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The PBR1000 August 2017 Stocks/Commodities Snapshots

September 8, 2017 by admin

August 2017: The Stock Market Bull Continues to Prevail

The Stock Market Bull stands tall after another triumphant month.

By Larry C. Paxton

Despite concerns over N Korea’s missile tests, a terrorist attack in Barcelona, Spain, a controversial rally in Charlottesville, VA, Hurricane Harvey attacking southeast Texas, continued lack of meaningful legislation from Congress, and the world still getting adjusted to a very different style US President, The PBR1000 and other stocks continued to climb in August.

Maybe it’s just one of those “It’s the economy, stupid!” that justifies the rise. Modest/moderate economic growth continues and cautious optimism about the future keeps pushing it along.

As a result investing opinions are still scattered all over the place. This inconsistency should be good news for everyone, because now you can be the expert! If you are wrong, it’s no big deal, you are in a large group. But if you are right, you will be a hero and hopefully have a much higher value portfolio to confirm that. Remember to give The PBR1000 credit!

Good luck, and we look forward to you sharing your success strategies and stories.

Here are the August summaries on the major US stock market exchanges:

Number of Trading Days: 23

Number of Gain(+)/Loss(-) Days: DJIA 15+/8-; NASDAQ 11+/12-; SPX 14+/9-.

Record Days: DJIA 5, NASDAQ 1, SPX 1

Longest Gain Streak(Consecutive Days): DJIA 10(07/25-08/07/17), NASDAQ 4(08/28-31/17), SPX 5(08/25-31/17)

Longest Loss Streak(Consecutive Days): DJIA 3(08/08-10/17), NASDAQ 3(08/08-10/17), SPX 3(08/08-10/17)

Big Swing Up Days(>1.00%): 3, 08/14/17(NASDAQ +1.34%, S&P500 +1.00%): Geopolitical issues ebb(N Korea); 08/22/17(NASDAQ +1.36%): Day after President Trump speech on Afghanistan; 08/30/17(NASDAQ +1.05%): GDP revised up to 3%, ADP Jobs Report

Big Swing Down Days(<-1.00%): 2, 08/10/17(NASDAQ -2.13%, S&P500 -1.45%): N Korea missile test; 08/17/17(DJIA -1.24%, NASDAQ -1.94%, S&P500 -1.54%): Barcelona terrorist attack; Charlottesville, NC, rally and death followed by controversial response by President Trump.

The following are Top 5 partial tables excerpts from The PBR1000 August Snapshots. The price for stocks is for the close of trading on August 31, Month % Chg is compared to July 31, YTD % Chg is compared to December 31, 2016, and the 20 Months % Chg is compared to December 31, 2015. The PBR Rank is by annual revenues.

To get the complete The PBR1000 Snapshots just click here to get your 2 month or significantly discounted 12 month subscription and automatically download the August 2017 edition with the complete 15 Snapshots.

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

Table 1 Summary: The range was +60% to -78%. 431 out of 1,002 stocks were up 0% or more. The average was a loss of 0.65%, the median was a loss of 0.97%.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Price 08/31/17	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	20 Mos % Chg
Triple-S Mgmt	676	GTS	24.71	+60	+19	+3
Hertz Global	297	HTZ	21.74	+59	+1	n/a
Calumet Specialty	584	CLMT	8.00	+54	+100	-60
Manitowoc	905	MTW	8.23	+44	+38	-46
Systemax	899	SYX	24.44	+35	+179	+184

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

Table 2 Summary: The range was +309% to -86%. 583 out of 1,002 stocks were up 0% or more. The average was a gain of 9.4%, the median was a gain of 4.6%.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Price 08/31/17	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	20 Mos % Chg
Weight Watchers	986	WTW	46.81	+31	+309	+105
Systemax	899	SYX	24.44	+35	+179	+184
Scientific Games	689	SGMS	35.20	-5	+151	+292
Vertex Pharma	893	VRTX	160.54	+6	+118	+28
NRG Energy	220	NRG	24.91	+1	+103	+112

Table 3(S13): The PBR1000 Top 5 20 Months Stock Price % Gainers

Table 3 Summary: The range was +429% to -96%. 707 out of 998 stocks were up 0% or more. The average was a gain of 22.4%. The median was a gain of 20.1%.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Price 08/31/17	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	20 Mos % Chg
Tronox	819	TROX	20.69	+7	+101	+429
Cleveland-Cliffs	816	CLF	8.36	+8	-1	+429
NVIDIA	363	NVDA	169.44	+4	+59	+414
AMD	523	AMD	13.00	-4	+15	+353
Scientific Games	689	SGMS	35.20	-5	+151	+292

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

Table 4 Summary: The range was $847.10 billion to $0.01 billion. The average is $23.9 billion, median is $7.2 billion, out of 1,002 companies.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Market Cap($B) 08/31/17	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	20 Mos % Chg
Apple	4	AAPL	847.10	+3	+26	+32
Alphabet	27	GOOG	650.89	+3	+21	+24
Microsoft	28	MSFT	575.90	+5	+16	+26
Facebook	95	FB	499.43	+12	+48	+66
Amazon	12	AMZN	471.06	+3	+33	+50
The PBR1000			23,907.85	-0	+9	+19

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

Company	Price 08/31/17	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	20 Mos % Chg
The PBR1000	80,896.35	-0.7	+9.4	+22.4
DJIA	21,948.10	+0.3	+11.1	+26.0
NASDAQ	6,428.66	+1.3	+19.4	+28.4
S&P500	2,471.65	+0.1	+10.4	+20.9
GOLD	1,326.50	+4.2	+15.2	+25.1
SILVER	17.65	+5.1	+10.4	+27.9
OIL	47.09	-6.1	-12.3	+27.1

Have questions on The PBR1000 or The PBR US Economic Indices Monthly Snapshots? Please contact us at Sales@PBRMarketTools.com or call us in the US at 520-282-4100.

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(The PBR1000 provides astute investors and business professionals with the data, news, and analysis for taking higher probability of success actions. The PBR1000 covers over 1,000 of the largest publicly held companies with principle or administrative headquarters in the US. These companies generate $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 Subscribers of The PBR1000. Subscribers 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 monthly or significantly discounted annual subscription, just click here to go to the PBRMarketTools.com Order page.)

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Filed Under: Snapshots Tagged With: Business Intelligence, business news, Commodities, DJIA, Economy, Investing, Money, NASDAQ, Personal Finance, Rankings, Research, S&P 500, Stock Market, Stocks, The PBR1000, Trading

The PBR1000 August 2017 Breaking News Recap

September 5, 2017 by admin

August 2017: Political and Weather Events

Sometimes you wonder if it’s the severe weather or stormy politics that make the palms sway so much.

By Larry C. Paxton

While the US and world economies continued to show steady modest/moderate growth we were reminded that Mother Nature has a voice in all this as well. Near the end of August Hurricane Harvey became the first of what could be a busy US major weather events season as it struck Southeast Texas with great devastation.

On the more peaceful, comforting, and awesomeness side was the US coast-to-coast complete solar eclipse, which provided a welcome distraction from what seems to be the constant turmoil, confusion, and frustrations that swirls around us daily and seem to have no end.

This is further aggravated by today’s reporting methods, compounded by social media, both fed by a combination of sensationalized real and fake news that is sometimes hard to differentiate, generated by people and groups with oftentimes extremist views, funded by a flood of advertising, seems to be polarizing the US as never before.

Maybe sports will be our salvation as we close in on professional baseball’s playoffs battles culminating in the always anticipated World Series. Football starts at all levels to become a major focus of our spare time and daily conversations. Let the hamburgers, hotdogs, chips, dips, and beer parties begin!

Here’s a quick August 2017 summary on key activities that relate to The PBR1000:

The PBR1000 Mergers & Acquisitions: 22 deals worth at least $1 billion initiated, closed, or updated. Total transaction value was $120 billion.

The PBR1000 Spinoffs: 1

The PBR1000 Share Repurchase Programs: 9 announcements, total $5.96 billion.

The PBR1000 Bankruptcies: 1 initiated or updated

The PBR1000 CEO Changes: 11 announced.

Jobs/Wages: 4.3% unemployment rate, modest wage growth.

US Economy: Modest/moderate growth continues, stable but fragile.

Federal Reserve Federal Funds Rate Changes: No change, remains 1.00-1.25%, more increases possible in 2017.

US Stock Market Exchanges: All three US major stock exchanges established new closing records during the month. The Stock Market Bull won August.

The PBR1000 Additions: None

The PBR1000 Removals: 2, Whole Foods(PBR203) acquired by Amazon(PBR29); Ruby Tuesday(PBR990), dropped below $1 billion in revenues in last fiscal year.

National: Month ends with devastating Hurricane Harvey slamming into SE Texas. Russia’s possible meddling in the past US presidential campaign continues to be investigated; rare coast to coast complete solar eclipse observed; N Korea continues to test intercontinental ballistic missiles that could reach the US; contoversial Charlottesville, VA, white supremacists rally; battle over Civil War monuments; NAFTA negotiations start; 2 governmental business advisory groups disbanded; additional troops being sent to Afghanistan; new tax plan guidelines proposed; leadership turnover in the White House staff; illegal immigration issues continues to play a role; healthcare plans remain a concern.

International: Brexit negotiations continue; Barcelona terror attack; continuations of Middle East conflicts, refugee crisis; oil/gold prices fluctuate; global central banks slow quantitative easing programs, and; US President Trump actions and tweets continue to be the headliners.

The PBR1000 August Breaking News Items

Here are The PBR1000 corporate and economic related breaking news items of interest with hotlinks to the sources for August 2017, starting with the last active business day.

***Thursday, August 31:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Month Ending 08/31/17:
DJIA ends August at 21,948.10, +0.62% from last Friday, +0.26% MTD, +2.80% QTD, +11.06% YTD, -0.77% from record 22,118.42 set 08/07/17.
NASDAQ ends August at record 6,428.66, +2.60% from last Friday, +1.27% MTD, +4.69% QTD, +19.42% YTD, +0.00% from record 6,428.66 set 08/31/17.
SPX ends August at 2,471.65, +1.17% from last Friday, +0.05% MTD, +1.99% QTD, +10.40% YTD, -0.37% from record 2,480.91 set 08/07/17.

Wells Fargo(PBR30) reports completion of expanded 3rd party review of retail banking accounts, identifies a new total of approximately 3.5 million potentially unauthorized consumer and small business accounts, up from original 2.1 million, provides update on remediation efforts. $WFC PR link.

Macy’s(PBR97) expands same-day delivery service to 33 markets, includes macys.com and bloomingdales.com. $M PR link.

Dollar General(PBR151) net sales grew +8.1% in 2Q17, on track to open 1,285 new stores in 2017. $DG PR link.

C.H. Robinson(PBR215) acquires Montreal, Quebec, CAN based $124 million/FY2017 freight forwarding, customs brokerage, and surface transportation logistics provider Milgram & Company for $50 million cash. $CHRW PR link.

Hertz(PBR259) completes sale of its Brazil car rental and leasing operations to Localiza, S America’s largest rental car company, enters into long-term strategic partner referral and brand cooperation agreements. $HTZ PR link.

LAM Research(PBR520) completes acquisition of Coventor, a global provider of simulation and modeling solutions for semiconductor process technology, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), and the Internet of Things (IoT). $LRCX PR link.

Hologic(PBR767) announces US commercial availability of its Brevera® real time breast biopsy system with CorLumina® imaging technology. $HOLX PR link.

Middleby(PBR865) has acquired Ft Smith, AR, based $100 million annual revenues global commercial kitchen design, manufacturing, engineering, project management and equipment solutions provider QualServ, terms not disclosed. $MIDD PR link.

Tenet Healthcare(PBR161) Chairman/CEO Trevor Fetter to step down on or before 03/15/18, independent lead director Ronald Rittenmeyer becomes Executive Chairman effective immediately, CEO search firm retained. $THC PR link.

Woodward(PBR888) promotes Dan Bowman to Corporate VP/Strategy & Business Development. $WWD PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/BEA US Preliminary July Total Personal Income Annual Rate is at $16.450 trillion, +0.4% from June, +2.4% from July 2016. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Labor US 4 Week Moving Average Initial Unemployment Insurance Claims for 08/26/17 is 236,750, -3.0% from 07/27/17, -10.3% from 08/20/16. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says US National Debt on 08/29/17 is $19.845 trillion, -0.7% from 12/30/16, +1.72% from 08/31/16. Treasury PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago says US Preliminary July 7th District Midwest Economic Index is at +0.29, June was +0.43, December 2016 +0.07, July 2016 -0.07. ChiFed PR link.

The MNI August Chicago Business Barometer(>50=Gaining) is at 58.9, same as July, June was 65.7, August 2016 51.5. MNI/ISM PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR41) reports US Average 30 Year Fixed Mortgage Rate on 08/31/17 is 3.82% with 0.5 points/fees, was 3.92% on 07/27/17, 4.32% on 12/29/16, 3.43% on 08/25/16. $FMCC PR link.

The American Automobile Assn says US National Average Price for a Gallon of Regular Gas on 08/31/17 is at $2.449, +5.7% from 07/31/17, +10.2% from 08/31/16. AAA PR link.

***Wednesday, August 30:

Ball Corp(PBR312) to cease production at its Birmingham, AL, Chatsworth, CA, and Longview, TX, beverage packaging plants in 2018, begin construction on new state-of-the-art beverage packaging facility in Goodyear, AZ, to begin production 2Q18. $BLL PR link.

Smart & Final(PBR517) launches delivery e-Commerce site Shop.smartandfinal.com powered By Instacart in extended partnership. $SFS PR link.

Blackhawk Network(PBR998) acquires gift card commerce solutions provider CashStar for $175 million. $HAWK PR link.

Lockheed(PBR64) promotes Stephanie Hill to SVP/Corporate Strategy & Business Development, effective 09/11/17. $LMT PR link.

Expedia(PBR433) President/CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has stepped down to become CEO at Uber, remains on the board; CFO & EVP/Operations Mark Okerstrom named successor. $EXPE PR link.

HCP(PBR834) promotes Tom Klaritch to COO, hires Doug Pasquale as Senior Advisor to the executive team, Senior Managing Director – Life Science Jon Bergschneider has resigned. $HCP PR link.

Allison Transmission(PBR865) President/CFO David Graziosi to become CEO on 06/01/18, to succeed retiring Lawrence Dewey. $ALSN PR link.

Tailored Brands(PBR643) appoints retail executive Sue Gove to the Board. $TLRD PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce US 2Q17 2nd Estimate Gross Domestic Product Annual Rate is revised to +3.0%, 1Q17 was +1.2%, Total 2Q17 Annual GDP is $19.247 trillion, +1.0% from 1Q17, +3.8% from 2Q16. USDOC PR link.

The US Energy Information Administrationsays US Crude Oil Stocks on 08/25/17 were at 457.8 millions of barrels, -5.3% from 07/21/17, -7.6% from 08/26/16. EIA PR link.

ADP(PBR235) US August Change In National Employment was +237,000, +17.9% from July, +68.1% from August 2016. Goods Producing Sector was +33,000, Services Sector+204,000. $ADP PR link.

Taxes: President Trump targets 15% corporate tax rate during visit in Missouri, simplified lower tax structure for citizens.

***Tuesday, August 29:

Bank of America(PBR24) announces Berkshire Hathaway(PBR4 $BRKA) exercised its warrants to purchase 700 million shares of Bank of America common stock, is now largest stockholder. $BAC PR link.

Andeavor(PBR71) opens first ARCO station in Mexico, in Tijuana, Baja California, expects to add 200-400 stations in Baja California and Sonora over next few years. $ANDV PR link.

Freeport-McMoRan(PBR128) announces framework for Agreement with Indonesian government regarding long-term operating rights For PT Freeport Indonesia. $FCX PR link.

Icahn Enterprises(PBR147) completes $600 million sale of the former Fontainebleau Las Vegas property, paid $148 million in 02/10. $IEP PR link.

AutoNation(PBR148) adds up to $250 million to share repurchase program, balance is $270 million. $AN PR link.

Thermo-Fisher Scientific(PBR175) completes $7.2 billion acquisition of 9,000 employee $1.9 billion revenues/2016 global drug developer/delivery solutions provider Patheon NV(NYSE: PTHN). $TMO PR link.

Michaels Cos(PBR503) to hire 15,000 for seasonal jobs for 2017 holiday season. $MIK PR link.

Domino’s(PBR889) and Ford(PBR10 $F) begin consumer research of pizza delivery using self-driving vehicles. $DPZ PR link.

The Conference Board US Preliminary August Confidence Index(1985=100) is at 122.9, Revised July was 120.0. TCB PR link.

S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller US June National Home Price Index(01/2000=100) is at 192.60, May was 190.79, April 188.78, June 2016 182.10. Case-Shiller PR link.

Genworth Financial(PBR287) 2Q17 First-Time Homebuyer Market Report: First-Time Homebuyer Demand Continues to Outpace Housing and Mortgage Market, Driving Home Pricing Appreciation. $GNW PR link.

***Monday, August 28:

ExxonMobil(PBR2) completes acquisition of Jurong Aromatics Corporation plant in Singapore, one of the largest in the world with 1.4 million tons annual production capacity. $XOM PR link.

Amazon(PBR29) to open 2nd fulfillment center in Salem, OR, 1 million sf facility, will create 1,000+ fulltime jobs. $AMZN PR link.

Humana(PBR58) completes $1.5 billion accelerated share repurchase program announced 02/14/17. $HUM PR link.

Gilead Sciences(PBR107) to acquire engineered cell therapies developer Kite Pharma(NASDAQ: KITE) for $180/share, $11.9 billion cash, to close 4Q17. $GILD PR link.

Abbott Labs(PBR134) gets US FDA approvalfor Full MagLev™ HeartMate 3™ Left Ventricular Assist System, provides a new option for physicians managing advanced heart failure patients. $ABT PR link.

Western Digital(PBR194) to acquire cloud services storage company UpThere, terms not disclosed. $WDC PR link.

CBS(PBR210) to acquire Network Ten, one of three major commercial broadcast networks in Australia, also paves way for digital subscription video on-demand service CBS All Access in Australia. $CBS PR link.

Henry Schein(PBR270) to acquire independent family owned Columbia, SC, based $115 million/2016 animal health products supplier Merritt Veterinary Supplies in 3Q17, terms not disclosed. $HSIC PR link.

Core-Mark(PBR271) authorizes new up to $40 million share repurchase program. $CORE PR link.

Cognizant(PBR272) completes acquisition of national provider of business process services to the Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D and Managed Medicaid markets in the United States, supporting 32 health plans and more than 4.4 million members in all 50 states TMG Health. $CTSH PR link.

Herbalife(PBR487) announces waiver and amendment of stock price condition for its up to $600 million of its common stock. $HLF PR link.

W.R. Grace(PBR625) to acquire Evonik Dental Silica and Huber Defoamer product lines, terms not disclosed. $GRA PR link.

CR Bard(PBR637) gets US FDA premarket approval for LUTONIX® 035 Drug Coated Balloon PTA Catheter (DCB) for end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients with stenotic lesions in dialysis arteriovenous (AV) fistulae. $BCR PR link.

Vulcan Materials(PBR685) to acquire Vancouver, British Columbia, based Polaris Materials Corporation (TSX:PLS), an aggregates and logistics company primarily serving California markets, terms not disclosed. $VMC PR link.

Fitbit(PBR870) announces its first smartwatch, Fitbit Ionic, builds on health & fitness platform, pre-sales orders online, in stores starting 10/17, $299.95. Also announces Fitbit Flyer(Wireless headphones), Fitbit Aria 2(WiFi smart scale), and a new premium guidance and coaching offering. $FIT PR link.

Finish Line(PBR927) adopts a Shareholder Rights Plan, expires 08/28/20. $FINL PR link.

Williams Cos(PBR348) hires John Williams as SVP/CFO, effective 09/05/17, succeeds retiring Don Chappel. $WMB PR link.

Blackstone(PBR352) hires Katsuyuki Kuki as Chairman and Representative Director of Japan. $BX PR link.

Hurricane Harvey slams SE Texas with winds and rain, flooding and damage, forcing evacuations for tens of thousands, expects to continue for several days.

***Friday, August 25:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week Ending 08/25/17:
DJIA ends week at 21,813.67, +0.64% from last Friday, -0.35% MTD, +2.17% QTD, +10.38% YTD, -1.38% from record 22,118.42 set 08/07/17.
NASDAQ ends week at 6,265.64, +0.79% from last Friday, -1.30% MTD, +2.04% QTD, +16.39% YTD, -2.45% from record 6,422.75 set 07/26/17.
SPX ends week at 2,443.05, +0.72% from last Friday, –1.10% MTD, +0.81% QTD, +9.12% YTD, -1.53% from record 2,480.91 set 08/07/17.

Amazon(PBR29) to open a new 855,000 sf fulfillment center in North Randall, OH, to create 2,000+ full-time jobs. $AMZN PR link.

Caesars Entertainment(PBR314) & Caesars Entertainment Operating Co(CEOC) get Nevada Gaming Commission approval for merger of Caesars Acquisition Co into Caesars Entertainment and for the reorganization of CEOC, both actions scheduled for 1st week of 10/17. $CZR PR link.

Archer-Daniels-Midland(PBR34) promotes Rachel Hudson to corporate secretary, also continues as CFO for Corn division. $ADM PR link.

Bon-Ton Stores(PBR707) COO Bill Tracy is now president/CEO and member of the Board. $BONT PR link.

***Thursday, August 24:

Amazon(PBR29) $42/share, $13.7 billion acquisition of Whole Foods(PBR203) to be completed Monday, 08/28/17, Whole Foods to lower prices on some best-selling grocery staples, begin to integrate Amazon Prime into its point-of-sale system. $AMZN PR link.

Comcast(PBR42) signs 40 month agreement for Sunrun(NASDAQ: RUN) to be exclusive residential solar energy provider for Comcast Cable. $CMCSA PR link.

Sears(PBR93) in 2Q17 report says it will close 28 KMart stores by year end, to annuitize an additional $512 million of its pension liability through agreement with Metropolitan Life. $SHLD PR link.

Hormel Foods(PBR293) acquires Brazil based branded, value-added 70 meats in 15 categories company Cidade do Sol, featuring the Cerratibrand. Hormel’s first entry into S America. $HRL PR link.

LabCorp(PBR413) $1.2 billion cash acquisition of global 4,500 employees specialty contract research organization drug developer Chiltrenclears FTC antitrust review, transaction to close around 09/01/17. $LH PR link.

WABCO(PBR704) to acquire private, Hanover, PA, based $130 million/2016 commercial vehicle technologies supplier RH Sheppard for $145 million. $WBC PR link.

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

Verisk Analytics(PBR943) to acquire Burlingame, CA, based risk insight, prediction, and management solutions for banks and creditors provider LCI for $151 million cash. $VRSK PR link.

Anthem(PBR38) hires Jacquelyn H. Wolf as EVP/Chief Human Resources Officer, effective 08/28/17. $ANTM PR link.

Fifth Third Bancorp(PBR387) hires Shellie Creson as Chief Auditor, effective 08/28/17, succeeds Bob Shaffer who became Chief Human Resources Officer in 02/17. $FITB PR link.

LabCorp(PBR413) hires Dr. Brian Caveney to newly created role of Enterprise-Wide Chief Medical Officer, effective 09/25/17. $LH PR link.

KBR(PBR395) appoints Lieutenant General Wendy M. Masiello, USAF (Ret.) to the Board. $KBR PR link.

Ciena Corp(PBR829) appoints Bill Fathers, currently Senior Operating Partner responsible for investments in Communications Infrastructure at Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners, to the Board. $CIEN PR link.

The Natl Assn of Realtors says US July Existing Home Sales Annual Rate is at 5,440,000, -1.3% from June, +2.1% from July 2016, Median Price is $258,300, -2.1% from June, +6.2% from July 2016. NAR PR link.

Investing Strategies: E*Trade(PBR930) Study Reveals That Amid High Valuations and Market Peaks, Many Investors Seek Individual Stocks over ETFs. $EFTC PR link.

***Wednesday, August 23:

Walmart(PBR1) to offer voice shopping for hundreds of thousands of items via Alphabet(PBR44 $GOOG)’s Google Assistantstarting late 09/17, to also integrate Easy Reorder service with Google Express, plans to expand voice shopping in 2018. $WMT PR link.

Amazon(PBR29 $AMZN) gets US Federal Trade Commission approval for $42/share, $13.7 billion acquisition of Whole Foods(PBR203 $WFM). FTC PR link.

Thermo Fisher Scientific(PBR175) gets final regulatory approvals for $7.2 billion acquisition of Patheon NV, expects to complete tender offer on 08/28/17. $TMO PR link.

Hershey(PBR354) to do share buyback from Hershey Trust, 1.5 million shares at $106/share, $159 million. $HSY PR link.

MEDNAX(PBR794) acquires Miami, FL, based 70+ physicians 1+ million studies/year practice Radiology Associates of S Florida, terms not disclosed. $MD PR link.

Target(PBR40) hires Minsok Pak as EVP/Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer, effective 09/11/17. $TGT PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/HUD US Preliminary July New Family Homes Sold Annual Rate is at 571,000, -9.4% from June, -8.9% from July 2016. USDOC PR link.

***Tuesday, August 22:

Energy Transfer Equity(PBR52) files federal lawsuit against Greenpeace International, Greenpeace Inc., Greenpeace Fund, Inc., BankTrack And Earth First! for violation of federal and state racketeering statutes related to the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. $ETE PR link.

Sprint(PBR86) to open 44 new retail locations across Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Utah and West Texas by the end of 2017, to add 300+ jobs. $S PR link.

Avnet(PBR100) acquires cloud-based global manufacturing processes developer and provider Dragoon Innovator, terms not disclosed. $AVT PR link.

Kohl’s(PBR149) to open 4 small format 35,000 sf stores across the US, open its 5th e-commerce fulfillment center, a 937,000 sf facility located in Plainfield, IN. $KSS PR link.

JCPenney(PBR234) launches Frank + Lulu, a whimsical new brand of bedding and decor for kids in 200 stores starting 09/01/17, with additional stores to follow. $JCP PR link.

United Rentals(PBR438) has acquired power equipment assets, primarily mobile rental generator sets, from Cummins(PBR146 $CMI), terms not disclosed. $URI PR link.

First Solar(PBR630) sells 280 megawatt California Flats Solar Project in Monterey County, CA, to global private asset manager Capital Dynamics, terms not disclosed. $FSLR PR link.

Intel(PBR51) Group President of Manufacturing, Operations and Sales Stacy Smith to retire at end of 01/18 after 30 years at Intel. $INTC PR link.

Asbury Automotive(PBR424) EVP/COO David Hult to succeed Craig Monaghan as president/CEO on 01/01/18. $ABG PR link.

Intuit(PBR529) CFO Neil Williams to step down in 01/18, Michelle Clatterbuck to be promoted to CFO, effective 02/01/18. $INTU PR link.

T Rowe Price(PBR570) hires Céline Dufétel as VP/CFO & Treasurer, starting in 12/17, to succeed retiring Kenneth Moreland. $TROW PR link.

H&R Block(PBR669) hires Jeff Jones as president/CEO, effective 10/09/17, succeeds interim president/CEO Tom Gerke, who will remain general counsel and chief adminstration officer. $HRB PR link.

Brinker Intl(PBR697) promotes Joe Taylor to SVP/CFO. $EAT PR link.

GoDaddy(PBR905) CEO Blake Irving to retire 12/31/17, president/COO Scott Wagner to be successor. $GDDY PR link.

XCEL Energy(PBR241) elects David Owens, recently retired EVP of the Edison Electric Institute association, to the Board. $XEL PR link.

L Brands(PBR247) elects Patricia Bellinger, Adjunct Lecturer/Research Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, and Robert Schottenstein, Chairman/CEO of M/I Homes(NYSE: MHO), to the Board. $LB PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond 5th District August Service Sector Revenue Index(Annualized) is at 22%, July was 12%, June 19%, August 2016 3%. RichmondFed PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond 5th District August Manufacturing Index(Annualized) is at 14%, July was 14%, June 11%, August 2016 -4%. RichmondFed PR link.

***Monday, August 21:

***Solar Eclipse Day: The US experiences a rare coast to coast total solar eclipse. NASA website link.***

Cisco(PBR60) intends to acquire Sunnyvale, CA, based hyperconvergence software developer Springpath for $320 million cash, expects to close 1Q18. $CSCO PR link.

Dollar General(PBR151) has a grand opening on 08/19/17 to celebrate its 14,000th store, located in Dauphin, PA. $DG PR link.

Sempra Energy(PBR254) to acquire Energy Future Holdings, the indirect owner of 80% of Oncor Electric Delivery Co, operator of the largest electric transmission and distribution system in Texas, for $9.45 billion cash. $SRE PR link.

Packaging Corp(PBR425) to acquire Sacramento Container, Northern Sheets, and Central California Sheets for $265 million cash. $PKG PR link.

Fiserv(PBR474) acquires bank payments and liquidity management solutions provider Dovetail Group, terms not disclosed. $FISV PR link.

Herbalife(PBR487) to purchase up to $600 million of its common stock for $60-68/share after termination of negotiation to go private with a financial investor, Icahn Enterprises(PBR147 $IEP) and its affiliates agree not to acquire over 50% ownership unless they acquire 100%. $HLF PR link.

Perrigo(PBR565) gets US FDA approval and patent litigation settlement with AstraZeneca for the store brand over-the-counter equivalent of $300 million/year frequent heartburn therapy Nexium® 24HR (esomeprazole magnesium)capsules, to launch late 09/17. $PRGO PR link.

Nationstar Mortgage(PBR857) unveils new brand name, Mr. Cooper, for its mortgage servicing and originations operations, serves 3 million customers. $NSM PR link.

Johnson Controls(PBR68) accelerates CEO succession plan by 6 months, president/COO George Oliver to succeed Alex Molinaroli as Chairman/CEO on 09/01/17; Jürgen Tinggren appointed lead independent director and Jeffrey Joerres has stepped down from the Board. $JCI PR link.

Macy’s(PBR97) hires Hal Lawton as president, effective 09/08/17. $M PR link.

Willis Towers Watson(PBR621) hires Michael “Mike” J. Burwell as its new CFO, succeeds Roger Millay who is retiring on 10/02/17. $WLTW PR link.

Tailored Brands(PBR643) hires Andrew Iwaskow as EVP/Human Resources. $TLRD PR link.

Humana(PBR58) elects Frank Bisignano, Chairman/CEO of First Data, to the Board. $HUM PR link.

ADP(PBR235) Board rejects all 3 Pershing Square nominees for 2017 Annual Meeting, to nominate its 10 existing directors for re-election. $ADP PR link.

Polaris Industries(PBR531) appoints George Bilicic, vice chairman of investment banking at Lazard, to the Board. $PII PR link.

Invacare(PBR984) elects Barbara Bodem, SVP of finance for global specialty pharmaceutical company Mallinckrodt plc (NYSE: MNK), to the Board. $IVC PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago US Preliminary July National Activity Index is at -0.01, June was +0.16, May -0.30, July 2016+0.07. ChiFed PR link.

***Friday, August 18:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week Ending 08/18/17:
DJIA ends week at 21,674.51, -0.84% from last Friday, -0.99% MTD, +1.52% QTD, +9.67% YTD, -2.01% from record 22,118.42 set 08/07/17.
NASDAQ ends week at 6,216.53, -0.64% from last Friday, -2.07% MTD, +1.24% QTD, +15.48% YTD, -3.21% from record 6,422.75 set 07/26/17.
SPX ends week at 2,425.55,-0.65% from last Friday, –1.81% MTD, +0.09% QTD, +8.34% YTD, -2.23% from record 2,480.91 set 08/07/17.

