PBR9) completes $5 billion sale of its US fleet services business to Element Financial(TSX: EFN). $GE PR link.

Walt Disney(PBR57) is betting big on ‘Star Wars’ merchandise with unboxing extravaganza starting 09/03/15. $DIS PR link.

Excelon(PBR102) & Pepco(PBR493, $POM) to continue to pursue merger despite DC Commission blocking action. $EXC PR link.

Danaher(PBR137) completes $127.20/share, $13.8 billion acquisition of filtration, separation, & purification products & services provider Pall Corp(PBR713, $PLL). $DHR PR link.

Southern Co(PBR155) subsidiary acquires 200-MW California Tranquility Solar Facility from Canadian Solar. $SO PR link.

Bristol-Myers Squibb(PBR185) to acquire fibrotic diseases therapies developer Promedior for $150 million with additional payments up to $1.25 billion.
$BMY PR link.

DISH Network(PBR196, $DISH) brings Internet TV service to Amazon(PBR29, $AMZN) Appstore. MarketWatch article link.

Allergan(PBR219) completes $560 million acquisition of depression therapies developer Naurex. $AGN PR link.

Oshkosh(PBR368) increases shares repurchase program to 10 million shares. $OSK PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) acquires affinity group & association products & services provider National Administration Company, terms not disclosed. $AJG PR link.

HealthSouth(PBR800) to acquire 45 home health locations $104 million/yr operations of CareSouth Health Systems for $170 million. $HLS PR link.

Anthem(PBR38) promotes Brian Griffin as EVP & President, Commercial & Specialty Business, reports to CEO. $ANTM PR link.

National Oilwell Varco(PBR127) hires Jose Bayardo as SVP/CFO. $NOV PR link.

WellCare Health Plans(PBR221) hires Michael Radu to new position of SVP, Clinical Operations/Business Development, reports to CEO. $WCG PR link.

TeamHealth(PBR498) hires Steve Clifton as EVP, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, and Eric Norman as Chief Human Resources Officer. $TMH PR link.

Comerica(PBR740) promotes John Buchanan to EVP, Legal Affairs; expected to assume role of EVP, Governance, Regulatory Relations & Legal Affairs on 01/01/16. $CMA PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR41) releases August Insight & Outlook commentary on the housing industry. $FMCC PR link.

Friday, August 28:
The PBR1000 Weekly US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 16,643.01, +1.11% from last Friday, -5.92% MTD, -5.54% QTD, -6.62% YTD.
NASDAQ closes week at 4,828.32, +2.60% from last Friday, -5.85% MTD, -3.18% QTD, +1.95% YTD.
SPX closes week at 1,988.87, +0.9% from last Friday, -5.46% MTD, -3.60% QTD, -3.40% YTD.

Staples(PBR122) & Office Depot(PBR182, $ODP) to delay merger until at least 45 days after certified substantial compliance with US Federal Trade Commission second request. $SPLS PR link.

Carnival Corp(PBR184) expects to carry record 400,000+ passengers from Port of New Orleans in 2015. $CCL PR link.

ADP(PBR235) plans $2 billion debt offering followed by additional 25 million shares buyback program. $ADP PR link.

Mylan(PBR346) shareholders overwhelming approve proposed acquisition of Perrigo(PBR565, $PRGO), formal offer expected in a few weeks. $MYL PR link.

Big Lots(PBR468) announces promotions to EVP for Chief Merchandising/Operating Officer, Chief Admin Officer/CFO, & Human Resources/Store Operations. $BIG PR link.

Patterson Cos(PBR542) completes sale of its medical business to Madison Dearborn Ptnrs for $715 million cash. $PDCO PR link.

Werner(PBR862) CEO Greg Werner to retire, remain on board, Founder/Chairman CL Werner to add CEO responsibilities. $WERN PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says July Personal Income Annual Rate was at $15.350 trillion, +0.4% over June. USDOC PR link.

Thursday, August 27:
Amazon(PBR29, $AMZN) scales back on developing consumer devices. MarketWatch article link.

Cisco(PBR60) completes $635 million acquisition of privately held advanced threat protection provider OpenDNS. $CSCO PR link.

Sprint(PBR86) offering 1 year of free service to AT&T(PBR12, $T)/DirecTV subscribers. $S PR link.

Freeport-McMoRan(PBR128) announces further spending cuts in response to market conditions, to reduce US workforce by 10%. $FCX PR link.

CBS(PBR210, $CBS) & TEGNA(NR) renew affiliation agreement, covers 10 markets with over 10 million households. $TGNA PR link.

Over 1 billion people logged into Facebook(PBR228, $FB) on Monday, 08/24/15, sets new milestone. MarketWatch article link.

AECOM(PBR322) hires Mary Finch as EVP-Chief Human Resources Officer. $ACM PR link.

Celgene(PBR347) completes $232/share, $7.2 billion acquisition of immune/metabolics therapeutics developer Receptos(NASDAQ: RCPT). $CELG PR link.

Carlyle Group(PBR578) to acquire big data analytics provider Novetta from Arlington Capital Partners, terms not disclosed. $CG PR link.

Tesla(PBR651, $TSLA) Model S scores 103 from Consumer Reports on 100-point scale. MarketWatch article link.

Autodesk(PBR773) to acquire San Francisco based enterprise IoT cloud based provider SeeControl, terms not disclosed. $ADSK PR link.

CEO pay surged last year after stock-market gains, pension changes MarketWatch article link.

The US Dept of Commerce says in 2nd estimate that the 2nd Quarter Gross Domestic Product(GDP) Annual Rate was +3.7%, 1st Quarter was +0.6%. USDOC PR link.

Wednesday, August 26:
YouTube Gaming has launched as Google(PBR44)‘s answer to Amazon(PBR29)’s Twitch. $GOOGL article link.

3M(PBR92) completes $1.0 billion acquisition of Polypore’s $210 million in revenues Separations Media business. $MMM article link.

Monsanto(PBR187) no longer pursuing $46 billion Syngenta deal, focusing on standalone growth plan. $MON article link.

DISH Network(PBR196, $SBGI) & Sinclair Broadcast Grp(PBR894) finalizing long term agreement, stations in 79 markets to be restored. $DISH article link.

BlackRock(PBR252) to acquire digital wealth management provider FutureAdvisor, terms not disclosed. $BLK article link.

Cameron Intl(PBR269) to be acquired by Schlumberger(NYSE: SLB) for $66.86/share, $14.8 billion cash/stock. $CAM article link.

Chico’s FAS(PBR730) plans to sell its Boston Proper direct-to-consumer business and close the 19 existing stores. $CHS article link.

General Growth(PBR765) has $600 million shares repurchase program with addition of $500 million. $GGP article link.

Edwards Lifesciences(PBR819) completes up to $400 million acquisition of CardiAQ Valve Technologies. $EW article link.

VMWare(PBR411) promotes Ray O’Farrell as Chief Technology Officer & Chief Development Officer, reports to CEO Pat Gelsinger. $VMW article link.

Tuesday, August 25:
Amazon(PBR29) Prime Now subscribers in the Seattle area get a 1 hour delivery services for tens of thousands of items. $AMZN article link.

Oshkosh(PBR368) awarded a $6.7 billion joint tactical vehicle contract by the US Army for 17,000 vehicles & services. $OSK article link.

Lithia Motors(PBR451) buys $50 million/yr revenues Acura of Honolulu, HI. $LAD article link.

Pepco(PBR493, $POM) shares tumble 17% as D.C. commission blocks Exelon(PBR102, $EXC) $6.83 billion deal. MarketWatch article link.

Medtronic(PBR133) to acquire privately-held transcatheter mitral valve replacement device developer Twelve, Inc., for up to $458 million. $MDT article link.

Cablevision(PBR390) is first distributor of CBS(PBR210)‘ new Internet content services, including CBS All-Access & SHOWTIME. $CBS PR link.

Xylem(PBR575) authorizes $500 million shares repurchase program. $XYL PR link.

Albemarle(PBR792) to relocate corporate headquarters from Baton Rouge, LA, to Charlotte, NC, in June, 2016. $ALB PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says July Sales of New Single-Family Houses are at an annual rate of 507,000, +5.4% from June, +25.8% from July 2014. USDOC PR link.

Monday, August 24:
US stocks end harrowing session with biggest drop in 4 years. MarketWatch article link.

Home Depot(PBR32) completes $1.625 billion cash acquisition of national distributor/direct marketer of maintenance, repair & operational products Interline Brands. $HD PR link.

Southern Co(PBR155) to acquire AGL Resources(PBR452) for $66/share, $12 billion, becomes 2nd largest US utility with 9 million customers, expected to close 2nd half of 2016. $GAS PR link.

DaVita Healthcare(PBR302) to acquire Renal Ventures & its 36 dialysis centers in 6 states for $415 million. $DVA PR link.

Chipotle Mexican Grill(PBR561) to hire 4,000 people in a single day at first ever National Career Day on 09/09/15. $CMG PR link.

LINN Energy(PBR484) promotes David Rottino as EVP/CFO, succeeds leaving Kolja Rockov. $LINE PR link.

NII Holdings(PBR604) hires Francisco Tosta Valim Filho as President, Nextel Brazil, reporting to NIIH CEO Steve Shindler. $NIHD PR link.

Atmel(PBR1004) CEO Steven Laub extends retirement date to complete ongoing strategic evaluation process. $ATML PR link.

Friday, August 21:
The PBR1000 Weekly US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 16,459.75, -5.82% from last Friday, -6.95% MTD, -6.58% QTD, -7.65% YTD.
NASDAQ closes week at 4,706.04, -6.78% from last Friday, -8.23% MTD, -5.63% QTD, -0.63% YTD.
SPX closes week at 1,970.89, -5.77% from last Friday, –6.32% MTD, -4.47% QTD, -4.27% YTD.

Skechers USA(PBR808) board approves 3:1 stock split, stockholders to vote on 09/24/15. $SKX PR link.

Fifth Third Bancorp(PBR387) hires Heather Russell Koenig as Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary. $FITB PR link.

Thursday, August 20:
Fun Fact: The PBR1000 companies had $13.670 trillion in revenues for fiscal years ending June 2014 through May 2015, $1.023 trillion in profits, a 7.48% rate.

Amazon(PBR29) to employ 1,000 fulltime permanent employees at its new San Marcos facility, the 5th in Texas. $AMZN PR link.

Oracle(PBR78) buys cloud based data science marketing services provider Maxymiser, terms not disclosed. $ORCL PR link.

Discover Financial(PBR286) awarded the highest honor in J.D. Power 2015 Credit Card Satisfaction Study. $DFS PR link.

Discover Financial(PBR286) announces strategic network service agreement with Brazilian domestic card network, Elo. $DFS PR link.

Intuit(529) to divest Demandforce, QuickBase, & Quicken to focus on QuickBooks/TurboTax services. $INTU PR link.

Penn National Gaming(PBR750) gets regulatory approval for $360 million buy of Tropicana Las Vegas Casino Hotel Resort, to close 08/25/15. $PENN PR link.

Scientific Games(PBR937) wins new five-year Instant Games contract with Montana Lottery. $SGMS PR link.

Franklin Resources(PBR315) promotes Vijay Advani & Jennifer Johnson to Co-Presidents, effective 10/01/15. $BEN PR link.

American Eagle Outfitters(PBR640) Chief Marketing Officer Michael Leedy leaving, effective 08/15/15, successor search started. $AEO PR link.

Cinemark(PBR739) CEO Tim Warner to become Executive Vice-Chairman, hires Mark Zoradi as CEO, effective 08/24/15. $CNK PR link.

The National Association of Realtors says that July Existing Home Sales were at a 5.59 million annual rate, median price was $234,000. NAR PR link.

Wednesday, August 19:
Coca-Cola Co(PBR63, $KO) buys 30% minority stake in organic juice maker Suja Life for $90 million, with option to buy in 3 years. MarketWatch article link.

Leidos(PBR475) awarded $4.3 billion US Dept of Defense prime contract for modernization of military healthcare systems. $LDOS PR link.

Former eBay(PBR163) unit PayPal($PYPL) acquires mobile payment start-up Modest, betting on ‘contextual commerce.’ MarketWatch article link.

PG&E(PBR172) promotes Melissa Lavinson to expanded role of Chief Sustainability Officer. $PCG PR link.

Terex(PBR357) promotes Ken Lousberg to President, Terex Cranes, succeeds Tim Ford, who is leaving. Other promotions announced. $TEX PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Board releases the June Federal Open Market Committee document minutes from the 06/28-29/15 meeting, modest improvements economically. FRB PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says July Current Average Earnings/Hour was $24.99, 34.6 hour average workweek, $864.65/week, +2.1% over last 12 months. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the July Consumer Price Index was +0.1% over June, +0.2% over the last 12 months. USDOL PR link.

Tuesday, August 18:
The PBR1000 Total Market Capitalization for July was $21.445 trillion, +1.91% from June, +2.35% YTD, 1,059 companies.

CVS Health(PBR11) completes acquisition of long term care facilities pharmacy provider Omnicare(PBR393) for $98/share, $12.7 billion cash. $CVS PR link.

Kroger(PBR20) appoints presidents for new Dallas/FW & Houston divisions. $KR PR link.

AutoNation(PBR148) to acquire 16 stores in SE US & Baltimore, MD, representing over $600 million in annual revenue. $AN PR link.

Ventas(PBR671) completes spin-off of pure-play skilled nursing REIT Care Capital Properties(NYSE: CCP). $VTR PR link.

Scientific Games(PBR937) to debut Season Two of “MONOPOLY MILLIONAIRES’ CLUB™” TV Game Show on 09/12/15. $SGMS PR link.

YUM!(PBR217) promotes Micky Pant to CEO, China unit, succeeds retiring Sam Su, other promotions announced. $YUM PR link.

Abercrombie & Fitch(PBR595) announces 6 appointments to its new brand leadership team. $ANF PR link.

Lumber Liquidators(PBR1061) hires Jill Witter as Chief Compliance Officer & Legal Officer. $LL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says that July Privately-Owned Housing Units Building Permits were at a 1,119,000 annual rate, -16.3% from June, +7.5% from July 2014. USDOC PR link.

Monday, August 17:
Star Wars-themed lands coming to Walt Disney(PBR57) World & Disneyland Resorts. $DIS PR link.

Starbucks(PBR178) promotes Starbucks Evenings, includes wines & craft beers. $SBUX PR link.

DISH Network(PBR196) & Sinclair Broadcast Grp(PBR894) agree to short term contract extension to renegotiate retransmission deal. $DISH PR link.

Liberty Interactive(PBR263) to acquire eCommerce retailer Zulily(NASDAQ: ZU) for $18.75/share, $2.4 billion. $QVCA PR link.

BB&T(PBR277) to acquire $9.6 billion in assets National Penn Bancshares(NASDAQ: NPBC) for $1.8 billion. $BBT PR link.

Pentair(PBR363) to acquire electrical & fastening products manufacturer ERICO Global for $1.8 billion cash. $PNR PR link.

GrafTech(PBR1057) acquisition for $5.05/share, $695 million by Brookfield Asset Management(NYSE: BAM) is completed, is now a wholly owned subsidiary. $GTI PR link.

Target(PBR40) elevates John Mulligan to newly created COO role; names Cathy Smith as CFO. $TGT PR link.

ConAgra Foods(PBR166) hires Darren Serrao to new position of Chief Growth Officer, reports to CEO Sean Connolly. $CAG PR link.

Darden Restaurants(PBR398) names Bill Lenehan as CEO of future spinoff REIT Four Corners Property Trust. $DRI PR link.

CA Technologies(PBR550) to acquire private privileged identity management solutions provider Xceedium, terms not disclosed. $CA PR link.

SeaWorld(PBR674) hires Peter Crage as CFO; hires Anthony Esparza as Chief Creative Officer. $SEAS PR link.

Bristow Group(PBR919) CFO John Briscoe is leaving, Don Miller promoted to SVP/CFO, effective immediately. $BRS PR link.

Friday, August 14:
The PBR1000 Weekly US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 17,477.40, +0.60% from last Friday, -1.20% MTD, -0.81% QTD, -1.94% YTD.
NASDAQ closes week at 5,048.24, +0.09% from last Friday, -1.56% MTD, +1.23% QTD, +6.59% YTD.
SPX closes week at 2,091.54, +0.67% from last Friday, -0.58% MTD, +1.38% QTD, +1.59% YTD.

Apple(PBR5, $AAPL) working on self-driving car, report says. MarketWatch article link.

Comcast’s(PBR42, $CMCSA) Universal Studios is having a perfect year at the box office MarketWatch article link.

Nelson Peltz’s Trian fund discloses 42.1 million share stake in Sysco(PBR61) MarketWatch article link.

Soros takes Time Warner Cable(PBR119, $TWC) stake, adds to Facebook(PBR228, $FB), sells Alibaba in Q2. MarketWatch article link.

JCPenney(PBR234, $JCP) focuses on omnichannel growth after better-than-expected results MarketWatch article link.

Cabela’s(PBR606) EVP-Chief Merchandising Officer Brian Linneman to become a company strategic advisor, Scott Williams promoted to EVP-Chief Commercial Officer. $CAB PR link.

Dun & Bradstreet(PBR957) Chief Sales Officer Mark Geneste has left, President/CEO Bob Carrigan to serve as interim. $DNB PR link.

Pay-TV lost 600,000 subscribers from April to June. USAToday article link.

American flag raised at US embassy in Havana. MarketWatch article link.

US Set to approve limited crude-oil trade to Mexico. MarketWatch article link.

The US Dept of Labor says July Producer Price Index for Final Demand was +0.2% from June, -0.8% over last 12 months. USDOL article link.

The US Federal Reserve Bank says July Industrial Capacity Utilization was 78.0%, +0.3% over June, -2.1% from the long-run (1972–2014) average. FRB article link.

Greece to receive billions of new loans after bailout approved. USAToday article link.

Thursday, August 13:
General Electric(PBR9) selling GE Capital Bank’s US online deposit platform & all deposits to Goldman Sachs(PBR76) Bank, includes $16 billion transfer. $GE PR link.

Time Warner(PBR103) HBO unit announce 5 year partnership with Sesame Street. $TWX PR link.

AFLAC(PBR121) adds 40 million shares to existing 16 million shares left in buyback program. $AFL PR link.

Perrigo(PBR562) says revised Mylan(PBR346) offer with lower tender threshold of 50% is not favorable. $PRGO PR link.

Fastenal(PBR597) now has 50,000+ installed industrial vending devices at customer sites. $FAST PR link.

Sysco(PBR61) promotes Paul Moskowitz to EVP-Human Resources, Scott Charleton to EVP-Supply Chain, Russell Libby now EVP-Admin/Secretary. $SYY PR link.

Coca-Cola Co(PBR63) promotes James Quincy to President/COO. EVP/President of International Ahmet Bozer to retire. $KO PR link.

Parker-Hannifin(PBR218) promotes Bob Bond to VP-eBusiness, IoT, & services. $PH PR link.

Ciena Corp(PBR829) SVP Worldwide Sales/Field Operations Philippe Morin leaving effective 10/31/15. $CIEN PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says July US Import Prices declined 0.9%, both fuel/nonfuel prices contributed. Exports fell 0.2%. USDOL PR link.

In Advance report the US Dept of Commerce says July US Retail Sales were at $446.5 billion, +0.6% from June, +2.4% from July 2014. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says June Trade Sales/Mfrs’ Shipments are estimated at $1,325.5 billion, +0.2% from May, -2.5% from June 2014. USDOC PR link.

Wednesday, August 12:
Comcast(PBR42) invests $200 million in Vox Media, valuing digital media company at $1 billion. $CMCSA PR link.

Macy’s(PBR97) forms joint venture with China’s Fung Retailing to test pilot e-commerce on Alibaba in China. $M PR link.

Kraft Heinz(PBR156, $KHC) to slash 2,500 jobs in restructuring. MarketWatch article link.

Viacom(PBR212) forms new ad sales division, Velocity Products Group, for multi-platform social partnerships, products & services to clients. $VIA article link.

Farmer co-op CHS(NASDAQ: CHSCP) to make $2.8 billion minority equity investment in nitrogen subsidiary of CF Industries(PBR502). $CF PR link.

Flowers Foods(PBR591) to acquire US best selling organic bread maker Dave’s Killer Bread for $275 million cash. $FLO PR link.

Fidelity Natl Info Svcs to acquire SunGard for $9.1 billion. $FIS PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US End of June Job Openings were at 5.249 million, were at 5.357 million at the end of May. Hires were at 5.177 million, Separations at 4.931 million. USDOL PR link.

The US Treasury Dept says the Federal Government 10 Months YTD Receipts ending in July were $2.672 trillion, Outlays $3.138 trillion, Deficit $465.5 billion. USTD PR link.

Tuesday, August 11:
General Electric(PBR9) to sell its Healthcare Financial Services US lending unit to Capital One(PBR116) for $9 billion. $GE PR link.

Ford Motor(PBR10) starts making previously Mexico produced F-650/F-750 trucks in Ohio with 1,000 UAW workers. $F PR link.

Computer Sciences(PBR237) to acquire front-office management trading solutions provider Fixnetix, terms not disclosed. $CSC PR link.

Computer Sciences(PBR237) to acquire cloud-based service management solutions provider Fruition Partners, terms not disclosed. $CSC PR link.

Terex(PBR355) & Finland based public company iifting cranes provider Konecranes to merge, create $10 billion/2014 company incorporated in Finland. $TEX PR link.

Symantec(PBR384) to sell information management unit Veritas to Carlysle Group(PBR578) & Singapore based GIC for $8 billion cash. $SYMC PR link.

Symetra Financial(PBR850) to be acquired by Japan’s Sumitomo Life for $32.50/share, $3.8 billion. $SYA PR link.

HCP(PBR831) hires Justin Hutchens as Chief Investment Officer, Senior Housing & Care. $HCP PR link.

Viavi Solutions(PBR944) Chairman Richard Belluzzo is also Interim President/CEO with departure of Thomas Waechter. $VIAV PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says Preliminary 2nd Quarter Nonfarm Productivity increased at a 1.3% annual rate, output +2.8%, hours worked +1.5%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says June Wholesale Trade Inventories were at $586.2 billion, May was $580.7 billion, USDOC PR link.

Monday, August 10:
Berkshire Hathaway(PBR4) to acquire Precision Castparts(PBR274) as a wholly owned subsidiary for $235/share, $37.2 billion, expected to close in 1st quarter, 2016. $PCP PR link.

Google(PBR20) CEO Larry Page announces organizational changes, being renamed Alphabet, Google to be a wholly owned subsidiary. $GOOG PR link.

Patterson Cos(PBR542) promotes Les Korsh to VP, General Counsel & Secretary. $PDCO PR link.

Hub Group(PBR611) President/COO Mark Yeager stepping down, Chair/CEO David Yeager to add interim COO duties until new person hired. $HUBG PR link.

Friday, August 7:
The PBR1000 Weekly US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 17,373.38, -1.79% from last Friday/MTD, -1.40% QTD, -2.52% YTD.
NASDAQ closes week at 5,043.54, -1.65% from last Friday/MTD, +1.14% QTD, +6.49% YTD.
SPX closes week at 2,077.57, -1.25% from last Friday/MTD, +0.70% QTD, +0.91% YTD.

Lincoln Electric(PBR710) acquires Melbourne, Australia based Specialised Welding Products, terms not disclosed. $LECO PR link.

Dollar General(PBR151): Jim Thorpe rejoins as EVP, Chief Merchandising Officer, succeeds David D’Arezzo, who has left. $DG PR link.

Airgas(PBR461) promotes Nicole Kahny as SVP, Human Resources, succeeds Pamela Claypool who is now Division President, North Division. $ARG PR link.

Baker Hughes(PBR108) says that the July US Total Oil/Natural Gas Rig Count was 866, +5 from June, -1,010 from July 2014. $BHI PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says July Total Nonfarm Employment rose 215,000, the average monthly gain is 246,000 over the past 12 months. The Unemployment Rate remained at 5.3%. USDOL PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Bank says the June US Total Consumer Debt is at $3.422 trillion, +0.61% over May, +3.17% YTD. FRB PR link.

Thursday, August 6:
FannieMae(PBR17) 2nd quarter net income is $4.6 billion, to pay $4.4 billion to US Treasury in Sept. $FNMA PR link.

Alaska Air(PBR454) authorizes additional $1 billion shares buyback program after current $650 million balance is used. $ALK PR link.

CF Industries(PBR502) to merge with Netherlands based fertilizer/industrial chemicals company OCI NV(NYSE Euronext: OCI) for $8 billion, relocate to the UK. $CF PR link.

Coca-Cola Enterprises(PBR327) hires Damian Gammell to become COO in the fall; Hubert Patricot, President of European Group, to retire in 2016. $CCE PR link.

Starwood Hotels(PBR417) promotes Mark Vondrasek to SVP Commercial Services. $HOT PR link.

Sprouts Farmers Market(PBR688) President/CEO Doug Sanders now Executive Chairman, CFO Amin Meredia is CEO. $SFM PR link.

Great Plains Energy(PBR757) SVP/CFO Jim Shay to leave, effective 09/02/15; Kevin Bryant promoted to SVP, Finance/Strategy & CFO. $GPX PR link.

Viavi Solutions(PBR944) hires Amar Maletira as EVP/CFO, effective 09/08/15, replaces Rex Jackson, who is leaving. $VIAV PR link.

Wednesday, August 5:
Allergan(PBR219) acquisition of facial aesthetics developer KYTHERA Pharmaceuticals(NASDAQ: KYTH) now an all cash deal, $75/share, $2.1 billion. $AGN PR link.

Lithia Motors(PBR451) buys $50 million/yr in revenues Bitterroot Ford, Missoula, MT, being renamed Lithia Ford of Missoula. $LAD PR link.