Calpine Corp(PBR330), America’s largest generator of electricity from natural gas and geothermal resources, is to be acquired by investor consortium led by Energy Capital Partners for $15.25/share(51% premium from 05/09/17 price before press speculation reports), $5.6 billion cash, expects to close 1Q18. $CPN PR link.

Tenet Healthcare(PBR161) directors and employees of Glenview Capital ManagementRandy Simpson and Matt Ripperger have resigned from the Board. $THC PR link.

The U of Michigan US Preliminary August Consumer Sentiment Index is at 97.6, Julywas 93.4, June 95.1, August 2016 89.8. UMich PR link.

***Thursday, August 17:

Walmart(PBR1) 2Q18 report shows total revenue increased 2.1% over 2Q17, eCommerce GMV grows 67%, 67 million SKUs available. $WMT PR link.

Pfizer(PBR56) gets US FDA approval for BESPONSA® (inotuzumab ozogamicin), first and only CD22-directed antibody-drug conjugate indicated for the treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia. $PFE PR link.

Merck(PBR70) and AstraZeneca get US FDAadditional and broad approval for LYNPARZA for treatment of ovarian cancer. $MRK PR link.

PPG(PBR190) opens automotive refinish training center in Argentina, to train 300+ professionals annually. $PPG PR link.

ADP(PBR235) comments on Pershing Square‘s nomination of 3 directors, says current Board has the right balance of leadership continuity and fresh perspectives. $ADP PR link.

Hormel Foods(PBR293) to acquire Chicago, IL, based Fontanini Italian Meats and Sausagesfor $425 million. $HRL PR link.

Mylan(PBR346) agrees to $485 million settlement agreement on Medicaid Rebate Classification for EpiPen® Auto-Injector. $MYL PR link.

Blackstone(PBR352) to acquire Philadelphia, PA, area based independent investment management firm with over $10 billion in assets under management Harvest Fund Advisors, terms not disclosed. $BX PR link.

Peabody Energy(PBR372) to repurchase $40 million in shares from stockholder affiliates of Discovery Capital Management. $BTU PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) acquires Howell, MI, based employee benefit and healthcare finance brokerage and consulting services provider Ballard Benefit Works, terms not disclosed. $AJG PR link.

McCormick(PBR552) completes $4.2 billion acquisition of Reckitt Benckiser’s Food Division, including Frank’s RedHot Hot Sauce, French’s Mustard, French’s Crispy Vegetables and Cattlemen’s BBQ Sauce and other brands. $MKC PR link.

First Solar(PBR630) sells 40 Megawatt (MW)ac(enough to power 16,000 typical homes for a year) Cuyama Solar Project in Santa Barbara County, CA, to D. E. Shaw Renewable Investments, terms not disclosed. $FSLR PR link.

Freddie Mac(PBR41) hires Stacey Goodman as EVP/Chief Information Officer, effective 09/25/17. $FMCC PR link.

JCPenney(PBR234) elects Wonya Lucas, president/CEO Public Broadcasting Atlanta, to the Board. $JCP PR link.

Old Republic Intl(PBR445) elects Glenn Reed, recently retired as a Managing Director of the Strategy Division of The Vanguard Group, to the Board. $ORI PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Board Preliminary July Industrial Production Total Index(2012=100) is 105.5, +0.2% from June, +2.2% from July 2016; Total Industrial Capacity at 76.7%, +1.1% from July 2016. USFed PR link.

The Federal Bank of Philadelphia August Manufacturing Business Outlook Survey General Activity Indicator is at 18.9, July was 19.5, June 27.6, August 2016 4.3. PhillyFed PR link.

The Conference Board US Preliminary August Leading Economic Index(2010=100) is at 128.3, July was 127.9, June 127.1, August 2016 124.1. TCB PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR41) releases August Outlook, topic: How Cash Sales Affect Mortgage Originations. $FMCC PR link.

***Wednesday, August 16:

Verizon(PBR15) building private 4G LTE network for national public safety/first responders use. $VZ PR link.

Alphabet(PBR44 $GOOG)’s Google unit acquires AIMatter, maker of the Fabbycomputer vision app. TechCrunch PR link.

Intel(PBR51)’s Mobileye unit gets Fiat Chryslerto join BMW Group for development of autonomous driving platform that retains brand identity, but also available to all car manufacturers. $INTC PR link.

Tyson Foods(PBR80) investing $84 million to expand Union City, TN, poultry plant, to be completed by mid 2019, will create 300+ jobs. $TSN PR link.

Henry Schein(PBR270) to do 2:1 common stock split on 09/15/17 for shareholders of record 09/01/17, will have 158 million shares outstanding. $HSIC PR link.

United Rentals(PBR438) to acquire Miami, FL, based 1,200 employees in 69 branches serving 15,500 construction/industrial customers $419 million anticipated 2017 revenues equipment rentals company Neff Corporation for $25/share, $1.3 billion. $URI PR link.

LPL Financial(PBR543) acquires 3,200 US advisors independent broker-dealer network and $120 billion in client assets of National Planning Holdings for $325 million plus up to $123 million for level of business that onboards. $LPLA PR link.

Perrigo(PBR565) gets US FDA approval for AB rated generic Mycolog® II Cream for treatment of cutaneous candidiasis. $PRGO PR link.

UnitedHealth(PBR14) CEO Stephen Helmsley to become executive chairman on 09/01/17, succeeds Richard Burke who will become lead independent director, president David Wichmann to be new CEO. $UNH PR link.

AmTrust Financial(PBR564) promotes Ariel Gorelik to SVP/Chief Information Officer, succeeds Christopher Longo who continues as EVP/COO. $AFSI PR link.

Analog Devices(PBR701) hires Prashanth Mahendra-Rajah as SVP/Finance & CFO, effective 09/28/17. $ADI PR link.

Xylem(PBR575) elects Jeanne Beliveau-Dunn, Cisco(PBR60) VP/GM of Technical Services, to the Board. $XYL PR link.

The Federal Open Market Committee 07/25-26/17 Meeting Minutes released, judges the vulnerabilities of the US financial system as moderate on balance. FOMC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/HUD says US Preliminary July Total Private Housing Permits Issued Annual Rate at 1,223,000, -4.1% from June, +4.1% from July 2016. USDOC PR link.

***Tuesday, August 15:

Amazon(PBR29) to issue up to $16 billion in debt to fund Whole Foods(PBR203 $WFM)acquisition, repay 1.2% notes due in 2017, & for general corporate purposes. $AMZN PR link.

Group 1 Automotive(PBR276) acquires the exclusive Audi dealership in Fort Worth, TX, does $55 million/year, now has 13 Audi dealerships in the US & UK. $GPI PR link.

Advance Auto Parts(PBR279) to open 60-65 new stores in 2017, to reduce inventories to increase cash flow. $AAP PR link.

Live Nation(PBR366)’s TicketMaster unit launching in Switzerland, now in 30 countries. $LYV PR link.

SCANA(PBR489)’s S Carolina Electric & Gas Co to voluntarily withdraw its new nuclear abandonment petition to accommodate the legislative process. $SCG PR link.

Cliffs Natural Resources(PBR518) celebrates 170 year in business by re-naming itself to its historical name, Cleveland-Cliffs Inc, stock symbol remains NYSE: CLF. $CLF PR link.

Whiting Petroleum(PBR667) to sell its Fort Berthold area assets in N Dakota to RimRock Oil & Gas Williston for $500 million, to close 09/01/17. $WLL PR link.

AMC Entertainment(PBR728) not optimistic about MoviePass $9.95/month subscription for 365 movies/year plan. $AMC PR link.

Equinix(PBR793) opens its fifth International Business Exchange™ (IBX®) data center in Hong Kong, with 1,200 cabinets, called HK5, located in financial district. $EQIX PR link.

Brown & Brown(PBR972) to enter accelerated share repurchase program of $50 million with JPMorgan Chase(PBR21 $JPM). $BRO PR link.

Assurant(PBR268) hires Carey Roberts as EVP/Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, effective 10/30/17, to succeed Bart Schwartz who is retiring at year end. $AIZ PR link.

M&T Bank(PBR504) elects Rick Ledgett, Jr, recently retired as Deputy Director of the US National Security Agency, to the Board. $MTB PR link.

Cabot Corp(PBR607) elects Amanda Brock, CEO of water treatment company Water Standard, and Marcus Watts, President of principally automotive related umbrella company The Friedkin Group, to the Board. $COG PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census US Preliminary June Total Manufacturers/Retailers/Wholesalers Salesare $1.375 trillion, +0.3% from May, +4.3% from June 2016; June Total Inventories were at $1.869 trillion, +0.5% from May, +2.8% from June 2016. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census US Advanced July Total Retail Sales are at $478.9 billion, +0.6% from June, +4.2% from July 2016. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Labor US Preliminary July Import Prices Index is +0.1%, June was -0.2%, May -0.1%, July 2016 +0.1%, Last 12 Months+1.5%; July Export Prices were +0.4%, June-0.2%, May -0.5%, July 2016 +0.2%, Last 12 Months +0.8%. USDOL PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of NY August Empire State Manufacturing General Business Conditions Index is at 25.2, July was 9.8, June 19.8, August 2016 -3.2. NYFed PR link.

The Natl Assn of Home Builders US Preliminary August Housing Market Composite Index is at 68, July was 64, June66, August 2016 59. NAHB PR link.

***Monday, August 14:

Target(PBR40) to acquire San Francisco, CA, based transportation technology company with 700 carriers network provider Grand Junction, terms not disclosed. $TGT PR link.

Andeavor(PBR71) to own 59% of Andeavor Logistics(NYSE: ANDX), which is buying Western Refining Logisting(NYSE: WNRL) for $1.8 billion(includes debt), after incentive distribution rights buy-in. $ANDV PR link.

VF Corp(PBR232) to acquire Williamson-Dickie Mfg. Co., a family-owned, private global workwear company, $875 million in revenues over the last 12 months, for $820 million cash. $VFC PR link.

Calumet Specialty(PBR431) to sell its Superior, WI, refinery and assets to a Husky Energy unit for $435 million cash plus around $60 million for other items. $CLMT PR link.

Brunswick(PBR584) completes headquarters move from Lake Forest, IL, to Woodland Falls Corporate Center in Mettawa, IL. $BC PR link.

Crocs(PBR1008 $CROX) to appeal the US Patent Office rejection of cornerstone design patent in its case against USA Dawgs. Footwear News PR link.

DISH(PBR196)’s Sling TV CEO Roger Lynch leaving to become CEO of Pandora Media($P), responsibilities to be added to President/COO Erik Carlson, effective 08/31/17. $DISH PR link.

Chipotle(PBR561) hires Laurie Schalow to newly created position of Chief Communications Officer. $CMG PR link.

McDermott Intl(PBR825) hires John Freeman as SVP/General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, succeeds retiring at the end of the year Liane Hinrichs. $MDR PR link.

Adtalem Education(PBR905) hires Mehul Patel as Group President/Professional Education, effective 09/05/17. $ATGE PR link.

Proctor & Gamble(PBR33) highlights significant value creation progress in Letter to Shareholders, encourages vote for its board nominees, not activist investor Nelson Peltz. $PG PR link.

3M(PBR92) elects Amy Hood, EVP/CFO of Microsoft(PBR31 $MSFT), to the Board. $MMM PR link.

Raytheon(PBR118) elects Robert Work, former US Deputy Secretary of Defense under President Obama, to the Board. $RTN PR link.

Terex(PBR357) elects Andra Rush, president/CEO in the $2 billion/year Rush Group of companies, to the Board. $TEX PR link.

Newfield Exploration(PBR830) elects Edgar R. “Bud” Giesinger, a former managing and audit engagement partner at KPMG, to the Board. $NFX PR link.

***Friday, August 11:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week Ending 08/11/17:
DJIA ends week at 21,858.32, -1.06% from last Friday, -0.15% MTD, +2.38% QTD, +10.60% YTD, -1.18% from record 22,118.42 set 08/07/17.
NASDAQ ends week at 6,256.56, -1.50% from last Friday, -1.44% MTD, +1.89% QTD, +16.23% YTD, -2.59% from record 6,422.75 set 07/26/17.
SPX ends week at 2,441.32,-1.43% from last Friday, -1.17% MTD, +0.74% QTD, +9.04% YTD, -1.60% from record 2,480.91 set 08/07/17.

First Solar(PBR630) awarded 241 megawatt module supply contract for Edify Energy solar projects in Australia, to serve needs of 73,000 homes in Queensland. $FSLR PR link.

Tesla(PBR651) ups amount of senior notes offer from $1.5 billion to $1.8 billion, due 2025, 5.30% interest rate, expects to close 08/18/17. $TSLA PR link.

Intuitive Surgical(PBR863) to do 3:1 stock split on 10/06/17, subject to stockholder approval. $ISRG PR link.

Caterpillar(PBR54) appoints Suzette Long as General Counsel/Corporate Secretary, had been serving as interim since 02/17. $CAT PR link.

Minerals Tech(PBR949) elects Carolyn Pittman, VP/Finance and Controller for Huntington Ingalls Newport News Shipbuilding, to its Board. $MTX PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US July Consumer Price Index is at +0.1%, Last 12 Months +1.7%, June was +1.6%, July 2016 +0.8%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US Preliminary July Current Average Earnings/Week are at $909.42, +0.3% from June, +2.8% from July 2016. USDOL PR link.

***Thursday, August 10:

Stanley Black & Decker(PBR249) opens $2 billion/year 9,000 employees STANLEY Security North America unit headquarters in Fishers, IN, 80,000 sf facility to house 350 employees. $SWK PR link.

Constellation Brands(PBR377) acquires S Florida‘s largest craft beer brewery, 45,000 barrels capacity Funky Buddha Brewery, terms not disclosed. $STZ PR link.

Moody’s(PBR636) completes $3.27 billion acquisition of Amsterdam, NL, based global business intelligence/company info provider Bureau van Dijk. $MCO PR link.

New York Times(PBR971) launches Chinese Travel Magazine 新视线, to be published 6x/year, distributed throughout mainland China. $NYT PR link.

TEGNA(PBR622) hires Adam Ostrow as Chief Digital Officer. $TGNA PR link.

Costco(PBR18) elects longtime director and Blackstone(PBR352) executive Hamilton E. (Tony) James as Chairman. $COST PR link.

Boeing(PBR27) elects former US Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy to the Board. $BA PR link.

Caterpillar(PBR54) elects former New Hampshire US Senator Kelly Ayotte to the Board. $CAT PR link.

PNC Financial(PBR189) elects Ventas(PBR671) chairman/CEO Debra Cafaro to the Board. $PNC PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says US July Federal Government Receipts were $232.0 billion, Outlays $275.0 billion, Deficit $43 billion, YTD Deficit(10 Months) $566.0 billion, YTD Deficit 2016 was $585.6 billion. Treasury PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US July Total Producer Price Index was at -0.1%, June was +0.1%, May +0.0%, July 2016 -0.1%, Last 12 Months +1.9%. USDOL PR link.

***Wednesday, August 9:

Intel(PBR51)‘s newly acquired Mobileye unit to build fleet of 100 Level 4 SAE fully autonomous vehicles for testing in the US, Israel and Europe. $INTC PR link.

CBRE(PBR301) acquires majority interest in Toronto based private infrastructure and private equity investments $7 billion in assets business Caledon Capital Management, terms not disclosed. $CBG PR link.

Vantiv(PBR754) agrees to acquire UK basedglobal card payments processor WorldPay for $65.06/share, $10 billion. Worldpay PR link.

EnerSys(PBR776) authorizes new $100 million stock repurchase program, no deadline set. $ENS PR link.

Radian(PBR978) authorizes up to $50 million shares repurchase program, expires 07/31/18. $RDN PR link.

Sanmina(PBR401) to promote David Anderson to EVP/CFO, effective 10/02/17, to succeed Bob Eulau who becomes CEO. $SANM PR link.

The Children’s Place(PBR939) hires Steven Rado as Chief Digital Officer. $PLCE PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says US Preliminary June Wholesale Sales are at $465.8 billion, +0.7% from May, +5.5% from June 2016. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US Preliminary 2Q17 Labor Productivity Output/Hr-All Persons was +0.6%, revised 1Q17 was -0.8%, revised 2Q16 was +0.6%. USDOL PR link.

***Tuesday, August 8:

Intel(PBR51) completes $63.54/share, $15.3 billion cash tender offer of autonomous vehicle computer vision products developer Mobileye NV(NYSE: MBLY) which will de-list 08/21/17. $INTC PR link.

Walt Disney(PBR57) to have 75% stake after acquiring an additional 42% stake for $1.58 billion in ESPN-branded multi-sport service BAMTech from Major League Baseball unit; Disney to also end distribution agreement with Netflix(PBR447 $NFLX) at beginning of 2019. $DIS PR link.

Huntsman Corp(PBR244) subsidiary Venator Materials now an independent public company with IPO launch, listing as NYSE: VNTR. $HUN PR link.

Blackstone(PBR352) acquires 51% ownership in $35 billion real estate asset portfolio valued at $11.8 billion of Spain based Banco Popular SA. $BX PR link.

Lithia(PBR451) has acquired Downtown Los Angeles Auto Group, comprised of Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche, Toyota, and Volkswagen stores located in downtown Los Angeles and a Nissan store in nearby Carson, will add $1 billion in annual revenues. $LAD PR link.

Envision Healthcare(PBR581) to sell its medical transportation subsidiary, American Medical Response, to KKR(PBR332)’s Air Medical Group Holdings unit for $2.4 billion cash. $EVHC PR link.

CR Bard(PBR637) shareholders approve $317/share, $24 billion cash/stock acquisition by Becton Dickinson(PBR318), expects to close 4Q17. $BD PR link.

Church & Dwight(PBR639) completes $1 billion cash acquisition of water-jet technology in both oral water flossers and replacement showerheads $265 million 12 month sales through 06/30/17 Ft Collins, CO, based Waterpik. $CHD PR link.

Vantiv(PBR754) offer deadline to acquire UK based global card payments processor WorldPay for $10 billion extended from 08/08/17 to 08/11/17. WorldPay PR link.

Wabash Natl(PBR917) to acquire Goshen, IN-based 2nd largest US manufacturer of truck bodies with 2016 sales of $299 million Supreme Industries(NYSE MKT:STS) for $21/share, $364 million. $WNC PR link.

Alaska Air(PBR454) promotes Shane Tackett to SVP/Revenue Management & e-commerce, names Andy Schneider new VP/People. $ALK PR link.

Fossil Group(PBR617) EVP/CFO & Treasurer Dennis Secor effective 10/16/17, to be succeeded by board member Jeffrey Boyer. $FOSL PR link.

Pier 1 Imports(PBR916) EVP/CFO Jeffrey Boyer leaving, effective 10/03/17, successor search starts; Bhargav Shah hired as SVP/Chief Information Officer. $PIR PR link.

The US Dept of Labor estimates the US June Total Job Openings at a record 6,163,000, +8.1% from May, +11.4% from June 2016. USDOL PR link.

CoreLogic says US May Housing Mortgages 30 Days or More Delinquent at 4.5%, April was 4.8%, March 4.4%, May 2016 5.3%. CoreLogic PR link.

***Monday, August 7:

Thermo Fisher Scientific(PBR175) commences public offering of $1.5 billion of its common stock, to be used in $7.2 billion acquisition of Patheon NV, which is expected to close in 3Q17. $TMO PR link.

Office Depot(PBR182) partnering with Deliv to offer same day office products delivery service in Atlanta, GA, Los Angeles, CA, and Ft Lauderdale, FL, rollout to other markets by end of 2017. $ODP PR link.

DISH(PBR196) petitions FCC to deny Sinclair Broadcast Grp(PBR894) $43.50/share, $3.9 billion cash/stock, plus assumption of $2.7 billion of debt acquisition of Tribune Media(NYSE: TRCO). $DISH PR link.

CBS(PBR210) gets agreement with AT&T(PBR12) to join “DIRECTV NOW” Live TV service, to offer Entertainment, Sports and CBS News Programming as well as SHOWTIME, The CW, CBS Sports Network and Pop, terms not disclosed. $CBS PR link.

CBS(PBR210) All Access subscription service to expand internationally, first to Canada in 1H18, expects 4 million US subscribers at $5.99-$9.99/mo by end of 2017. $CBS PR link.

Ball Corp(PBR312) to repurchase around $100 million of its outstanding common stock in a private accelerated stock repurchase transaction with Goldman Sachs(PBR76). $BLL PR link.

Mylan(PBR346) gets tentative US FDA approval under PEPFAR program for first 3 drug combination used for treating HIV/AIDS in developing countries. $MYL PR link.

Netflix(PBR447) makes its first acquisition, Millarworld, the comic book publishing powerhouse founded by Mark Millar, creator of such iconic characters and stories as Kick-Ass, Kingsman, and Old Man Logan, terms not disclosed. $NFLX PR link.

Snap-On(PBR641) authorizes new up to $500 million share repurchase program. $SNA PR link.

Tesla(PBR651) to offer $1.5 billion in senior notes due 2025, to use net proceeds to further strengthen its balance sheet during period of rapid scaling of Model 3, and for general corporate purposes. $TSLA PR link.

Endo Intl(PBR700) reaches agreements to resolve virtually all known 22,000 US mesh product liability claims, making installment payments starting in 4Q17, adding $775 million to liability fund. $ENDP PR link.

Diplomat Pharmacy(PBR515) hires Joel Saban as president, succeeds leaving Paul Urick. $DPLO PR link.

Manitowoc(PBR579) EVP/Tower Cranes Larry Weyers resigning, effective 08/31/17, EVP/Mobile Cranes Aaron Ravenscroft appointed as successor. $MTW PR link.

SeaWorld(PBR948) appoints Interim CFO Marc Swanson to CFO, effective immediately. $SEAS PR link.

Assurant(PBR268) appoints Emigrant Bank vice chairman Harriet Edelman and former senior managing director of global ratings and research at Moody’s Investors Service Debra Perry to the Board. $AIZ PR link.

TimeInc(PBR631) appoints Katie Stanton, Chief Marketing Officer of health technology service Color, to the Board. $TIME PR link.

The Federal Reserve Board says US Preliminary June Total Consumer Debt at $3.856 trillion, +0.3% from May, +2.4% YTD, +5.7% from June 2016. FED PR link.

FannieMae(PBR17) says the US July Home Purchase Sentiment Index is at 86.8, June was 88.3, May 86.2, July 2016 86.5. $FNMA PR link.

***Friday, August 4:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week Ending 08/04/17:
DJIA ends week at record 22,092.81, +1.20% from last Friday, +0.92% MTD, +3.48% QTD, +11.79% YTD, +0.00% from record 22,092.81 set 08/04/17.
NASDAQ ends week at 6,351.56, -0.36% from last Friday, +0.05% MTD, +3.44% QTD, +17.99% YTD, -1.11% from record 6,422.75 set 07/26/17.
SPX ends weel at 2,476.83,+0.19% from last Friday, +0.26% MTD, +2.20% QTD, +10.63% YTD, -0.04% from record 2,477.83 set 07/26/17.

Wells Fargo(PBR30) settles 2006 lawsuit for $108 million to US government, related to VA loans, denies any wrongdoing. $WFC PR link.

Dow Chemical(PBR48 $DOW) and DuPont(PBR82) merger regulatory issues resolved, merger of equals to occur after NYSEcloses on 08/31/17, DowDuPont to begin trading on 09/01/17 with stock symbol DWDP. $DD PR link.

Travelers Cos(PBR104) completes $490 million acquisition of UK based 430,000+ accounts small business insurance policies distributor Simply Business. $DD PR link.

ADP(PBR235) activist investor Pershing Square seeking control of ADP, wants 5 of 10 board seats and CEO change, denied request to extend director nominations deadline, ADP says it already has a strong and independent Board. $ADP PR link.

Blackstone(PBR352 $BX) and CVC Capital Partners to acquire UK based online payments provider PaySafe for $3.9 billion. PaySafe PR link.

AT&T(PBR12) hires Brian Lesser as CEO/Advertising & Analytics. $T PR link.

Progressive(PBR145) elects former JPMorgan Chase(PBR21) senior executive Philip Bleser to the Board. $PGR PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US July Employment at 153,513,000, +345,000 from June, +1,967,000 from July 2016, Unemployment Rate at 4.3%, July 2016 Unemployment Rate was 4.9%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce US Preliminary June Exports were at $194.4 billion, Imports$238.1 billion, Deficit $43.7 billion, Deficit YTD$276.4 billion, June 2016 Deficit YTD was $249.8 billion. USDOC PR link.

***Thursday, August 3:

Johnson & Johnson(PBR37)’s Janssen unit gets US FDA approval for IMBRUVICA® (ibrutinib) as first and only approved treatment in certain situations for adult patients with Chronic Graft-Versus-Host-Disease (cGVHD). $JNJ PR link.

Johnson & Johnson(PBR37)’s Janssen unit gets notice that US FDA Advisory Committeedoes not recommend approval of Sirukumab for treatment of moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis. $JNJ PR link.

AbbVie(PBR136) gets US FDA approval of Mavyret(glecaprevir and pibrentasvir) for certain Hepatitis C conditions. $ABBV PR link.

Bristol-Myers Squibb(PBR185) to acquire developer of innate immune response for treating cancer therapies IFM Therapeutics for $300 million cash upfront and up to $1.01 billion upon milestone achievements. $BMY PR link.

CDW(PBR239) authorizes additional $750 million for share repurchase program, balance is now $1.033 billion. $CDW PR link.

Bed Bath & Beyond(PBR240) realigns store management in about half its stores, to reduce Department and Assistant Store Manager positions by 880. $BBBY PR link.

Mastercard(PBR291) and PayPal(PBR252)expand partnership in Asia Pacific to spur mobile and digital commerce. $MA PR link.

AMC Entertainment(PBR728) authorizes up to $100 million share repurchase program over next 2 years. $AMC PR link.

Global Payments(PBR762) to acquire the communities and sports divisions cloud-based payment technology solutions for event planners provider ACTIVE Network from Vista Equity Partners for $1.2 billion cash/stock. $GPN PR link.

Allscripts(PBR944) to acquire McKesson(PBR6)‘s hospital/health system IT business, Enterprise Information Solutions for $185 million cash. $MDRX PR link.

Weight Watchers(PBR988) end of 2Q17 subscribers up by 20.1% year-over-year to 3.5 million. $WTW PR link.

Avon Products(PBR303) CEO Sheri McCoy to step down on 03/31/18, new CEO search starts. $AVN PR link.

Alaska Air(PBR454) elects James Beer, EVP/CFO of McKesson(PBR6), to the Board. $ALK PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census estimates US June Manufacturers’ New Orders were $481.1 billion, +3.0% from May, +7.8% from June 2016. USDOC PR link.

The ISM US July Non-Manufacturing Index(>50%=Growing) is at 53.9%, June was 57.4%, May 56.9%, July 2016 55.5%. ISM PR link.

The IHS Markit US July Composite PMI Output Index is at 54.6, June was 53.9, May53.6, July 2016 51.8. IHS Markit PR link.

***Wednesday, August 2:

Medtronic(PBR133) gets US FDA approval and European CE Mark of the Avalus(TM) Surgical Aortic Valve. $MDT PR link.

Jacobs Engineering(PBR225) to acquire $4.4 billion/last 12 months, 20,000+ employees Englewood, CO, based global design, engineering and program management firm CH2M for $3.27 billion cash/stock, includes $416 million debt. $JEC PR link.

Symantec(PBR385) to sell its Website Securityand related PKI solutions to Lehi, UT, based DigiCert for $950 million and about a 30% equity stake in DigiCert common stock, part of Symantec plan to be focused on cloud generation Integrated Cyber Defense Platform. $SYMC PR link.

Macquarie Infrastructure(PBR901) invests $135 million in joint venture with Intersect Power to develop and own renewable power generation and storage, supports continued development of projects involving 700MW in California and Texas. $MIC PR link.

Macquarie Infrastructure(PBR901) to fund itsInternational-Matex Tank Terminals unit acquisition of Savannah, GA, based 7 terminals, 3.1 million barrels of liquid storage capacity Epic Midstream for $171.5 million. $MIC PR link.

PharMerica(PBR911) to be acquired by KKR(PBR332) for $29.25/share, $1.4 billion cash, includes debt, Walgreens Boots Alliance(PBR36) to be a minority investor, to close in early 2018. $PMC PR link.

Tronox(PBR946) to sell its Green River, WY, based Alkali Chemicals business, the world’s largest producer of natural soda ash, to Genesis Energy(PBR583 $GEL) for $1.325 billion cash, expects to close 2H17. $TROX PR link.

Ferro Corp(PBR992) has acquired Israelibased private global digital printing solutions on glass substrates provider Dip Tech for $60 million. $FOE PR link.

Mondelez(PBR87) chairman/CEO Irene Rosenfeld to step down as CEO in 11/17, remain chairman until retirement 03/31/18. Dirk Van de Put hired to be CEO, then add chairman role. $MDLZ PR link.

Travelers Cos(PBR104) CEO Alan Schnitzer elected Board Chairman, succeeds John Dasburg who becomes independent lead director again, elects Clarence Otis, former chairman/CEO of Darden Restaurants(PBR398), to the Board. $TRV PR link.

Stryker Corp(PBR283) elects Mary Brainerd, former president/CEO of HealthPartners, to the Board. $SYK PR link.

DSW(PBR778) elects Peter Cobb, eBags co-founder and e-commerce executive, to the Board. $DSW PR link.

OGE Energy(PBR789) elects Mike Sanner, retired as an audit partner from Ernst & Young, to the Board. $OGE PR link.

The ADP(PBR235) Preliminary US July National Change in Private Sector Employment was +178,000, -6.8% from revised June, -22.3% from July 2016. $ADP PR link.

OpenSignal releases State of Mobile Networks: USA (August 2017), compares AT&T(PBR12), Sprint(PBR86), T-Mobile(PBR95), & Verizon(PBR15) in 3G/4Gbenchmark tests. OpenSignal PR link.

***Tuesday, August 1:

Apple(PBR5) 3Q17 report shows iPhone sales at 41,026,000 units, 2Q17 was 50,763,000, 3Q16 40,399,000. $AAPL PR link.

General Motors(PBR8) closes $1.4 billion sale of Opel/Vauxhall to Groupe PSA, $1 billion sale of GM Financial’s European operations to Groupe PSA and BNP Paribas expected to close later this year. $GM PR link.

Verizon(PBR15) to purchase fiber-optic network assets serving the Chicago market from Englewood, CO, based WideOpenWest(NYSE: WOW) for $225 million, expects to close 1Q18. $VZ PR link.

Cisco(PBR60) completes $610 million acquisition of SD-WAN solutions provider Viptela. $CSCO PR link.

Tesoro(PBR71) & Tesoro Logistics LP(NYSE: TLLP) officially change names to Andeavor(NYSE: ANDV) and Andeavor Logistics LP(NYSE: ANDX). $ANDV PR link.

Allstate(PBR84) authorizes new $2 billion share repurchase program. $ALL PR link.

Sprint(PBR86) 1Q17 is profitable, first time in 3 years, had 61,000 net additions, 53.7 million total wireless connections. $S PR link.

Tenet Healthcare(PBR161) completes $750 million sale of 4 Houston acute care hospitals to HCA(PBR75). $THC PR link.

Bristol-Myers Squibb(PBR185) gets US FDA approval for Opdivo (nivolumab) in some metastatic colorectal cancer situations. $BMY PR link.

Celgene(PBR347) & Agios Pharmaceuticals(NASDAQ:AGIO) get US FDA approval for IDHIFA® (enasidenib) to treat certain acute myeloid leukemia situations. $CELG PR link.

CommScope(PBR482) completes acquisition of Santa Ana, CA, based Cable Exchange, a privately held quick-turn supplier of fiber optic and copper assemblies for data, voice and video communications with 2nd manufacuring location in Pineville, NC, terms not disclosed. $COMM PR link.

Costco(PBR18) announces that chairman/co-founder Jeff Brotman has died. $COST PR link.