Keurig Green Mountain(PBR507) to reduce workforce by 5% over next 3 years, authorizes additional $1 billion for shares repurchase program. $GMCR PR link.

Liberty Media(PBR534) owns 59.4% of Sirius XM($SIRI), which now has 28.4 million subscribers. $LMCA PR link.

W.R. Grace(PBR645) files paperwork for spinoff of Construction Products & Darex Packaging Technologies units into independent public company called GCP Applied Technologies, planned for 1st quarter 2016. $GRA PR link.

H&R Block(PBR669) gets regulatory approvals to sell bank unit to BofI Federal Bank. $HRB PR link.

Anthem(PBR38) hires Dr. Craig Samitt as Chief Clinical Officer, effective 09/21/15, reports to President/CEO Joseph Swedish. $ANTM PR link.

SandRidge Energy(PBR975) hires Julian Bolt as CFO, succeeds retiring Eddie LeBlanc. $SD PR link.

The The US Dept of Commerce says the June US International Trade had $188.6 billion in exports, $232.4 billion in imports, for a -$43.8 billion deficit, May deficit was -$41.0 billion. USDOC PR link.

Tuesday, August 4:
Pfizer(PBR56) gets European Commission approval for $17 billion acquisition of Hospira(PBR532), on target to close 2nd half of 2015. $PFE PR link.

Sprint(PBR86) reports platform net additions of 675,000 subscribers during 1st quarter of fiscal year. $S PR link.

RR Donnelley(PBR243) intends to form 3 separate independent publicly traded companies. $RRD PR link.

CBRE Group(PBR301) acquires PKF Consulting of Canada, an advisory, consulting & research firm specializing in hospitality & tourist industries. $CBG PR link.

Netflix(PBR447) starts unlimited and flexible maternity & paternity leave policy. $NFLX PR link.

TeamHealth(PBR498) to acquire national acute/post-acute healthcare provider IPC Healthcare(NASDAQ: IPCM) for $1.6 billion. $TMH PR link.

Crown Castle(PBR603) completes $1.0 billion acquisition of Quanta Services(NYSE: PWR) subsidiary fiber networks provider Sunesys. $CCI PR link.

Ventas(PBR671) completes $1.75 billion acquisition of private $2 billion/yr Ardent Health Care, spins off hospital operations. $VTR PR link.

Endo International(PBR700) completes up to $1.65 billion sale of American Medical Systems’ men’s & prostrate health businesses to Boston Scientific(PBR356). $ENDP PR link.

Lincoln Electric(PBR710) acquires private $40 million/yr manufacturer & integrator of industrial automation products Rimrock Holdings, terms not disclosed. $LECO PR link.

United Continental(PBR77) CFO John Rainey leaving to be CFO of PayPal, Gerry Laderman appointed Interim CFO. $UAL PR link.

Church & Dwight(PBR639) to promote Richard Dierker to EVP/CFO, effective 01/01/16, when current CFO Matthew Farrell becomes CEO. $CHD PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce releases the June Full Report on Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories & Orders, all up over May. USDOC PR link.

Monday, August 3:
AT&T(PBR16) first to make available a TV/Wireless bundle, $200/mo. $T PR link.

Archer-Daniels-Midland(PBR34) completes $440 million sale of 670 employee global chocolate business to Cargill(NR). $ADM PR link.

AIG(PBR46) with additional $5 billion authorized, has $6.3 billion available for shares repurchase program. $AIG PR link.

3M(PBR92) completes $2.5 billion acquisition of personal protective equipment provider Capital Safety from KKR(PBR332). $MMM PR link.

Community Health System(PBR125) to spinoff 38 hospitals & Quorum Health Resources as separate independent public company. $CYH PR link.

Molina Healthcare(PBR284) Florida subsidiary to acquire Medicaid assets of 90,000 Medicaid members non-profit Integral Health Plan. $MOH PR link.

Constellation Brands(PBR377) completes $315 million acquisition of Napa Valley wine brand Meiomi from Copper Cane. $STZ PR link.

Barnes & Noble(PBR408) completes spinoff of separate independent company Barnes & Noble Education(NYSE: $BNED). $BKS PR link.

Ingredion(PBR415) completes $100 million acquisition of privately held natural fruits and vegetables concentrates producer Kerr Concentrates. $INGR PR link.

TeamHealth(PBR498) acquires New York based 30,000 annual cases/year Brookhaven Anesthesia Associates. $TMH PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) completes acquisition of $50 million/yr Boston based William Gallagher Associates Insurance Brokers. $AJG PR link.

Alpha Natural Resources(PBR548) files bankruptcy petition to reorganize under Chapter 11 in coal/energy markets. $ANR PR link.

CIT Group(PBR608) completes $3.4 billion acquisition of OneWest Bank. $CIT PR link.

Ciena Corp(PBR829) completes $400 million acquisition of network management software developer Cyan(NYSE: CYNI). $CIEN PR link.

Synopsys(PBR879) completes acquisition of verification technologies provider Atrenta, terms not disclosed. $SNPS PR link.

Domino’s Pizza(PBR889) opens 12,000th worldwide store in Oklahoma City, OK. $DPZ PR link.

JDS Uniphase(PBR944) completes spinoff of its Communications & Commercial Optical Product unit as Lumentum, changes name to Viavi Solutions(NASDAQ: VIAV). $VIAV PR link.

Sprint(PBR86) hires Tarek Robbiati as CFO, Gunther Ottendorfer as COO, technology. $S PR link.

Devon Energy(PBR143) promotes COO Dave Hager to President/CEO, succeeds retiring John Richels. $DVN PR link.

JCPenney(PBR234) hires Michael Amend as EVP Omnichannel, Mike Robbins as SVP, Supply Chain. $JCP PR link.

Barnes Group(PBR1030) hires Jim Berklas as SVP, General Counsel & Secretary. $B PR link.

Car makers report strong U.S. sales for July, on track for 17 million units in 2015. MarketWatch article link.

Puerto Rico fails to make $58 million payment, sees first-ever bond default . MarketWatch article link.

President Obama announces the Clean Power Plan, sets new carbon pollution standards for power plants. Whitehouse article link.

US Dept of Treasury raises July-September quarterly borrowing estimate to $127 billion. MarketWatch article link.

The US Dept of Commerce says June Disposable Income at $13.353T annual rate, Personal Savings Rate 4.8%, May was 4.6%. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says June Construction Spending was at a $1,064.6B annual rate, +0.1% from May, +12% from June 2014 USDOC PR link.

Saturday, August 1:
Click here for The PBR1000 July 2015 Breaking News Recap.

Caesars Entertainment(PBR314), Caesars Entertainment Operating Co. announce amended Restructuring Support Agreement with First Lien Holders. $CZR PR link.

(Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net, sheelamohan.)

Filed Under: Recaps Tagged With: acquisitions, business news, Economy, Leadership, Marketing, mergers, Rankings, The PBR1000

The PBR1000 July 2015 Breaking News Recap

August 3, 2015 by admin

ID-100335902 Business Word Head-Sujin Jetkasettakorn

As A Business Leader There Is A Lot To Think About.

By Larry C. Paxton

The PBR1000 in July 2015 had a lot of highlights in several areas.

Most of the mega deals involved the continuing consolidation of health related businesses. There were also some long awaited completion of deals like AT&T/DirecTV and Dollar Tree/Family Dollar.

More spinoffs occurred or were announced, with PayPal getting most of the press.

The US economy is still regarded as somewhat fragile but showing modest growth, enough to keep everyone guessing when the Federal Reserve will increase interest rates.

World issues had an affect as well. The stock markets displayed volatility based on the still unresolved Greece debt issues, the slowdown of the China economy and the dramatic downward dip in its markets towards the end of the month. Nevertheless, all US stock markets showed good increases over June with the NASDAQ hitting new highs. Other issues that didn’t seem to have a direct effect, but could have a longer range impact include the nuclear weapons negotiations with Iran, and the battles against extremist warring organizations like ISIL in the Middle East.

August has a history of volatility, let’s see if that’s true again in 2015.

Following are The PBR1000 and economic related news items of note for July 2015, starting with the last active day.

Friday, July 31:
The PBR1000 Weekly US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 17,689.86, +0.69% from last Friday, +0.40% MTD/QTD, -.75% YTD.
NASDAQ closes week at 5,128.28, +0.78% from last Friday, +2.84% MTD/QTD, +8.28% YTD.
SPX closes week at 2,103.84, +1.16% from last Friday, +1.97% MTD/QTD, +2.18% YTD.

UPS(PBR47) to acquire truckload freight brokerage company Coyote Logistics for $1.8 billion. $UPS PR link.

Jarden(PBR324) completes $1.35 billion acquisition of disposable tableware manufacturer The Waddington Group from private equity firm Olympus Partners. $JAH PR link.

Berry Plastics(PBR488) to acquire specialty materials provider AVINTIV from Blackstone Group(PBR352) for $2.45 billion cash. $BERY PR link.

Yahoo!(PBR519) to acquire social shopping site Polyvore, terms not disclosed. $YHOO PR link.

Penn National Gaming(PBR750) to acquire Illinois 1,100 video gaming terminals operator Prairie State Gaming. $PENN PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the 2nd Quarter Employment Cost Index decelerated sharply to 0.2% from the 1st Quarter. MarketWatch article link.

Thursday, July 30:
MasterCard(PBR291) extends partnership with Samsung to deliver Samsung Pay in Europe. $MA PR link.

Intl Flavors & Fragrances(PBR666) completes $311 million acquisition of Lucas Meyer Cosmetics. $IFF PR link.

Ventas(PBR671) to spinoff of most of its post-acute/skilled nursing facility portfolio as an independent publicly held REIT called Care Capital Properties, NYSE: CCP, after 08/17/15. $VTR PR link.

Kroger(PBR20) 1st female corporate executive Group VP for Corporate Affairs Lynn Marmer retiring in early 2016. $KR PR link.

Raytheon(PBR118) promotes Wesley Kremer as President, Integrated Defense Systems. $RTN PR link.

Diebold(PBR676) EVP/COO George Mayes, Jr, leaving, position to be eliminated in streamlining effort. $DBD PR link.

Avista Corp(PBR990) announces 3 changes to its officer team in finance, strategy, & development. $AVA PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says that the 2nd Quarter Advance GDP estimate is at a 2.3%, $17.840 trillion, annual rate. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says for the week ending 07/18/15 the Total Insured Unemployment was at 2.266,000, 4 week moving average at 2,255,250. USDOL PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR41) says on 07/30/15 30 Year Fixed Mortgage Rate averaged 3.98% with 0.6 points/fees. $FMCC PR link.

Wednesday, July 29:
Mylan(PBR346) receives unconditional clearance by European Commission for purchase of Perrigo(PBR565). $MYL PR link.

Apollo Education Group(PBR681) files notice disclosing an FTC civil investigation on business practices. MarketWatch article link.

Cytec(PBR887) to be merged into Brussels based global chemical company Solvay for $75.25/share, $5.5 billion. $CYT PR link.

Manitowoc(PBR579) hires Hubertus Muelhaeuser as CEO for the Manitowoc Foodservice unit. $MTW PR link.

Tuesday, July 28:
AIG(PBR46) acquires private First Principles Capital Management, names its CEO Douglas Dachille as AIG’s next EVP/Chief Investment Officer, succeeds William Dooley, who is retiring. $AIG PR link.

Caterpillar(PBR54) to do $1.5 billion accelerated stock repurchase program by end of 3rd quarter. $CAT PR link.

Caterpillar(PBR54) announces new strategy for its vocational truck product family, to expand production at its Victoria, TX, facility. $CAT PR link.

Honeywell Intl(PBR74) to acquire gas heating, controls, metering, and advanced technologies provider Elster Division from Melrose Industries plc for $5.1 billion. $HON PR link.

SuperValu(PBR164) considering spinoff of its Save-A-Lot unit into a stand-alone publicly traded company. $SVU PR link.

Proctor & Gamble(PBR33) promotes David Taylor as President/CEO, effective 11/01/15, succeeds AG Lafley who becomes Executive Chairman. $PG PR link.

Citrix(PBR658) President/CEO Mark Templeton to retire when successor appointed, search firm retained. $CTXS PR link.

Scientific Games(PBR937) hires David Smail as EVP/Chief Legal Officer, effective 08/03/15. $SGMS PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says the 2nd Quarter Homeownership Rate was 63.4%, -1.3% from 2nd quarter 2014, -0.4% from 1st quarter 2015. USDOC PR link.

Monday, July 27:
Allergan(PBR219) selling its global generics business to Teva Pharmaceutical($TEVA) for $40.5 billion cash/stock. $AGN PR link.

Allergan(PBR219) to acquire depression therapies developer Naurex for $560 million cash. $AGN PR link.

Mylan(PBR346) comments on Israel based Teva Pharmaceuticals acquisition of generics business of Allergan(PBR219) & unsolicited offer withdrawal for Mylan. $MYL PR link.

McGraw Hill(PBR477) to acquire data, analytics, & research firm SNL Financial for $2.225 billion cash. $MHFI PR link.

Arch Coal(PBR691) postpones 1:10 reverse stock split from 07/27/15 close to 08/03/15 close. $ACI PR link.

Beacon Roofing(PBR818) to acquire roofing products distributor Roofing Supply Group for $1.1 billion cash/stock. $BECN PR link.

SandRidge Energy(PBR975) receives NYSE notice of potential delisting because share price less than $1.00 for 30 days, considering reverse stock split. $SD PR link.

Darden Restaurants(PBR398) announces Todd Burrowes is rejoining LongHorn Steakhouse unit as President, reports to CEO. $DRI PR link.

Friday, July 24:
The PBR1000 Weekly US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 17,568.53, -2.86% from last Friday, -0.29% MTD/QTD, -1.43% YTD.
NASDAQ closes week at 5,088.83, -2.33% from last Friday, +2.04% MTD/QTD, +7.45% YTD.
SPX closes week at 2,079.65, -2.21% from last Friday, +0.80% MTD/QTD, +1.01% YTD.

AT&T(PBR12) completes $67 billion acquisition of DirecTV(PBR89), now the largest pay TV provider in the US & world. $T PR link.

Anthem(PBR38) to acquire Cigna(PBR85) for $188/share, $54.2 billion, creates company with 53 million medical members, $115 billion revenues/year. $ANTM PR link.

Enterprise Products(PBR59) completes sale of its offshore Gulf of Mexico assets to Genesis Energy(PBR553) for $1.5 billion cash. $EPD PR link.

Cisco(PBR60) to stop selling flash memory data-storage business known as Invicta. MarketWatch article link.

Johnson Controls(PBR68) plans to spinoff $22 billion in 2014 revenues Automotive Experience business as an independent publicly traded company within 12 months. $JCI PR link.

American Airlines(PBR69) ups shares repurchase program to $4 billion. $AAL PR link.

Charles River Labs(PBR1025) completes acquisition of rapid bacterial detection equipment provider Celsis International for $212 million cash. $CRL PR link.

Public Service Enterprise(PBR257) EVP/CFO Caroline Dorsa to retire in 4th quarter, search firm retained for new CFO. $PEG PR link.

The US Dept of HUD says June New Single-Family Houses Sales were at a 482,000 annual rate, -6.8% from May, +18.1% over June 2014. HUD PR link.

Thursday, July 23:
Cisco(PBR60) to sell its set-top box business unit to France based Technicolor for $604 million. $CSCO PR link.

Alcoa(PBR115) completes acquisition of titanium & specialty metal products manufacturer RTI(NYSE: RTI) in $1.5 billion stock deal. $AA PR link.

Starbucks(PBR178) adds 50 million shares for repurchase to existing 11 million available. $SBUX PR link.

EnerSys(PBR776) completes acquisition of Australia based equipment facilities manufacturer ICS Industries. $ENS PR link.

DuPont(PBR82) promotes Marc Doyle to SVP-Safety/Protections unit upon resignation of Matthew Trerotola. $DD PR link.

Crown Holdings(PBR298) CEO John Conway retiring effective 01/01/16, Timothy Dunne elected to succeed him as President/CEO. $CCK PR link.

Celanese(PBR369) Interim CFO Chris Jensen officially named CFO. $CE PR link.

Colfax Corp(PBR517) hires Matt Trerotola as CEO, effective 07/24/15, succeeds retiring Steve Simms. $CFX PR link.

Yahoo!(PBR519) promotes Lisa Utzschneider to Chief Revenue Officer. $YHOO PR link.

CA Technologies(PBR550) hires Ayman Sayed as Chief Product Officer, reports to CEO Mike Gregoire. $CA PR link.

Graham Holdings(PBR615) Kaplan unit CEO Tom Leppert resigning effective 08/21/15, Chairman Andy Rosen to add CEO responsibilities. $GHC PR link.

Wednesday, July 22:
Home Depot(PBR32) to acquire national distributor/direct marketer of maintenance, repair & operational products Interline Brands for $1.625 billion cash. $HD PR link.

Genworth Financial(PBR287) in negotiations to sell its lifestyle protection insurance business to France based AXA SA for $510 million. $GNW PR link.

Discovery Communications(PBR399) to acquire full ownership of Europe/Asia sports channels group Eurosport from TFI Group for $535 million per 2012 agreement. $DISCA PR link.

St Jude Medical(PBR440) to acquire medical devices for heart failure developer Thoratec for $63.50/share, $3.4 billion cash. $STJ PR link.

Bank of America(PBR24) CFO Bruce Thompson stepping down, Paul Donofrio to become CFO on 08/01/15; other key management changes announced. $BAC PR link.

The National Assn of Realtors reports June Existing Home Sales at a 5.49 million annual rate, $236,400 median price. NAR PR link.

Tuesday, July 21:

KKR(PBR332) to acquire an 80% stake in $1 billion total enterprise valued photovoltaic developer/operator Gestamp Solar from Gestamp Renewables. $KKR PR link.

Lexmark(PBR601) to eliminate 500 positions worldwide as part of restructuring program. $LXK PR link.

CIT Group(PBR608) gets federal & states regulatory approval for $3.4 billion acquisition of OneWest Bank, expected to close 08/03/15. $CIT PR link.

Henry Schein(PBR270) promotes Peter McCarthy to President, Global Animal Health Group. $HSIC PR link.

Corning(PBR281) Vice Chairman/CFO Jim Flaws to retire on 11/30/15. $GLW PR link.

Corning(PBR281) elects Lawrence McRae as Vice Chairman & Corporate Development Officer, Tony Tripeny as SVP/CFO effective 09/01/15, & Dr. Jeffrey Evenson SVP/Chief Strategy Officer. $GLW PR link.

Royal Caribbean(PBR329) hires Jim Berra as Chief Marketing Officer, reports to President/CEO Michael Bayley. $RCL PR link.

HARMAN Intl(PBR456) promotes Phillip Eyler as EVP & President, Infotainment division, reports to Chairman/President/CEO Dinesh Paliwal. $HAR PR link.

Iron Mountain(PBR663) hires Deirdre Evens as Chief People Officer, reports to President/CEO William Meaney. $IRM PR link.

Bon-Ton Stores(PBR707) hires Bill Tracy as COO, effective 07/27/15. $BONT PR link.

AMC Entertainment(PBR728) President/CEO Gerry Lopez leaving, effective 08/06/15, CFO Craig Ramsey to become Interim President/CEO at that time. $AMC PR link.

Elizabeth Arden(PBR1043) hires JuE Wong as President, Elizabeth Arden Brand, effective 08/03/15. $RDEN PR link.

Monday, July 20:
United Technologies(PBR45) to do 75 million shares repurchase program, $8.3 billion, with sale of Sikorsky Aircraft unit to Lockheed Martin(PBR64) for $9 billion. $UTX PR link.

Lockheed Martin(PBR64) to acquire Sikorsky Aircraft unit from United Technologies(PBR45) for $9 billion. $LMT PR link.

Ross Stores(PBR253) to open 19 Ross Dress for Less and 8 dd’s Discount stores in July as part of plan for 90 new stores in 2015. $ROST PR link.

Caesars Entertainment(PBR314) reaches agreement on debt restructuring with a group of 2nd lien holders, makes changes to 01/14/15 Restructuring Support Agreement. $CZR PR link.

Calpine Corp(PBR330) to expand in Texas & NE US with acquisition of retail electric provider Champion Energy Marketing for $240 million. $CPN PR link.

CF Industries(PBR502) confirms it is in preliminary discussions with OCI NV regarding a potential combination involving certain of OCI’s businesses. $CF PR link.

Arch Coal(PBR691) announces 1:10 reverse stock split after 07/27/15 market close, will maintain listing status on NYSE. $ACI PR link.

SunEdison(PBR782) to acquire Vivint Solar(NYSE: VSLR) for $16.50/share, $2.2 billion in cash/stock/notes, to close in 4th quarter 2015. $SUNE PR link.

Synopsis(PBR879) completes acquisition of the Seeker security product and its R&D team from Quotium(NYSE Euronext: QTE).
$SNPS PR link.

eBay(PBR163) spinoff PayPal(NASDAQ: PYPL) in first day of public trading opens at $41.46, range $39.80-$42.55, closes at $40.47. MarketWatch PayPal stock info.

Adobe Systems(PBR557) hires Abhay Parasnis as Chief Technology Officer & SVP/platform technology and services. $ADBE PR link.

HealthSouth(PBR800) EVP/General Counsel & Secretary John Whittington retiring on 12/31/15. $HLS PR link.

Friday, July 17:
The PBR1000 Weekly US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 18,086.54, +1.84% from last Friday, +2.65% MTD/QTD, +1.48% YTD.
NASDAQ closes week at 5,210.14(R), +4.25% from last Friday, +4.48% MTD/QTD, +10.01% YTD.
SPX closes week at 2,126.64, +2.41% from last Friday, +3.08% MTD/QTD, +3.29% YTD.

GameStop(PBR287) completes acquisition of ThinkGeek retailer parent Geeknet(NASDAQ: GKNT) for $20/share, $140 million. $GME PR link.

Yahoo!(PBR500) files with SEC to spinoff remaining holdings in Alibaba Group into an independent, publicly traded, registered investment company, as announced on 01/27/15, to close in 4th quarter. $YHOO PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says June Employee Average Earnings were $24.95/hour, 34.5 hours/week, $860.78/week, +2.0% from June 2014. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the June Consumer Price Index for All Items was +0.3% over May, +0.1% over the last 12 months. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of HUD says the June Private Housing Units Building Permits were at a 1,343,000 annual rate, +7.4% over May, +30.0% over June 2014 HUD PR link.

Thursday, July 16:
Amazon’s(PBR37) first Prime Day sales exceed Black Friday 2014 by 18%, 34.4 million items sold. $AMZN PR link.

Enterprise Products(PBR56) to sell its offshore Gulf of Mexico assets to Genesis Energy(PBR553) for $1.5 billion cash. $EPD PR link.

Mondelez(PBR85) completes acquisition of 80% stake in Vietnam’s leading snacks business Kinh Do for $370 million. $MDLZ PR link.

Hertz(PBR249) completes restatements of annual reports, to separate its equipment rental business, implementing cost reduction program. $HTZ PR link.

McGraw Hill(PBR477) Platts division acquires shipping & oil industries news & analysis provider Petromedia. $MHFI PR link.

Groupon(PBR750) acquires OrderUp to power nationwide food ordering & delivery. $GRPN PR link.

Dollar Tree(PBR329) promotes Mike Witynski to COO. $DLTR PR link.

Fifth Third Bancorp(PBR345) hires Lars Anderson to be EVP/COO on 08/03/15. $FITB PR link.

Hershey Co(PBR347) hires Peter Horst as new Chief Marketing Officer, effective 07/27/15. Mike Wege now SVP/Chief Admin Officer. $HSY PR link.

Domino’s Pizza(PBR927) promotes Jeff Lawrence to EVP/CFO, succeeds Mike Lawton who is retiring at the end of August. $DPZ PR link.

Wednesday, July 15:
Amazon(PBR37) Studios announces Spike Lee’s Chi-Raq as first ever Amazon original movie. $AMZN PR link.

Nike(PBR98) gets $169 million apparel deal from 08/01/16 through 2027 with University of Michigan, MarketWatch article link.

Kinder Morgan(PBR198) to purchase 100% of Shell’s equity interest in the Elba LNG Liquefaction joint venture for $630 million. $KMI PR link.

Corning(PBR332) authorizes $2 billion shares repurchase program, expires 12/31/16. $GLW PR link.

Molina Healthcare(PBR375) to enter Chicago market with acquisition of Medicaid assets of 61,000 member MyCare Chicago. $MOH PR link.

Anixter(PBR398) to acquire the distributor Power Solutions segment of HD Supply for $825 million. $AXE PR link.

Netflix(PBR534) grows by 3.3 million subscribers in 2nd Quarter, now has over 65 million subscribers worldwide. $NFLX PR link.

Walter Energy(PBR920) reaches restructuring agreement with senior lendors, files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. $WLTG PR link.

Gannett(PBR458) hires Kevin Gentzel as its first Chief Revenue Officer. $GCI PR link.

Juniper Networks(PBR501) hires Susan Lovegren as SVP/Human Resources, Bob Worrall as SVP/CIO. $JNPR PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the June Producer Price Index for final demand was +0.4% over May, -0.7% for 12 months ended in June. USDOL PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Board in its G17 report says June Industrial Production was +0.3%, +1.5% over June 2014; Capacity Utilization was at 78.4% USFRB PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Board releases its latest Beige Book, overall districts are generally optimistic. USFRB PR link.

Tuesday, July 14:
Danaher(PBR139) completes $2.6 billion deal that combines its Communications unit with a subsidiary of NetScout Systems(NASDAQ: NTCT). $DHR PR link.