Caterpillar(PBR54) Group President & CFO Brad Halverson to retire in early 2018, CFO external search starts. $CAT PR link.

Dr Pepper Snapple(PBR406) promotes SVP/Marketing Jaxie Alt to EVP/Human Relations, Andrew Springate to SVP/Marketing. $DPS PR link.

Ascena Retail(PBR499) consolidates executive leadership, appoints Gary Muto to newly created position of President and CEO of ascena Brands unit, Brian Lynch elevated to president/COO of Ascena Retail. $ASNA PR link.

SeaWorld(PBR948) appoints Marc Swanson as interim CFO, succeeds leaving Peter Crage. $SEAS PR link.

Post Holdings(PBR486) elects Ellen Harshman, dean emeritus of the John Cook School of Business at Saint Louis University, to the Board. $POST PR link.

Intl Flavors & Fragrances(PBR666) elects Stephen Williamson, SVP/CFO of Thermo Fisher Scientific(PBR175), to the Board. $IFF PR link.

Cracker Barrel(PBR729) elects Meg Crofton, former president of Walt Disney(PBR57) Parks and Resorts, US and France, to the Board. $CBRL PR link.

Donaldson(PBR783) president/CEO Tod Carpenter to add chairman role, succeeds Jeffrey Noddle who is not running for re-election. $DCI PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/BEA Preliminary US June Personal Income Annual Rate at $16.378 trillion, Taxes $2.013 trillion, Disposable Personal Income $14.365 trillion, Outlays $13.818 trillion, Savings $0.546 trillion, Savings Rate 3.80%, Effective Tax Rate12.29%. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census Preliminary US June Construction Spending Annual Rate at $1.206 trillion, -1.3% from May, +4.5% from June 2016. USDOC PR link.

The ISM July US Manufacturing PMI Index is at 56.3%, June was 57.8%, May 54.9%, July 2016 52.6%. ISM PR link.

The IHS Markit US July Manufacturing PMI Index is at 53.3, June was 52.0, May 52.7, July 2016 53.8. IHS Markit PR link.

Automotive News reports that US Estimated July New Light Vehicles Units Sold is at 1,416,743, -3.6% from June, -6.9% from July 2016. Automotive News PR link.

The PurdueU/CME US July Ag Barometer Composite Index is at 139, June was 131, May130, July 2016 112. PurdueU/CME PR link.

(The PBR1000 is the premiere business intelligence service covering over 1,000 of the largest publicly held companies with principle or administration headquarters in the US. These companies generate nearly $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 worldwide include C-level executives, entrepreneurs, sales/marketing/advertising professionals, investors/investment advisors, business professors/students, human resources/career counselors/job seekers, federal/state/local government agencies, social causes organizations, to name just a few. To order your monthly or significantly discounted annual subscription, just go to the PBRMarketTools.com Subscribe page.)

(Photo courtesy of Vlado, FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Filed Under: Recaps Tagged With: acquisitions, Business, Business Intelligence, business news, DJIA, Economy, Leadership, Market Research, Marketing, mergers, Money, NASDAQ, Rankings, S&P 500, Stock Market, Stocks, The PBR1000

The PBR1000 July 2017 Stocks/Commodities Snapshots

August 6, 2017 by admin

July 2017: Overvalued? The Answer is: Yes…No…Maybe!

Value Price Balance-Sira Amanwong ID-100532643

Finding the right balance in times of uncertainty is a challenge, but the opportunities are always there.

By Larry C. Paxton

The 2nd half of 2017 got off to a roaring start with all stocks/commodities indices up significantly. At the same time all segments of the economy continued to show only modest to moderate growth, and nothing could be classified as anywhere near robust. The stock market recovery has lasted several years now without any major adjustment, which itself is a rarity.

So, what gives?

More and more investment professionals say a downward correction is imminent, that investors need to retreat to bonds, look at international equity investment opportunities, preserve cash in low interest yield funds, or maybe buy into gold or real estate. Then others say that the stock exchanges are still significantly undervalued because innovations, especially in technology, are driving forces that are increasing value. Certainly Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft, and others demonstrate that.

As shown in the summary tables below, it might be true that large cap companies are overvalued and the opportunities are in mid to small cap companies.

There are the unknown factors such as an apparent volatile, chaotic, and leaky White House, directionless House and Senate legislative bodies who can’t seem to get anything going, a press that enjoys reporting on and feeding controversy, and external forces such as the threats of North Korea, continued unrest in the Middle East, tension with Russia, and issues such as Brexit in Europe.

However, as The PBR1000 has demonstrated for several years now, there are always short term and long term investment opportunities, it takes some work to discern the next round of winners, and maybe even a little luck, but they are there and just have to be mined for you to come up with the golden nuggets, using excellent proven tools like The PBR1000!

Here are the July summaries on the major US stock exchanges:

Number of Trading Days: 20

Number of Gain(+)/Loss(-) Days: DJIA 12+/8-; NASDAQ 14+/6-; SPX 11+/9-.

Record Days: DJIA 8, NASDAQ 6, SPX 5

Longest Gain Streak(Consecutive Days): DJIA 5, NASDAQ 10, SPX 3

Longest Loss Streak(Consecutive Days): DJIA 3, NASDAQ 3, SPX 3(2x)

Big Swing Up Days(>1.00%): 2, 07/07/17: NASDAQ, +1.04%, Tech shares rebound, Jobs report; 07/12/17: NASDAQ, +1.10%, Tech rebound, Beige Book released.

Big Swing Down Days(<-1.00%): 1, 07/06/17: NASDAQ, -1.00%, Day after N Korea ICBM test.

The following are Top 5 partial tables excerpts from The PBR1000 July Snapshots. The price for stocks is for the close of trading on July 31, Month % Chg is compared to June 30, YTD % Chg is compared to December 31, 2016, and the 19 Months % Chg is compared to December 31, 2015. The PBR Rank is by annual revenues.

To get the complete The PBR1000 Snapshots just click here to get your 2 month or significantly discounted 13 month subscription and automatically download the July 2017 edition with the complete 15 Snapshots.

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

Table 1 Summary: The range was +43% to -28%. 529 out of 1,004 stocks were up 0% or more. The average was a gain of 1.7%, the median was a gain of 1.1%.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Price 07/31/17	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	19 Mos % Chg
NRG Energy	220	NRG	24.62	+43	+101	+109
Scientific Games	690	SGMS	37.05	+42	+165	+313
ArcBest	708	ARCB	27.80	+35	+1	+30
Bon-Ton Stores	715	BONT	0.56	+28	-62	-73
Tronox	821	TROX	19.38	+28	+88	+396

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

Table 2 Summary: The range was +213% to -73%. 631 out of 1,002 stocks were up 0% or more. The average was a gain of 10.2%, the median was a gain of 6.3%.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Price 07/31/17	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	19 Mos % Chg
Weight Watchers	987	WTW	35.82	+7	+213	+57
Scientific Games	690	SGMS	37.05	+42	+165	+313
Restoration Hardware	812	RH	65.13	+1	+112	-18
Systemax	899	SYX	18.12	-4	+107	+111
Vertex Pharmaceutical	894	VRTX	151.82	+18	+106	+21

Table 3(S13): The PBR1000 Top 5 18 Months Stock Price % Gainers

Table 3 Summary: The range was +396% to -90%. 735 out of 1,000 stocks were up 0% or more. The average was a gain of 23.3%. The median was a gain of 20.9%.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Price 07/31/17	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	19 Mos % Chg
Tronox	821	TROX	19.38	+28	+88	+396
NVIDIA	363	NVDA	162.51	+12	+52	+393
Cliffs Natural Resources	817	CLF	7.72	+12	-8	+389
AMD	523	AMD	13.61	+9	+20	+374
Scientific Games	690	SGMS	37.05	+42	+165	+313

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

Table 4 Summary: The range was $775.45 billion to $0.01 billion. The average is $23.8 billion, median is $7.2 billion, out of 1,004 companies.

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Market Cap($B) 07/31/17	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	19 Mos % Chg
Apple	4	AAPL	775.45	+3	+26	+32
Alphabet	27	GOOG	644.72	+3	+21	+24
Microsoft	29	MSFT	560.37	+5	+16	+26
Facebook	94	FB	491.54	+12	+48	+66
Amazon	12	AMZN	474.51	+3	+33	+50
The PBR1000			23,938.54	+2	+9	+19

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

Company	Price 07/31/17	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	19 Mos % Chg
The PBR1000	81,450.53	+1.7	+10.2	+23.3
DJIA	21,891.12	+2.5	+10.8	+25.6
NASDAQ	6,348.12	+3.4	+17.9	+26.8
S&P500	2,470.30	+1.9	+10.3	+20.9
GOLD	1,273.40	+2.6	+10.6	+20.1
SILVER	16.80	+1.0	+5.0	+21.7
OIL	50.17	+8.3	-6.6	+35.5

Have questions on The PBR1000 or The PBR US Economic Indices Monthly Snapshots? Please contact us at Sales@PBRMarketTools.com or call us in the US at 520-282-4100.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter at @ThePBR1000.

(Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net, sira anamwong.)

Filed Under: Snapshots Tagged With: Business Intelligence, business news, Commodities, DJIA, Economy, Investing, Money, NASDAQ, Personal Finance, Rankings, S&P 500, Stock Market, Stocks, The PBR1000, Trading

The PBR1000 July 2017 Breaking News Recap

August 4, 2017 by admin

July 2017: Moving Forward, We Think.

So far the compass needle still points North, but there are always magnetic forces trying to move it in another direction. Let’s hope they remain weak.

By Larry C. Paxton

Business and the economy continued to move a little forward in July. Nothing really major happened one way or the other, with the exceptions that the US stock market exchanges had a very good month, the economic news continues to show modest/moderate growth, but this is counterbalanced by no major programs or legislation advancing. Then there is North Korea, with its successful intercontinental ballistic missile tests, and the world wondering what this means and how the US will respond.

President Trump continues to be unpredictable and the majority Republican control of both houses of Congress have not been able to pass much legislation that could have a dramatic effect on the economy.

Nevertheless, US business, as demonstrated through The PBR1000, continues as usual, shows modest growth, but there are starting to be some faint signs that the optimism that fueled this growing environment is in jeopardy if something doesn’t happen soon to resolve issues such as healthcare, infrastructure, the tax code, slow wage growth, income inequality, and illegal immigrant policies. There are a lot of reasons to remain optimistic, but real action and results are going to be required soon to keep it from fading.

Here’s a quick July 2017 summary on key activities that relate to The PBR1000:

Mergers & Acquisitions: 27 deals worth at least $1 billion initiated, closed, or updated. Total transaction value was $175 billion.

Spinoffs: 4

Share Repurchase Programs: 4 announcements, total $3.50 billion.

Bankruptcies: 1 initiated or updated

CEO Changes: 10 announced.

Jobs/Wages: 4.4% unemployment rate, modest wage growth.

US Economy: Modest/moderate growth continues, stable but fragile.

Federal Reserve Federal Funds Rate Changes: No change, remains 1.00-1.25%, more increases possible in 2017.

US Stock Market Exchanges: All three US major stock exchanges established new closing records during the month. The Stock Market Bull won July by a wide margin.

National: Russia’s possible meddling in the past US presidential campaign continues to be a big issue with revelation that Donald Trump, Jr., met with Russia contacts regarding negative information on Hillary Clinton. Senate Republicans fail to pass legislation to repeal and replace Obamacare; N Korea successfully tests intercontinental ballistic missiles that could reach the US.

International: President Trump attends G-20 Summit, meets with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, France’s Macron, and other international leaders, attends France’s Bastille Day ceremonies; Brexit negotiations continue; continuations of Middle East conflicts, refugee crisis; oil prices fluctuate; global central banks slow quantitative easing programs, and; US President Trump actions and tweets continue to be the headliners.

Here are The PBR1000 corporate and economic related breaking news items of interest with hotlinks to the sources for July 2017, starting with the last active business day.

***Monday, July 31:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Month Ending 07/31/17:
DJIA ends July at record 21,891.12, +0.28% from last Friday, +2.54% MTD/QTD, +10.77% YTD, +0.00% from record 21,891.12 set 07/31/17.
NASDAQ ends July at 6,348.12, -0.42% from last Friday, +3.38% MTD/QTD, +17.93% YTD, -1.16% from record 6,422.75 set 07/26/17.
SPX ends July at 2,470.30,-0.07% from last Friday, +1.93% MTD/QTD, +10.34% YTD, -0.30% from record 2,477.83 set 07/26/17.

Energy Transfer Equity(PBR52) Partners unit selling its 32.44% stake in Rover Pipeline Project to Blackstone(PBR352 $BX) Energy Partners for approximately $1.57 billion. $ETE PR link.

International Paper(PBR117) to make $1.25 billion voluntary contribution to benefit pension plan by 09/15/17. $IP PR link.

Medtronic(PBR133) completes $6.1 billion cash sale of its Patient Care, Deep Vein Thrombosis (Compression), and Nutritional Insufficiencybusinesses to Cardinal Health(PBR26 $CAH). $MDT PR link.

Devon Energy(PBR143) to sell its Lavaca County assets in the Eagle Ford play for $340 million, part of $1 billion divestiture plan. $DVN PR link.

Goodyear Tire(PBR157) and United Steelworkers reach tentative agreement on new 5 year master labor contract that affects nearly 7,000 workers at 5 manufacturing plants. $GT PR link.

JCPenney(PBR234) joins the “Project Runway” catwalk with exclusive fashion brand and multi-season retail sponsorship. $JCP PR link.

Charter Communications(PBR297 $CHTR)says no thanks to Sprint(PBR86 $S)megamerger, staying with Verizon(PBR15 $VZ) Wireless reseller plan. MarketWatch PR link.

FIS(PBR394) completes $469 million cash sale of 60% of its interest in Capco Consulting to Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, retains 40% equity interest. $FIS PR link.

Discovery Communications(PBR399) to acquire lifestyle content in the home, food and travel categories for television, the Internet and emerging platforms developer Scripps Networks(PBR732 $SNI) for $90/share(34% premium over 07/21/17 closing stock price), $14.6 billion cash/stock. $DISCA PR link.

LabCorp(PBR413) to acquire global 4,500 employees specialty contract research organization drug developer Chiltren for $1.2 billion cash. $LH PR link.

SCANA(PBR489)’s S Carolina Electric & Gas Co to cease construction of the two new nuclear units at V.C. Summer Nuclear Station in Jenkinsville, SC, to file petition seeking approval of abandonment plan. $SCG PR link.

TEGNA(PBR622) completes $250 million cash sale of CareerBuilder unit to Apollo Global Management(PBR906 $APO) and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board, will retain 12.5% interest. $TGNA PR link.

Tesla(PBR651) CEO Elon Musk gets the $35,000 Tesla Model 3 price tag he wanted — but extras cost more. MarketWatch PR link.

Groupon(PBR652) and Grubhub, with its 55,000 restaurant partners in 1,100 US cities, announce strategic partnership for food delivery to Groupon customers. $GRPN PR link.

Lincoln Electric(PBR710) completes $134 million cash acquisition of Air Liquide Welding. $LECO PR link.

Wolverine World Wide(PBR722) sells its Sebago® brand to global Italian based BasicNet, terms not disclosed. $WWW PR link.

Meredith Corp(PBR994) cooking expert “Chef John” Mitzewich of Food Wishes, an Allrecipes Production, has crossed the 2 million subscriber count on YouTube, making his channel one of the top 5 most popular food channels on the video site. $MDP PR link.

MSA Safety(PBR996) completes $215 million cash acquisition of Pittsfield, NH, based 420 employees in 4 locations $110 million/yr firefighter protective clothing and boots provider Globe Holding. $MSA PR link.

Raytheon(PBR118) promotes Kurt Amend to CEO/Raytheon Arabia, to be based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. $RTN PR link.

Regis Corp(PBR912) promotes Jamie Saurez to VP/Creative. $RGS PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says US National Debt on 07/27/17 was $14.358 trillion for Debt Held by Public, $5.487 trillion for Intergovernmental Holdings, Total Debt$19.845 trillion. Treasury PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago 7th District June Midwest Economic Index is at +0.42, May was +0.55, April +0.72, June 2016-0.14. ChiFed PR link.

The MNI July Chicago Business Barometer(>50=Growing) is at 58.9, June was 65.7, May 59.4, July 2016 55.8. ISM/MNI Chicago PR link.

The American Automobile Assn says the US National Average Price of Regular Gas on 07/31/17 is $2.316/gallon, +3.4% from 06/30/17, +8.5% from 07/31/16. AAA PR link.

***Friday, July 28:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week Ending 07/28/17:
DJIA ends week at record 21,830.31, +1.16% from last Friday, +2.25% MTD/QTD, +10.46% YTD, +0.00% from record 21,830.31 set 07/28/17.
NASDAQ ends week at 6,374.68, -0.20% from last Friday, +3.82% MTD/QTD, +18.42% YTD, -0.75% from record 6,422.75 set 07/26/17.
SPX ends week at 2,472.10,-0.02% from last Friday, +2.01% MTD/QTD, +10.42% YTD, -0.23% from record 2,477.83 set 07/26/17.

American Airlines(PBR69) in 2Q17 report says it plans capital investments of $4.1 billion in 2017 for new aircraft. $AAL PR link.

Motorola Solutions(PBR423) to acquire from Airbus SE its Plant Holdings unit with its Airbus DS Communications VESTA ® suite 911 call-handling solution used throughout N America , terms not disclosed. $MSI PR link.

Windstream(PBR426) completes $227.5 million cash acquisition of Rye Brook, NY, based cloud-based unified communications for small/medium sized businesses provider Broadview Networks. $WIN PR link.

Moody’s(PBR636) gets European Unionclearance to acquire Amsterdam, NL, based global business intelligence/company info provider Bureau van Dijk for $3.27 billion, deal to close in 08/17. $MCO PR link.

Iron Mountain(PBR663) to acquire private MAG DATACENTERS, which operates 9 megawatts capacity Denver based data center FORTRUST, for $128 million. $IRM PR link.

Aaron’s(PBR725) acquires assets of SEI/Aaron’s, largest franchisee with 104 Aaron’s stores in 11 states, primarily in the Northeast, for $140 million cash. $AAN PR link.

Meredith Corp(PBR994) Allrecipes.com unit, the world’s largest digital food brand with more than 85 million users globally and 1.5 billion visits annually, celebrates its 20th anniversary. $MDP PR link.

Raytheon(PBR118) promotes Ralph Acaba to VP/Program Management Excellence, succeeds retiring Edward Miyashiro. $RTN PR link.

Ventas(PBR671)‘ EVP/Medical Property Operations and Lillibridge Healthcare Servicesunit president/CEO Todd Lillibridge to transition to senior advisory role to Ventas chairman/CEO in early 2018, successor search starts. $VTR PR link.

Portland General Electric(PBR909)president/CEO Jim Piro to retire 12/31/17, SVP/Power Supply, Operations, and Resource Strategy Maria Pope to become president 10/01/17, then CEO & board member 01/01/18. $POR PR link.

Crown Holdings(PBR298) elects Andrea Funk, CEO of Cambridge-Lee Industries, to the Board. $CCK PR link.

Welltower(PBR635) elects Gary Whitelaw, CEO of Bentall Kennedy, to the Board. $HCN PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce US 2Q17 1st Estimate Gross Domestic Product Annual Rate is +2.6%, 1Q17 was +1.2%; 2Q17 Annual GDP at $19.227 billion, +0.9% from 1Q17, +3.7% from 2Q16. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US 2Q17 Employment Cost Index, All Civilian Workers(2005=100) was at 129.7, +0.7% from 1Q17, +2.4% from 2Q16. USDOL PR link.

The US Food and Drug Administrationannounces new multi-year plan for tobacco and nicotine regulation to better protect kids, significantly reduce tobacco-related disease and death. FDA PR link.

The U of Michigan US July Final Consumer Sentiment Index at 93.4, June was 95.1, May97.1, July 2016 90.0. UMich PR link.

***Thursday, July 27:

Verizon(PBR15) in 2Q17 report shows 614,000 net increase to 109.1 million retail postpaid connections. $VZ PR link.

Amazon(PBR29) to open 855,000 sf fulfillment center in Romulus, MI, 2nd in state, to create 1,500 + new fulltime jobs. $AMZN PR link.

Wells Fargo(PBR30) to remediate $80 million to 570,000 auto loan customers who may have been financially harmed due to issues related to auto Collateral Protection Insurance (CPI)policies. $WFC PR link.

Merck(PBR70) will pay AstraZeneca up to $8.5 billion in total consideration, including $1.6 billion upfront, $750 million for certain license options and up to an additional $6.15 billion contingent upon successful achievement of future regulatory and sales milestones for global strategic oncology collaboration to co-develop and co-commercialize AstraZeneca’s LYNPARZA (olaparib) for multiple cancer types. $MRK PR link.

Delta(PBR72) makes 10% equity investment in longtime partner Air France-KLM for around $435 million. $DAL PR link.

Baxter Intl(PBR176) completes $625 million acquisition of $112 million/2016 Claris Injectables generics product portfolio and pipeline as well as three manufacturing plants. $BAX PR link.

Starbucks(PBR178) 3Q17 report shows opened 575 net new stores globally, bringing total store count to 26,736 across 75 countries, Starbucks Rewards membership up 8% year-over-year, to 13.3 million active members, will close all 379 Teavana stores over the coming year. $SBUX PR link.

Starbucks(PBR178) to acquire remaining 50% of shares of East China joint venture and operate all Starbucks stores in mainland China, remains committed to operating 5,000 stores in mainland China by 2021, to divest its 50% interest in its Taiwan joint venture. $SBUX PR link.

MasterCard(PBR291) selected by Kroger(PBR20 $KR) to be the network for its 1-2-3 REWARDS co-brand credit card program, to be issued by US Bancorp(PBR129 $USB). $MA PR link.

Gannett(PBR414)’s USA TODAY NETWORKand Sequential Brands(NASDAQ: SQBG)announce multi-year strategic partnership to license the Martha Stewart Brand in connection with the Food & Wine Experience Event Seriesstarting 09/16/17 in Detroit. $GCI PR link.

Expedia(PBR433) makes a $350 million primary minority investment in Southeast Asian online travel company Traveloka. $EXPE PR link.

AMD(PBR445) completes Ryzen Mainstream Desktop lineup with the release of quad-core Ryzen 3 processors. $AMD PR link.

Alliance Data(PBR462) increases 2017 share repurchase program from $500 million to $1 billion, extends expiration date to 07/31/18. $ADS PR link.

Williams-Sonoma(PBR508) opens a Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn for Kids, and a Williams Sonoma brands stores in Seoul, S Korea under franchise agreement with Hyundai Livart Furniture, to expand to 30 stores in S Korea over next 10 years. $WSM PR link.

TimeInc(PBR631) sells NYC based live events and creative services experiential company INVNT back to founders, terms not disclosed. $TIME PR link.

Twitter(PBR735) 2Q17 total Monthly Active Users was 328 million, same as 1Q17, +5% from 2Q16. $TWTR PR link.

United Technologies(PBR45) Otis Elevatorunit president Philippe Delpech to leave, interim Office of the President formed as search starts. $UTX PR link.

The US Dept of Labor US 07/15/17 Initial Unemployment Insurance Claims 4 Week Average at 1,963,750, +1.3% from June, -8.0% from July 2017. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census US 2Q17 Total Housing Units at 136.5 million, 118.9 million occupied(87.1%), 75.7 by owner(63.7%), 43.2 million(36.3%) by renters. USDOC PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago US June National Activity Index is at +0.13, Maywas -0.30, April +0.36,June 2016 +0.03. ChiFed PR link.

The US Energy Information Administrationsays US Crude Oil Stocks(Millions of Barrels) on 07/21/17 were at 483.4, 06/23/17 was 509.2, 05/24/17 516.3, 07/22/16 490.5. EIA PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR41) says US Average 30 Year Fixed Mortgage Rate for 07/27/17 is 3.92%, 06/29/17 was 3.88%, 05/25/17 3.95%, 07/28/163.48%. $FMCC PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR41) US July Outlookreleased, headline: “What is Causing the Lean Inventory of Houses?” $FMCC PR link.

***Wednesday, July 26:

Amazon(PBR29) has 50,000+ jobs available in its fulfillment centers, holding national Jobs Dayfair at 10 fulfillment centers on 08/02/17, 8-noon local time. $AMZN PR link.

Amazon(PBR29) introduces Amazon Now in Singapore, free 2 hour delivery on grocery items, local favorites and name-brand goods. $AMZN PR link.

Anthem(PBR38) 2Q17 report shows around 40.4 million members as of 06/30/17, gained 0.5 million in 1H17, expects to gain 300-500 thousand for all of 2017. $ANTM PR link.

Coca-Cola(PBR63) to re-formulate its Coca-Cola Zero, re-launch as Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, have a new design that looks more like Coca-Cola. $KO PR link.

Facebook(PBR228), in 2Q17 report, says it averaged 1.32 billion daily active users in June, +17% from June 2016, has 2.01 billion monthly active users, has 20,658 employees, +43% from June 2016. $FB PR link.

KKR(PBR332) to become joint partner with LS Group in S Korea based 1,150 employees global electrical auto parts maker LS Automotive and will additionally acquire LS Group affiliate LS Mtron‘s copper foil and flexible copper clad laminate business , for a total investment of $923.6 million. $KKR PR link.

Markel(PBR470) to acquire State National Cos(NASDAQ: SNC) for $21.00/share, $919 million cash. $MKL PR link.

Markel(PBR470) to acquire a majority interest in 4,000 acres 5,000 employees Miami, FL, based Costa Farms, terms not disclosed. $MKL PR link.

La Quinta(PBR998) files SEC Form 10 to spin-off real estate business as CorePoint Lodgingas an independent public company. $LQ PR link.

Brookdale Senior Living(PBR587) elects Marc Broomley as independent member of Board per agreement with investor Land & Buildings Management, takes seat of departed Mark Parrell . $BKD PR link.

NASDAQ(PBR618) elects PayPal(PBR254 $PYPL) EVP/CFO John Rainey to the Board. $NDAQ PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Open Market Committee issues statement for the 07/25-26/17meeting, decision 9-0 to maintain federal short term interest rates at 1.00-1.25%, supporting some further strengthening in labor market conditions and a sustained return to 2 percent inflation. FOMC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/HUD US Preliminary June New Family Homes Sold Annual Rate is at 610,000 units, +0.8% from May, +9.1% from June 2016, Median Price was $310,800, -4.2% from May, -3.4% from June 2016. HUD PR link.

***Tuesday, July 25:

ExxonMobil(PBR2) discovers additional oil in Payara reservoir offshore Guyana, now estimated at 500 million barrels, increases Stabroek Block to 2.25-2.75 billion barrels. $XOM PR link.

Amazon(PBR29) Business unit has over 1 million customers since launch in 04/15, has 85,000 business sellers. $AMZN PR link.

Philip Morris Intl(PBR35) to invest $570 million to transform by 2020 its cigarette production factory in Otopeni, near Bucharest, Romania,into a high-tech facility to manufacture HEETS, the tobacco units used with the electronic tobacco heating device IQOS. $PM PR link.

Walgreens Boots Alliance(PBR36) to enter into 10 year global deal for Fareva to take ownership of BCM, Walgreens Boots Alliance’s contract manufacturing business, which operates factories in the UK, France and Germany, for the manufacture and supply of own beauty brands and private label products, including products for sale in the USA. $WBA PR link.

Tesoro(PBR71) to supply transportation fuels and launch the ARCO brand in the states of Sonora and Baja California, Mexico. $TSO PR link.

Sprint(PBR86) to open 43 new retail stores and create 300+ jobs in N California by end of 2017. $S PR link.

McDonald’s(PBR101) McDelivery expands to 4,200 restaurants in 13 countries, including 3,500 in the US, with UberEATS, now available from 7,800 restaurants in 47 countries on 6 continents. $MCD PR link.

Caesars Entertainment(PBR314) and Caesars Acquisition(NASDAQ: CACQ) stockholders approve merger, Caesars Entertainment approve restructuring plan of Caesars Entertainment Operating Co(CEOC) to emerge from bankruptcy, both transactions to close in first week of 10/17. $CZR PR link.

Celgene(PBR347) to pay $280 million in civil litigation settlement agreement for promoting Thalomid® (thalidomide) for off-label uses before its 2006 FDA approval for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. $CELG PR link.

Gannett(PBR414) enters strategic partnership with RealMatch to expand recruitment advertising services. $GCI PR link.

Tesla(PBR651 $TSLA) Model S back at the top at Consumer Reports. MarketWatch PR link.

SunPower(PBR680) to supply 29.9-megawatts of E-Series solar panels for several rooftop and ground-mount solar projects that Tenergie is developing in France. $SPWR PR link.

Rollins(PBR921) to acquire 120,000 customers, $50+ million/2016. 500+ employees Marietta, GA, based Northwest Exterminating Co, terms not disclosed. $ROL PR link.

Stanley Black & Decker(PBR249) hires Janet Link as SVP/General Counsel, succeeds retiring Bruce Beatt. $SWK PR link.

QuintilesIMS(PBR455) elects retired Johnson & Johnson senior executive Colleen Goggins to the Board. $Q PR link.

Williams-Sonoma(PBR508) hires Ryan Ross who rejoins as EVP/Rejuvenation brand, succeeds Alex Bellos who is now President/West Elm brand. $WSM PR link.

AvalonBay Communities(PBR955) elects former The Washington Post President/General Manager Steve Hills to the Board. $AVB PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond Fifth District July Annualized Manufacturing Indexis at +14%, June was +11%, May +3%, July 2016 8%. RichmondFed PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond Fifth District July Annualized Services Revenue Index is at +12%, June was +19%, May +24%, July 2016 -1%. RichmondFed PR link.

The Conference Board US Preliminary July Consumer Confidence Index(1985=100) is at 121.1, June was 117.3, July 2016 96.7. TCB PR link.

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller US May National Home Price NSA Index(01/2000=100)is at 190.61, April was 188.77, March 186.68, May 2016 180.54. C-S PR link.

***Monday, July 24:

Sprint(PBR86) to open 64 stores in New York City metro area/New Jersey, add 300+ jobs. $S PR link.

Eli Lilly(PBR142) to make initial payment of $150 million and up to up to $250 million in additional development and regulatory milestones to Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ: NKTR) in strategic collaboration to co-develop NKTR-358 for autoimmune therapies. $LLY PR link.

Bristol-Myers Squibb(PBR185) gets US FDA expanded indication for Yervoy® (ipilimumab)injection for intravenous use in treatment of unresectable or metastatic melanoma in pediatric patients 12 years of age and older. $BMY PR link.

JCPenney(PBR234) to accept Apple(PBR5 $AAPL) Pay at all locations. $JCP PR link.

Huntsman Corp(PBR244) global developer and manufacturer of titanium dioxide (“TiO2”) pigments and performance additives subsidiary Venator Materials PLC launches IPO, to be listed in 08/17 as NYSE: VNTR. $HUN PR link.

Priceline(PBR319) completes $550 million acquisition of leading European travel meta engine provider Momondo Group, will report to KAYAK unit. $PCLN PR link.

KKR(PBR332)’s Internet Brands unit to acquire health information services provider WebMD(NASDAQ: WBMD) for $66.50/share, a 20% premium over 07/21/17 stock closing price, $2.8 billion cash. $KKR PR link.

KKR(PBR332) to acquire majority control of Ronkonkoma, NY, based global manufacturer, marketer and distributor of health and wellness products The Nature’s Bounty from The Carlyle Group(PBR581 $CG), terms not disclosed. $KKR PR link.

Sonoco Products(PBR480) completes $170 million acquisition of $140 million/2017 400 employees developer/manufacturer of flexible and forming plastic packaging films Elk Grove, IL, based Clear Lam Packaging. $SON PR link.