Molina Healthcare(PBR375) to acquire Medicaid assets of 25,000 member S. Florida firm Preferred Medical Plan. $MOH PR link.

Celgene(PBR381) to acquire immune/metabolics therapeutics developer Receptos(NASDAQ: RCPT) for $232/share, $7.2 billion. $CELG PR link.

Barnes & Noble(PBR388) approves publicly held Barnes & Noble Education spinoff, scheduled for 08/02/15, to start trading on 08/03/15 with symbol NYSE: BNED. $BKS PR link.

IAC(PBR669) soon to be spinoff The Match Group to acquire fellow dating site PlentyOfFish for $575 million. $IACI PR link.

WPX Energy(PBR713) to acquire privately held Permian Basin assets based RKI Exploration for $2.35 billion. $WPX PR link.

Guess?(PBR751) Co-Founder/CEO Paul Marciano announces that Victor Herroro to be new CEO in August. $GES PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce in advance report says June Retail & Food Sales were at $442.0 billion, -0.3% from May, +1.4% from June 2014. USDOC PR link.

Monday, July 13:
Valero Energy(PBR10) adds $2.5 billion to its available $400 million for stock repurchases. $VLO PR link.

Comcast(PBR44) to roll out $15/month TV streaming service across the US by the end of 2016, starting in Boston. $CMCSA PR link.

Medtronic(PBR161) to acquire detection/prevention of retained surgical items device company RF Surgical Systems for $235 million. $MDT PR link.

Computer Sciences(PBR209) files Form 10 for government services spinoff Computer Sciences GS, separation planned for October. $CSC PR link.

BorgWarner(PBR339) to acquire rotating electrical components producer Remy International for $29.50/share, $1.2 billion, to close in 4th quarter. $BWA PR link.

Jarden(PBR341) to acquire disposable tableware manufacturer The Waddington Group from private equity firm Olympus Partners for $1.35 billion. $JAH PR link.

PG&E(PBR175) announces promotion of several senior officers as part of restructuring program. $PCG PR link.

Jacobs Engineering(PBR213) hires Steven Demetriou as President/CEO, effective 08/17/15, to succeed retiring Craig Martin. $JEC PR link.

Dana Holding(PBR367) hires Jim Kamsickas as President/CEO, effective 08/11/15, succeeds retiring Roger Wood. $DAN PR link.

Xylem(PBR581) appoints Shashank Patel as Interim CFO upon resignation of Mike Speetzen, effective 07/30/15. $XYL PR link.

The US Dept of the Treasury says the June Surplus was $51.8B on Receipts of $342.9B. YTD Deficit is $313.4B. Treasury PR link.

Friday, July 10:
The PBR1000 Weekly US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 17,760.41, +0.17% from last Thursday, +0.80% MTD/QTD, -0.35% YTD.
NASDAQ closes week at 4,997.70, -0.23% from last Thursday, +0.22% MTD/QTD, +5.52% YTD.
SPX closes week at 2,076.62, -0.01% from last Thursday, +0.65% MTD/QTD, +0.86% YTD.

Halliburton(PBR94) $34.6 billion acquisition of Baker Hughes(PBR124) deadline extended to 12/01/15 for time to satisfy US Dept of Justice requirements. $BHI PR link.

Edwards Lifesciences(PBR879) to acquire CardiAQ Valve Technologies for up to $400 million. $EW PR link.

Biogen(PBR358) R&D leader Doug Williams, PhD, leaving to become CEO of a startup, new R&D co-leaders announced. $BIIB PR link.

Tesla(PBR887) hires Ganesh Srivats to be in charge of North American Sales. $TSLA PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says that May Merchant Wholesalers Sales were $449.8 billion, +0.3% from April, -3.8% from May 2014. USDOC PR link.

Thursday, July 9:
T-Mobile US(PBR115) adds 2.1 million customers in 2nd quarter, up 41% over previous year. $TMUS PR link.

eBay(PBR170) trying to sell e-commerce Enterprise unit, losing Toys R Us as a major client who plans to do its own e-commerce. MarketWatch article link.

Avon(PBR267) sells its UK based natural skincare line Liz Earle to Walgreens Boots Alliance(PBR36) for $215 million cash. $AVP PR link.

Coty(PBR524) to merge Proctor & Gamble’s(PBR32) Beauty Business into Coty in deal valued at $12.5 billion. $COTY PR link.

Charles River Labs(PBR1058) to acquire rapid bacterial detection equipment provider Celsis International for $212 million cash. $CRL PR link.

Walgreens Boots Alliance(PBR36) Interim CEO Stefano Pessina named CEO. $WBA PR link.

Conn’s(PBR1052) hires Thomas Moran as CFO, effective 07/27/15. $CONN PR link.

Wednesday, July 8:
The PBR1000 June 2015 Stocks/Commodities Snapshots summary is posted. Blog post.

Microsoft(PBR30) restructuring phone hardware business, to reduce staff by up to 7,800. $MSFT PR link.

Enterprise Products(PBR56) completes purchase of all Eagle Ford Shale member interests of EFS Midstream for $2.15 billion. $EPD PR link.

Ingredion(PBR371) to acquire privately held natural fruits and vegetables concentrates producer Kerr Concentrates for $100 million. $INGR PR link.

CA Technologies(PBR520) completes $480 million acquisition of Agile software development & services provider Rally Software(NYSE: RALY). $CA PR link.

Curtiss-Wright(PBR771) expands stock repurchase program to $300 million. $CW PR link.

Walter Energy(PBR920) gets delisting notice from NYSE because of stock price non-compliance. $WLT PR link.

Micron Technology(PBR166) hires Trevor Schulze as Chief Information Officer. $MU PR link.

Fifth Third Bancorp(PBR345) President/COO Greg Carmichael to become President/CEO on 11/01/15, will succeed retiring Kevin Kabat. $FITB PR link.

Darden Restaurants(PBR393) hires Jeff Davis as SVP/CFO, effective 07/16/15, reports to CEO Gene Lee. $DRI PR link.

Sprouts Farmers Market(PBR789) hires Shawn Gensch as Chief Marketing Officer, Dan Sanders as EVP of store operations. $SFM PR link.

Acxiom(PBR1073) hires Jeremy Allen as President of $445 million Marketing Services Division. $ACXM PR link.

The US Federal Reserve says May Consumer Credit increased at 5.75% annual rate, Revolving Credit 2%, Nonrevolving Credit 7%. FRB PR link.

The US Federal Reserve in its Federal Open Market Committee minutes of its 06/16-17/15 meeting says that economic activity is expanding moderately after little 1st quarter change. FRB PR link.

Tuesday, July 7:
Cisco(PBR58) to acquire private cloud based service renewals firm MaintenanceNet for $139 million. $CSCO PR link.

Carnival Corp(PBR176) gets US approval for travel to Cuba, expects to start in May, 2016. $CCL PR link.

Allergan(PBR297) gets exclusive worldwide rights licensing agreement for Merck(PBR63) CGRP migraine development program for $250 million plus incentives. $MRK PR link.

Frontier Communications(PBR497) hires Kathleen Weslock as EVP/Chief People Officer, effective 07/13/15, reports to President/CEO Daniel McCarthy. $FTR PR link.

Xylem(PBR581) hires Kairus Tarapore as SVP/Chief Human Resources Officer, effective 07/27/15, reports to President/CEO Patrick Decker. $XYL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says May Job Openings were at 5.4 million, hires at 5.0 million, separations at 4.7 million. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says May International Trade deficit was -$41.9 billion on exports of $188.6 billion, imports of $230.5 billion. USDOC PR link.

Monday, July 6:
Cardinal Health(PBR27) completes acquisition of generics/OTC medications distributor The Harvard Drug Group for $1.115 billion. $CAH PR link.

Dollar Tree(PBR329) completes $9.2 billion cash/stock acquisition of discount retailer Family Dollar(PBR252). $DLTR PR link.

Advance Auto Parts(PBR382) to replace recently acquired Family Dollar on the S&P500 on 07/08/15. $AAP PR link.

LINN Energy(PBR810) sells remaining Permian Basin Wolfcamp acreage for $281 million. $LINE PR link.

SunEdison(PBR888) and spinoff TerraForm Power to acquire 930 megawatt contracted wind portfolio from Invenergy for $2 billion. $SUNE PR link.

JPMorgan Chase(PBR20) Stacey Friedman to succeed Steve Cutler next year as General Counsel; Cutler to be appointed Vice Chairman. $JPM PR link.

Axiall(PBR503) EVP Timothy Mann appointed Interim President/CEO upon immediate retirement of Paul Carrico, new CEO search starts. $AXLL PR link.

Friday, July 3:
US Stock Markets Closed
in Observance of Independence Day.
Give Thanks & Celebrate
Our History and Freedoms.

Humana(PBR71) to be acquired by Aetna(PBR57) for $230/share, $37 billion cash/stock. $HUM PR link.

Thursday, July 2:
The PBR1000 Weekly US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 17,730.11, -1.21% from last Friday, +0.63% MTD/QTD, -0.52% YTD.
NASDAQ closes week at 5,009.21, -1.40% from last Friday, +0.45% MTD/QTD, +5.77% YTD.
SPX closes week at 2,076.78, -1.18% from last Friday, +0.66% MTD/QTD, +0.87% YTD.

Kraft Foods(PBR145) & HJ Heinz complete merger, new company is Kraft Heinz Co, to start trading as NASDAQ: KHC on 07/06/15. $KRFT PR link.

Centene(PBR244) to acquire health care plans provider Health Net(PBR239) for $6.8 billion cash/stock, to close in early 2016. $CNC PR link.

Biogen(PBR358) & AGTC(NASDAQ: AGTC) enter collaboration to develop gene therapies in ophthalmology, Biogen payments could exceed $1 billion. $BIIB PR link.

Barnes & Noble(PBR388) names Ron Boire CEO of Retail, effective 09/08/15; spinoff of College unit planned for August. $BKS PR link.

Freescale Semiconductor(PBR548) & Netherlands based NXP Semiconductor(NASDAQ: NXPI) stockholders approve $11.8 billion merger, to close 2nd half 2015. $FSL PR link.

Aeropostale(PBR868) continues aggressive expansion in Asia with new licensing agreements in India & Indonesia. $ARO PR link.

SunEdison(PBR888) & Gamesa(BME: GAM) form joint venture to develop 1 gigawatt of wind power plants by 2018. $SUNE PR link.

Intel(PBR52) President Renee James leaving, other executive leadership changes announced. $INTC PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says Total June Nonfarm Employment rose by 223,000, compared with an average monthly gain of 250,000 over the prior 12 months. June Unemployment Rate drops 0.2% to 5.3%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says May New Manufactured Goods Orders were down $4.5 billion, -1.0%, to $470.5 billion, down 9 of last 10 months. USDOC PR link.

Wednesday, July 1:
General Electric(PBR9) $3.3 billion sale of Appliances unit dened by US Dept of Justice; Swedish based Electrolux to fight decision. Electrolux PR link.

Hewlett-Packard(PBR19) Enterprise files Form 10 to become a separate publicly traded company, planned for November. $HPQ PR link.

INTL FCStone(PBR64) merges 3 US subsidiaries into INTL FCStone Financial Inc. $INTL PR link.

DuPont(PBR83) completes spinoff of its Performance Chemicals unit as The Chemours Company, trading as NYSE: CC. $DD PR link.

Hess Corp(PBR114) completes $2.675 billion sale of Bakken midstream assets, establishes Bakken Midstream joint venture with Global Infrastructure Partners valued at $5.35 billion. $HES PR link.

eBay(PBR170) PayPal unit buying international money transfers/remittances processor Xoom(NASDAQ: XOOM) for $25/share, $890 million. $EBAY PR link.

Baxter Intl(PBR179) spinoff Baxalta starts 1st day as biopharmaceutical with base of $6 billion in annual sales. $BXLT PR link.

Chubb Corp(PBR200) to be acquired by Ace Ltd(NYSE: ACE) for $28.3 billion cash/stock, expects to close in 1st quarter 2016. $CB PR link.

MeadWestvaco(PBR439) & Rock-Tenn(PBR278) complete merger, name combined company WestRock(NYSE: WRK)(PBR278). $WRK PR link.

CF Industries(PBR438) to acquire remaining 50% in UK based nitrogen production company GrowHow from Yara Intl for $580 million. $CF PR link.

McGraw Hill(PBR477) JD Power division acquires NADA Used Car Guide. $MHFI PR link.

Constellation Brands(PBR483) to acquire Napa Valley wine brand Meiomi from Copper Cane for $315 million. $STZ PR link.

Energizer Holdings(PBR527) completes spinoff of Household Products division, changes name to Edgewell Personal Care Company, now trading as NYSE: EPC. $EPC PR link.

Energizer Holdings(PBR527) completes spinoff as a public company from parent Edgewell Personal Care Co. $ENR PR link.

Apollo Global Mgmt(PBR531) acquires 2 million clients business/home security firm Protection 1 & also ASG Security. $APO PR link.