QEP Resources(PBR626) to sell two natural gas assets in southwest Wyoming for combined $777.5 million. $QEP PR link.

TeleFlex(PBR923) gets US FDA market clearance for its short term use Arrow® Seldinger Arterial Catheterization Device, to be available in the US this year. $TFX PR link.

JCPenney(PBR234) hires Jeffrey Davis as EVP/CFO. $JCP PR link.

Biogen(PBR282) hires Alisha A. Alaimo to SVP/US Therapeutic Operations. $BIIB PR link.

Applied Materials(PBR299) hires Dan Durn as SVP/CFO, effective 08/07/17, to succeed Bob Halliday who will move to a new role focused on business development and to retire by 12/31/18. $AMAT PR link.

Sanmina(PBR401) hires Gerry Fay as EVP/Chief Business Officer. $SANM PR link.

Triumph Group(PBR578) promotes Pete Wick to EVP/Precision Components. $TGI PR link.

Regis Corp(PBR912) hires Shawn Moren as SVP/Chief Human Relations Officer, effective 08/07/17, succeeds departed Carmen Thiede. $RGS PR link.

Edison Intl(PBR216) elects N America/UK transportation company FirstGroup PLC CEO Timothy T. O’Toole to Board, effective 08/01/17. $EIX PR link.

VF Corp(PBR232) Executive Chairman Eric Wiseman to retire on 10/28/17, President/CEO Steven Rendle to be successor Chairman. $VFC PR link.

CF Industries(PBR502) elects Arch Coal(PBR691 $ARCH) CEO John Eaves and T&T Farms owner Michael Toelle to the Board. $CF PR link.

The Natl Assn of Realtors says US June Existing Home Sales Annual Rate at 5,520,000, -1.8% from May, Median Sales Priceat $263.800, +4.4% from May, +6.5% from June 2016. NAR PR link.

Boeing(PBR27) releases 2017 Pilot and Technician Outlook, projects airline industry demand for more than 1.2 million pilots and technicians worldwide over the next 20 years. $BA PR link.

***Friday, July 21:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week Ending 07/21/17:
DJIA ends week at 21,580.07, -0.27 % from last Friday, +1.08% MTD/QTD, +9.20% YTD, -0.28% from record 21,640.75 set 07/19/17.
NASDAQ ends week at 6,387.75, +1.19% from last Friday, +4.03% MTD/QTD, +18.66% YTD, -0.04% from record 6,390.00 set 07/20/17.
SPX ends week at 2,472.54,+0.54% from last Friday, +2.03% MTD/QTD, +10.44% YTD, -0.05% from record 2,473.83 set 07/19/17.

Walmart(PBR1) to buy 55.3 million shares of Plug Power(NASDAQ: PLUG) at $2.1231/share, provides Walmart with hydrogen fuel cells at 22 distribution centers, to do 30 more over 3 years. $WMT PR link.

Whole Foods(PBR203) sends shareholder letter announcing special meeting on 08/23/17 at Austin, TX, headquarters to vote on acquisition by Amazon(PBR29 $AMZN), board unanimously recommends voting for the proposal. $WFM PR link.

Quanta Services(PBR338) completes $450 million cash/stock(plus up to $100 million performance payments over 3 years) acquisition of $500 million/2016 2,800 employees La Porte, TX, based Stronghold, a provider of high pressure and critical path solutions to the downstream and midstream energy markets. $PWR PR link.

Endo Intl(PBR700) restructuring, to close manufacturing/distribution facilities in Alabamain next 12-18 months, will reduce workforce by 875 positions. $ENDP PR link.

Autodesk(PBR773) elects Applied Systems CEO Reid French to the Board. $ADSK PR link.

***Thursday, July 20:

ExxonMobil(PBR2) launches legal challenge to a US Treasury finding on retroactive changes to guidance on Russian sanctions. $XOM PR link.

JPMorgan Chase(PBR21 $JPM) and PayPal(PBR254) strike payments partnership to enhance payments online, in app and in store. $PYPL PR link.

Citigroup(PBR28 $C) and PayPal(PBR254)expand strategic partnership, allows Citi cardmembers to use their ThankYou Pointsutilizing PayPal for purchases when shopping online, to start in 2018. $PYPL PR link.

Sprint(PBR86) opens 5 new stores in Indianapolis, IN, to open 12 new retail stores with 80+ jobs in Washington state, 9 new stores in Portland, OR, with 50 jobs. $S PR link.

Sears(PBR93) launches Kenmore products on Amazon(PBR29), including Alexa-enabled smart appliances. $SHLD PR link.

SuperValu(PBR164) to do 1:7 reverse stock split, effective after 08/01/17 close. $SVU PR link.

MGM Resorts(PBR273) to be added to the S&P500 Index on 07/26/17. $MGM PR link.

Corning(PBR281) introduces Corning Valor Glass for pharmaceutical packaging in collaboration effort with Merck(PBR70 $MRK)and Pfizer(PBR56 $PFE). Corning initial investment of $500 million to create 1,000 new US jobs, first part of $4 billion investment and 4,000 new high-tech jobs. $GLW PR link.

Mattel(PBR412) and WWE launching product line of fashion dolls featuring WWE female wrestling Superstars. $MAT PR link.

Abercrombie & Fitch(PBR595) to launch on 07/26/17 Abercrombie & Fitch and abercrombie kids fashion brands on China‘s largest consumer platform for brands and retailers Alibaba(NYSE:BABA)’s Tmall. $ANF PR link.

A.O. Smith(PBR815) to join the S&P500 Index, effective 07/26/17. $AOS PR link.

Revlon(PBR900) appoints Grey as its global creative agency of record and MediaCom as its global media agency of record. $REV PR link.

CDW(PBR239) promotes Christine Leahy to newly created role of Chief Revenue Officer and Christina Corley to SVP/Commercial & International Markets. $CDW PR link.

Groupon(PBR652) promotes Aaron Cooper to President/North America. $GRPN PR link.

PPG(PBR190) elects Marathon Petroleum(PBR23) Chairman/CEO Gary Heminger to the Board. $PPG PR link.

Constellation Brands(PBR377) elects SunTrust Banks(PBR307 $STI) EVP/Chief Marketing Officer Susan Somersille Johnson to the Board. $STZ PR link.

Intuit(PBR529) elects Facebook(PBR228 $FB)VP/Platform and Marketplace Deb Liu to the Board. $INTU PR link.

Sanderson Farms(PBR719) elects owner and managing principal of ThirtyNorth InvestmentsSuzanne T. Mestayer to the Board. $SAFM PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphiasays US July District 3 Manufacturing General Activity Index is at 19.5, June was 27.6, May38.8, July 2016 -0.9. PhillyFed PR link.

The Conference Board says the US June Leading Economic Index(2010=100) is at 127.8, May was 127.0, April 126.7, June 2016123.8. TCB PR link.

***Wednesday, July 19:

Archer-Daniels-Midland(PBR34) acquires Israel based 45,000 MT storage facility strategically located at the Port of Ashdodcompany Industries Center, now known as ADM Israel. $ADM PR link.

Sprint(PBR86) to open 36 stores in Central/Northern Florida, add 300+ jobs. $S PR link.

T-Mobile(PBR95) had 1.3 million total net additions in 2Q17, has 17 straight quarters of adding more than 1 million, has 69.6 million customers. $TMUS PR link.

Whole Foods(PBR203) SEC filing by activist investor Jana says it has sold all its shares. $WFM PR link.

Reynolds American(PBR317) shareholders approve $59.64/share, $49 billion cash/stock acquisition by British American Petroleum(BSE: BAT), transaction to close around 07/25/17. $RAI PR link.

Becton Dickinson(PBR318) gets US FDA 510(k) clearance for the BD FACSLyric™ flow cytometer system for immunological diagnostics. $BDX PR link.

McCormick(PBR552) to acquire to acquire Reckitt Benckiser’s Food Division, including Frank’s RedHot Hot Sauce, French’s Mustard, French’s Crispy Vegetables and Cattlemen’s BBQ Sauce and other brands, for $4.2 billion. $MKC PR link.

PolyOne(PBR586) completes $115 million sale of its Designed Structures and Solutions (DSS) business(includes sheet, rollstock and packaging assets) to Arsenal Capital Partners. $POL PR link.

Crown Castle(PBR603) to sell $3.25 billion in common stock & $1.5 billion of preferred stock to help fund Lightower acquisition announced 07/18/17. $CCI PR link.

AVX(PBR969) to acquire the $300 million/2016 1,600 employees Transportation, Sensing & Control division of UK based TT Electronics PLC (LSE:TTG.L) for $155 million cash. $AVX PR link.

Avista Corp(PBR990) to be acquired by Ontario, Canada, based electrical utility Hydro One for $53/share(24% premium from 07/18/17), $5.3 billion cash. $AVA PR link.

Citigroup(PBR28) former PIMCO CEO Bill Thompson, Jr, retires from the Board. $C PR link.

Carnival Corp(PBR184) appoints Jason Glen Cahilly to the Board, former chief strategic and financial officer of the National Basketball Association. $CCL PR link.

Allergan(PBR219) appoints Joseph H. Boccuzi to Board, recently retired partner of a global executive search and leadership consulting firm. $AGN PR link.

Texas Instruments(PBR220) appoints its EVP/COO Brian Crutcher to the Board. $TXN PR link.

W.W. Grainger(PBR275) SVP/CFO Ron Jadin to retire by 12/31/17, new CFO search starts. $GWW PR link.

The Mosaic Co(PBR300) hires Kimberly Bors as SVP/Human Resources. $MOS PR link.

Newmont Mining(PBR358) appoints General Manager – Global Product Development, Onshore Wind at GE Renewable Energyexecutive Sheri Hickok and mining services, chemical and industrial sectors executive Dr. Molly P. Zhang to the Board. $NEM PR link.

Ashland(PBR407) elects Teledyne(PBR805)SVP/CFO Susan Main and Walgreens Boots Alliance(PBR36) EVP/Global Chief Human Resources Officer Kathleen Wilson-Thompson to the Board. $ASH PR link.

Sonoco Products(PBR480) appoints Philippe Guillemot to Board, was COO of Alcatel-Lucent SA, Boulogne-Billancourt, France before being acquired. $SON PR link.

Equinix(PBR793) promotes Charles Meyers to newly created role of President of Strategy, Services and Innovation, effective 08/01/17. $EQIX PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/HUD estimates US June Private Housing Building Permits Issued Annual Rate at 1,254,000, +7.4% from May, +5.1% fromJune 2016. HUD PR link.

Housing/Rentals Industry: The Pew Research Center analysis of US Census data indicates more US households are renting than at any point in 50 years. Pew PR link.

The PBR1000 Summary Through June, 2017:
Companies Tracked: 1,005 public companies with primary operations in the US and annual revenues greater than $1.0 billion.
Total Worldwide Annual Revenues: $13.038 trillion
Profits: $946 billion
Average Profit Margin: 7.3%
Assets: $41.961 trillion
Equity: $8.033 trillion
Average Equity/Assets: 19.1%
Employees: 34.7 million
Market Capitalization: $23.657 trillion
The PBR1000 Stock Index: 80,142.45

***Tuesday, July 18:

Walmart(PBR1) opens new e-commerce 2 buildings totaling 2.2 million sf fulfillment center in Davenport, FL, creating 1,500+ Jobs. $WMT PR link.

Amazon(PBR29 $AMZN) launches Spark, a shoppable feed of stories and photos aimed at Prime members. TechCrunch PR link.

Microsoft(PBR31) and Chinese based internet provider Baidu join forces in the intelligent cloud to advance autonomous driving. $MSFT PR link.

Tesoro(PBR71) to begin terminaling and transportation services in Mexico per agreement with PEMEX. $TSO PR link.

Gilead Sciences(PBR107) gets US FDA approval for Vosevi™(Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir/Voxilaprevir) for re-treatment of adults with chronic Hepatitis C virus. $GILD PR link.

VISA(PBR224) and PayPal(PBR254) extend partnership to Europe for online, in-app, and instore payments, enables PayPal in Europe to issue VISA accounts. $V PR link.

PayPal(PBR254) completes adjusted $2.64/share, $238 million acquisition of Canadabased cloud-based multi-channel bill payment processing($7 billion in 2016) and receivables management company TIO Networks(TSXV: TNC). $PYPL PR link.

MGM Resorts(PBR273 $MGM) acquires unscripted series TV hits producer Evolution Media, terms not disclosed. Deadline PR link.

Harley-Davidson(PBR400) in 2Q17 report says US sales were 82,984 units, 2Q16 was 90,112, international sales 136,437 & 144,724 units. $HOG PR link.

Crown Castle(PBR603) to acquire 32,000 miles of fiber in NE US major metro areas LTS Group Holdings, aka Lightower, for $7.1 billion cash. $CCI PR link.

AMC Entertainment(PBR728) responds to some media comments, says funding for recent acquisitions fully funded by AMC, not from private Chinese conglomerate parent Dalian Wanda. $AMC PR link.

Vornado(PBR738) completes spin-off of JBG SMITH Properties in NY and its combination with certain assets of The JBG Companies in Washington, DC, into a separate independent public company, JBG Smith(NYSE: JBGS). $VNO PR link.

Panera Bread(PBR768) $315/share, $7.5 billion cash acquisition by JAB Holding is completed, delisted from NASDAQ. $PNRA PR link.

Brocade Communications(PBR845)$12.75/share, $5.9 billion cash acquisition by Singapore based Broadcom Ltd(NASDAQ: AVGO) delayed for re-filings following discussions with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US. $BRCD PR link.

GoDaddy(PBR905) completes $456 million sale of PlusServer to BC Partners, was an asset of the Host Europe Group acquired in 04/17. $GDDY PR link.

Apple(PBR5) promotes Isabel Ge Mahe to VP/Managing Director of Greater China, to be based out of Shanghai. $AAPL PR link.

Omnicom(PBR192) appoints former TEGNA(PBR619) President/CEO Gracia Martore as an independent director. $OMC PR link.

FirstEnergy(PBR195) promotes Ebony Yeboah-Amankwah to VP/Corporate Secretary, and Chief Ethics Officer, effective 07/30/17. $FEHB PR link.

Agilent Technologies(PBR364) appoints Juno Therapeutics CEO Hans Bishop to Board. $A PR link.

Barnes & Noble(PBR408) hires James Lampassi as VP/Real Estate Development, effective 07/31/17. $BKS PR link.

RPM Intl(PBR541) appoints Caterpillar(PBR54)VP/Global Information/CIO Julie Lagacy to the Board, succeeds Dr. Jerry Sue Thornton who has retired, Dover(PBR343) President/CEO Robert Livingston nominated to join Board at 10/05/17 annual stockholders meeting. $RPM PR link.

AmTrust Financial(PBR564) hires J. Daniel Hickey as new EVP/Business Strategy & Business Development. $AFSI PR link.

CIT Group(PBR608) appoints Khanh T. Tran, a Pacific Life Insurance executive for over 25 years, to the Board, effective 07/27/17. $CIT PR link.

KB Home(PBR802) appoints construction/development Vanir GroupChair/CEO Dorene Dominguez to board. $KBH PR link.

Six Flags(PBR962) Executive Chairman Jim Reid-Anderson appointed Chairman/President/CEO, roles he previously held from 08/10 through 02/16, replaces John Duffey who has retired, effective immediately. $SIX PR link.

The US Dept of Labor US June Preliminary All Imports Price Index at -0.2%, Exports -0.2%, May was -0.1% & -0.5%, April +0.2% & +0.2%; All Imports Year-to-Year at +1.5%, Exports+0.6%. USDOL PR link.

The Natl Assn of Home Builders/Wells Fargo US July Preliminary Housing Market Index is at 64, June was 66, May 69, July 2016 58. NAHB PR link.

***Monday, July 17:

Kroger(PBR20) making changes to sponsored defined benefits plan, to contribute up to $1 billion to plan which is underfunded. $KR PR link.

Proctor & Gamble(PBR33) $3.3 billion investor Trian Fund Management nominates Nelson Peltz for election to board. TFM PR link.

Proctor & Gamble(PBR33) responds to Trian Fund Management request, focused on shareholder value. $PG PR link.

FedEx(PBR65) TNT Express operations hack on 06/28/17 by Petya virus still being worked on, possible impact on financial reporting. $FDX PR link.

Ross Stores(PBR253) opens 21 Ross Dress for Less and 7 dd’s DISCOUNTS stores across 15 states in June/July, part of 90 stores planned for 2017. $ROST PR link.

WestRock(PBR278) completes asset acquisitions of Island Container Corp and Combined Container Industries, adds 80,000+ tons of containerboard into its corrugated packaging business, terms not disclosed. $WR PR link.

Celanese(PBR369) authorizes new $1.5 billion share buyback program, to complete current 2015 $1.0 billion program in 2017. $CE PR link.

General Cable(PBR418) reviewing strategic alternatives, including possible sale of company. $BGC PR link.

Netflix(PBR447) in 2Q17 subscribers increased from 99 million to 104 million, forecasts 3Q17 net adds at 3.65 million. $NFLX PR link.

Perrigo(PBR565) gets US FDA approval for its first-to-file AB rated generic version of AbbVie(PBR136 $ABBV)‘s testosterone therapy Androgel® Topical Gel, 1.62% packets, $88 million/year market. $PRGO PR link.

Flowers Foods(PBR591) announces voluntary employee separation incentive plan for certain salaried personnel as part of its effort to restructure, streamline operations. $FLO PR link.

Church & Dwight(PBR639) to acquire water-jet technology in both oral water flossers and replacement showerheads $265 million 12 month sales through 06/30/17 Ft Collins, CO, based Waterpik for $1 billion cash, to close 3Q17. $CHD PR link.

SemGroup(PBR866) completes $2.1 billion acquisition of 330 acres 16.8 million barrel terminal Houston Fuel Oil Terminal Co. $SEMG PR link.

Regis Corp(PBR912) to reorganize field structure into 4 brand/concept units: SmartStyle, Supercuts, Signature Style, and Premium | Mall Brands. $RGS PR link.

Scientific Games(PBR937) gets new 6 year contract as the primary instant games provider for the Colorado Lottery, includes two options to extend the contract two additional years. $SGMS PR link.

Caterpillar(PBR54) hires Cheryl H. Johnson as Chief Human Relations Officer, effective 07/24/17. $CAT PR link.

Sysco(PBR61) President/COO Tom Bené to be President/CEO, effective 01/01/18, succeeds Bill DeLaney who will be an advisor through 12/31/18. $SYY PR link.

Baxter Intl(PBR176) appoints Target(PBR40)EVP/CFO Cathy Smith to Board, to serve on Audit Committee. $BAX PR link.

Bank of NY Mellon(PBR183) hires Charles Scharf as CEO, effective immediately, to become Chairman 01/01/18, when Gerald Hassell retires. $BK PR link.

Textron(PBR207) promotes Julie Duffy to EVP/Human Resources, succeeds departed Cheryl Johnson. $TXT PR link.

Mattel(PBR412) CFO Kevin Farr to depart upon appointment of successor. $MAT PR link.

Meritor(PBR639) hires Cheri Lantz as VP/Chief Strategy Officer. $MTOR PR link.

Tesla(PBR651) adds 2 independent directors to board, Linda Johnson Rice, Chairman/CEO of Johnson Publishing Co, and James Murdoch, CEO of 21st Century Fox(PBR91). $TSLA PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York says the Empire State Manufacturing General Business Conditions Survey Index is at 9.8, June was 19.8, May -1.0, July 2016 -0.5. NYFed PR link.

Fannie Mae(PBR17) Economic & Strategic Research (ESR) Group’s July 2017 Economic and Housing Outlook says it expects 2017 economic growth to remain at 2.0% amid a projected 2nd half slowdown. $FNMA PR link.

Made in America: The White House releases a statement on a product made in the US by State. White House PR link.

Vacation Fun: Enjoy a baseball game! Check out this article: The Affordability of Attending An MLB Game, City By City. ValuePenguin PR link.

***Friday, July 14:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week Ending 07/14/17:
DJIA ends week at record 21,637.74, +1.04 % from last Friday, +1.35% MTD/QTD, +9.49% YTD, +0.00% from record 21,637.74 set 07/14/17.
NASDAQ ends week at 6,312.47, +2.59% from last Friday, 2.80% MTD/QTD, +17.26% YTD, -0.15% from record 6,321.76 set 06/08/17.
SPX ends week at record 2,459.27,+1.41% from last Friday, +1.48% MTD/QTD, +9.85% YTD, +0.00% from record 2,459.27 set 07/14/17.

US Foods(PBR118) to acquire combined $130 million annual sales 250 employees serving independent restaurant, school, grocery and convenience store customers in seven states across the Midwest broadline distributors The Thompson Company, Braunger Food and Variety Foods, all owned/operated by TOBA, terms not disclosed. $USFD PR link.

RH(PBR915)(fka Restoration Hardware) completes $700 million share repurchase program, completed $300 million program in 1Q17, has repurchased 49.6% of shares outstanding since beginning of 2017. $RH PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US June Consumer Price Index was at +0.0% growth, May was -0.1%, April +0.2%, Last 12 Monthswas +1.6%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor estimates US June Current Average Weekly Worker Earningswere at $905.63, +0.4% from May, +2.8% from June 2016. USDOL PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Board estimates US June Industrial Capacity was at 76.6%, Maywas 76.4%, April 76.4%, June 2016 75.4%. FED PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US May Total Manufacturers/Retail/Wholesaler Saleswere $1.350 trillion, -0.2% from April, +5.1% from May 2016. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce in advance report estimates US June Total Retail/Food & Drinking Places Sales were $473.5 billion, -0.2% from May, +2.9% from June 2016. USDOC PR link.

The U of Michigan Preliminary US July Consumer Sentiment Index is at 93.1, Junewas 95.1, May 97.1, July 2016 90.0%. UMich PR link.

***Thursday, July 13:

Johnson & Johnson(PBR37)’s Janssen unit gets US FDA approval for TREMFYA™ (guselkumab) for the treatment of adults living with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. $JNJ PR link.

CBS(PBR210 $CBS), BBC form global news partnership to share video, articles and other newsgathering resources. MarketWatch PR link.

JCPenney(PBR234) to add toy stores at all JCPenney locations and expand toys assortment on JCPenney.com. $JCP PR link.

KKR(PBR332) head of Global Macro & Asset Allocation Henry H. McVey releases mid-year update, outlines 5 areas of focus. $KKR PR link.

Mylan(PBR346) and India based Biocon(NSE: BIOCON) get US FDA Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee 16-0 vote to recommend approval of biosimilar trastuzumab(Herceptin®} breast cancer therapy. $MYL PR link.

Magellan Health(PBR592) to acquire Senior Whole Health, serves complex, high-risk populations, providing both Medicare and Medicaid dual-eligible benefits to 22,000+ members in Massachusetts/NY, anticipates $1 billion revenues in 2017, to close 1Q18. $MGLN PR link.

Vista Outdoor(PBR784) announces historic partnership with 2 million members Boy Scouts of America, becomes official conservation partner. $VSTO PR link.

AIG(PBR46) appoints Seraina Macia as corporate EVP & CEO/Planned Technology, a new planned subsidiary. $AIG PR link.

Tiffany(PBR551) hires Alessandro Bogliolo as CEO, effective 10/02/17. $TIF PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says US June Government Receipts were $338.7 billion, Outlays $428.9 billion, Deficit $90.2 billion, Deficit FYTD(9 months) is $523.1 billion. Treasury PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US June Producer Price Index(PPI) Total Monthly Final Demandwas +0.1%, May was +0.0%, April +0.5%, Last 12 Months +2.0%, May +2.4%, April +2.5%. USDOL PR link.

***Wednesday, July 12:

Valero Energy(PBR13) and Plains All American Pipeline(PBR66) plan to challenge attempt to block proposed acquisition by Valero of Plains’ assets Martinez and Richmond Terminals in California. $VLO PR link.

Amazon(PBR29) Prime Day 07/11/17 was record sales day, grew by more than 60% over 2016, Echo Dot most popular purchased item. $AMZN PR link.

Alphabet(PBR44)’s Google unit spared $1.3 billion tax bill with victory in French court. Bloomberg PR link.

Eli Lilly(PBR142) reaches settlement in US Cialis patent litigation, US exclusive rights to end on 09/27/18 at earliest, no change in 2017 financial guidance. $LLY PR link.

Southern Co(PBR155) to launch 2 year battery storage research demonstration project in Pensacola, FL, using 250 kilowatt/1 megawatt-hour Tesla(PBR651) Powerpack lithium-ion industrial energy storage system. $SO PR link.

NRG Energy(PBR186) announces transformation plan, to reduce expenses by $1+ billion, sell $2.5-$4.0 billion in assets, remove $13 billion total debt from balance sheet. $NRG PR link.

PayPal(PBR254 $PYPL) gets partnership with Apple(PBR5 $AAPL) to allow consumers to pay for items in Apple’s App Store, Apple Music, iTunes and iBooks, available in 12 countries.MarketWatch PR link.

ABM Industries(PBR478) to acquire Cleveland, OH, based $1.1 billion/year 37,000 employees nationwide facility services in the education/commercial industries provider GCA Services Group for $1.25 billion cash/stock, to close by 09/30/17. $ABM PR link.

CommScope(PBR482) to acquire Santa Ana, CA, based Cable Exchange, a privately held quick-turn supplier of fiber optic and copper assemblies for data, voice and video communications with 2nd manufacuring location in Pineville, NC, terms not disclosed, to close within 60 days. $COMM PR link.

Equinix(PBR793) to expand by end of 2017 SY4 IBX data center in Sydney, Australia, by 1,500 cabinets for a total of 3,000, $42 million capital investment. $EQIX PR link.

Kroger(PBR20) hires Liz Ferneding as President/Ruler division, effective 07/31/17, succeeds retired Paul Bowen. $KR PR link.

Dow Chemical(PBR48) promotes Karen Carter to newly created position of Chief Inclusion Officer. $DOW PR link.

Scientific Games(PBR937) hires Shawn Williams as Chief Human Relations Officer, succeeds retiring Gary Melampy. $SGMS PR link.

The US Federal Reserve releases the Beige Book, pace of growth ranged from slight to moderate across all 12 districts, employmentmodest to moderate in most districts with labor markets tightening. FED PR link.

***Tuesday, July 11:

CVS Health(PBR11) 1,100 locations retail medical clinics MinuteClinic service gets deal to do workplace health tests through Alere(PBR752) eScreen Occupational Health Network. $CVS PR link.

Dow Chemical(PBR48) to divest a portion of its corn hybrid seed business in Brazil to CITIC Agri Fund for $1.1 billion to satisfy Brazil regulatory clearance for merger with DuPont(PBR82 $DD). $DOW PR link.

Intel(PBR51) unveils high performance Intel Xeon Scalable Processors for data center and network processors. $INTC PR link.

Alcoa(PBR115) to reopen 3 of 5 potlines at its Warrick Operations near Evansville, IN, to add 275 employees to site. $AA PR link.

Amgen(PBR135) gets US FDA approval for BLINCYTO® (blinatumomab) to treat relapsed or refractory B-cell Precursor Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in adults and children. $AMGN PR link.

Core-Mark(PBR271) completes adjusted $174 million cash acquisition of Carroll, IA, based 1,000 employee $1.4+ billion/yr 42,000 US/Canada customer locations fresh/broad-line supply solutions to the convenience store industry provider Farner-Bocken. $CORE PR link.

Symantec(PBR385) to acquire US/Israel-basedmobile threat defense provider Skycure, terms not disclosed. $SYMC PR link.

CONSOL Energy(PBR598) files SEC Form 10to split up into 2 separate publicly traded companies, a coal company and a natural gas exploration/production company by end of 2017. $CNX PR link.

Cabela’s(PBR606) shareholders approve $61.50/share, $5 billion acquisition by Bass Pro Shops, expects to close in 3Q17. $CAB PR link.

Rent A Center(PBR657) rejects unsolicited $15.00/share for all common stock offer by Vintage Capital. $RCII PR link.

Panera Bread(PBR768) shareholders approve $315/share, $7.5 billion cash acquisition by JAB Holding, to close by 07/31/17. $PNRA PR link.

Dynegy(PBR777) completes $480 million cash sale of its Armstrong and Troy Energy PJM dual-fueled peaking units to LS Power, proceeds to apply to debt reduction. $DYN PR link.

Dynegy(PBR777) to sell Lee , Dighton, and Milford Energy power generation plants for $300 million cash, funds to be used for debt reduction. $DYN PR link.

AAR Corp(PBR883) approves new up to $250 million share repurchase program. $AIR PR link.

Avery Dennison(PBR396) VP/Interim CFO Gregory Lovins appointed SVP/CFO. $AVY PR link.

Windstream(PBR426) hires Layne Levine as President/Enterprise business unit. $WIN PR link.

Zimmer Biomet(PBR512) President/CEO David Dvorak steps down, to temporarily serve in an advisory capacity, SVP/CFO Daniel Florin adds Interim CEO role until new CEO named. $ZBH PR link.

Twitter(PBR735) hires Ned Segal as CFO, effective late 08/17, succeeds Anthony Noto who retains COO role. $TWTR PR link.

The US Dept of Labor estimates US May Number of Job Openings was at 5,666,000, -5.0% from April, +1.5% from May 2016. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census estimates US May Wholesale Sales at $460.7 billion, -0.5% from April, +6.2% from May 2016. USDOC PR link.

CoreLogic says US April Percentage of Housing Mortgages 30 or more Days Delinquent at 4.8%, March was 4.4%, April 2016 5.3%, Total Percent of Houses in Foreclosure at 0.7%. CoreLogic PR link.

***Monday, July 10:

Amazon(PBR29) to open new fulfillment center in Orlando, FL, in 2018, to create 1,500 new full-time jobs. $AMZN PR link.

Facebook(PBR228 $FB) virtual reality Oculus Rift headset, Touch controllers, and some games for $598 bundle price lowered to $399 for a limited time. MarketWatch PR link.

Coach(PBR496) completes $18.50/share, $2.4 billion tender offer to acquire Kate Spade(PBR970 $KATE) which will become a wholly owned subsidiary. $COH PR link.

Frontier Communications(PBR501) completes 1:15 reverse stock split. $FTR PR link.

Abercrombie & Fitch(PBR595) terminates discussions regarding a potential transaction, determines best path forward is rigorous execution of its business plan. $ANF PR link.

Great Plains Energy(PBR757) $12.2 billion acquisition of Westar Energy(PBR747 $WR)amended to be merger of equals, transaction equity value is $14 billion, expects to close 1H18. $GXP PR link.

Equinix(PBR793) to expand SG2 International Business Exchange™ (IBX) data center in Singapore by 1,400 cabinets to a total of 6,300, and add 47,666 sf for $41.8 million capital investment. $EQIX PR link.

HealthSouth(PBR800) changing name to Encompass Health Corporation, NYSE trading symbol to change from HLS to EHC, effective 01/02/18. $HLS PR link.

Apollo Global Mgmt(PBR906) to acquire private clubs management provider ClubCorp(NYSE: MYCC) for $17.12/share(31% premium on 07/07/17 closing price), $1.1 billion cash, expects to close 4Q17. $APO PR link.

Scientific Games(PBR937) acquires UK basedmobile and desktop casino games and sports apps for real-money gaming partners provider Red7Mobile, terms not disclosed. $SGMS PR link.

Cincinnati Bell(PBR988) to combine with Hawaiian Telecom(NASDAQ: HCOM) in $650 million stock/cash deal, & to acquire N America/UK technology services/solutions provider OnX Enterprise Solutions for $201 million cash. $CBB PR link.

JCPenney(PBR234) CFO Edward Record resigns, to serve in an advisory role until 08/07/17, SVP/Chief Accounting Officer & Controller Andrew Drexler appointed Interim CFO. $JCP PR link.

Barnes & Noble(PBR408) hires Carl Hauch as VP/Stores. $BKS PR link.

Cerner(PBR628) Chairman/CEO Neal Patterson unexpectedly dies from complications of cancer, Vice Chairman/Co-Founder Cliff Illig named Chairman/Interim CEO. $CERN PR link.

Citrix(PBR658) promotes CFO/COO David Henshall to President/CEO after mutual separation decision with President/CEO Kirill Tatarinov; SVP/Finance Mark Coyle appointed Interim CFO. $CTXS PR link.

Vista Outdoor(PBR784) Chairman/CEO Mark DeYoung retires, independent lead director Michael Callahan named Interim Chairman/CEO. $VSTO PR link.

AAR Corp(PBR883) hires Mike Milligan to be CFO, effective 08/01/17, succeeds retiring Timothy J. Romenesko. $AIR PR link.

The US Federal Reserve estimates US May Consumer Debt at $3.843 trillion, +0.5% from April, +1.8% YTD, +5.9% from May 2016. FRB PR link.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development says US May Composite Leading Indicator at 99.6, April & March were at 99.7, shows tentative signs of easing growth. OECD PR link.

***Friday, July 7:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week Ending 07/07/17:
DJIA ends week at 21,414.34, +0.30 % from last Friday/MTD/QTD, +8.36% YTD, -0.53% from record 21,528.99 set 06/19/17.
NASDAQ ends week at 6,153.08, +0.21% from last Friday/MTD/QTD, +14.30% YTD, -2.67% from record 6,321.76 set 06/08/17.
SPX ends week at 2,425.18,+0.07% from last Friday/MTD/QTD, +8.32 YTD, -1.15 from record 2,453.46 set 06/19/17.

Berkshire Hathaway(PBR4 $BRKA) agrees to acquire bankrupt Energy Future Holdings Corp, including its Oncor unit with its 121,000 miles of electrical lines in Texas, for $9 billion in cash. MarketWatch PR link.

MetLife(PBR39) to acquire Fortress Investment Group‘s $33 billion in assets from 100+ institutional clients Logan Circle Partners, a traditional fixed income asset management business, for approximately $250 million cash. $MET PR link.

Sears(PBR93) to close 8 Sears & 35 Kmartstores by early 10/17, liquidation sales to start beginning as early as 07/13/17. $SHLD PR link.

Eli Lilly(PBR142) says UK Supreme Courtrules that Actavis‘s products directly infringe Lilly’s Alimta® vitamin regimen patents in the UK, France, Italy and Spain. $LLY PR link.

Whole Foods(PBR203) submits Schedule 14A Proxy Statement regarding acquisition by Amazon(PBR29 $AMZN), includes history of how deal was made. $WFM PR link.

Tesla(PBR651) restates 2Q17 results, delivers 22,000+ Model S/Model X vehicles plus about 3,500 vehicles were in transit & will count in 3Q17. $TSLA PR link.

FTI Consulting(PBR941) terminating about 4% of its 4,700 global workforce in cost restructuring. $FCN PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US June Employment at 153,168,000, +245,000 from May, +2,078,000 from June 2016, Unemployment Rate at 4.4%, May was 4.3%, June 2016 4.9%. USDOL PR link.

Fannie Mae(PBR17) says US June Home Purchase Sentiment Index at record 88.3, May was 86.2, April 86.7, June 2016 83.2. $FNMA PR link.

***Thursday, July 6:

Liberty Interactive(PBR263) to acquire the 62% of shares it doesn’t own of interactive multichannel retailer HSN(PBR609 $HSNI) for $40.36/share, $2.6 billion in all stock deal. $QVCA PR link.

AECOM(PBR322) to acquire $300 million/year Western US heavy civil construction provider Shimmick Construction for $175 million. $ACM PR link.

Campbell Soup(PBR326) to acquire $218 million revenues/last 12 months organic broth/soup and shelf-stable plant-based beverages and other meals/sides producer Pacific Foods of Oregon for $700 million cash. $CPB PR link.

KKR(PBR332) completes $5.5 billion sale of global dosage forms provider Capsugel to Lonza. $KKR PR link.

Williams Cos(PBR348) Partners unit(NYSE: WPZ) completes $2.1 billion sale its 88.46% interest in the Geismar, Louisiana, olefins facility to NOVA Chemicals; gets long-term feedstock supply/transportation agreements with NOVA Chemicals. $WMB PR link.

Blackstone(PBR352) to acquire world’s largest owner and operator of premier showroom space for the furnishings, home decor and gift industries International Market Centers, with 12.2 million sf of exhibition space, from Bain Capital & affiliates, terms not disclosed. $BX PR link.

Symantec(PBR385) to acquire Israeli-based isolation technology cybersecurity service Fireglass, terms not disclosed. $SYMC PR link.

PolyOne(PBR586) has acquired private solid/liquid colorant technologies provider Mesa, terms not disclosed. $POL PR link.

Endo Intl(PBR700) decides to voluntarily withdraw opioid OPANA® ER from the market per US FDA request, sales were $158.9 million in 2016. $ENDP PR link.

Caesars Entertainment(PBR314) hires Marco Roca as President/Global Development. $CZR PR link.

Sanmina(PBR401) EVP/CFO Bob Eulau to become CEO, effective 10/02/17, CEO Jure Sola to become Executive Chairman. $SANM PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US May International Trade Exports were $192.0 billion, Imports $238.5 billion, Deficit $46.5 billion, Deficit YTD(5 months) is $233.1 billion. USDOC PR link.

ADP(PBR235) estimates US June Employment Change was +158,000 new employees, net 0 from Goods Producing sector, +158,000 from Services sector. $ADP PR link.

The ISM US June Non-Manufacturing Index is at 57.4%, May was 56.9%, April 57.5%, June 2016 56.5%. ISM PR link.

The IHS Market US June Composite PMI Output Index is at 53.9, May was 53.6, April 53.2, June 2016 51.2. Markit PR link.

***Wednesday, July 5:

Amazon(PBR29) to create 1,500 new full-time Jobs at 855,000+ sf Salt Lake City,
UT, fulfillment center. $AMZN PR link.

Merck(PB70) says US FDA has placed clinical hold on 3 combination studies of KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) for blood cancer multiple myeloma. $MRK PR link.

Halliburton(PBR90) acquires Tulsa, OK, based 500+ employees almost 30 US locations electric submersible pump (ESP) technology and services provider Summit ESP, terms not disclosed. $HAL PR link.

Group 1 Automotive(PBR276) acquires UK-based $330 million/year Beadles Group, has 12 auto dealerships with 7 brands, in southeastern greater London. $GPI PR link.

NVIDIA(PBR510) and China based cloud provider Baidu form broad partnership for development of artificial intelligence capabilities for self-driving vehicles and home assistants. $NVDA PR link.

Perrigo(PBR565) launches generic version of Eli Lilly(PBR142 $LLY)‘s testosterone therapy Axiron® Topical Solution, $248 million market. $PRGO PR link.

Envision Healthcare(PBR581) acquires Atlanta, GA, 68 clinical providers(includes 40 physicians) Northside Emergency Associates, provides services to 3 Northside system hospitals, 170,000 annual emergency department patient encounters. $EVHC PR link.

Envision Healthcare(PBR581) acquires multi-specialty multi-specialty physician group with 340 physician/midlevel providers Infinity Healthcare, provides emergency/hospitalist medicine, anesthesia and radiology services in Wisconsin and Illinois. $EVHC PR link.

Vantiv(PBR754 $VNTV) outbids JPMorgan Chase(PBR21 $JPM), to acquire UK based global card payments processor WorldPay for $10 billion. Forbes PR link.

Equinix(PBR793) opens new International Business Exchange data center in Amsterdamat its Science Park campus, $113 million facility is called AM4. $EQIX PR link.

Edwards Lifesciences(PBR819) gets US FDA approval for INSPIRIS RESILIA aortic valve, the first in a new class of resilient heart valves. $EW PR link.

AIG(PBR46) hires Peter Zaffino as EVP/Global COO, effective 08/01/17. $AIG PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census estimates US May Manufacturers New Orders were at $464.8 billion, -0.8% from April, +2.3% from May 2016. USDOC PR link.

The Federal Open Market Committee(FOMC)releases the minutes from its 06/13-14/17 meeting, says labor markets continue to strengthen, industrial production up, expects higher 2Q17 GDP, economic activity rising moderately. FOMC PR link.

The Conference Board says US June Total Online Job Vacancies Advertised at 4,763,376, -1.0% from May, -6,4% from June 2016. TCB PR link.

The PurdueU/CME Group US June Agriculture Composite Barometer Index at 131, May was 130, April 130, June 2016 104. PurdueU PR link.

***Tuesday, July 4:

***US Independence Day***
***US Stock Exchanges Closed.***
***Be thankful for those who had the courage to sign The Declaration of Independence.***

Prologis(PBR940) to acquire partner’s share of Brazil based industrial real estate provider with 8.8 million sf Prologis CCP, for $362 million, will change name to Prologis Brazil. $PLD PR link.

***Monday, July 3:

GE(PBR9) Oil & Gas completes $7.4 billion acquisition of Baker Hughes(PBR108), to list as NYSE: BHGE on 07/05/17. $GE PR link.

Microsoft(PBR31 $MSFT) reorganizes global sales group, to focus on cloud services, to target two areas, large enterprise customers & small/medium businesses; layoffs loom.MarketWatch PR link.

INTL FCStone(PBR88) completes merger of wholly owned subsidiary Sterne, Agee & Leachinto INTL FCStone Financial wholly owned subsidiary to consolidate regulatory entities, operating efficiencies. $INTL PR link.

AK Steel(PBR386) to acquire Canada based 8 plants in Canada/US 1,000+ employees automotive engineering, tooling, die design and hot/cold stamped steel parts manufacturer Precision Partners for $360 million cash. $AKS PR link.

Post Holdings(PBR486) completes $1.75 billion acquisition of UK based global packaged ready-to-eat cereals producer Weetabix. $POST PR link.

Tesla(PBR651) delivers 22,000+ Model S/Model X vehicles in 2Q17, +53% over 2Q16, total 1H17 deliveries were around 47,100, deliveries affected by severe production shortfall of 100 kWh battery packs; Model 3 production to start in July. $TSLA PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census estimates US May Total Construction Spending Annual Rate at $1.230 trillion, -0.0% from April, +4.5% from May 2016. USDOC PR link.

The ISM US June Manufacturing PMI Index is at 57.8%, May was 54.9%, April 54.8%, June 2016 53.2%. ISM PR link.

The IHS Markit June US Manufacturing PMI is at 52.0, May was 52.7, April 52.8, June 2016 50.4. Markit PR link.

Automotive News says US June New Vehicle Unit Sales were at 1,469,494, -3.3% from May, -3.0 from June 2016, YTD was 8,422,550, -2.2% from June 2016, Annual Rate at 16,600,000. Automotive News PR link.

(Photo courtesy of Keerati, FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

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

The PBR1000 June 2017 Breaking News Recap

July 4, 2017 by admin

June 2017: An Interesting 1st Half, Now What?

Man w Question Marks-hyena reality ID-100147662

The first half of 2017 was pretty good for The PBR1000, but the second half predictions are all over the place. What’s your guess?

By Larry C. Paxton

Business continued as usual in June, with a surprise major news announcement(Amazon(PBR12) to acquire Whole Foods(PBR165)), the oil industry was still somewhat chaotic and directionless, the tech sector had a difficult month with significant sell-offs, the retail industry is still trying to figure out how to cope with e-commerce and compete against Amazon, President Trump has introduced some initiatives but not much has come of those yet as they get bogged down in the legislative process as legislatures still try to figure out how to deal with the President, and the economy continued to plug along unspectacularly(not a bad thing). But in the end, when you look at the numbers, it appears that it was a pretty good first half of the year. However, there is a sense that there are some undercurrents at play that could be very negative and disruptive.

As we peer into the crystal ball there is no clear picture, short term or long term for the second half. It is like looking into one of those Christmas balls that you shake up and watch the floating snowflakes fall, but right now those snowflakes are all in the shape of a question mark. For some this is a foreboding sign, for others they see it as a time of opportunity. So, in conclusion, what do you see happening and what will you adjust to take advantage of that during the second half of 2017? We wish you the best!

Here’s a quick June 2017 summary on key activities that relate to The PBR1000:

Mergers & Acquisitions: 23 deals worth at least $1 billion initiated, closed, or updated. Total transaction value was $158 billion.

Spinoffs: 2

Share Repurchase Programs: 5 announcements, total $2.75 billion.

Bankruptcies: 1 initiated or updated

CEO Changes: 12 announced.

Jobs/Wages: 4.3% unemployment rate, modest wage growth.

US Economy: Modest/moderate growth continues, stable but fragile.

Federal Reserve Federal Funds Rate Changes: 1 change, +0.25% increase to 1.00-1.25%, more increases possible in 2017.

US Stock Market Exchanges: The tech sector took a hit in June so only the NASDAQ finished in the red for June, all three US major stock exchanges established new closing records during the month and were up quarterly, YTD, and for the first half of 2017. The Stock Market Bull won by a wide margin in the first half.

National: Former FBI Director James Comey testifies before Congress, Republican House Representative Majority Whip Steve Scalise and 3 others survive being shot during a charity baseball game practice; Federal Reserve raises short term interest rate by 0.25%; Republican Senators release proposed healthcare plan, vote delayed until after 4th of July recess; Supreme Court reinstates President Trump’s 6 predominantly Muslim countries travel ban executive order with some conditions; Federal Reserve says 34 largest US holding banks meet stress test conditions(1 requires some modifications); no major legislation passed.

International: President Trump pulls the US out of the Paris Climate Accord; UK elections result in Prime Minister May losing her Tories majority, builds a loose coalition; Brexit negotiations continue as 1st year vote anniversary passes; continuations of Middle East conflicts, refugee crisis, and; US President Trump actions and tweets continue to be the headliners.

Here are The PBR1000 corporate and economic related breaking news items of interest with hotlinks to the sources for June 2017, starting with the last active business day.

***Friday, June 30:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week, Month, Quarter, and Half Ending 06/30/17:
DJIA ends week at 21,349.63, -0.21% from last Friday, +1.62% MTD, +3.32% QTD, +8.03% YTD, -0.83% from record 21,528.99 set 06/19/17.
NASDAQ ends week at 6,140.42, -1.99% from last Friday, -0.94% MTD, +3.87% QTD, +14.07% YTD, -2.87% from record 6,321.76 set 06/08/17.
SPX ends week at 2,423.41, -0.61% from last Friday, +0.48% MTD, +2.57% QTD, +8.24 YTD, -1.22 from record 2,453.46 set 06/19/17.

Boeing(PBR27) 3rd major business unit, Boeing Global Services, to launch 07/01/17, focuses on needs of government, space & commercial customers worldwide. $BA PR link

Baker Hughes(PBR108) stockholders approve $7.4 billion acquisition by GE(PBR9) Oil & Gasunit, to close 07/03/17, to delist NYSE: BHI, then to list as NYSE: BHGE on 07/05/17. $BHI PR link

Kraft Heinz(PBR156) to sell Campbell, NY, cheese plant to Upstate Niagara Cooperative, will retain 125 employees, KH to make $3-5 million investment to improve/maintain facility. $KHC PR link

Delek US(PBR536) completes $12.13/share $464 million acquisition of remaining stock of Alon USA Energy(NYSE:ALJ). $DK PR link

Bemis(PBR545) implementing restructuring/cost savings plan, to close 2 manufacturing facilities, reduce administrative workforce by 300, 5% of employees, over 3 years. $BMS PR link

CIT Group(PBR608) to sell its last non-N American business, Paris-based NACCO, its 14,000 rail cars European rail leasing business, to German-based VTG Aktiengesellschaft, for $980 million. $CIT PR link

Ventas(PBR671) reaffirms expected sale in 2H17 of 36 skilled nursing facilities for $700 million to facilitate Kindred Healthcare(PBR479)’s exit from its skilled nursing segment. $VTR PR link

The US Dept of Treasury says US Debt Held By Public on 06/29/17 was at $14.308 trillion, Intragovernmental Holdings $5.538 trillion, Total US Debt $19.846 trillion, -0.7% YTD, +2.4% from 06/30/16. Treasury PR link

The US Dept of Commerce/BEA says US May Total Personal Income Annual Rate at $16.488 trillion, +0.4% from April, +3.5% from May 2016. USDOC PR link

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicagoestimates the 7th District May Midwest Economy Index was at +0.51, April was +0.72, March +.58, May 2016 +0.01. ChiFed PR link

The June MNI Chicago Business Barometer(50=Neutral) is 65.7, May was 59.4, April 58.3, June 2016 56.8. MNI/ISM Chicago PR link

AAA says US Regular Gas Average Price/Gallon on 06/30/17 was $2.239, -5.6% from May, -2.1% from June 2016. AAA PR link

The End of June Exchange Rate of a US Dollar for a Euro is $1.1427, +1.6% from May, +2.8% from June 2016. (PBRMarketTools June US Economic Indices Snapshot 46(Currencies).)

The U of Michigan US June Final Consumer Sentiment Index is at 95.1, May was 97.1, April 97.0, June 2016 93.5. UMich PR link

***Thursday, June 29:

Amazon(PBR29) announces 07/11/17 as 3rd Annual Prime Day for 30 hours in 13 countries for Prime members. $AMZN PR link

Walgreens Boots Alliance(PBR36) signs new agreement to buy 2,186 Rite Aid(PBR105)stores and related assets over 6 months for $5.175 billion cash, will pay Rite Aid $325 million termination fee from previous agreement. Rite Aid cancels $950 million sale of 865 stores to Fred’s(PBR897) Pharmacy. $WBA PR link

Anthem(PBR38 $ANTM) pulls back on offering Obamacare plans in Nevada. MarketWatch PR link

MetLife(PBR39) to spin-off 2.8 million US insurance policies/annuities contracts provider Brighthouse Financial as a separate publicly held company, scheduled for 07/19/17. $MET PR link

Aetna(PBR49 $AET) to move corporate headquarters from Hartford, CT, to New York, NY. Hartford Courant PR link

21st Century Fox(PBR91) responds to UKdecision for phase 2 review by Competition and Markets Authority of its $14.8 billion cash acquisition of European entertainment 30,000 employee Sky plc, now expects transaction to close by 06/30/18. $FOX PR link

Amgen(PBR135) gets US FDA approval for Vectibix® (Panitumumab) for use in wild-type RAS metastatic colorectal cancer. $AMGN PR link

Caesars Entertainment(PBR314) opens 48,000 sf full service production studio, first in Nevada, next to its Ballys Las Vegas property. $CZR PR link

DR Horton(PBR337) gets deal over Starwood Capital to acquire 75% of Forestar Group(NYSE: FOR) for $17.75/share, $560 million cash, Forestar to remain a public company. $DHI PR link

Delek US(PBR536) stockholders approve $12.13/share $464 million of remaining stock acquisition of Alon USA Energy(NYSE:ALJ), whose stockholders have also approved, transaction scheduled to be effective on 07/01/17. $DK PR link

PolyOne(PBR586) to sell its Designed Structures and Solutions (DSS)business(includes sheet, rollstock and packaging assets) to Arsenal Capital Partners for $115 million. $POL PR link

DSW(PBR778) to open its first warehouse outside N America in Oman at Muscat Grand Mall. $DSW PR link

Equinix(PBR793) expands presence in Frankfurt, Germany, with its new International Business Exchange™ (IBX®) data center, called FR6, at its Campus Kleyer location. $EQIX PR link

CMS Energy(PBR360) announces SVP/Transformation & Shared Resources JF Brossoit to add Engineering to responsibilities upon retirement of SVP Dan Malone on 11/01/17. $CMS PR link

Kennametal(PBR706) to hire Chris Rossi as President/CEO, CEO Rod De Feo to become Executive Chairman, effective 08/01/17. $KMT PR link

The US Dept of Commerce says US 1Q17 Gross Domestic Product Annual Rate(3rd Estimate) was +1.4%, $19.027 trillion, +0.8% from 4Q16, +4.1% from 1Q16. USDOC PR link

The US Dept of Labor says US Total Insured Unemployment 4 Week Moving Average on 06/17/17 was 1,938.750 people, +0.4% from May, -9.1% from June 2016, Insured Unemployment Rate at 1.4%. USDOL PR link

The US Energy Information Administrationsays US Crude Oil Stocks(Millions of Barrels) on 06/23/17 were 509.2, 05/24/17 was 516.3, 4/21/17 528.7, 06/24/16 495.9. EIA PR link

FreddieMac(PBR41) says US 30 Year Fixed Mortgage Rate Average on 06/29/17 is 3.88% with 0.5 fees/points, 05/25/17 was 3.95%, 04/27/17 4.03%, 06/30/16 3.48%. $FMCC PR link

***Wednesday, June 28:

Staples(PBR122) to be acquired by private equity firm Sycamore Partners for $10.25/share(about a 20% premium from 04/03/17), $6.9 billion cash, expects to close by 12/31/17. $SPLS PR link

SunTrust Banks(PBR307) authorizes $1.32 billion share repurchase program effective 07/01/17 through 06/30/18. $STI PR link

Weyerhauser(PBR355) to delist from the Chicago Stock Exchange, effective 07/20/17, remain on NYSE. $WY PR link

Noble Energy(PBR471) completes $1.225 billion sale of all its upstream Appalachia natural gas assets to Quantum Energy Partners affiliate. $NBL PR link

Hain Celestial(PBR712) Cultivate Venturesunit makes first strategic acquisition, Portland, OR, based prepared beans and bean-based dips sold in chilled deli tubs provider Better Bean, terms not disclosed. $HAIN PR link

Fred’s(PBR897) adopts a short-term shareholder rights plan, expires 09/25/17. $FRED PR link

Scientific Games(PBR937) gets new 8 year Maryland Lottery contract to provide systems & services. $SGMS PR link

New York Times(PBR971) NYT Cooking recipe site now available by digital subscription, $5/4 weeks. $NYT PR link

MSA Safety(PBR996) to acquire Pittsfield, NH, based 420 employees in 4 locations $110 million/yr firefighter protective clothing and boots provider Globe Holding for $215 million cash. $MSA PR link

Caterpillar(PBR54) VP Tom Bluth to be Chief Technology Officer & VP/Innovation & Technology Development division, VP Jean Savage to be VP/Surface Mining & Technology division, 3 other VP changes announced. $CAT PR link

Biogen(PBR282) hires Catherine Steele as SVP/Corporate Affairs, effective 07/17/17. $BIIB PR link

AECOM(PBR322) promotes Randall Wotring to COO, effective 07/01/17, succeeds departing Stephen Kadenacy. $ACM PR link

The US Dept of Commerce/BEA US Net International Investment Position 1Q17(Preliminary) Assets is estimated at $24.833 trillion, Liabilities at $33.050 trillion, Balance ($8.217) trillion, 4Q16 was ($8.318) trillion, 1Q16 ($7.834) trillion. USDOC PR link

The US Federal Reserve Board approves Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review(Stress Test) for largest 34 US holding banks, with one requiring some modifications. FED PR link

***Tuesday, June 27:

Alphabet(PBR44 $GOOG)’s Google hit with European Union record $2.7 billion fine over its shopping comparison service, has 90 days to correct, company may appeal. BBC PR link

Intel(PBR51) introduces Intel SSD 545s, 1st commercially available 64 layer, TLC, 3D NAND solid state drive for client computing, to be available mid-2018. $INTC PR link

International Paper(PBR117) agrees to settle Kleen Products 2010 antitrust class action lawsuit, to pay $354 million into settlement fund, needs district court approval. $IP PR link

Western Digital(PBR194) develops 1st commercial 96 layers of vertical storage capability 3D NAND technology chip, BiCS4, initial production scheduled for 2018. $WDC PR link

VISA(PBR224) to invest in European based online payments company Klarna, serves 60 million consumers across 70,000 retailers, terms not disclosed. $V PR link

Facebook(PBR228) CEO Mark Zuckerberg announces that the Facebook community now has 2 billion people as of this morning. $FB PR link

BlackRock(PBR252) to acquire cash management financial technologies provider Cachematrix, terms not disclosed. $BLK PR link

Owens Corning(PBR465) completes $560 million cash acquisition of global 1,100 employee $240+ million revenues/2016 cellular glass insulation systems FOAMGLAS® producer Pittsburgh Corning. $OC PR link

NVIDIA(PBR510) announces 5 new European partnerships/collaboration with Volvo, VW, ZF, Autoliv, and HELLA for artificial intelligence applications for autonous vehicles, builds on relationships with Audi, Mercedes, Toyota, & Tesla. $NVDA PR link

Boeing(PBR27) SVP/Program Management, Integration & Development Programs Scott Fancher to retire in 09/17 after 40 year career. $BA PR link

Kohl’s(PBR149) hires Bruce Besanko as CFO, effective 07/10/17. $KSS PR link

Rent A Center(PBR657) hires Martin Evans as EVP/Chief Human Resources Officer, effective 07/18/17. $RCII PR link

Under Armour(PBR668) hires Patrik Frisk as President/COO, effective 07/10/17, announces strategic executive changes. $UA PR link

A. Schulman(PBR791)Chairman/President/CEO Joe Gingo to step down from CEO role in 08/18, to remain Chairman, international search firm retained. $SHLM PR link

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond says the US Fifth District June Annualized Manufacturing Index is at +7%, May was +1%, April +20%, June 2016 -10%. RichmondFed PR link

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond says the US Fifth District June Services Revenues Indicator is at +19%, May was +34%, April +22%. RichmondFed PR link

The Conference Board US June Consumer Confidence Index(1985=100) is at 118.9, May was 117.6, June 2016 97.4. TCB PR link

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller US April National Home Price NSA Index(01/2000=100)is at 188.50, March was 186.73. February 185.36, April 2016 178.68. C-S PR link

NCR(PBR383) celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the ATM with a brief history. $NCR PR link

Auto Industry: General Motors(PBR8 $GM)expects 2017 US light-vehicle sales in the “low” 17-million range, down from earlier forecast to roughly match 2016’s 17.55-million record. MarketWatch PR link

The International Monetary Fund releases its concluding 2017 Article IV statement on the US economy and government policies issues. IMF PR link

***Monday, June 26:

Philip Morris Intl(PBR35) to invest $559 million for expansion of Crespellano facility in Bologna, Italy, create up to an additional 600 jobs, for production of smoke-free HEETS tobacco units. $PMI PR link

Lowe’s(PBR50) completes $512 million acquisition of Houston, TX, based 13 distribution centers maintenance, repair and operations products to the multifamily housing industry distributor Maintenance Supply Headquarters. $LOW PR link

Hartford Financial(PBR152) to transfer $1.6 billion of its $5.6 billion in pension liabilities to Prudential Financial(PBR55 $PRU), will net approximately $485 million after tax. $HIG PR link

Arconic(PBR215) issues statement saying it will no longer sell its Reynobond PE product for any high-rise structures applications, decision based on Grenfell Tower fire in London, England. $ARNC PR link

YUM!(PBR217 $YUM) selling 28 KFC locations across Tasmania, Australia to publicly held Australian restaurant operator Collins Foods for around $83 million cash. MarketWatch PR link

Avis Budget(PBR316) to offer fleet support/maintenance services forAlphabet(PBR44)’s Waymo‘s self-driving car program at Avis/Budget car rental locations. $CAR PR link

Avery Dennison(PBR396) completes $190 million plus up to $55 million earnouts acquisition of China based $160 million/2016 industrial specialty tapes manufacturer Yongle Tape Co. $AVY PR link

Sonoco Products(PBR480) to acquire $140 million/2017 400 employees developer/manufacturer of flexible and forming plastic packaging films Elk Grove, IL, based Clear Lam Packaging for $170 million. $SON PR link

Crown Castle(PBR603) completes $600 million acquisition of private S California 1,900 miles of fiber services provider Wilcon. $CCI PR link

Martin Marietta(PBR689) to acquire largest US pure-play aggregates 23 active sites private Bluegrass Materials for $1.625 billion cash. $MLM PR link

Scientific Games(PBR937) gets new 4 year contract plus 2 year extension option to provide instant games and additional services to the New Hampshire Lottery. $SGMS PR link

Buffalo Wild Wings(PBR981) rolls out Blazin’ Rewards® Loyalty Program nationwide, registered over 2 million members during pilot program. $BWLD PR link

SuperValu(PBR164) EVP/COO/CFO Bruce Besanko leaving for another an outside opportunity, EVP/Chief Strategy Officer Rob Woseth adds interim CFO role, VP/Controller David Johnson adds Chief Accounting Officer role. $SVU PR link

ABM Industries(PBR478) hires Andrea Newborn as EVP/General Counsel, effective 07/05/17. $ABM PR link

Fortune Brands(PBR569) to promote Patrick Hallinan to SVP/CFO, effective 07/01/17, succeeds Lee Wyatt who becomes EVP & will retire by 12/31/17. $FBHS PR link

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago May National Activity Index is at -0.26, April was 0.57, March -0.18, May 2016 -0.58. ChiFed PR link

FannieMae(PBR17) 2Q17 Mortgage Lender Sentiment Survey® Executive Summaryindicates more lenders looking to ease credit standards as mortgage demand cools and competition heats up. $FNMA PR link

***Friday, June 23:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week Ending 06/23/17:
DJIA ends week at 21,394.76, +0.05% from last Friday, +1.84% MTD, +3.54% QTD, +8.26% YTD, -0.62% from record 21,528.99 set 06/19/17.
NASDAQ ends week at 6,265.25, +1.84% from last Friday, +1.08% MTD, +5.98% QTD, +16.39% YTD, -0.89% from record 6,321.76 set 06/08/17.
SPX ends week at 2,438.30, +0.21% from last Friday, +1.10% MTD, +3.20% QTD, +8.91% YTD, -0.62% from record 2,453.46 set 06/19/17.