Patterson Cos(PBR563) to sell its medical business to Madison Dearborn Ptnrs for $715 million cash. $PDCO PR link.

Graham Holdings(PBR610) completes spin-off of separate publicly traded company Cable ONE(NYSE: CABO). $GHC PR link.

American Tower(PBR625) closes acquisition of 4,700 communication sites in Nigeria from Bharti Airtel. $AMT PR link.

Caesars Entertainment(PBR301) announces Mark Frissora has assumed role of President/CEO. $CZR PR link.

Peabody Energy(PBR355) promotes Amy Schwetz to EVP/CFO, upon resignation of Michael Crews. $BTU PR link.

Men’s Wearhouse(PBR781) hires Bruce Thorn as COO, reports to CEO Doug Ewert. $MW PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce reports that May Construction Spending was at a $1,035.8 billion annual rate, +0.8% from April, +8.2% from May 2014. USDOC PR link.

The PBR1000 June 2015 Breaking News Recap is posted on the BLOG page. You can also click here.

(The PBR1000 is the premiere comparative data and reporting service covering over 1,000 of the largest publicly held companies with principle or administration headquarters in the US. These companies generate over $13 trillion in annual worldwide revenues, more than all other companies in the US combined. These are the key drivers in the US and world economies. On a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis several analytical reports in customizable Microsoft Excel format are provided to The PBR1000 subscribers. Users include C-level executives, entrepreneurs, sales/marketing/advertising professionals, investors/investment advisers, business professors/students, career counselors/job seekers, to name just a few. To order your annual subscription, just go to the PBRMarketTools.com Order page.)

(Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net, Sujin Jetkasettakorn.)

Filed Under: Recaps Tagged With: acquisitions, Business, business news, Economy, Investing, Leadership, mergers, Research, Stock Market, The PBR1000

The PBR1000 June 2015 Breaking News Recap

July 2, 2015 by admin

In the Digital Age We Still Shake Hands When Making the Big Deal.

By Larry C. Paxton

There were the usual number of interesting acquisitions/mergers among The PBR1000 during June 2015. The energy sector saw some activity as well with the companies continuing to adjust to lower oil prices, which look like they might be here to stay.

Spin-offs were a major theme as well, with several scheduled to be concluded during the second half of the year.

The US economy continues to send mixed signals, but overall it continues to show moderate growth, and appears to be not quite as fragile. The Federal Reserve seems to indicate that if the numbers continue to show some growth that there will most likely be a very modest increase or two in interest rates in 2015.

However, on the international scene the Greece/Eurozone drama continues. It will be difficult for all parties involved, whatever the resolution.

The revelation late in the month that the US territory of Puerto Rico also has severe economic issues was a surprise for most of us. It will be interesting to see how that plays out.

Following are The PBR1000 and economic related news items of note for June 2015, starting with the last active day.

Tuesday, June 30:
The PBR1000 June 2015 Monthend US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes month at 17,619.51, -1.82% from last Friday, -2.17% MTD, -0.88% QTD, -1.14% YTD.
NASDAQ closes month at 4,986.87, -1.84% from last Friday, -1.64% MTD, +1.75% QTD, +5.30% YTD.
SPX closes month at 2,060.36, -1.96% from last Friday, -2.23% MTD, -0.36% QTD, +0.07% YTD.

Apple(PBR4) launches Apple Music streaming service, men most likely to try it. $AAPL PR link.

General Electric(PBR9) selling its European Sponsor Finance unit to Sumitomo Mitsui Banking for $2.2 billion. $GE PR link.

Cisco(PBR58) announces intent to acquire privately held advanced threat protection provider OpenDNS for $635 million. $CSCO PR link.

Emerson Electric(PBR112) to spinoff Network Power as a separate public company, exploring other strategic actions. $EMR PR link.

ConAgra Foods(PBR149) announces plan to exit Private Brands operations. $CAG PR link.

Blackstone Group(PBR374) selling security services provider AlliedBarton unit to Wendel SE for $1.67 billion. $BX PR link.

JetBlue(PBR441) starts charging baggage fees, $20-35/bag. $JBLU PR link.

Asbury Automotive(PBR449) acquires Jacksonville, FL, $90 million/yr Mike Davidson Ford, to be renamed Coggin Ford. $ABG PR link.

Towers Watson(PBR613) & Willis to merge by year end in stock transaction valued at $18 billion. $TW PR link.

Brookdale Senior Living(PBR692) & HCP(PBR866) complete acquisition of 35 private pay senior living communities from Chartwell Retirement Residences for $847 million. $BKD PR link.

Nortek(PBR822) acquires private Numera’s mobile personal emergency response system/ telehealth assets. $NTK PR link.

Pep Boys(PBR874) board reviewing strategic alternatives, including sale, merger, or other plan. $PBY PR link.

Hewlett-Packard(PBR19) Enterprise Group EVP Bill Veghte leaving this summer, Antonio Neri to be EVP/GM, Chris Hsu COO upon separation from HP. $HPQ PR link.

Kroger(PBR25) President/COO Mike Ellis has retired, no successor named. $KR PR link.

Walt Disney(PBR54) promotes treasurer Christine McCarthy to CFO, Kevin Mayer named SVP/Chief Strategy Officer. $DIS PR link.

Nike(PBR98) & Chairman Phil Knight announce start of succession plan, President/CEO Mark Parker recommended. $NKE PR link.

Cummins(PBR157) Chief Technical Officer John Wall is retiring, Jennifer Rumsey is successor. $CMI PR link.

Domino’s Pizza(PBR927) hires Troy Ellis as EVP/Supply Chain, reports to CEO, succeeds retiring John Macksood. $DPZ PR link.

Pier 1 Imports(PBR933) hires Jeff Boyer as EVP/CFO, effective 07/27/15. $PIR PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says that at the end of the 1st quarter the US Net International Investment Position was -$6,794.0 billion, 4th quarter 2014 was -$7,019.7 billion. USDOC PR link.

Monday, June 29:
General Electric(PBR9) selling its US, Mexico, Australia, & New Zealand fleet businesses to Canada based Element Financial for $6.9 billion. $GE PR link.

Microsoft(PBR30) selling its mapping assets & making available employees to ridesharing company Uber. MarketWatch article link.

Comcast(44) NBC Universal unit reports it has terminated its business arrangements with business man/presidential candidate Donald Trump because of his derogatory statements on immigrants. $CMCSA article link.

Sysco(PBR60) terminates $8.2 billion merger agreement with US Foods(NR), announces $3 billion shares repurchase program. $SYY PR link.

Kraft Foods(PBR145) announces executive leadership team for upcoming $10 billion Kraft Heinz merger. $KRFT PR link.

Campbell Soup(PBR315) completes $231 million acquisition of salsa and organic foods company Garden Fresh. $CPB PR link.

Celgene(PBR381) makes $1 billion initial $93/share investment in Juno Therapeutics(NASDAQ: JUNO) for immunotherapeutics collaboration. $CELG PR link.

Gannett(PBR458) completes TEGNA spinoff, new Gannett focus is now being largest local-to-national media company, flagship unit is USA Today. Robert Dickey is CEO. $GE PR link.

TEGNA announces completion of spinoff from Gannett(PBR458), trading as NYSE: TGNA.
$TGNA PR link.

Dresser-Rand(PBR664) gets approval by European Commission to be acquired by Germany’s Siemens AG for $7.6 billion, to close 06/30/15. $DRC PR link.

Friday, June 26:
The PBR1000 Weekly US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 17,946.68, -0.38% from last Friday, -0.36% MTD, +0.96% QTD, +0.69% YTD.
NASDAQ closes week at 5,080.51, -0.71% from last Friday, +0.21% MTD, +3.67% QTD, +7.27% YTD.
SPX closes week at 2,101.49, -0.40% from last Friday, -0.28% MTD, +1.62% QTD, +2.07% YTD.

eBay(PBR170) sets 07/17/15 for spinoff of independent publicly traded PayPal, to start trading on 07/20/15, symbol PYPL. $EBAY PR link.

NII Holdings(PBR495) has emerged from Chapter 11 Reorganization, soon to be traded on NASDAQ, symbol NIHD. $NIHDQ PR link.

Thursday, June 25:
Kroger(PBR25) increases quarterly dividend, to do 2:1 stock split 07/13/15, approves new $500 million share repurchase program. $KR PR link.

General Mills(PBR148) plans to cut up to 725 jobs as part of a restructuring. MarketWatch article link.

Bristol-Myers Squibb(PBR165) to expand R&D with opening/closing of facilities. $BMY PR link.

Rumor: Valeant Pharmaceuticals has made preliminary approach to buy Zoetis(PBR514). MarketWatch article link.

IAC(PBR669) to pursue an IPO for its dating industry The Match Group unit. Also promotes Joey Levin as IAC CEO; CFO Jeff Kip resigning, will continue to serve on interim basis. $IACI PR link.

Brinker Intl(PBR688) acquires franchisee Pepper Dining with its 103 Chili’s Grill & Bar Restaurants for $106.5 million. $EAT PR link.

Target(PBR38) EVP/Chief Merchandising Officer Kathee Tesija to move to advisory role effective 07/06/15, internal/external search to start for position. $TGT PR link.

Dollar General(PBR153) appoints John Garratt as Interim CFO, effective 07/01/15, replaces retiring David Tehle. $DG PR link.

Medtronic(PBR161) promotes Geoff Martha to EVP & President, Restorative Therapies Group & Bill Burke as Chief Integration Officer for Covidien unit, both report to Chairman/CEO Omar Ishrak. $MDT PR link.

Donaldson Co(PBR780) VP/Global Operations Joe Lehman retiring 08/01/15, Rich Lewis to take role at that time. $DCI PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce reports that the May Total Personal Income was at a $15.307 trillion annual rate, +0.5% over April, Personal Savings at 5.1% rate. USDOC PR link.

Wednesday, June 24:
IBM(PBR24) & Box(NYSE: BOX) form global partnership to integrate their products & services in a cloud based environment. $IBM PR link.

Zimmer(PBR506) completes $14 billion acquisition of Biomet, renamed Zimmer Biomet, to start trading as NYSE: ZBH on 06/29/15. $ZMH PR link.

Ferrellgas(BR791) completes acquisition of integrated crude oil midstream services company Bridger Logistics for $837 million. $FGP PR link.

Cree(PBR965) to restructure LED business, authorizes $500 million buyback program. $CREE PR link.

AFLAC(PBR117) hires Fred Crawford as EVP/CFO, effective 06/30/15, reports to Chairman/CEO Daniel Amos. $AFL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce in 3rd estimate says 1st Quarter 2015 Gross Domestic Product was revised from -0.7% to -0.2%, $17.693 trillion. USDOC PR link.

Tuesday, June 23:
Fun Fact: In 2014 The PBR1000 employed 33.7 million people worldwide, up 2.68% from 2013.

Verizon(PBR15) completes $50/share, $4.4 billion acquisition of digital content/advertisiing company AOL(PBR812), which is now a wholly owned subsidiary. $ANTM PR link.

Canada based mobile communications company Blackberry(NASDAQ: BBRY) and Cisco(PBR58, NASDAQ: CSCO) sign broad patent cross-licensing agreement. BlackBerry PR link.

3M(PBR92) to acquire personal protective equipment provider Capital Safety from KKR(PBR272) for $2.5 billion. $MMM PR link.

Wholly owned subsidiary Freeport-McMoRan(PBR132) Oil & Gas files for IPO, requests trading symbol FMOG. $FCX PR link.

Darden Restaurants(PBR393) to spinoff 430 restaurants into a separate publicly held REIT. $DRI PR link.

Netflix(PBR534) to do 7:1 stock split on 07/14/15. $NFLX PR link.

Jordan Spieth(Pro Golfer): Under Armour(PBR809) took a chance on me MarketWatch article link.

Boeing(PBR31) President/COO Dennis Muilenberg to become President/CEO on 07/01/15, Jim McNerney to remain Chairman. $BA article link.

The Dept of HUD says that May New Single-Family Home Sales were at a 546,000 annual rate, 2.2% above April, 19.5% above May 2014. HUD PR link.

Monday, June 22:
Anthem(PBR40) offers to acquire fellow health benefits company Cigna(PBR88) for $184/share, $53.8 billion. $ANTM PR link.

Cigna(PBR88) says Anthem’s(PBR40) $184/share unsolicited offer is undervalued. $CI PR link.

Pfizer(PBR53) to acquire quadrivalent meningitis ACWY vaccines Nimenrix & Mencevax from GlaxoSmithKline for $130 million. $PFE PR link.

Energy Transfer Equity(PBR55) confirms $64/share, $53.1 billion unsolicited offer to acquire Williams Cos(PBR361). $ETE PR link.

Williams Cos(PBR361) advises stockholders that the Energy Transfer Equity(PBR55) $64/share offer is undervalued. $WMB PR link.

General Mills(PBR148) to remove artificial flavors & colors from remaining 40% of cereal products by the end of 2017. $GIS PR link.