SuperValu(PBR164) completes $390 million acquisition of $3.8 billion/yr Unified Grocers. $SVU PR link

Caesars Entertainment(PBR314) and Caesars Acquisition Company (NASDAQ: CACQ) get Form S-4 registration merger approval from the SEC, vote for merger set for 07/25/17 for stockholders of both companies, still subject to regulatory and bankruptcy court approvals. $CZR PR link

DR Horton(PBR337) raises bid for 75% of Forestar Group(NYSE: FOR) from $16.25/share to $17.75/share, Forestar says offer is superior to Starwood Capital offer. $DHI PR link

Expedia(PBR433) completes acquisition of majority of London based global rail full service 25+ million bookings/year retailing/distribution platform developer SilverRail, terms not disclosed. $EXPE PR link

Coach(PBR496) extends $18.50/share, $2.4 billion tender offer for all common stock of Kate Spade(PBR970 $KATE) from 06/23/17 to 07/10/17 to allow Japan regulatory agencies to complete waiting period, expires on 07/02/17. $COH PR link

Humana(PBR58) hires Sam Despande for newly created position of SVP/Chief Risk Officer. $HUM PR link

Public Service Enterprise Group(PBR257)elects Ralph LaRossa to be President/CEO PSEG Power, to succeed retiring Bill Levis, David Daly to succeed LaRossa as President/COO PSE&G unit & Chairman/PSEG Long Island, effective 10/02/17. $PEG PR link

The US Dept of Commerce/HUD estimates US May New Family Homes Sold/For Sale Annual Rate at 610,000 units(April a revised 593,000, March a revised 644.000, May 2016 560,000),
Median Price $345,800,
Units Available 268,000,
Months Supply 5.3.
HUD PR link

Housing Market: The FreddieMac(PBR41) June Outlook says that despite some recent bumps, the U.S. housing market remains on track to exceed last year’s best-in-a-decade levels for housing starts and home sales. $FMCC PR link

Apparel Industry: The Adobe(PBR557) May Digital Price Index shows 7,000 new apparel products appear online each day, shows prices for apparel online drop faster than offline. $ADBE PR link

***Thursday, June 22:

Kroger(PBR20) authorizes $1 billion share repurchase program. $KR PR link

American Airlines(PBR69) files SEC Form-8 indicating unsolicited interest by Qatar Airwaysto buy around 10% of its common stock. $AAL PR link

Hain Celestial(PBR712) files SEC Form 10-K for 2016, 10-Qs for 1st 3 quarters of fiscal year 2017, authorizes new $250 million share repurchase program. $HAIN PR link

Dollar General(PBR151) hires Jason Reiser as EVP/Chief Merchandising Officer, effective 07/12/17. $DG PR link

CenturyLink(PBR160) names executives of 5 business units and 4 functional groups that will report to President/COO Jeff Storey upon completion of $66.50/share, $34 billion acquistion of Level 3 Communications(PBR375 $LVLT) by 3Q17. $CTL PR link

Dr Pepper Snapple(PBR406) promotes Lain Hancock to CEO of Bai Brands, succeeds departing founder Ben Weiss. $DPS PR link

LPL Financial(PBR543) hires Scott Seese as Managing Director/CIO, effective 07/10/17. $LPLA PR link

Martin Marietta(PBR689) hires Jim Nickolas as SVP/CFO, effective mid 08/17 upon retirement of EVP/CFO Anne Lloyd. $MLM PR link

Hain Celestial(PBR712) promotes James Langrock to EVP/CFO, effective 06/23/17, succeeds departing Pasquale Conte. $HAIN PR link

The Conference Board says US May Leading Economic Index(2010=100) at 127.0, April was 126.7, March 126.5, May 2016 123.4, forecasts moderate 2.0% growth in 2017. TCB PR link

***Wednesday, June 21:

Intel(PBR51) to provide Olympic Games with its 5G platforms, VR, 3D and 360-degree content development platforms, artificial intelligence platforms, and drones, along with other silicon solutions per TOP partnership through 2024 with Intl Olympic Committee. $INTC PR link

Nationstar Mortgage(PBR857) moves international call center operations back to US, creates 500 jobs. $NSM PR link

Dollar General(PBR151) hires Carman Wenkoff as EVP/Chief Information Officer, effective 07/10/17, succeeds retiring Ryan Boone. $DG PR link

FirstEnergy(PBR195) EVP & President/Generation James Lash to retire, effective 08/01/17, President/Nuclear Operating Co & Chief Nuclear Officer Samuel Belcher to add those responsibilities to his role. $FE PR link

Patterson Cos(PBR542) CEO/Animal Health unit John Adent is departing, VP/Animal Health Sales & Marketing Kevin Pohlman appointed interim President. $PDCO PR link

Equity Residential(PBR741) EVP/General Counsel Bruce Strohm to retire effective 01/01/18, to be succeeded by SVP/Legal Scott Fenster. $EQR PR link

SemGroup(PBR866) hires Susan Lindberg as VP/General Counsel, succeeds retiring Candice Cheeseman. $SEMG PR link

The Natl Assn of Realtors says US May Existing Home Sales Annual Rate at 5.62 million, +1.1% from April, +2.7% from May 2016, Median Price was record $252,800. NAR PR link

***Tuesday, June 20:

Ford(PBR10) investing $900 million in Kentucky Truck Plant, secure 1,000 hourly jobs, to build Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator; Ford Focus manufacturing moving from Mexico to China by 2019 to save $1 billion in investment costs. $F PR link

Sprint(PBR86) to open 78 new retail outlets throughout Los Angeles, Orange County, Inland Empire, & San Diego by end of 2017, creates 550+ jobs. $S PR link

Becton Dickinson(PBR318) gets FDA 510(k) clearance for new line of customizable, 3.0mm micro-laparoscopic instruments. $BDX PR link

AMD(PBR446) launches AMD EPYC™ 7000 series datacenter processors, sets high performance records for 2 and 1 socket servers. $AMD PR link

PAREXEL Intl(PBR762) to be acquired by Pamplona Capital Management for $88.10/share, $5.0 billion cash. $PRXL PR link

Hologic(PBR767) gets FDA clearance of Aptima® Assay to detect Herpes Simplex Virus 1 & 2 which affects 24+ million Americans. $HOLX PR link

3M(PBR92) promotes Michael Roman to EVP/COO and HC Shin to Vice Chair/EVP, and 5 other executive appointments; waives manadatory retirement age of 65 for CEO Inge Thulin. $MMM PR link

Whirlpool(PBR138) CEO Jeff Fettig to step down, remain Chairman, President/COO Marc Bitzer to be CEO, all effective 10/01/17. $WHR PR link

Regis Corp(PBR912) hires Andrew Lacko as EVP/CFO, effective 07/01/17. $RGS PR link

Aerospace Industry: Boeing(PBR27) in annual Services Market Outlook forecasts 10 year combined commercial/government aerospace services at $2.6 trillion, 20 year commercial up to $8.5 trillion. $BA PR link.
Boeing(PBR27) in annual Current Market Outlook forecasts 41,030 new airplanes needed over the next 20 years valued at $6.1 trillion. $BA PR link

***Monday, June 19:

GE(PBR9) Capital Aviation Services unit and Canada based asset manager CDPQ to form $2 billion aircraft leasing business named Einn Volant Aircraft Leasing. $GE PR link.

AmerisourceBergen(PBR16) reorganizes into 2 groups, Pharmaceutical Distribution and Strategic Global Sourcing, lead by Group President Robert Mauch, and Global Commercialization Services and Animal Health, lead by Group President James Cleary, Jr; executive management team named. $ABC PR link.

Boeing(PBR27) launches larger capacity 737 MAX 10 at Paris Air Show, to be industry’s most efficient, profitable single-aisle airplane, 240 orders already from 10+ customers. $BA PR link.

Philip Morris Intl(PBR35) to invest $320 million to build new smoke-free HEETS tobacco units product facility in Dresden, Germany, to employ 500. $PM PR link.

Time Warner(PBR103) and social networking provider Snap(OTCQB: SNAP) announce global partnership spanning media spending and development of made-for-Snap Shows over the next two years. $TWX PR link.

Hess(PBR248) to sell its enhanced oil recovery (EOR) assets in the Permian Basin to Occidental Petroleum(PBR123) for $600 million. $HES PR link.

Stryker Corp(PBR283) to acquire Canada based medical fluorescence imaging technology developer NOVADAQ Technologies(NASDAQ:NVDQ; TSX:NDQ) for $11.75/share, $701 million. $SYK PR link.

Celanese(PBR369) and Blackstone(PBR352 $BX) each contribute a business unit to form 70/30 joint venture in $1.3 billion/year 2,400 employee acetate tow business. $CE PR link.

TEGNA(PBR622) to sell CareerBuilder unit to Apollo Global Management(PBR906) and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board for $250 million, will retain 12.5% interest. $TGNA PR link.

EQT(PBR784) to acquire natural gas producer Rice Energy(NYSE: RICE) in $6.7 billion cash/stock deal, includes $1.5 billion debt. $EQT PR link.

PerkinElmer(PBR839) to acquire Germany based 2,400 employee $310 million/2017 global autoimmune/infectious disease/allergy testing provider EUROIMMUN Medical Laboratory Diagnostics AG for $1.3 billion cash. $PKI PR link.

The Children’s Place(PBR939) to open retail stores in Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines per development agreement with Gill Capital. $PLCE PR link.

Buffalo Wild Wings(PBR981) to sell 83 company owned restaurants as part of refranchising effort. $BWLD PR link.

Navient(PBR443) promotes Tim Hynes to newly created position of EVP/Consumer Lending. $NAVI PR link.

Autodesk(PBR773) appoints current interim co-CEO Andrew Anagnost as President/CEO, effective immediately. $ADSK PR link.

FannieMae(PBR17) Economic & Strategic Research (ESR) Group’s June 2017 Economic and Housing Outlook sees 2.0% growth in 2017, with 2Q17 projected at 2.9% annual growth rate from 1.2% in 1Q17, but uncertainty surrounding fiscal and monetary policy is clouding the forecast. $FNMA PR link.

***Friday, June 16:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week Ending 06/16/17:
DJIA ends week at 21,384.28, +0.53% from last Friday, +1.79% MTD, +3.49% QTD, +8.21% YTD, +0.00% from record 21,384.28 set 06/16/17.
NASDAQ ends week at 6,151.76, -0.90% from last Friday, -0.75% MTD, +4.06% QTD, +14.28% YTD, -2.69% from record 6,321.76 set 06/08/17.
SPX ends week at 2,433.15, +0.06% from last Friday, +0.89% MTD, +2.98% QTD, +8.68% YTD, -0.30% from record 2,440.35 set 06/13/17.

Walmart(PBR1) to acquire internet built menswear fashion brand Bonobos for $310 million cash, CEO/Founder Andy Dunn to report to President/CEO of US eCommerce Marc Lore. $WMT PR link.

ExxonMobil(PBR2) to invest in 1st phase of development of Liza field off Guyana, expects initial production to be 120,000 barrels/day in 2020. $XOM PR link.

General Motors(PBR8) to open new supplier park in Arlington, TX, to create 850+ new jobs, 600 as replacements for work done outside the US. $GM PR link.

Amazon(PBR29) to acquire Whole Foods(PBR203 $WFM) for $42/share, a 27% premium from 06/15/17 close, $13.7 billion cash deal includes debt, expects to close 2H17, WF to continue to operate under its brand name, John Mackey to remain CEO, maintain headquarters in Austin, TX. $AMZN PR link.

Johnson & Johnson(PBR37) completes $280/share, $30 billion cash acquisition of Swiss based pharmaceutical company Actelion(SIX:ATLN). $JNJ PR link.

McDonald’s(PBR101 $MCD) and International Olympic Committee mutually agree to end worldwide TOP partnership. IOC PR link.

Equifax(PBR795) to acquire identity protection and resolution services company ID Watchdog(TSX.V: IDW), terms not disclosed. $EFX PR link.

Synopsys(PBR879) replenishes share repurchase program to $500 million. $SNPS PR link.

Apple(PBR5) hires Sony Pictures Television executives Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg to oversee all aspects of video programming. $AAPL PR link.

Caterpillar(PBR54) announces 3 VP retirements, 2 new divisions created in reorganization, 2 VP promotions, starts search for VP of new Digital Enables Solutions division. $CAT PR link.

Parker Hannifin(PBR218) VP/eBusiness, IoT, and Services Robert Bond retiring, Michael Chung elected successor, effective 08/01/17. $PH PR link.

Wabash Natl(PBR917) SVP & Group President/Diversified Products Mark Weber has left, successor search starts. $WNC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/HUD estimates US May Private Housing Permits Issued Annual Rate at 1,168,000, -4.9% from April, -0.9% from May 2016. HUD PR link.

The U of Michigan Preliminary US June Consumer Sentiment Index is at 94.7, May Final was 97.1, April 97.0, June 2016 93.5. UMich PR link.

***Thursday, June 15:

Amazon(PBR29) Prime members in Denver get new Prime Now free 2 hour delivery of Amazonand Sprouts Farmers Market(PBR688) items, 1 hour delivery available for $7.99. Prime Now is available in 30+ US cities. $AMZN PR link.

DuPont(PBR82) and Dow Chemical(PBR48)gets US Dept of Justice approval for merger of equals, expect to close transaction in 08/17, then do 3 spinoffs within 18 months. $DD PR link.

Nike(PBR98) announces realignment, new Consumer Direct Offense, to focus on 12 cities in 10 countries for growth, to cut 2% of its 70,700 workforce, cutting 25% of its styles, cutting product creation cycles in half. $NKE PR link.

AMD(PBR446) selected by US Dept of Energyfor PathForward 3 year program to accelerate critical computing technologies for the nation’s first exascale supercomputers. $AMD PR link.

Booz Allen Hamilton(PBR466) files SEC Form 8 stating the US Dept of Justice is conducting a civil & criminal investigation relating to certain elements of the Company’s cost accounting and indirect cost charging practices with the US government. $BAH PR link.

Michaels Cos(PBR503) authorizes new up to $500 million share repurchase program with no expiration date. $MIK PR link.

Mead Johnson(PBR539) $90/share, $17.9 billion acquisition by global consumer health & hygiene company Reckitt Benckiser Group plcis completed. $MJN PR link.

CIT Group(PBR608) completes $38 million at average $46.45/share open market repurchase program, to do $512 million accelerated share repurchase program with Morgan Stanley(PBR79). $CIT PR link.

Hologic(PBR767) receives expanded FDA 510(k) clearance to market Cynosure’s SculpSure® for non-invasive body contouring (Lipolysis) of back, inner and outer thighs, already cleared for abdomen and love handles(flanks). $HOLX PR link.

Skechers(PBR808) gets 2 US District Courtvictories over Adidas, preliminary junction against selling Mega-Blade children’s shoes denied, 2 patent infringement claims dismissed. $SKX PR link.

PG&E(PBR172) SVP/Generation & Chief Nuclear Officer Ed Halpin to retire 12/31/17. $PCG PR link.

Campbell Soup(PBR326) promotes SVP/Global Suppy Chain Bob Furbee, SVP/US Sales Jim Sterbenz, and VP/Corporate Strategy Emily Waldorf to Leadership team, all reporting to President/CEO Denise Morrison. $CPB PR link.

Analog Devices(PBR701) forms 3 new business groups and members of the executive team: Greg Henderson is SVP/Automotive, Communication and Aerospace & Defense, Yusuf Jamal is SVP/Industrial, Healthcare, Consumer, and IoT Solutions and Security, and Steve Pietkiewicz is SVP/Power Products. $ADI PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US May Import Prices Index(Preliminary) was -0.3% from April, YoY +2.1%, Export Prices Index -0.7%, YoY +1.4%. USDOL PR link.

The US Federal Reserve says US May Industrial Production Capacity at 76.6%, April was 76.7%, March 75.9%, May 2016 75.6%. FRB PR link.

The Empire State June Manufacturing General Business Conditions Index is at 19.8, May was -1.0, April 5.2, June 2016 3.7. NYFed PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia June Manufacturing General Activity Indicator is at 27.6, May was 38.8, April 22.0, June 2016 4.1. PhillyFed PR link.

The Natl Assn of Home Builders says US builder confidence remains strong in June, US June Housing Market Composite Index at 67, May was 69, April 68, June 2016 60. NAHB PR link.

***Wednesday, June 14:

UPS(PBR47) issues statement regarding shooting incident in San Francisco area processing facility. $UPS PR link.

Mattel(PBR412) and Fosun to form joint venture in China to launch child development clubs. $MAT PR link.

Bon-Ton Stores(PBR707) selects 400 from 1,250+ artisan and entrepreneur applications for first “Close to Home” online sourcing fair. $BONT PR link.

Buffalo Wild Wings(PBR981) to pilot B-Dubs Express in two new small-format locations in the metro Minneapolis this summer, takeout/delivery to be emphasis. $BWLD PR link.

GE(PBR9) Power President/CEO Steve Bolze to retire, GE Energy Connections to be merged into GE Power, Russell Stokes to be President/CEO, effective 07/03/17. $GE PR link.

Biogen(PBR282) hires Jean-Paul Kress, MD, as EVP & President/International and Head of Therapeutic Operations, effective 06/19/17. $BIIB PR link.

William Cos(PBR348) hires Chad Zamarin as SVP/Corporate Strategic Development, effective 06/26/17, succeeds retiring Frank Billings. $WMB PR link.

Frontier Communications(PBR501) hires John Maduri as EVP/Consumer Sales, Market & Product, effective 07/24/17, succeeds leaving Cecelia McKenney. $FTR PR link.

The US Federal Open Market Committeeraises federal funds rate 0.25% to 1.00-1.25%, sees 2% inflation rate target in medium term, labor market continues to strengthen, economy growing moderately, expects to begin implementing a balance sheet normalization program this year. FOMC PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US May Current Average Weekly Earnings at $901.97, +0.2% from April, +2.5% from May 2016. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US May Consumer Price Index was -0.1% from April, +1.9% over last 12 months. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says US April Total Manufacturers/Retailers/Wholesale Sales at $1.352 trillion, +0.0% from March, +5.6% from April 2016.
USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says US May Retail/Food & Drinking Services(Advance Report) at $473.8 billion, -0.3% from April, +3.8% from May 2016. USDOC PR link.

***Tuesday, June 13:

Verizon(PBR15), after completion of $4.48 billion cash acquisition of Yahoo!(PBR519), forms Oath subsidiary with 50+ brand names including Yahoo! segments, AOL, HuffPost, & Tumblr. Tim Armstrong, former AOL CEO, is CEO of Oath. $VZ PR link.

UPS(PBR47) to open 893,000 sf processing facility in Indianapolis, IN, area, to add 575+ fulltime equivalent jobs. $UPS PR link.

Sears(PBR93) to eliminate 400 full-time positions in corporate, global support functions, and others, part of restructuring program. $SHLD PR link.

McDonald’s(PBR101) to hire 250,000 US restaurant employees, more than half from 16-24 age group. $MCD PR link.

Zimmer Biomet(PBR512) gets US FDA letter saying Warning letter of 06/03/15 relating to its Zhejiang, China manufacturing facility has been closed out. $ZBH PR link.

Yahoo!(PBR519) completes $4.48 billion sales of its operating business by Verizon(PBR15), to change name to Altaba Inc, register as an investment company, to begin trading with symbol AABA on 06/19/17. $YHOO PR link.

Tesla(PBR651) Model X is first SUV to achieve 5-star crash rating in every category from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. $TSLA PR link.

Biogen(PBR282) EVP/Finance & CFO Paul Clancy is leaving to join another pharmaceutical company. $BIIB PR link.

Essendant(PBR458) President/CEO Robert Aiken, Jr, resigns, Group President/Industrial Richard Phillips appointed Interim President/CEO. $ESND PR link.

Herbalife(PBR487) promotes Frank Lamberti to EVP/Managing Director, The Americas and Worldwide Marketing, succeeds Miguel Angel Fernandez, who has left the Company to assume the role of president of Avon Products(PBR303). $HLF PR link.

Coty(PBR524) SVP/Chief Scientific Officer Ralph Macchio to retire on 06/30/17. $COTY PR link.

Alexion Pharmaceutical(PBR840) hires Paul Clancy as CFO, effective 07/31/17, succeeds Dave Anderson. $ALXN PR link.

The US Department of Labor says US May Total Final Demand was +0.0%, April was +0.5%, March -0.1%, Last 12 Months +2.4%. USDOL PR link.

Manpower(PBR132) 3Q17 Employment Outlook shows 1 in 4 companies to be hiring, 70% no change. $MAN PR link.

CoreLogic says US March Housing Mortgage Delinquencies 30 or more Days Past Due at 4.4% rate, lowest in 10 years. CL PR link.

***Monday, June 12:

Amazon(PBR29) to open 855,000+ sf fulfillment center in Thornton, CO, 2nd in state, to create 1,500+ fulltime jobs. $AMZN PR link.

Microsoft(PBR31) announces XBox One X, 42 new games, 22 with console exclusivity, $499 retail, to be available 11/07/17. $MSFT PR link.

JCPenney(PBR234) gets exclusive Libby Edelman collection fashion brand, to be available in 500 stores and online starting 07/14/17, full Fall launch on 09/08/17. $JCP PR link.

GE(PBR9) Chairman/CEO Jeff Immelt to retire as CEO, effective 08/01/17, remain Chairman through 12/31/17. President/GE Healthcare John Flannery to be successor CEO, then Chairman. $GE PR link.

Tyson Foods(PBR80) hires Scott Spradley as Chief Technology Officer, effective 06/26/17. $TSN PR link.

Halliburton(PBR90) hires Christopher Weber as EVP/CFO, effective 06/22/17. $HAL PR link.

La-Z-Boy(PBR918) hires David Behen as Chief Information Officer. $LZB PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says US May Federal Government Receipts were $240.4 billion, Outlays $328.8 billion, Deficit $88.4 billion, Fiscal YTD Deficit(8 months) is $432.9 billion. Treasury PR link.

***Friday, June 9:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week Ending 06/09/17:
DJIA ends week at 21,271.97, +0.31% from last Friday, +1.25% MTD, +2.95% QTD, +7.64% YTD, +0.00% from record 21,271.97 set 06/09/17.
NASDAQ ends week at 6,207.92, -1.55% from last Friday, +0.15% MTD, +5.01% QTD, +15.32% YTD, -1.80% from record 6,321.76 set 06/08/17.
SPX ends week at 2,431.77, -0.30% from last Friday, +0.83% MTD, +2.92% QTD, +8.62% YTD, -0.30% from record 2,439.07 set 06/02/17.

ExxonMobil(PBR2) says NY Attorney General‘s ‘Reckless and False Allegations’ misstate climate policies. $XOM PR link.

WestRock(PBR278) completes $192 million acquisition of 5 containerboard manufacturing facilities from US Corrugated. $WRK PR link.

Boeing(PBR27) promotes Jenette Ramos to SVP/Supply Chain & Operations, succeeds Pat Shanahan who has been nominated for US Deputy Secretary of Defense. $BA PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US 1Q17 Wages/Salaries Average Hourly Rate is $24.10, Benefits $11.18, Total $35.28, +1.1% from 4Q16, +3.9% from 1Q16. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says US April Total Wholesale Sales at $464.2 billion, -0.4% from March, +7.3% from April 2016. USDOC PR link.

***Thursday, June 8:

Amazon(PBR29) to open 855,000 sf fulfillment center in New Haven, CT, to create 1,500 fulltime jobs. $AMZN PR link.

Cigna(PBR85 $CI) and CVS Health(PBR11)launches Cigna Health Works, collaboration aligns Cigna-administered health benefits with CVS Pharmacy and CVS MinuteClinic retail health care services. $CVS PR link.

Nordstrom(PBR214) family members have formed a group to explore a possible “going private transaction.” $JWN PR link.

Yahoo!(PBR519) stockholders approver $4.48 billion cash acquisition of its operating business by Verizon(PBR15), expects to close 06/13/17, will then change name to Altaba Inc, register as an investment company. $YHOO PR link.

PolyOne(PBR586) acquires Pineville, NC, based global provider of customized formulations screen printing inks for the apparel market Rutland Holding Co. $POL PR link.

Endo Intl(PBR700) evaluating options per US FDA request it withdraw opioid OPANA® ERfrom the market. $ENDP PR link.

Leidos(PBR475) hires Jerald S. Howe, Jr, as EVP/General Counsel, succeeds Vincent A. Maffeo who is retiring effective 07/15/17. $LDOS PR link.

SAIC(PBR580) President/Global Markets & Missions Nazzic Keane adds corporate COO role; corporate headquarters moving from McLean, VA, to Reston, VA, effective 07/01/17. $SAIC PR link.

Bristow Group(PBR919) restructures into 2 primary hubs, Alan Corbett is VP/Europe hub, Rob Phillips is VP/Americas hub, executives team downsized by 3. $BRS PR link.

The US Federal Reserve says US 1Q17 Total Households/Non-Profits Net Worth at $94.835 trillion, +2.5% from 4Q16, +8.3% from 1Q16. FRB PR link.

***Wednesday, June 7:

Amazon(PBR29) opening new 800,000+ sf fulfillment center in Miami, FL, 10th in the state, to create 1,000+ fulltime jobs. $AMZN PR link.

Amazon(PBR29) to open 1st fulfillment center in Oregon in Troutdale, 855,000 sf, to create 1,500 fulltime jobs. $AMZN PR link.

Tyson(PBR80) completes $40.25/share, $4.2 billion cash acquisition of Cincinnati, OH, based $1.6 billion/2016, national sandwich maker AdvancePierre Foods Holdings(NYSE:APFH). $TSN PR link.

Sprint(PBR86) to open 60 new retail outlets, hire 450+ in New England area over next 18 months. $S PR link.

Baxter Intl(PBR176) gets US FDA approvaland commercial launch of ready-to-use Clindamycin injection in saline. $BAX PR link.

Allergan(PBR219) to acquire Keller Medical, adding Keller Funnel® to its plastic surgery portfolio, terms not disclosed. $AGN PR link.

Caesars Entertainment(PBR314) Operating Company subsidiary to raise up to $2.2 billion to repay existing indebtedness as part of Chapter 11 reorganization plan. $CZR PR link.

Markel(PBR470) to combine Wholesale and Global Insurance divisions into Market Assurance division by 01/01/18, Bryan Sanders to be president. $MKL PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) acquires Kent, England, global executive consultancy services Total Reward Group, terms not disclosed.$AJG PR link.

Hologic(PBR767) gets US FDA approval for its Genius™ 3D Mammography™ Exam as the only mammogram superior for women with dense breasts. $HOLX PR link.

PPG(PBR190) appoints Henrik Bergstrom to VP/Architectural Coatings, Latin America, and President/PPG Comex, succeeds retiring Marcos Archar Levy. $PPG PR link.

HNI Corp(PBR841) promotes Jeff Lorenger to President/Office Furniture. $HNI PR link.

New York Times(PBR971) promotes Meredith Kopit Levien to EVP/COO, part of plan to reshape and accelerate digital platforms. $NYT PR link.

The US Federal Reserve estimates US April Total Consumer Credit Outstanding at $3.821 trillion, +0.2% from March, +0.7% YTD, +6.0% from April 2016. FRB PR link.

The FannieMae(PBR17) US May Home Purchase Sentiment Index is 86.2, April was 86.7, March 84.5, May 2016 85.3. $FNMA PR link.

***Tuesday, June 6:

General Motors(PBR8) shareholders elect all 11 of GM’s Board nominees, rejects Greenlight’s proposal to create a dual-class stock structure. $GM PR link.

Amazon(PBR29) introduces discounted Amazon Prime subscription of $5.99/month for customers receiving government assistance. $AMZN PR link.

JCPenney(PBR234) opens 400 sf Dorm shops in 500 locations, caters to college students, offers online purchases & free pickup at nearest location. $JCP PR link.

WestRock(PBR278) completes $18/share, $2.28 billion acquisition of $1.6 billion/2016 Multi Packaging Solutions(NYSE: MPSX). $WRK PR link.

Fidelity Natl Financial(PBR331)’s FNFV Group(NYSE: FNFV) completes $560 million cash sale of its One Digital Health and Benefitsunit. $FNFV PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) acquires Ann Arbor, MI, full service insurance broker Armstrong/Robitaille/Riegle, Inc. and retirement plan services agency Ann Arbor Business Advisors, LLC. $AJG PR link.

SemGroup(PBR866) to acquire 330 acres 16.8 million barrel terminal Houston Fuel Oil Terminal Co for $2.1 billion. $SEMG PR link.

Cooper-Standard(PBR644) appoints Jonathan P. Banas as EVP/CFO, succeeds Matthew Hardt, who has resigned. $CPS PR link.

Columbia Sportswear(PBR768) realigns corporate leadership team, 6 changes announced. $COLM PR link.

Revlon(PBR900) CFO Juan Figuereo retiring, COO Chris Peterson adds CFO role to his responsibilities. $REV PR link.

MSA Safety(PBR1002) elects Nishan Vartanian to newly created post of President/COO. $MSA PR link.

The US Dept of Labor estimates US April Total Job Openings at 6,044,000, +4.5% from March, +7.1% from April 2016. USDOL PR link.

The PurdueU/CME Group US May Agriculture Barometer Index(100=Unchanged) is 130, April was 130, March 124, May 2016 97. PurdueU/CME PR link.

***Monday, June 5:

Apple(PBR5) announces HomePod wireless speaker, automatically adjusts audio based on position in a room. $AAPL PR link.

Baker Hughes(PBR108) & GE(PBR9 $GE) Oil & Gas announce 15 person executive team upon $7.4 billion acquisition by GE, expected to close mid 2017. $BHI PR link.

Marriott Intl(PBR211) expects to grow its 240 independent hotels under 3 collection brands by nearly 50% by 2019. $MAR PR link.

Discover Financial(PBR286) to hire 200+ in its Phoenix area customer care centers. $DFS PR link.

Becton Dickinson(PBR318) gets FDA 510(K) clearance for BD MAX™, a molecular test for harmful intestinal bacteria causing infectious diarrhea. $BD PR link.

DR Horton(PBR337) proposes to acquire 75% of Forestar Group(NYSE: FOR) for $16.25/share, $520 million cash. $DHI PR link.

Weyerhauser(PBR355) to sell its timberlands/manufacturing business in Uruguayto a consortium led by BTG Pactual’s Timberland Investment Group for $402.5 million cash. $WY PR link.

Cabela’s(PBR606) special shareholders meeting set for 07/11/17 to vote on $61.50/share, $5 billion acquisition by Bass Pro Shops, expects to close in 3Q17 if approved. $CAB PR link.

Tempur Sealy(PBR687) North America orders in May 2017 increased approximately 15% compared to May 2016 excluding Mattress Firm. $TPX PR link.

Williams-Sonoma(PBR508) names Alex Bellos President/West Elm brand, succeeds Jim Brett who has left to become CEO at J.Crew. $WSM PR link.

AmTrust Financial(PBR564) appoints Adam Karkowsky as EVP/CFO, succeeds Ronald Pipoly, Jr. $AFSI PR link.

Perrigo(PBR565) CEO John T. Hendrickson to retire upon appointment of successor. $PRGO PR link.

Equifax(PBR795) CMO Trey Loughran to become President/US Information Services(USIS), President/USIS Paulino Barros to lead Asia-Pacific business, both effective 07/01/17. $EFX PR link.

The US Dept of Labor revises US 1Q17 Labor Productivity/Hr to -1.0%, 4Q16 was +2.4%, 1Q16 -0.7%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US April Total Manufacturing New Orders at $469.0 billion, March was $469.8 billion, February $465.2 billion. USDOC PR link.

The IHS Markit US May Composite PMI Output Index at 53.6, April was 53.2, March 53.0, May 2016 50.9. IHS Markit PR link.

The ISM US May Non-Manufacturing Index is at 56.9%, April was 57.5%, March 55.2%, May 2016 52.9%. ISM PR link.

***Friday, June 2:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week Ending 06/02/17:
DJIA ends week at 21,206.29, +0.60% from last Friday, +0.94% MTD, +2.63% QTD, +7.31% YTD, +0.00% from record 21,206.29 set 06/02/17.
NASDAQ ends week at 6,305.80, +1.54% from last Friday, +1.73% MTD, +6.67% QTD, +17.14% YTD, +0.00% from record 6,305.80 set 06/02/17.
SPX ends week at 2,439.07, +0.96% from last Friday, +1.13% MTD, +3.23% QTD, +8.94% YTD, +0.00% from record 2,439.07 set 06/02/17.

Amazon(PBR29) to open new 855,000 sf fulfillment center in Fresno, CA, will create 1,500 new full-time jobs, to be 5th fulfillment center in Central Valley area. $AMZN PR link.

US Foods(PBR118) to acquire $100 million/yr 1,800 business customers broadline distributor of food and food-related products in the southern US F. Christiana, terms not disclosed. $USFD PR link.

Office Depot(PBR182) to sell its business in mainland China to Shanghai M&G COLIPU Office Supplies Co, part of plan to divest international units, terms not disclosed. $ODP PR link.

Blackstone(PBR352) to sell its pan European logistics company, Logicor, to affiliates of China Investment Corp for around $13.50 billion. $BX PR link.

Worthington Industries(PBR660) acquires $248 million/2016 global pressure cylinders and water system tanks manufacturer Amtrol for $283 million. $WOR PR link.

Buffalo Wild Wings(PBR981) President/CEO Sally Smith announces prior to annual stockholders meeting that she will retire by 12/31/17, successor search starts. $BWLD PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US May Total People Employed at 152,923,000, -233,000(-0.2%) from April, +1,865,000(+1.2%) from May 2016, Unemployment Rate at 4.3%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says US April Total Exports were $190.9 billion, Imports $238.6 billion, Deficit $47.7 billion, YTD Deficit is $186.6 billion, April 2016 YTD Deficit was $164.4 billion. USDOC PR link.

***Thursday, June 1:

Amazon(PBR29) to create 1,000 new full time jobs at new 850,000 sf fulfillment center in Jefferson, GA. $AMZN PR link.

Tesoro(PBR71) completes $37.20/share, $6.4 billion all stock acquisition of Western Refining(PBR193). $TSO PR link.

Tesoro(PBR71) & Tesoro Logistics LP(NYSE: TLLP) to change names to Andeavor(NYSE: ANDV) and Andeavor Logistics LP(NYSE: ANDX), effective 08/01/17. $TSO PR link.

Deere & Co(PBR81) to acquire German based private global road construction equipment manufacturer Wirtgen Group for $5.2 billion cash. $DE PR link.

Icahn Enterprises(PBR147) completes initial $1.3 billion sale of American Railcar Leasingunit to Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corpsubsidiary, $561 million option for 4,600 railcars available. $IEP PR link.

Dollar General(PBR151) to acquire 322 stores in 36 states, opened 293 stores and remodeled or relocated 301 stores in 1Q17. $DG PR link.

PPG(PBR190) has withdrawn its $105.50/share $28.8 billion cash/stock for European based specialty paints, coatings and chemicals provider AkzoNobel (AKZA.AS:AKZOY). $PPG PR link.

Praxair(PBR233) & Germany based Linde AG(Xetra: LIN) sign business combination agreement to become a $30 billion/year Linde in 50/50 stock ownership deal, expects to close in 2Q18. $PX PR link.

Marathon Oil(PBR250) completes $700 million acquisition of 21,000 net surface acres in Permian’s Northern Delaware basin in New Mexico. $MRO PR link.

KKR(PBR332) closes $9.3 billion Asian Fund III, focused on investments in private equity transactions across the Asia Pacific region. $KKR PR link.

Greenbrier(PBR846) Europe & Astra Railcomplete merger, 75% owned by Greenbrier, creates Europe’s largest end-to-end freight railcar manufacturing, engineering and repair business to reach markets throughout Europe, Eurasia, and Gulf Cooperation Council countries like Saudi Arabia. $GBX PR link.

Eli Lilly(PBR142) EVP Global Services/CFO Derica Rice to retire on 12/31/17. $LLY PR link.

Sherwin-Williams(PBR251) completes $113.00/share, $11.3 billion acquisition Valspar(PBR526). $SHW PR link.

LKQ(PBR376) CFO Nick Zarcone now officially President/CEO, succeeds Rob Wagman who now serves as a part-time employee/advisor. $LKQ PR link.

Salesforce(PBR453) hires Corey duBrowa as EVP/Chief Communications Officer, to start in 07/17. $CRM PR link.

Herbalife(PBR487) COO Richard Goudis now CEO as planned, succeeds Michael Johnson who is now Executive Chairman. $HLF PR link.

Patterson Cos(PBR542)Chairman/President/CEO Scott Anderson steps down, director Jim Wiltz to serve as Interim President/CEO, John Buck appointed Chairman. $PDCO PR link.

PolyOne(PBR586) promotes Mark Crist to president of Color, Additives & Inks, succeeds retiring John Van Hulle. $POL PR link.

TEGNA(PBR622) completes spin-off of Cars.com(NYSE: CARS) as a separate public company, Dave Lougee named TEGNA President/CEO, succeeds retiring Gracia Martore, names TEGNA executive leadership team. $TGNA PR link.

Alexion Pharmaceutical(PBR840) hires John Orloff, MD, as Head/R&D, Anne-Marie Law as Chief Human Relations Officer, Indrani Franchini as Chief Compliance Officer. $ALXN PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US April Total Construction Spending Annual Rate at $1.219 trillion, -1.4% from March, +6.7% from April 2016. USDOC PR link.

ADP(PBR235) says US May Change in Employment was +253,000, 83,000 from Small Businesses, 113,000 Midsize, 57,000 Large. $ADP PR link.

The ISM US May Manufacturing PMI Index(50%=No Change) is 54.9%, April was 54.8%, March 57.2%, May 2016 51.3%. ISM PR link.

The IHS Markit US May Manufacturing PMI Index at 52.7, April was 52.8, March 53.3, May 2016 50.7. Markit PR link.

Automotive News reports US May New Light-Vehicles Sold was at 1,519,793 units, +6.5% from April, -0.5% from May 2016, Annual Rate is at 16.7 million. AutoNews PR link.

US Government News: President Trump announces that the US is pulling out of the Paris Climate Accord. White House PR link.

***Wednesday, May 31:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Month Ending 05/31/17:
DJIA ends May at 21,008.65, -0.34% from last Friday, +0.33% MTD, +1.67% QTD, +6.31% YTD, -0.51% from record 21,115.55 set 03/01/17.
NASDAQ ends May at 6,198.52, -0.19% from last Friday, +2.50% MTD, +4.85% QTD, +15.15% YTD, -0.19% from record 6,210.19 set 05/26/17.
SPX ends May at 2,411.80, -0.17% from last Friday, +1.16% MTD, +2.08% QTD, +7.73% YTD, -0.17% from record 2,415.82 set 05/26/17.

(Photo courtesy of hyena reality, FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

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

The PBR1000 May 2017 Breaking News Recap

June 5, 2017 by admin

May 2017: Expect the Unexpected

On the road green and red lights are fairly predictable, in life and business not so much.

By Larry C. Paxton

There was a lot of activity in the world with important elections held and international incidents occurring. Controversies in the US abound, mostly revolving around President Trump as he continues to establish his agenda based on his campaign promises, as he makes appointments, issues executive orders, and uses social media to make interesting personal comments.

At the same time the US stock markets continued to advance, major mergers/acquisitions announcements were made, and the US economy again showed modest/moderate growth.

The optimists say more good times are ahead with no end in sight, the naysayers say the bubble is about to burst big time. We wish you well on your prognostications, especially for those The PBR1000 Subscribers making important decisions based on the data and information provided by PBRMarketTools!

Here’s a quick May 2017 summary on key activities that relate to The PBR1000:

Mergers & Acquisitions: 20 deals worth at least $1 billion initiated, closed, or updated. Total transaction value was $231 billion.

Spinoffs: 3

Share Repurchase Programs: 14 announced, total $48.9 billion.

Bankruptcies: 1 initiated or updated

CEO Changes: 12 announced.

Jobs/Wages: Modest growth.

US Economy: Modest/moderate growth continues, stable but fragile.

Federal Reserve Federal Funds Rate Changes: 0, remains 0.75-1.00%, more increases anticipated in 2017.

US Stock Market Exchanges: The Stock Market Bull easily won with the three US major stock exchanges up in May.

National: House passes Obamacare replacement, President Trump fires FBI director James Comey, President Trump introduces proposed budget, President Trump trip to Middle East & Europe, Russia vote meddling hearings continue, Puerto Rico files for bankruptcy.

International: Brexit negotiations continue, UK elections in June, independent centrist Emmanuel Macron wins France’s Presidential election, liberal Moon Jae-in wins S Korea Presidential election, moderate Hassan Rouhani re-elected as Iran’s President, OPEC extends oil production limits, global ransomware attacks, Ariane Grande concert in Manchester, England, ends with a terrorist attack, Middle East conflicts, refugee crisis, N Korea missile tests, climate change, and US President Trump actions continue to be the headliners.

For more details here are The PBR1000 corporate and economic related breaking news items of interest with hotlinks to the sources for May 2017, starting with the last active business day.

***Wednesday, May 31:

GE(PBR9 $GE) oil & gas business $7.4 billion acquisition of Baker Hughes(PBR108) gets European Commission approval, on track to close transaction mid 2017. $BHI PR link.

Marathon Petroleum(PBR23) announces incremental $3 billion share repurchase authorization, balance available is $5.14 billion. $MPC PR link.

Whirlpool(PBR138) gets 4 year exclusive renewal with PulteGroup(PBR428) to provide its Amana®, Whirlpool®, Maytag®, KitchenAid® and Jenn-Air® brand home appliances in its new homes nationwide. $WHR PR link.

Whirlpool(PBR138) filing safeguard petition to stop Samsung, LG from repeatedly relocating their washer manufacturing facilities to avoid US trade sanctions. $WHR PR link.

Delek US(PBR536) $12.13/share $464 million of remaining stock acquisition of Alon USA Energy(NYSE:ALJ) to be voted on by stockholders of both companies at end of 06/17. $DK PR link.

Mead Johnson(PBR539) $90/share, $17.9 billion acquisition by global consumer health & hygiene company Reckitt Benckiser Group plc gets approval by both stockholder groups, expects to close by early 3Q17. $MJN PR link.

Wolverine Worldwide(PBR722) grants global, multi-year licensing agreement of the Stride Rite brand to Vida Shoes International, forms Wolverine Children’s Group, part of strategic transformation. $WWW PR link.

Regis Corp(PBR912) is considering strategic alternatives for its mall-based salons. $RGS PR link.

Take-Two Interactive(PBR956) acquires physics-based space simulation game Kerbal Space Program, 2 million units sold to date, terms not disclosed. $TTWO PR link.

Occidental Petroleum(PBR123) hires Cedric W. Burgher as CFO, succeeds retiring Chris Stavros. $OXY PR link.

AutoNation(PBR148) promotes Lance Iserman to EVP Sales/COO. $AN PR link.

Welltower(PBR635) hires Mary Ellen Pisanelli as SVP/Legal & Administration. $HCN PR link.

Itron(PBR896) hires Joan Hooper as SVP/CFO, effective 06/05/17. $ITRI PR link.

The Federal Reserve System releases the Beige Book, covers April/May, notes modest/moderate growth overall, some labor shortages, modest/moderate wage growth in general. Fed PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says US National Debt on 05/30/17 is $19.846 trillion, same as 04/28/17, -0.7% YTD, +3.0% from 05/31/16. Treasury PR link.

The MNI May Chicago Business Barometer(50=Neutral) is at 59.4, April was 58.3, May 2016 was 49.3. ChiISM PR link.

AAA says US Average Price/Gallon of Regular Gas for 05/31/17 at $2.372, -1.1% from 04/28/17, +2.2% from 05/31/16. AAA PR link.

***Tuesday, May 30:

Merck(PBR70) gets US FDA approval for ISENTRESS® HD (raltegravir) as a combination therapy for some types of HIV-1 infected patients. $MRK PR link.

Exelon(PBR102) to retire Three Mile Island Generating Station around 09/2019, would need state policy reforms to remain open. $EXC PR link.

Terex(PBR357) authorizes new up to $280 million share repurchase program. $TEX PR link.

JM Smucker(PBR437) to acquire the Wesson® Oil Brand from Conagra Brands(PBR166 $CAG) for $285 million cash. $SJM PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) acquires Houston, TX, full service insurance agency Zuber Insurance Agency, terms not disclosed. $AJG PR link.

Intuitive Surgical(PBR863) gets US FDA clearance for new da Vinci robotic-assisted surgical system. $ISRG PR link.

Marathon Petroleum(PBR23) promotes Don Templin to President, effective 07/01/17. $MPC PR link.

Office Depot(PBR182) appoints Steve Calkins as President/Business Solutions, Troy Rice President/Retail, Michael Allison EVP/Chief Admin Ofcr, Kevin Moffitt Chief Digital Officer, John Gannfors EVP/Transformation and Strategic Sourcing. $ODP PR link.

CBS(PBR210) promotes Kelly Kahl to President/CBS Entertainment, succeeds Glenn Geller who is stepping down. $CBS PR link.

Reynolds American(PBR317) announces proposed leadership team after $59.64/share, $49 billion cash/stock acquisition by British American Petroleum(BSE: BAT), close expected in 3Q17. $RAI PR link.

Anixter(PBR391) promotes Bill Galvin to President/COO, effective 07/01/17. $AXE PR link.

TDS(PBR482) Telecom unit COO Jim Butman to succeed retiring TDS Telecom unit President/CEO David Wittwer by end of 2017. $TDS PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce Preliminary US April Total Personal Income Annual Rate at $16.438 trillion, +0.4% from March, +3.6% from April 2016. USDOC PR link.

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller March National Home Price Index(01/2000=100) was 186.95, February was 185.45, March 2016 176.78. C-S PR link.

The Conference Board Preliminary US May Consumer Confidence Index(1985=100) is at 117.9, April was 119.4, May 2016 92.4. TCB PR link.

***Monday, May 29:

***US Memorial Day,
Remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.
***US Stock Markets Closed.

***Friday, May 26:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week Ending 05/26/17:
DJIA ends week at 21,080.28, +1.32% from last Friday, +0.67% MTD, +2.02% QTD, +6.67% YTD, -0.17% from record 21,115.55 set 03/01/17.
NASDAQ ends week at 6,210.19, +2.08% from last Friday, +2.69% MTD, +5.05% QTD, +15.36% YTD, +0.00% from record 6,210.19 set 05/26/17.
SPX ends week at 2,415.82, +1.43% from last Friday, +1.33% MTD, +2.25% QTD, +7.91% YTD, +0.00% from record 2,415.82 set 05/26/17.

Cisco(PBR60) completes $125 million acquisition of private San Francisco, CA, artificial intelligence conversational interfaces developer MindMeld. $CSCO PR link.

PPG(PBR190) to sell its remaining fiberglass operations, all in the US, with 1,000+ employees and $350 million revenues/2016, to Nippon Electric Glass Co for $545 million. $PPG PR link.

Newell Brands(PBR434) to sell its Winter Sports businesses to Kohlberg & Co unit of KKR(PBR332 $KKR) for $240 million. Also selling its Zoot® & Squadra® apparel brands in a separate transaction. $NWL PR link.

Coach(PBR496) commences $18.50/share, $2.4 billion tender offer for all common stock of Kate Spade(PBR970 $KATE), expires 06/23/17. $COH PR link.

Synopsys(PBR879) initiates $100 million accelerated share repurchase agreement with JPMorgan Chase(PBR21 $JPM). $SNPS PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce 1Q17 GDP Annual Growth Rate 2nd Estimate is +1.2%, $19.028 trillion, +0.8% from 4Q16, +4.1% from 1Q16. USDOC PR link.

The U of Michigan Final US May Consumer Sentiment Index at 97.1, April was 97.0, May 2016 94.7. UMich PR link.

***Thursday, May 25:

Phillip Morris Intl(PBR35) Modified Risk Tobacco Product(MRTP) application for its Electronically Heated Tobacco Product (EHTP) to get scientific review by US FDA. $PM PR link.

Viacom(PBR212) and Altice USA announce multi-year partnership, includes advanced advertising/content distribution agreements. $VIA PR link.

UNUM(PBR261) authorizes up to $750 million share repurchase program, expires 11/25/18, replaces previous authorization. $UNM PR link.

Quanta Services(PBR338) authorizes $300 million share repurchase program through 06/30/20. $PWR PR link.

Cabot Corp(PBR607) to build new fumed silica plant in Carrollton, KY, next to existing Dow Corning silicone monomer plant. $CBT PR link.

Cerner(PBR628) authorizes new up to $500 million share repurchase program, no expiration date set. $CERN PR link.

Vulcan Materials(PBR685) to acquire 31 Southern aggregates facilities Aggregates USA from SPO Partners for $900 million. $VM PR link.

Ford(PBR10) announces several global leadership appointments under new CEO Jim Hackett. $F PR link.

Staples(PBR122) hires Michelle Bottomley as Chief Marketing Officer, succeeds retiring Frank Bifulco. $SPLS PR link.

Core-Mark(PBR271) hires Jordana Kammerud as SVP/Chief Human Resources Officer, succeeds Joe Wegener who retires 06/30/17. $CORE PR link.

Adtalem Education(PBR905) hires Gena Ashe as SVP/Chief Legal Officer/Corporate Secretary, effective 05/30/17. $ATGE PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US Initial Unemployment Insurance Claims for Week of 05/20/17 were 234,000, April was 257,000, May 2016 268,000. USDOL PR link.

The US Energy Information Administration reports that on 05/19/17 US Crude Oil Stocks were at 516.3 Millions of Barrels, -2.4% from 04/21/17, +2.1% from 05/20/16. EIA PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR41) says Average 30 Year Fixed Mortgage Rate for 05/25/17 is 3.95% with 0.5 Fees/Points, 04/27/17 was 4.03%, 05/26/16 2016 3.64%. $FMCC PR link.

14 OPEC members and 10 non-OPEC countries agree to extend by 9 months oil production cuts, now to be effective through 03/18. OPEC PR link.

Stock Investing Strategies: E*Trade(PBR930) study reveals Millennials are the most active options traders. $ETFC PR link.

***Wednesday, May 24:

Coca-Cola(PBR63) nears completion of US refranchising plan with Letter of Intent for Northeast Territory, includes metro NYC, Philadelphia, most of New Jersey, part of Delaware, plus 4 production facilities. $KO PR link.

Tesoro(PBR71) to complete $37.20/share, $6.4 billion all stock acquisition of Western Refining(PBR193 $WNR) on 06/01/17. $TSO PR link.

WestRock(PBR278) to acquire 5 containerboard manufacturing facilities from US Corrugated for $192 million. $WRK PR link.

Campbell Soup(PBR326) makes $10 million strategic investment in e-commerce meal provider Chef’d. $CPB PR link.

QuintilesIMS(PBR455) increases by $1 billion share repurchase program, balance is $3.5 billion, to be $850 million after repurchases announced. $Q PR link.

Brown-Forman(PBR563) issues statement saying it is not for sale, committed to preserving itself as a thriving, family controlled, independent company. $BFA PR link.

DeVry Education(PBR905 $DV) changes name to Adtalem Global Education(NYSE: ATGE). $ATGE PR link.

Tesla(PBR651) hires Gaby Toledano as Chief People Officer, succeeds leaving Arnnon Geshuri. $TSLA PR link.

The Federal Open Market Committee releases minutes from 05/02-03/17 meeting, shows general agreement in gradual increases in federal funds interest rate in the future based on current economic conditions. FOMC PR link.

The Natl Assn of Realtors says US April Existing Home Sales Annual Rate at 5.57 million, -2.3% from March, +1.6% from April 2016, Median Price at $244,800, +3.6% from March, +6.0% from April 2016. NAR PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR41) US May Housing Outlook Report says despite weak economic growth, housing got off to a good start in 2017, partly due to lower mortgage rates. $FMCC PR link.

***Tuesday, May 23:

Amazon(PBR29) Handmade at Amazon unit introduces the Wedding Shop for thousands of handmade items from around the world. $AMZN PR link.

Microsoft(PBR31) introduces its new Surface Pro, pre-orders start at $799. $MSFT PR link.

Merck(PBR70) gets another US FDA approval for Keytruda for certain solid tumors and colorectal cancer. $MRK PR link.

NextEra Energy(PBR173)’s Florida Light & Power unit files petition to close 1,300 megawatt St Johns River Power Park by end of 2017, will save $183 million and 5.6 million tons in carbon dioxide emissions per year. $NEE PR link.

FIS(PBR394) to sell 60% of its interest in Capco Consulting for $477 million net cash, retain 40% interest. $FIS PR link.

Intuit(PBR529)’s QuickBooks Online unit passes 2.2 million paid subscribers in 3Q17. $INTU PR link.

Great Plains Energy(PBR757) $12.2 billion acquisition of Westar Energy(PBR747 $WR) is denied again by Kansas Corporation Commission, revised proposal being planned. $GXP PR link.

Kroger(PBR20) President of Jay C and Ruler division Paul Bowen to retire effective 06/21/17. $KR PR link.

JCPenney(PBR234) hires Marci Grebstein as EVP/Chief Marketing Officer, starts in 06/17. $JCP PR link.

Alexion Pharmaceutical(PBR840) hires Brian Goff as Chief Commercial Officer effective 06/01/17, announces CFO Dave Anderson resigning effective 08/31/17, EVP/Head of R&D Martin Mackay retiring at end of 2017, EVP/Chief Human Resources Officer Clare Carmichael leaving effective 06/01/17. $ALXN PR link.

The US Department of Commerce/HUD estimates US April New Family Homes Sold Annual Rate at 569,000, -11.4% from March, +0.5% from April 2016, Median Price $309,200, -3.0% from March, -3.8% from April 2016. HUD PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond 5th District May General Business Manufacturing Index at +1%, April was +20%, March +22%. RichmondFed PR link.

US Budget: President Trump submits his Taxpayer First proposed budget. WhiteHouse PR link.

***Monday, May 22:

ExxonMobil(PBR2) completes mechanical work on 2 new 650,000 tons/year polyethylene lines at plastics plant in Mont Belvieu, TX, to begin production in 3Q17. $XOM PR link.

Loews Corp(PBR200) completes $1.2 billion acquisition of Atlanta, GA, based rigid plastic packaging manufacturer Consolidated Container Co from Bain Capital. $L PR link.

Arconic(PBR215) resolves pending proxy contest with largest shareholder(13.2%) Elliott Management which will nominate 3 new board members at 05/25/17 annual shareholders meeting. $ARNC PR link.

Huntsman Corp(PBR244) and Swiss based global specialty chemical company Clariant(SIX: CLN) to combine in merger of equals in all stock deal and enterprise value of around $20 billion, new company to be called HuntsmanClariant. $HUN PR link.

Core-Mark(PBR271) to acquire Carroll, IA, based 1,000 employee $1.4+ billion/yr 42,000 US/Canada customer locations fresh/broad-line supply solutions to the convenience store industry provider Farner-Bocken for $190 million. $CORE PR link.

Amkor Technology(PBR659) completes acquisition of Portugal based 550 employees $40 million/2016 wafer-level fan-out (WLFO) semiconductor packaging manufacturer NANIUM. $AMKR PR link.

TreeHouse Foods(PBR690) completes sale of $210 million/yr Soup and Infant Feeding business to affiliate of Insight Equity, terms not disclosed. $THS PR link.

Regeneron(PBR708) and Sanofi get FDA approval of Kevzara® (sarilumab) for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis. $REGN PR link.

G-III(PBR766) enters multi-year license agreement for PVH(PBR328) to design and distribute DKNY menswear brand in the US and Canada, to launch in Spring 2018, is fourth partnership agreement. $GIII PR link.

Verisk Analytics(PBR943) acquires Denmark based wind and solar power market intelligence provider MAKE, terms not disclosed. $VRSK PR link.

Ford(PBR10) promotes Jim Hackett to CEO, succeeds Mark Fields. Jim Farley appointed EVP & President/Global Markets, Joe Hinrichs to EVP & President/Global Operations, Marcy Klevorn to EVP & President/Mobility, effective 06/01/17. Mark Truby appointed VP/Communications, succeeds retiring Ray Day. $F PR link.

CBS(PBR210) employment agreement with Chairman/President/CEO Leslie Moonves extended by 2 years, now through 06/30/21. $CBS PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago US May National Activity Index is +0.49, April was +0.07, February +0.15, May 2016 -0.09. ChiFed PR link.

International Trade: On 05/21/17 US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia’s King Salman sign $110 billion arms deal. WhiteHouse PR link
The following represents some of the agreements with US businesses:
Boeing(PBR27) gets several agreements from Saudi Arabia for military and commercial aircraft, guided missile systems, associated services. $BA PR link
Dow Chemical(PBR48) signs agreements for coatings & silicones investments in Saudi Arabia, to add 450 jobs in 2 facilities, add to 4,000 employees in 26 facilities already. $DOW PR link
Lockheed(PBR64) gets Saudi Arabia expressed intent to procure more than $28 billion worth of integrated air and missile defense, combat ship, tactical aircraft and rotary wing technologies and programs. $LMT PR link
Raytheon(PBR118) sign Memorandum of Understanding with Saudi Arabia Military Industries Company to implement indigineous defense, aerospace & cybersecurity capabilities. $RTN PR link
Natl Oilwell Varco(PBR127) to form joint venture with Saudi Aramco to manufacture high-specification drilling rigs & advanced drilling equipment. $NOV PR link
Blackstone(PBR352) to launch $40 billion infrastructure investment vehicle for mostly US projects, $20 billion from Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. $BX PR link
McDermott Intl(PBR825) signs Memorandum of Understanding with Saudi Aramco, to expand local supply chain, develop full-scale fabrication & marine facilities, potential value of $2.8 billion and 2,000 jobs. $MDR PR link

***Friday, May 19:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week Ending 05/19/17:
DJIA ends week at 20,804.84, -0.44% from last Friday, -0.65% MTD, +0.69% QTD, +5.27% YTD, -1.47% from record 21,115.55 set 03/01/17.
NASDAQ ends week at 6,083.70, -0.61% from last Friday, +0.60% MTD, +2.91% QTD, +13.01% YTD, -1.40% from record 6,169.87 set 05/16/17.
SPX ends week at 2,381.73, -0.38% from last Friday, -0.10% MTD, +0.80% QTD, +6.38% YTD, -0.86% from record 2,402.32 set 05/15/17.

Ford(PBR10) to invest $350 million in Livonia, MI, new fuel efficient transmission manufacturing plant, adds/retains 800 jobs, makes $2.25+ billion in announced investments in Michigan in 2017. $F PR link.

AT&T(PBR12 $T) Communications Workers of America union members go on 3 day weekend strike. CWA PR link.

SuperValu(PBR164) $375 million acquisition of $3.8 billion/yr Unified Grocers expected to close soon after UG stockholders meeting scheduled for 06/22/17. $SVU PR link.

Titan Intl(PBR910) 3 US tire facilities ratify 5 year contract with United Steelworkers. $TWI PR link.

Avon(PBR303) hires James Thompson as SVP/General Counsel & Chief Ethics/Compliance Officer, effective 08/01/17. $AVP PR link.

Williams Cos(PBR348) elects Stephen Bergstrom as Chairman, succeeds Dr. Kathleen Cooper who will become Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee. $WMB PR link.

Cree(PBR964) Chairman/President/CEO Chuck Swoboda to step down upon appointment of successor. $CREE PR link.

***Thursday, May 18:

General Motors(PBR8) restructures international markets, GM India to focus on export manufacturing, Isuzu Motors to purchase GM S Africa light commercial vehicle manufacturing operations, Chevrolet to be phased out of India and S Africa markets. $GM PR link.

Amazon(PBR29) introduces Amazon Charts, a weekly Top 20 Most Read from sales across its business units. $AMZN PR link.

Microsoft(PBR31) to offer cloud services in Africa from two data centers in Johannesburg and Cape Town, initial availability in 2018. $MSFT PR link.

Lowe’s(PBR50) to acquire Houston, TX, based 13 distribution centers maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) products to the multifamily housing industry distributor Maintenance Supply Headquarters for $512 million. $LOW PR link.

Merck(PBR70) gets two US FDA approvals for Keytruda for certain patients with locally advanced or metatastic types of bladder cancer. $MRK PR link.

AutoNation(PBR148) first auto retailer to sell 11 million vehicles, holding appreciation events nationwide. $AN PR link.

Facebook(PBR228 $FB), MLB strike deal to stream 20 Friday-night baseball games. MarketWatch PR link.

Facebook(PBR228 $FB) gets fined $123 million by the European Commission for providing misleading information about its 2014 WhatsApp takeover. EC PR link.

JCPenney(PBR234) to expand home refresh initiative to include supplying linens, towels, mattresses, window treatments and major appliances to hotels, vacation rentals and multi-unit properties. $JCP PR link.

Dana(PBR382) to open 15th factory in China in Chongquin, to employ 130, manufacture drive units with integrated Spicer® SmartConnect™ disconnecting all-wheel-drive (AWD) technology for a global automaker. $DAN PR link.

Noble Energy(PBR471) to sell Marcellus Midstream interest to Quantum Energy Partners for $765 million. $NBL PR link.

Concho Resources(PBR734) announces several key executive promotions and changes. $CXO PR link.

A.O. Smith(PBR815) promotes Kevin Wheeler to President/COO. $AOS PR link.

RH(PBR915) hires Prakash Muppirala as Chief Technology Officer and President of RH Digital Innovations. $RH PR link.

La-Z-Boy(PBR918) makes organizational changes. J Douglas Collier appointed to newly created role of Chief Commercial Officer & President/International; SVP/Chief Supply Chain Officer Darrell Edwards gets increased responsibility for manufacturing, regional distribution, and R&D, will now report to CEO; President/La-Z-Boy Retail Daniel King to now report to CEO. $LZB PR link.

The Children’s Place(PBR939) hires Pamela Wallack to newly created position of President-Global Product. $PLCE PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia May Manufacturing General Business Outlook Index is at 38.8, April was 22.0, March 32.8, May 2016 -1.5. PhillyFed PR link.

The Conference Board Preliminary US April Leading Economic Index(2010=100) at 126.9, March was 126.5, February 126.1, April 2016 123.9. TCB PR link.

***Wednesday, May 17:

Ford(PBR10) confirms plan to cut 1,400 jobs, through early retirement and ‘special’ separation packages in N America/Asia Pacific by end of 09/17. MarketWatch PR link.

Kroger(PBR20) family of stores hosting nationwide hiring event 05/20/17, reiterates plans to add 10,000 permanent positions in supermarket divisions in 2017. $KR PR link.

Amazon(PBR29) taking pre-orders for new Fire 7 tablet for $49.99 and Fire HD 8 for $79.99, both include Alexa. $AMZN PR link.

Johnson & Johnson(PBR37) expects more than 10 new blockbuster products to launch or file for regulatory approval by 2021, as well as 50-plus line extensions of existing and new medicines. $JNJ PR link.

Qualcomm(PBR106) files Breach of Contract Complaint against Apple(PBR5)’s manufacturers for non-payment of royalties. $QCOM PR link.

Southwest Airlines(PBR153) authorizes new $2 billion shares repurchase program. $LUV PR link.

Principal Financial(PBR265) authorizes new up to $250 million share repurchase program. $PFG PR link.

Ashland(PBR407) completes $660 million cash acquisition of private New Jersey based $300 million/year custom/branded nutritional & fragrance products manufacturer Pharmachem Laboratories. $ASH PR link.

American Airlines(PBR69) EVP/Chief Integration Officer Bev Goulet retiring after 24 years with company. $AAL PR link.

Halliburton(PBR90) promotes president Jeff Miller to President/CEO, effective 06/01/17, Chairman/CEO Dave Lesar to remain chairman. $HAL PR link.

Ralph Lauren(PBR349) hires Patrice Louvet as President/CEO, effective 07/17/17. $RL PR link.

YRC Worldwide(PBR472) promotes Stephanie Fisher to CFO. $YRCW PR link.

ON Semiconductor(PBR656) board elects Alan Campbell to succeed J. Daniel McCranie as chairman. $ON PR link.

FannieMae(PBR17) May 2017 Economic and Housing Outlook still anticipates growth at +2.0% in 2017, expects 2Q17 rebound to follow 1Q17 slowdown. $FNMA PR link.

***Tuesday, May 16:

Symantec(PBR385) blocks 22 million attempted WannaCry ransomware attacks across 300,000 endpoints globally. $SYMC PR link.

Kroger(PBR20) SVP/Retail Divisions Sukanya Madlinger to retire on 06/19/17, Louisville division president Calvin Kaufman named successor, VP Ann Reed named his successor. $KR PR link.

Principal Financial(PBR265) promotes Amy Friedrich to president, US Insurance Solutions, succeeds now CFO Deanna Strable-Soethout; Gary P. Scholten named Chief Digital Officer. $PFG PR link.

CNO Financial(PBR559) CEO Ed Bonach to retire 12/31/17, President Gary Bhojwani to be CEO 01/01/18. $CNO PR link.

H&R Block(PBR669) President/CEO Bill Cobb to retire 07/31/17, General Counsel Tom Gerke to be interim President/CEO 08/01/17. $HRB PR link.

Twitter(PBR735) co-founder Biz Stone to rejoin full-time to guide the company culture. $TWTR PR link.

Columbia Sportswear(PBR768) President/COO Bryan Timm leaving, other senior executives to assume responsibilities while assessing 1Q17 operating model adopted. $COLM PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/HUD estimates US April Total Housing Permits Issued Annual Rate at 1.229,000, -2.5% from March, +5.7% from April 2016. HUD PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Board estimates US April Manufacturing Production Capacity at 76.7%, March was 76.1%, April 2016 75.2%. FRB PR link.