Fifth Third Bancorp(PBR345) to consolidate/sell 100 branch offices to improve efficiency. $FITB PR link.

Gannett(PBR458) soon to be spinoff broadcasting/digital provider TEGNA to trade as NYSE:TGNA starting 06/29/15. $GCI PR link.

Gannett(PBR458) announces plans after TEGNA spinoff. $GCI PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR647) acquires California workers compensation insurer Monument. $AJG PR link.

Global Payments(PBR756) to roll out American Express(PBR86) OptBlue merchant program in Canada on 06/24/15. $GPN PR link.

Brookdale Senior Living(PBR692) President/CFO Mark Ohlendorf to focus on being President, COO Richard Gregory leaving 09/30/15. $BKD PR link.

The National Assn of Realtors reports that May Existing Home Sales were at a 5.35 million annual rate, +5.1% over April, median price at $228,700. NAR PR link.

Friday, June 19:
The PBR1000 Weekly US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 18,015.95, +0.65% from last Friday, +0.03% MTD, +1.35% QTD, +1.08% YTD.
NASDAQ closes week at 5,117.00, +1.30% from last Friday, +0.93% MTD, +4.41% QTD, +8.04% YTD.
SPX closes week at 2,109.00, +0.76% from last Friday, +0.12% MTD, +2.04% QTD, +2.48% YTD.

Medtronic(PBR161) has acquired assets of privately held medical device manufacturer Aptus Endosystems for $110 million. $MDT PR link.

Medtronic(PBR161) increases dividend payout, authorizes 80 million shares buyback program. $MDT PR link.

Medtronic(PBR161) acquires privately held medical device manufacturer CardioInsight Technologies for $93 million. $MDT PR link.

L Brands(PBR248) authorizes new $250 million shares buyback program. $LB PR link.

Hershey Co(PBR347) simplifies structure, makes executive leadership changes, 300 jobs to be cut. $HSY PR link.

Enbridge(PBR352) transfers $30.4 billion of Canadian pipelines & energy business to its Income Fund. $EEP PR link.

NII Holdings(PBR495) gets confirmation of Plan of Reorganization by Bankruptcy Court. $NIHDQ PR link.

Aeropostale(PBR868) EVP Design/Merchandising Emilia Fabricant is leaving, no replacement planned. $ARO PR link.

Apache Corp(PBR169) EVP/Executive Advisor to CEO Rod Eichler retiring at the end of June after 21 years with the company. $APA PR link.

Thursday, June 18:
Allstate(PBR87) pays out $178 million in May claims for 8 events. $ALL PR link.

PBF Energy(PBR138) to purchase New Orleans area 189,000 barrels/day Chalmette Refining for $322 million. $PBF PR link.

News Corp(PBR299) to cut jobs, shift resources to digital media $NWS PR link.

News Corp(PBR299) extends stockholder rights plan to 06/18/18. $NWS PR link.

Health Care REIT(PBR693) joint venture with Canada’s Revera to acquire 23 senior housing communities with 3,600 units Canada based Regal Lifestyle Communities for $623 million. $HCN PR link.

HCP(PBR866) EVP/Chief Investment Officer Paul Gallagher has resigned, effective 06/30/15. $HCP PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says May average earnings/hour was at $24.96, weekly earnings $861.12 for a 34.5 hour week. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor reports that the May Consumer Price Index was +0.4%, 0.0% over the last 12 months. USDOL PR link.

Wednesday, June 17:
The PBR1000 Fun Fact: Through May ThePBR1000 companies had $3.467 trillion in earnings per share over the past year, paid out $0.955 trillion in dividends, for a payout of 27.55%.

Marriott Intl(PBR210) global hotel portfolio added to TripAdvisor(NASDAQ: TRIP) Instant Booking platform in partnership. $MAR PR link.

Allergan(PBR297) to acquire facial aesthetics developer KYTHERA Pharmaceuticals(NASDAQ: KYTH) for $2.1 billion. $AGN PR link.

Celgene(PBR381) adds $4 billion to its $5.2 billion shares repurchase program. $CELG PR link.

Patterson Cos(PBR563) completes acquisition of production distribution company Animal Health International for $1.1 billion cash, will double revenues. $PDCO PR link.

Tesla(PBR887) partners with leading researcher to cut battery costs, report MarketWatch article link.

Hill-Rom(PBR954) to acquire privately held medical diagnostic equipment manufacturer Welch Allyn for $2.05 billion cash/stock. $HRC PR link.

Microsoft(PBR30) announces senior leadership changes to align engineering to corporate strategy. $MSFT PR link.

Priceline(PBR365) hires Maelle Gavet as EVP, Global Operation, reports to President/CEO Darren Huston. $PCLN PR link.

The US Federal Open Market Committee says the US economy is expanding moderately, anticipates small rate increase this year. FOMC PR link.

Tuesday, June 16:
Coty($COTY) buys 3 businesses from P&G(PBR32, $PG) for $12 billion. MarketWatch article link.

Starbucks(PBR164) Mobile Order & Pay service expands to 3,400 additional US stores. $SBUX PR link.

Starbucks(PBR164) to close all 23 La Boulange retail bakery locations & 2 manufacturing facilities by Sept. $SBUX PR link.

Discover Financial(PBR281) closing mortgage origination business, offer 460 employees severance packages. $DFS PR link.

Starwood Hotels(PBR405) files SEC Form 10 for publicly traded 4th quarter spinoff vacation ownership business named Vistana Signature Experiences. $HOT PR link.

Under Armour(PBR809) to issue Class C non-voting shares with 2:1 stock split effect. $UA PR link.

21st Century Fox(PBR89) Co-COO James Murdoch to become CEO on 07/01/15, Rupert Murdoch & Lachlan Murdoch to be Executive Co-Chairman, Chase Carey Executive Vice Chairman. $FOX PR link.

Magellan Health(PBR606) hires John Littel as SVP, Government Affairs & Communications. $MGLN PR link.

US Dept of HUD reports that May Private Housing Units Bldg Permits are at a 1,275,000 annual rate, +11.8% over April, +25.4% over May 2014. USHUD PR link.

Monday, June 15:
CVS Health(PBR13) to acquire Target’s(PBR38) 1, 660 locations pharmacy/clinical services businesses for $1.9 billion, rebrand. $CVS PR link.

United Technologies(PBR45) to decide by 3rd quarter end to sell or spinoff Sikorsky Aircraft unit. $UTX PR link.

Gap Inc(PBR168) to close 175 N. American stores, reduce headquarters staff by 250. $GPS PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR647) to acquire $50 million/yr Boston based William Gallagher Associates Insurance Brokers. $AJG PR link.

Standard Pacific(PBR908) and Ryland Group(PBR856) to merge, form 4th largest US homebuilder. $SPF PR link.

Constellation Brands(PBR483) CFO Bob Ryder is leaving, Beer Division CFO David Klein to succeed Ryder. $STZ PR link.

Pep Boys(PBR874) hires Scott Sider as CEO, effective immediately. $PBY PR link.

Lumber Liquidators(PBR1093) Chief Marketing Officer Marco Pescara given additional Merchandising responsibilities, William Schlegel employment being terminated. $LL PR link.

Friday, June 12:
The PBR1000 Weekly US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 17,898.84, +0.28% from last Friday, -0.62% MTD, +0.69% QTD, +0.43% YTD.
NASDAQ closes week at 5,051.10, -0.34% from last Friday, -0.37% MTD, +3.06% QTD, +6.65% YTD.
SPX closes week at 2,094.11, +0.06% from last Friday, -0.63% MTD, +1.27% QTD, +1.71% YTD.

FedEx(PBR61) to take a $2.2 billion charge in 4th quarter for change in pension accounting. $FDX PR link.

Reynolds American(PBR316) completes $27.4 billion acquisition of fellow cigarette manufacturer Lorillard(PBR357), British American Tobacco retains 42% ownership stake in RAI with $4.7 billion equity investment. $RAI PR link.

International Flavors & Fragrances(PBR677) to expand into cosmetics ingredients, to acquire Lucas Meyer Cosmetics for $311 million. $IFF PR link.

The US Dept of Labor reports that the US May Producer Price Index for final demand was +0.5%, -1.1% for 12 months. USDOL PR link.

Thursday, June 11:
Google’s(PBR46, $GOOGL) next project is fixing congested cities. MarketWatch article link.

Hess(PBR114, $HES) to net $3 billion in Bakken midstream joint venture deal MarketWatch article link.

PayPal gears up to tap global payments market after split from eBay(PBR170, $EBAY). MarketWatch article link.

Whole Foods(PBR195, $WFM) lower-cost stores to be named ‘365 by Whole Foods Market’. MarketWatch article link.

HealthSouth(PBR827, $HLS) to buy in patient rehab hospital operator for $730 million. MarketWatch article link.

Tesla(PBR887) snaps up former Solyndra plant: report. MarketWatch article link.

Rupert Murdoch to step down as CEO of 21st Century Fox(PBR89, $FOX) MarketWatch article link.

Kohl’s(PBR141) announces senior executive leadership changes for CFO, COO, Chief Admin Officer, Chief Merchandise/Customer Service Officer, structure. $KSS PR link.

Campbell Soup(PBR315) hires Adam Ciongoli as SVP/General Counsel, reports to president/CEO Denise Morrison. $CPB PR link.

Orbital ATK(PBR494) promotes Scott Lehr as president of Flight Systems Group, effective 07/01/15. $OA PR link.

Pep Boys(PBR874, $PBY) and GAMCO reach understanding. MarketWatch article link.

US retail sales jump 1.2% in May. MarketWatch article link.

US import prices surge 1.3% in May, flat minus fuel. MarketWatch article link.

Corporate debt continues to mount as household wealth climbs $1.3 trillion MarketWatch article link.

Wednesday, June 10:
Johnston Controls(PBR65) announces it is exploring strategic options for the separation of its automotive business. $JCI PR link.

Nike(PBR98) wins NBA sponsorship deal away from Adidas MarketWatch article link.

Visteon(PBR338) hires Sachin Lawande as president/CEO, effective 06/29/15. $VC PR link.

Netflix(PBR534) shares skyrocket with talk of looming stock split. MarketWatch article link.

Hawaiian Electric(PBR639) shareholders approve acquisition by NextEra Energy(PBR181), still need regulatory approvals. $HE PR link.

Men’s Wearhouse(PBR781) gets agreement to operate 300 Macy’s(PBR97) tuxedo shops & online rentals. $MW PR link.

Dollar General(PBR153) announces Jeff Owen rejoining as EVP Store Operations. $DG PR link.

Tesla(PBR887) annual stockholders meeting highlights; CFO Deepak Ahuja to retire. MarketWatch article link.

The US Dept of the Treasury reports am $82 billion budget deficit in May. MarketWatch article link.

US healthcare spending falls 0.4% in first quarter. MarketWatch article link.

Employee compensation grew 4.9% in first quarter. MarketWatch article link.

World Bank revises 2015 global growth, forecasts US at 2.0%. WorldBank PR link.

Tuesday, June 9:
General Motors(PBR7, $GM) says not interested in merger with FiatChrysler MarketWatch article link.

General Electric(PBR9, $GE) to sell buyout unit to Canada pension fund for $12 billion MarketWatch article link.

Commercial Int’l Bank buys CitiGroup’s(PBR26, $C) Egypt retail ops MarketWatch article link.

Amazon(PBR37, $AMZN) to open fulfillment center in #Dallas, create more than 1,500 #jobs MarketWatch article link.

Prudential Financial(PBR70) authorizes $1 billion shares repurchase program over next 12 months. $PRU PR link.

McDonald’s(PBR96, $MCD) names ex-Obama press secretary Robert Gibbs as global communications officer MarketWatch article link.

Kraft Foods(PBR145) special stockholders meeting set for 07/01/15 to vote on acquisition by HJ Heinz. $KRFT PR link.

Campbell Soup(PBR315, $CPB) to acquire salsa and organic foods company Garden Fresh for $231 million. MarketWatch article link.

Visteon(PBR338, $VC) completes $3.6B deal, to return up to $2.6B to shareholders MarketWatch article link.

WhiteWave Foods(PBR758) to acquire Canada based plant-based nutrition products provider Vega for $550 million. $WWAV PR link.

April job openings rise to record high of 5.38 million MarketWatch article link.

US wholesale inventories climb 0.4% in April MarketWatch article link.

Foreclosure inventory down by 25% over the last year, CoreLogic says MarketWatch article link.

Monday, June 8:
The PBR1000 May Snapshots Fact: The Market Capitalization for 05/29/15 was $21.622 trillion, the Top 10 companies totaled $3.527 trillion(16.31%), the median was $6.63 billion.

Humana(PBR71) mum on takeover talk, to stay quiet till July 29. MarketWatch article link.

Swiss based crop protection & seeds company Syngenta rejects Monsanto’s(PBR173) 2nd unsolicitied CHF449/share, $45 billion, offer. Syngenta PR link.

RR Donnelley(PBR253) completes acquisition of digital printing, publishing co Courier Corp(NASDAQ: CRRC) for $261 million. $RRD PR link.

Masco(PBR319) to spin-off Installation & Other Services assets & operations to TopBuild Corp(NYSE: BLD), to start regular trading on 07/01/15. $MAS PR link.

Starwood Hotels(PBR405) sells Scottsdale, AZ, luxury resort The Phoenician to Host Hotels(PBR456) for $400 million. $HOT PR link.

Host Hotels(PBR456) announces acquisition of The Phoenician, asset sales, stock repurchases, other strategic initiatives. $HST PR link.

Gannett(PBR458) board approves spin-off of TEGNA, to start trading as NYSE: TGNA on 06/29/15. $GCI PR link.

Apollo Global Mgmt(PBR531) acquiring worldwide France based glass bottles & jars manufacturer Verallia from Saint-Gobain for $3.24 billion. $APO PR link.

Babcock & Wilcox(PBR637) Power Generation publicly traded spinoff to be named Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises(NYSE: BW), remaining company BWX Technologies(NYSE: BWXT), to start trading 07/01/15. $BWC PR link.

Stifel Financial(PBR885) to acquire Barclays’ Wealth and Investment Management, Americas, with its 180 US advisers managing $56 billion in client assets, to close mid November. $SF PR link.

General Cable(PBR385) CEO Gregory Kenny retiring 07/01/15, Michael McDonnell hired to be president/CEO at that time. $BGC PR link.

Friday, June 5:
The PBR1000 Weekly US Stock Exchanges Snapshot:
DJIA closes week at 17,849.46, -0.90% from last Friday & MTD, +0.41% QTD, +0.15% YTD.
NASDAQ closes week at 5,068.46, -0.03% from last Friday & MTD, +3.42% QTD, +7.02% YTD.
SPX closes week at 2,092.83, -0.69% from last Friday & MTD, +1.21% QTD, +1.65% YTD.

Cardinal Health(PBR27) to acquire generics/OTC medications distributor The Harvard Drug Group for $1.115 billion, to close in beginning of 2016. $CAH PR link.

Comcast(PBR44) has agreed to acquire ad tech company Visible World. MarketWatch article link.

DuPont(PBR83) Performance Chemicals spin-off The Chemours Company to begin regular trading as a separate public company on 07/01/15 with symbol NYSE: CC. $DD PR link.

Apache Corp(PBR169) completes sale of Australian subsidiary Apache Energy Limited to a consortium of private equity funds managed by Macquarie Corporate Holdings Limited and Brookfield Asset Management Inc. (NYSE: BAM) for $1.9 billion. $APA PR link.

Baxter Intl(PBR179) board approves spin-off of biopharmaceuticals unit Baxalta, to begin trading as a separate public company 07/01/15, symbol NYSE: BXLT. $BAX PR link.

Apollo Global Mgmt(PBR531) & Italy based insurance company Banca Carige sell Carige Vita Nuova & Carige Assicurazioni for $341 million, sign long term agreements. $APO PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR647) acquires national employee benefits brokerage & consulting firm Solid Benefit Guidance. $AJG PR link.

Walmart(PBR1): Rob Walton resigns as chairman, remains a director, Greg Penner elected new chairman. $WMT PR link.

Dick’s Sporting Goods(PBR400) hires Teri List-Stoll as EVP/CFO, starts in August. $DKS PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says in May Employment Situation that 280,000 new jobs were created, unemployment rate at 5.5%. USDOL PR link.

The US Federal Reserve in its April G19 report says consumer credit was up at a +7.25% annual rate, revolving credit +11.5%, nonrevolving credit +5.75%. USFRB PR link.

Thursday, June 4:
The PBR1000 Fun Fact: The PBR1000 End of May Market Capitalization Total was $21.622 trillion, +0.98% over April, +2.44% YTD, for 1,062 cos.

Amazon(PBR37) receives Most Reputable US Retailer for the 3rd year in a row by the Reputation Institute. MarketWatch article link.

Goodyear Tire(PBR137) & Japan’s Sumitomo Rubber Industries dissolve global alliance of 4 joint ventures, provides details. $GT PR link.

Facebook(PBR327) to start rolling out Facebook Lite. $FB PR link.

CA Technologies(PBR520) acquires private test data management company Grid-Tools, terms not disclosed. $CA PR link.

Intuit’s(PBR521) QuickBooks Online passes 1 million paid subscribers. $INTU PR link.

Carlyle Group(PBR528) completes acquisition of public UK based 2,500 employee Nationwide Accident Repair Services. $CG PR link.

Magellan Health(PBR606) restructuring into 2 units, new CEO for Rx unit on 07/01/15. $MGLN PR link.

Graham Holdings(PBR610) to spin-off its Cable One subsidiary as a public company, effective 07/01/15, with symbol NYSE: CABO. $GHC PR link.

Cisco(PBR58) incoming CEO Chuck Robbins names 10 of the new executive management team. $CSCO PR link.

Delta Air Lines(PBR78) hires Peter Carter as EVP/Chief Legal Officer, reports to CEO Richard Anderson, effective 07/13/15. $DAL PR link.

Carnival Corp(PBR176) names Tara Russell to lead new ‘fathom’ brand for global sustained social impact travel. $CCL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor reports that Unemployment Claims for the Week Ending 05/30/15 were at 276,000, -8,000 from 05/23/15, was 314,000 a year ago. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor reports that the 1st Quarter Nonfarm Labor Productivity was at a -3.1% annual rate, output -1.6%, hrs worked +1.6%. USDOL PR link.

Wednesday, June 3:
CBS Corp(PBR178) SHOWTIME unit to launch a standalone internet streaming service in early July initially to Apple(PBR4) customers for $10.99/mo. $CBS PR link.

Yahoo!(PBR500) selected by National Footbal League to deliver first global live stream of an NFL football game 10/25/15. $YHOO PR link.

Wendy’s(PBR777) authorizes $1.4 billion shares buyback program, updates 2015 & long term outlook. $WEN PR link.

E*TRADE Financial(PBR947) exceeds $50 billion in retirement assets. $ETFC PR link.

Groupon(PBR750) promotes Rich Williams to COO; CFO Jason Child leaving 07/31/15, VP Bryan Kayman named Interim CFO. $GRPN PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce reports that the April International Goods and Services deficit was $40.9 billion, down $9.7 billion from March. USDOC PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Bank releases the Beige Book, outlook generally optimistic, economy expected to grow at a modest to moderate pace. FRB PR link.

Tuesday, June 2:
GameStop(PBR287) to acquire ThinkGeek retailer parent Geeknet(NASDAQ: GKNT) for $20/share, $140 million. $GME PR link.

Anixter(PBR398) completes sale of its OEM Supply-Fasteners segment to American Industrial Partners(NR) for $380 million cash. $AXE PR link.

Energizer Holdings(PBR527) doing 10 million shares, $1.4 billion stock buyback purchase program, to carry over to Edgewell Personal Care Company after spin-off completed on 07/01/15. $ENR PR link.

Wendy’s(PBR777) completes sale of bakery business to East Balt Bakeries. $WEN PR link.

AOL(PBR812) introduces new homepage with emphasis on mobile first, video-driven destination & content. $AOL PR link.

CNA Financial(PBR263) hires Kevin Leidwinger as President/COO CNA Commercial, reports to CNA Chairman/CEO Tom Motamed, effective 06/22/15. $CNA PR link.

Hershey Co(PBR347) International President Bert Alfonso retiring by 06/30/15. $HSY PR link.

Mattel(PBR383) CEO reshuffles top execs to jumpstart turnaround. MarketWatch article link.

Carpenter Technology(PBR842) promotes SVP/CFO Tony Thene to CEO, effective 07/01/15. $CRS article link.

Cimarex Energy(PBR890) CFO Paul Korus to retire by 09/01/15, VP Mark Burford to become CFO at that time. $XEC article link.

Griffon Corp(PBR891) promotes VP/Controller Brian Harris to SVP/CFO reporting to President/COO Robert Mehmel. $GFF article link.

The US Dept of Commerce reports that April New Orders for Manufactured Goods was -0.4% to $476.7 billion, was +2.2% in March. USDOC PR link.

Monday, June 1:
General Electric(PBR9) begins sale process for $40 billion chunk of U.S. lending unit. MarketWatch article link.

Microsoft(PBR30) making Windows 10 available as a free upgrade on 07/29/15. $MSFT PR link.

Intel(PBR52) to acquire field-programmable gate array technology company Altera(PBR942) for $54/share, $16.7 billion cash, to close in 6-9 months. $INTC PR link.

Enterprise Products(PBR56) to purchase all Eagle Ford Shale member interests of EFS Midstream for $2.15 billion. $EPD PR link.

Humana(PBR71) completes sale of wholly owned subsidiary Concentra to a joint venture of Select Medical & Welsh Carson for $1.055 billion cash. $HUM PR link.

Icahn Enterprises(PBR133) completes acquisition of nearly all assets of autoparts distributor Uni-Select USA. $IEP PR link.

Dollar General(PBR153) opens its 12,000th store. $DG PR link.

PPL Corp(PBR227) completes spinoff of energy business, now focused on utility business in US & UK. $PPL PR link.

BlackRock(PBR262) & Pemex sign agreement to accelerate development of energy infrastructure projects in Mexico. $BLK PR link.

Gannett(PBR458) acquires 11 media organizations in 3 states from Digital First Media. $GCI article link.

Energizer Holdings(PBR527) split into 2 public companies gets go ahead, should be trading on NYSE under symbols ENR & EPC on 07/01/15. $ENR PR link.

Apollo Global Management(PBR531) affiliates to acquire diversified technology company OM Group(PBR1060) for $34/share cash, to close by end of 2015. $APO PR link.

Curtiss-Wright(PBR771) sells off all assets & liabilities of downstream oil & gas businesses to Sun Capital Partners Group. $CW PR link.

A. Schulman(PBR787) completes acquisition of specialty engineered plastics company Citadel Plastics for $800 million. $SHLM PR link.

Ferrellgas(PBR791) to acquire integrated crude oil midstream services company Bridger Logistics for $837 million. $FGP PR link.

Zions Bancorp(PBR824) announces restructuring plan, key leadership changes. $ZION PR link.

Crestwood Equity(PBR1005) makes organizational changes, promotes several key executives. $CEQP PR link.

Lumber Liquidators(PBR1093) explains why it relabeled products; shares bounce. MarketWatch article link.

Walt Disney Company(PBR54): James A. Rasulo to step down as CFO, effective 06/30/15. Bloomberg article link.

Two Cisco(PBR58) presidents to depart on 07/25/15. MarketWatch article link.

Cisco(PBR58) CTO Padmasree Warrior planning to leave on 07/25/15. Re/Code article link.

Time Warner Cable(PBR125) CFO William Minson leaving; William Osbourn, Matthew Siegel to serve as Acting Co-CFOs. $TWC article link.

NetApp(389) Chairman/CEO Tom Georgens resigns, EVP George Kurian promoted to CEO, lead independent director Mike Nevens elected Chairman. $NTAP article link.

Advanced Micro Devices(PBR451) hires Jim Anderson as SVP/GM Computing & Graphics business, reports to CEO Dr. Lisa Su. http://bit.ly/1KAgBjE$AMD article link.

CA Technologies(PBR520) hires Otto Berkes as Chief Technology Officer, effective 06/15/15, reports to CEO Mike Gregoire. $CA PR link.

Men’s Wearhouse(PBR781) hires Ben Baum as Chief Digital Officer, reports to CEO Doug Ewert. $MW PR link.

E*Trade(PBR947) CFO Matt Audette leaving, Mike Pizzi promoted to CFO, reports to CEO Paul Idzik. $ETFC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says April Personal Income was up $59.4B, +0.4% over March, Disposable Personal Income up +0.4%. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says April Construction Spending was at a $1,006.1B annual rate, +2.2% over March. USDOC PR link.

The Institute for Supply Management says the May 2015 Manufacturing PMI was at 52.8%, +1.3% from April. ISM PR link.

The PBR1000 May Stocks Index ended at 76,157.82, +0.86% over April, +2.44% YTD, for 1,062 companies.

The PBR1000 May 2015 Breaking News Recap is posted on the BLOG page. You can also click here.

(The PBR1000 is the premiere comparative data and reporting service covering over 1,000 of the largest publicly held companies with principle or administration headquarters in the US. These companies generate over $13 trillion in annual worldwide revenues, more than all other companies in the US combined. These are the key drivers in the US and world economies. On a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis several analytical reports in customizable Microsoft Excel format are provided to The PBR1000 subscribers. Users include C-level executives, entrepreneurs, sales/marketing/advertising professionals, investors/investment advisers, business professors/students, career counselors/job seekers, to name just a few. To order your annual subscription, just go to the PBRMarketTools.com Order page.)

(Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net, Stuart Miles.)

Filed Under: Recaps Tagged With: acquisitions, Business, business news, Economy, Investing, mergers, Rankings, Research, The PBR1000

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