Economics Research: 800,000 factory jobs were lost to Chinese imports, but the U.S. is better off, researchers say. MarketWatch PR link.

***Monday, May 15:

AIG(PBR46), Hamilton Insurance Group and Two Sigma Insurance Quantified to expand partnership to accelerate the use of data science and technology for AIG’s global book of commercial insurance business. $AIG PR link.

Thermo Fisher Scientific(PBR175) to acquire 9,000 employee $1.9 billion revenues/2016 global drug developer/delivery solutions provider Patheon NV(NYSE: PTHN) for $35.00/share, $7.2 billion, includes $2 billion debt. $TMO PR link.

Western Digital(PBR194)’s SanDisk subsidiaries file Request for Arbitration to stop sale to 3rd parties of some intellectual property developed in joint ventures operated with Toshiba. $WDC PR link.

Biogen(PBR282) acquires Remedy Pharmaceuticals’ CIRARA™ for large hemispheric stroke situations for $120 million plus potential milestone/royalty payments. $BIIB PR link.

Owens Corning(PBR465) to acquire global 1,100 employee $240+ million revenues/2016 cellular glass insulation systems producerPittsburgh Corning for $560 million cash. $OC PR link.

Moody’s(PBR636) to acquire Amsterdam, NL, based global business intelligence/company info provider Bureau van Dijk for $3.27 billion. $MCO PR link.

AIG(PBR46) hires Brian Duperreault as President/CEO, succeeds Peter Hancock who has resigned. $AIG PR link.

AutoNation(PBR148) President/COO Bill Berman resigns, search starts; promotes SVP Scott Arnold to EVP/Customer Care & Brand Extensions. $AN PR link.

Applied Industrial Technologies(PBR787) VP/CFO Mark Eisele to retire by 08/31/17, to be succeeded by David Wells. $AIT PR link.

HCP(PBR834) hires Scott Brinker as EVP/Chief Investment Officer, effective 01/04/18. $HCP PR link.

RH(PBR915) hires Sandra Stangl as President/New Business Development. $RH PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York May Empire State General Business Conditions Index at -1.0, April was 5.2, May 2016 -9.0. NYFed PR link.

The Natl Assn of Homebuilders US May Housing Market Index at 70, April was 68, May 2016 58. NAHB PR link.

***Friday, May 12:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week Ending 05/12/17:
DJIA ends week at 20,896.61, -0.53% from last Friday, -0.21% MTD, +1.13% QTD, +5.74% YTD, -1.04% from record 21,115.55 set 03/01/17.
NASDAQ ends week at 6,121.23, +0.34% from last Friday, +1.22% MTD, +3.54% QTD, +13.71% YTD, -0.13% from record 6,129.14 set 05/10/17.
SPX ends week at 2,390.90, -0.35% from last Friday, +0.28% MTD, +1.19% QTD, +6.79% YTD, -0.36% from record 2.399.63 set 05/10/17.

Apple(PBR5) awards Corning(PBR281 $GLW) $200 million, its first Advanced Manufacturing Fund investment. $AAPL PR link.

Anthem(PBR38) terminates $48 billion merger agreement with Cigna(PBR85 $CI) because of court decisions, claims Cigna violated agreement & not eligible for reverse termination fee, plans to seek significant damages award. $ANTM PR link.

Cigna(PBR85) merger agreement with Anthem(PBR38) terminated, Cigna seeks $1.85 billion reverse termination fee, $13+ billion for additional damages. $CI PR link.

Progressive(PBR145) authorizes new 25 million shares repurchase program with no expiration date. $PGR PR link.

Group 1 Automotive(PBR276) increases share repurchase program to $75 million. $GPI PR link.

Ashland(PBR407) completes public spinoff of Valvoline(NYSE: VVV). $ASH PR link.

Frontier Communications(PBR501) to do 1:15 reverse stock split on 07/10/17, to reduce authorized shares to issue by 90% to 175 million. $FTR PR link.

Portland General Electric(PBR909) suspends permitting process for 2 new Oregon power plant sites while negotiating other power agreements. $POR PR link.

Group 1 Automotive(PBR276) board elects Stephen D. Quinn as Chairman, succeeds John Adams who remains on board. $GPI PR link.

Avis Budget(PBR316) President/CFO David Wyshner leaving in 06/17, to appoint Martyn Smith as interim CFO. $CAR PR link.

Allscripts(PBR944) SVP/Strategic Initiatives Dennis Olis named interim CFO, replaces leaving Melinda Whittington. MDRX PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US April Consumer Price Index is +0.2%, Last 12 Months +2.2%, March +2.4%, February +2.7%.USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor estimates US April Current Average Earnings/Hour at $26.19, $900.94/week, +0.6% from March, +2.5% from April 2016. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US March Manufacturer/Retail/Wholesale Sales at $1.361 trillion, +0.0% from February, +6.5% from March 2016.
USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce Advance Report on US April Retail Sales are $474.9 billion, +0.4% from March, +4.4% from April 2016. USDOC PR link.

The U of Michigan Preliminary US May Consumer Sentiment Index at 97.7, April was 97.0, May 2016 94.7. UMich PR link.

***Thursday, May 11:

Apple(PBR5) issues $7 billion in corporate bonds. $AAPL PR link.

Verizon(PBR15) outbids AT&T(PBR12 $T), to acquire Straight Path Communications(NYSE MKT: STRP), a holder of millimeter wave spectrum configured for 5G wireless services, in $184.00/share, $3.1 billion all stock deal. $VZ PR link.

Cisco(PBR60) to acquire private San Francisco, CA, artifical intelligence conversational interfaces developer MindMeld for $125 million cash in 4Q17. $CSCO PR link.

Live Nation(PBR366) signs Shawn “JAY Z” Carter to a 10-year touring contract. $LYV PR link.

Expedia(PBR433) to acquire majority of London based global rail full service 25+ million bookings/year retailing/distribution platform developer SilverRail, terms not disclosed. $EXPE PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) acquires Aurora, NE, based individual and group financial products agency Strong Financial Resources, terms not disclosed. $AJG PR link.

Scientific Games(PBR937) launches multi-state linked instant lottery game Willy Wonka Golden Ticket, up to $1 billion prize winner. $SGMS PR link.

DuPont(PBR82) and Dow Chemical(PBR48 $DOW) announce board of directors for DowDupont merger, on track to close by 09/30/17. $DD PR link.

Dick’s Sporting Goods(PBR367) EVP/COO André Hawaux retiring at end of 2Q17, promotes Lauren Hobart to president, hires Keri Jones as EVP/Chief Merchant, effective 05/22/17. $DKS PR link.

Western Union(PBR441) elects Jeffrey A. Joerres as Non-Executive Chairman of the Board, succeeds retiring Jack Greenberg. $WU PR link.

Frontier Communications(PBR501) hires Chris Levendos as EVP/Field Operations, succeeds retiring John Lass. $FTR PR link.

Chipotle(PBR561) hires Scott Boatwright to new position of Chief Restaurant Officer effective 05/30/17. $CMG PR link.

The Cheesecake Factory(PBR893) CFO W. Douglas Benn to retire 07/07/17, to be succeeded by SVP/Finance & Strategy Matthew Clark. $CAKE PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US April Producer Price Index was +0.5%, March was -0.1%, April 2016 +0.3%, Last 12 Months is +2.5%. USDOL PR link.

The PBR1000 Top 5 April Gainers Since 2015(Co, Rank by Revs, Stock Symbol, Stock Price 04/28/17, % Change from 12/31/15):

1. AMD, 524, AMD, $13.30, +363%
2. Cliffs Natural Resources, 821, CLF, $6.72, +325%
3. Tronox, 824, TROX, $16.51, +322%
4. NVIDIA, 365, NVDA, $104.30, +216%
5. Navistar Intl, 319, NAV, $26.91, +204%

Range: +363% to -83%,
Nbr Cos >0.0%: 768/1,005,
Average: +19.8%, Median: +18.4%

***Wednesday, May 10:

ExxonMobil(PBR2) to acquire Jurong Aromatics Corporation plant in Singapore, one of the largest in the world with 1.4 million tons annual production capacity. $XOM PR link.

Merck(PBR70) gets US FDA approval for Keytruda as a first line combination non-small lung cancer therapy. $MRK PR link.

Medtronic(PBR133) first to get FDA okay for MR-Conditional Quadripolar Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy-Pacemakers, also allows for MRI scans. $MDT PR link.

Whole Foods(PBR203) appoints 5 new directors to the board, names Gabrielle Sulzberger as board chairman, authorizes new $1.25 billion share repurchase program, appoints Keith Manbeck as EVP/CFO, effective 05/17/17, succeeds retiring Glenda Flanagan. $WFM PR link.

Western Union(PBR441) full digital access for cross-border person-to-person (P2P) money transfer services now in 40 countries, expansion to Asia Pacific, Latin America next. $WU PR link.

Abercrombie & Fitch(PBR595) confirms it is in preliminary discussions with several parties regarding a potential transaction. $ANF PR link.

Tesla(PBR651) starts accepting orders for its solar roof services, says cost is less than a typical residential roof. $TSLA PR link.

WGL Holdings(PBR717) stockholders approve $88.25/share, $6.4 billion acquisition by Canadian based energy infrastructure provider AltaGas(TSX: ALA), expects to close in 2Q18. $WGL PR link.

Crocs(PBR1008) closes net 16 stores in 1Q17, to transfer 24 stores to distributors 2Q17. $CROX PR link.

Eli Lilly(PBR142) hires Leigh Ann Pusey as SVP/Corporate Affairs & Communications, effective 06/12/17. $LLY PR link.

US Steel(PBR167) CEO Mario Longhi stepped down on 05/08/17, remains on board, President/COO David Burritt elected President/CEO. $X PR link.

TimeInc(PBR631) Chairman Joseph Ripp is retiring, Lead Independent Director John Fahey elected Non-Executive Chairman, to be effective at annual stockholders meeting on 06/29/17. $TIME PR link.

Rent A Center(PBR657) former EVP Joel M. Mussat rejoins as EVP/COO. $RCII PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says US April Federal Government Receipts were $455.6 billion, Outlays $273.2 billion, Surplus $182.4 billion, YTD Deficit is $344.4 billion. Treasury PR link.

The US Dept of Labor estimates US April Imports Price Index was +0.5%, Exports +0.2%, Y-Y Imports +4.1%, Y-Y Exports +3.0%. USDOL PR link.

The PBR1000 Top 5 April YTD Gainers(Co, Rank by Revs, Stock Symbol, Stock Price 04/28/17, % Change from 12/30/16):

1. iHeartMedia, 400, IHRT, $2.15, +94%
2. Weight Watchers, 993, WTW, $20.88, +82%
3. Scientific Games, 689, SGMS, $23.75, +70%
4. Tronox, 824, TROX, $16.51, +60%
5. Restoration Hardware, 814, RH, $47.97, +56%

Range: +94% to -61%,
Nbr Cos >0.0%: 623/1,007,
Average: +7.0%, Median: +3.9%

***Tuesday, May 9:

Pentair(PBR363) to spin-off Electrical business as a separate public company, remain a public Water company, planned for 2Q18. $PNR PR link.

NVIDIA(PBR510) to train 100,000 developers in artificial intelligence systems in 2017, ten times more than in 2016, through its NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute. $NVDA PR link.

Electronic Arts(PBR527) authorizes up to $1.2 billion share buyback program through 05/31/19. $EA PR link.

West Corp(PBR842), a global provider of communication and network infrastructure services, to be acquired by Apollo Global Mgmt(PBR906) for $23.50/share, $5.1 billion cash, expects to close 2H17. $WSTC PR link.

Meredith Corp(PBR994) to distribute 1,000,000 copies of its 3rd quarterly lifestyle The Magnolia Journal, has 700,000 subscribers at $20/year. $MDP PR link.

The US Dept of Labor estimates US March Total Job Openings at 5,744,000, +1.1% from February, -1.9% from March 2016. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US March Wholesales Sales at $465.5 billion, +0.0% from February, +9.1% from March 2016. USDOC PR link.

The PBR1000 Top 5 April Month Gainers(Co, Rank by Revs, Stock Symbol, Stock Price 04/28/17, % Change from 03/31/17):

1. Conn’s, 918, CONN, $17.60, +101%
2. Weight Watchers, 993, WTW, $20.88, +34%
3. Alere, 749, ALR, $49.17, +24%
4. CR Bard, 575, BCR, $307.48, +24%
5. Invacare, 1005, IVC, $14.70, +24%

Range: +101% to -85%,
Nbr Cos >0.0%: 583/1010,
Average: +1.4%, Median: +0.7%

***Monday, May 8:

Straight Path(NYSE MKT: STRP) gets a 3rd revised offer from a multi-national telecommunications company for $184.00/share, $2.3 billion, says constitutes a “superior proposal” to AT&T(PBR12 $T)‘s $95.63/share, $1.6 billion offer. $STRP PR link.

Lear Corp(PBR165) hosts groundbreaking ceremony for Its new Asia headquarters and technical center in Shanghai, will support 39,000 employees in 11 Asia countries. $LEA PR link.

PPG(PBR190) 3rd offer of $105.50/share $28.8 billion cash/stock for European based specialty paints, coatings and chemicals provider AkzoNobel gets rejected, issues a statement about their meeting. $PPG PR link.

Fidelity Natl Financial(PBR331)’s FNFV Group(NYSE: FNFV) business to sell its One Digital Health and Benefits unit for $560 million cash. $FNF PR link.

Coach(PBR496) to acquire millienials focused fashion retailer Kate Spade(PBR970 $KATE) for $18.50/share, $2.4 billion. $COH PR link.

Brink’s(PBR613) Increases dividend by 50%, approves up to $200 million share repurchase program through 12/31/19. $BCO PR link.

Pinnacle Foods(PBR751) to exit certain low-margin/non-strategic Aunt Jemima® frozen breakfast products following voluntary recall last week. $PF PR link.

Sinclair Broadcast Grp(PBR894) to acquire Tribune Media(NYSE: TRCO) for $43.50/share, $3.9 billion cash/stock, plus assumption of $2.7 billion of debt. $SBGI PR link.

TripAdvisor(PBR936) and GrubHub(NYSE: GRUB) to bring restaurant delivery service to TripAdvisor US consumers. $TRIP PR link.

Bon-Ton Stores(PBR707) President/CEO Kathryn Buffano to resign upon expiration of her contract on 08/25/17, COO William Tracy to be successor. Chad Stauffer promoted to EVP/Chief Merchandising Officer. $BONT PR link.

Regis Corp(PBR912) promotes Rachel Endrizzi to Chief Marketing Officer. $RGS PR link.

FannieMae(PBR17) says US April Home Purchase Sentiment Index at 86.7, March was 84.5, April 2016 83.7. $FNMA PR link.

Verisk Analytics(PBR943) says US property/casualty insurers report $4.7 billion net underwriting loss in 2016, had an $8.9 billion net underwriting gain in 2015. $VRSK PR link.

***Friday, May 5:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week Ending 05/05/17:
DJIA ends week at 21,006.94, +0.32% from last Friday/MTD, +1.66% QTD, +6.30% YTD, -0.51% from record 21,115.55 set 03/01/17.
NASDAQ ends week at 6,100.76, +0.88% from last Friday/MTD, +3.20% QTD, +13.33% YTD, +0.00% from record 6,100.76 set 05/05/17.
SPX ends week at 2,399.29, +0.63% from last Friday/MTD, +1.55% QTD, +7.17% YTD, +0.00% from record 2.399.29 set 05/05/17.

Anthem(PBR38) files paperwork to take its $48 million acquisition of Cigna(PBR85) to the US Supreme Court after US Court of Appeals rejects the merger. $ANTM PR link.

Dow Chemical(PBR48) US Apprenticeship Program gets US Dept of Labor registration, program offers pathway to manufacturing careers. $DOW PR link.

JCPenney(PBR234) agrees to settle in principle a securities class action lawsuit for $97.5 million to be paid by insurance, denies the allegations based on former CEO & CFO statements in 08/13 & 09/13 on liquity prior to a public offering. $JCP PR link.

Parker Hannifin(PBR218) VP Global Supply Chain & Procurement John Dedinsky to retire, Tom Gentile promoted to position, effective 07/01/17. $PH PR link.

Huntsman Corp(PBR244) files SEC Registration Statement for proposed IPO of spin-off Pigments & Additives business Venator Materials. $HUN PR link.

Asbury Automotive(PBR424) hires Sean D. Goodman as SVP/CFO, effective 07/05/17. $ABG PR link.

Bon-Ton Stores(PBR707) chairman Tim Grumbacher retiring from the board effective 05/13/17, has been a board member since 1967. Board member, his wife, and CPA Debra Simon elected as successor. $BONT PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US April Employment at 153,156,000, +0.1% from March, +1.4% from April 2016, Unemployment Rate at 4.4%. USDOL PR link.

The US Federal Reserve estimates US March Total Consumer Credit Outstanding at $3.806 trillion, +0.4% from February, +6.0% from March 2016. FRB PR link.

***Thursday, May 4:

Starbucks(PBR178) grants exclusive rights to Caribbean Coffee Traders to own and operate Starbucks locations in Jamaica. $SBUX PR link.

Starbucks(PBR178) triples number of products eligible for Stars through the Starbucks Rewards™ loyalty program by adding grocery aisle store items. $SBUX PR link.

LabCorp(PBR413) completes acquisition of Spokane, WA, based 8 states lab services provider Pathology Associates Medical Laboratory from Providence Health & Catholic Health Initiatives, terms not disclosed. $LH PR link.

Snap-On(PBR641) acquires UK based $41 million/yr torque products manufacturer Norbar Torque Tools for $72 million. $SNA PR link.

NuStar(PBR673) completes $1.475 billion acquisition of crude oil transportation, pipeline gathering and storage assets in the Midland Basin of W Texas holder Navigator Energy Services. $NS PR link.

Express(PBR860) to close its 17 Canada stores, continue to operate 635 US stores. $EXPR PR link.

Restorations Hardware(PBR915) authorizes up to $700 million share repurchase program, just finished a $300 million program. $RH PR link.

Nordstrom(PBR214) hires Anne Bramman as CFO, effective 06/02/17, succeeds retired Mike Koppel. $JWN PR link.

The US Dept of Labor estimates US 1Q17 Labor Productivity Output/Hr-All Persons was -1.5%, 4Q16 was +2.4%, 1Q16 was -0.7%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US March Exports were $191.0 billion, Imports $234.7 billion, Deficit $43.7 billion, YTD(3 months) Deficit $135.7 billion. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US March Manufacturers New Orders were $478.1 billion, +0.2% from February, +5.8% from March 2016. USDOC PR link.

PNC Financial(PBR189) Small Business Outlook Survey says 88% of small-medium sized business owners are optimistic about near term national economy, was 71% in the fall, 56% last spring. $PNC PR link.

***Wednesday, May 3:

AIG(PBR46) authorizes an additional up to $2.5 billion share repurchase program, balance available is now $3.8 billion. $AIG PR link.

Sprint(PBR86) ends FY with 59,507,000 connections, gained 187,000 in last quarter. $S PR link.

Sprint(PBR86) announces Sprint Magic Box, world’s first all-wireless small cell to densify its LTE Plus network. $S PR link.

Macy’s(PBR97) and Tailored Brands(PBR643 $TLRD) to wind down operations under the tuxedo rental license agreement Macy’s, Inc. had established with Men’s Wearhouse on 06/09/15. $M PR link.

Facebook(PBR228 $FB) to hire 3,000 people to remove violent posts. MarketWatch PR link.

Avis Budget(PBR316) enters new cooperation agreement with largest stockholder SRS Investment Management, terminates stockholder rights plan. $CAR PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) acquires S Texas commercial/personal insurance products Harlingen, TX, agency Texas Insurance Managers, terms not disclosed. $AJG PR link.

Flowers Foods(PBR591) reorganizing into two business units, Fresh Bakery and Specialty/Snacking, realigns key leadership roles. $FLO PR link.

Tesla(PBR651) provides 1Q17 update, gives progress report on Model 3, production to start in 07/17. $TSLA PR link.

Scripps Networks(PBR732) to acquire 4 million consumers millennial-focused food media company Spoon University. $SNI PR link.

New York Times(PBR971) paid digital subscriptions get traction, now has 2.2 million digital subscribers at 1Q17 end, up 348,000 from 4Q16. $NYT PR link.

Altria(PBR110) General Counsel Denise Keane to retire on 07/01/17, Deputy General Counsel Murray Garnick to be successor. $MO PR link.

General Mills(PBR162) president/COO Jeffrey Harmening to be CEO, effective 06/01/17, succeeds Ken Powell who will remain chairman until his retirement within the next year. $GIS PR link.

Federal Open Market Committee meeting ends, votes 9-0 to keep federal funds short term interest rate at 0.75-1.00%. FOMC PR link.

ADP(PBR235) says US April Change In Non-Farm Private Employment was +177,000, March was +263,000, April 2016 +156,000. $ADP PR link.

The Markit US April Composite PMI Output Index is at 53.2, March was 53.0, April 2016 52.4. Markit PR link.

The ISM US April Non-Manufacturing Index is at 57.5%, March was 55.2%, April 2016 55.7%. ISM PR link.

Trulia research shows only 34.2% of homes nationally have seen their value surpass their pre-recession peak. Trulia PR link.

Puerto Rico files for bankruptcy, crushed by $74 billion in debts and $49 billion in pension liabilities. USAToday PR link.

***Tuesday, May 2:

Apple(PBR5) sells 50.8 million iPhones in 2Q17, increases share repurchase program from $175 billion to $210 billion. $AAPL PR link.

Microsoft(PBR31) offering teachers and students Windows 10 education PCs starting at $189, introduces Surface Laptop, starts at $999, available 06/15/17. $MSFT PR link.

DuPont(PBR82) and Dow Chemical(PBR48 $DOW) get China’s Ministry of Commerce conditional regulatory approval of their proposed merger of equals, on track to close by 08/31/17. $DD PR link.

Whirlpool(PBR138) to acquire 20+ million user digital platform for personalized recipes and cooking resources provider Yummly, terms not disclosed. $WHR PR link.

Devon Energy(PBR143) to divest approximately $1 billion of upstream assets across its portfolio over next 12-18 months. $DVN PR link.

CenturyLink(PBR160) completes $2.15 billion plus $150 million equity stake in new company sale of data centers and co-location business to consortium led by BC Partners and Medina Capital. $CTL PR link.

Owens & Minor(PBR292) to acquire $450 million/year direct-to-patient medical supplies distributor Byram Healthcare for $380 million cash. $OMI PR link.

DaVita Healthcare(PBR302) HealthCare Partners Nevada unit completes acquisition of 3,000 providers network WellHealth Quality Care, terms not disclosed. $DVA PR link.

DaVita Healthcare(PBR302) completes $415 million acquisition of Renal Ventures & its 36 dialysis centers in 6 states. $DVA PR link.

Dick’s Sporting Goods(PBR367) Golf Galaxy unit opens 36 new stores, formerly Golfsmith locations, now has 98 stores in 33 states. $DKS PR link.

Ryder(PBR378) to be exclusive maintenance provider and primary N America distributor for electric vehicle and drone package delivery manufacturer Workhorse Group(NASDAQ: $WKHS). $R PR link.

Noble Energy(PBR471) to sell all its upstream Appalachia natural gas assets to an undisclosed buyer for $1.225 billion. $NBL PR link.

Chipotle(PBR561) launches accelerated business degree customized for Its employees. $CMG PR link.

Perrigo(PBR565) cooperating with authorities per search warrants executed by US Dept of Justice related to ongoing investigation of drug pricing in the pharmaceutical industry. $PRGO PR link.

Buffalo Wild Wings(PBR981) newest 3 independent directors send letter to shareholders recommending they vote for their slate of directors, not Marcato Capital‘s nominees, at 06/02/17 annual meeting. $BWLD PR link.

Weight Watchers(PBR988) end of 1Q17 subscriber base grows by 16% year-over-year to 3.6 million subscribers. $WTW PR link.

Ruby Tuesday(PBR990) signs development agreement with Qatar based Al Bairaq Trading Import & Export Co to open 5 Ruby Tuesdays over next 5 years in Qatar. $RT PR link.

Molina Healthcare(PBR284) Chief Accounting Officer Joseph White appointed CFO and interim CEO, succeeds John Molina and Dr. J Mario Molina, who remain on the board. $MOH PR link.

Automotive News says US April New Auto Sales at 1,426,883 vehicles, -4.7% from April 2016, YTD Sales -2.4% from 2016. AutoNews PR link.

The PurdueU/CME US April Ag Barometer Composite Index at 130, March was 124, April 2016 106. PurdueU/CME PR link.

***Monday, May 1:

AmerisourceBergen(PBR16) gets new 5 year pharmaceutical supply agreement with Express Scripts(PBR22 $ESRX), generated $23 billion in FY2016. $ABC PR link.

Amazon(PBR29) gives Prime to every household in Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA, as Academy Award winning film comes to Prime Video. $AMZN PR link.

AIG(PBR46) completes sale of Japan life insurance business to FWD Group, terms not disclosed. $AIG PR link.

Cisco(PBR60) to acquire private SD-WAN solutions provider Viptela for $610 million. $CSCO PR link.

3M(PBR92) completes $850 million sale of its 450 employees $215 million/yr identity management business to global digital security company Gemalto. $MMM PR link.

McDonald’s(PBR101) Invents an Unnecessarily Superfluous Utensil(the Frork) for New Signature Crafted(TM) Recipes. $MCD PR link.

Community Health Systems(PBR125) announces 4 divestiture transactions, includes 13 hospitals. $CYH PR link.

Tenet Healthcare(PBR161) to net $725 million in sale of 4 Houston acute care hospitals to HCA(PBR75 $HCA). $THC PR link.

Monsanto(PBR187) terminates 11/15 agreement for sale of Precision Planting Equipment business to Deere & Co(PBR81 $DE) because of US Dept of Justice issues. $MON PR link.

Monsanto(PBR187)’s NemaStrike(TM) technology approved by EPA, controls plant parasitic nematodes in crops like corn, soybeans, & cotton. $MON PR link.

CBRE(PBR301) acquires 31 professionals leading Australian healthcare project advisory and management firm Aurora Projects, terms not disclosed. $CBG PR link.

Lithia(PBR451) acquires $500 million/year Pittsburgh, PA, Baierl Auto Group with Toyota, Honda, Subaru, Ford, Chevrolet, Acura, Kia and Cadillac locations in the Cranberry Township area. $LAD PR link.

Markel(PBR470) completes acquisition of Houston, TX, based large private surety 8 offices company serving the US SureTec Financial Corp. $MKL PR link.

IAC(PBR665) to acquire Angie’s List(NASDAQ: $ANGI) for $8.50/share, $130+ million, to combine with IAC’s HomeAdvisor into a new public company ANGI Homeservices. $IAC PR link.

Equinix(PBR793) completes $3.6 billion cash acquisition of 29 data centers from Verizon(PBR15 $VZ). $EQIX PR link.

Beacon Roofing(PBR818) acquires 11 branches California-based waterproofing, sealant, air barrier and concrete restoration materials distributor Lowry’s Specialty Distribution, terms not disclosed. $BECN PR link.

PerkinElmer(PBR839) completes $276 million sale of its Medical Imaging business to Varian Medical(PBR678). $PLI PR link.

Greenbrier Cos(PBR846) now 60% owner in Brazilian railcar manufacturer Greenbrier-Maxion, is now largest freight railcar manufacturer in S America, #2 in the US, and soon to be #1 in Europe. $GBX PR link.

The Cheesecake Factory(PBR893) opens first restaurant in Hong Kong at Harbour City Mall under a licensing agreement. $CAKE PR link.

Republic Airways(PBR951) exits from Chapter 11, now a private company closely held by certain unsecured credit holders. $RJETQ PR link.

Bob Evans(PBR954) completes around $605 million sale of Bob Evans Restaurants unit to Golden Gate Capital; completes $115 million acquisition of potato products producer Pineland Farms Potato; Mike Downsley appointed President/CEO. $BOBE PR link.

New York Times(PBR971) expanding coverage in Australia, opens Sydney bureau, offering digital news service, scheduling events. $NYT PR link.

Arconic(PBR215) president of Arconic Defense Eric Roegner now also president of Arconic Global Rolled Products, succeeds leaving Kay Meggers. $ARNC PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) hires Chris Mead as its Chief Marketing Officer. $AJG PR link.

Blackhawk Network(PBR998) promotes Greg Brown to SVP/International, part of succession plan to be head of International currently held by Bill Tauscher. $HAWK PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US March Personal Income Annual Rate at $16.473 trillion, +0.2% from February, +4.5% from March 2016. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US March Total Construction Spending Annual Rate at $1.218 trillion, -0.2% from February, +3.6% from March 2016. USDOC PR link.

The ISM US April Manufacturing PMI Index(50% is flat) is 54.8%, March was 57.2%, April 2016 50.8%. ISM PR link.

The Markit US April Manufacturing PMI at 52.8, March was 53.3, April 2016 50.8. Markit PR link.

(Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles, FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

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

The PBR1000 April 2017 Breaking News Recap

May 14, 2017 by admin

April 2017: Are We Having Fun Yet?

In these interesting times it is necessary for most of us to learn or enhance some critical skills.

By Larry C. Paxton

Business, economic, political, and just about any kind of news continues to swirl around decisions and activities, especially the interesting tweets, of US President Trump. April concluded with the first 100 days of the Trump presidency and there was a lot of action as indicated in the partial list in the National and International summaries below. A lot of balls are being juggled and up in the air. While this should not be unexpected with a new US presidency, this cycle is certainly more active and created more aggressive activism as controversial executive orders are signed, challenged, appointments made, and strong statements are made.

Business, political, economic, and key investment leaders around the world are still adjusting to this new way of doing and saying. They are urgently seeking predictability and stability so that they can make intelligent and coherent decisions. Realistically we are far more than another 100 days off for a less volatile environment and being more settled down. If you want a more stable situation perhaps spending a fun day taking roller coaster rides at a major theme park might give you some comfort.

Here’s a quick April 2017 summary on key activities that relate to The PBR1000:

Mergers & Acquisitions: 35 deals worth at least $1 billion initiated, closed, or updated. Total transaction value was $192 billion.

Spinoffs: 3

Share Repurchase Programs: 3 announced, total $2.2 billion.

Bankruptcies: 3 initiated or updated

CEO Changes: 10 announced.

Jobs: Modest growth.

US Economy: Modest/moderate growth continues, stable but fragile.

Federal Reserve Federal Funds Rate Changes: 0, remains 0.75-1.00%, more increases anticipated in 2017.

National: US House reactivates new healthcare plan effort, new tax plan introduced, Trump/China’s Xi meet, Neil Gorsuch confirmed for the Supreme Court, Russia vote meddling hearings continue, NAFTA to be renegotiated and not cancelled at this time, President Trump marks 1st 100 days on 04/29/17.

International: Brexit negotiations start, UK elections announced for June, France candidates campaigning for May election, oil price fluctuations, Middle East conflicts, refugee crisis, N Korea missile tests, climate change, US President Trump actions continue to be the headliners.

For more details here are The PBR1000 corporate and economic related breaking news items of interest with hotlinks to the sources for April 2017, starting with the last active business day.

***Friday, April 28:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week Ending 04/28/17:
DJIA ends week at 20,940.51, +1.91% from last Friday, +1.34% MTD/QTD, +5.96% YTD, -0.83% from record 21,115.55 set 03/01/17.
NASDAQ ends week at 6,047.61, +2.32% from last Friday, +2.30% MTD/QTD, +12.34% YTD, -0.02% from record 6,048.94 set 04/27/17.
SPX ends week at 2,384.20, +1.51% from last Friday, +0.91% MTD/QTD, +6.49% YTD, -0.49% from record 2,395.96 set 03/01/17.

Anthem(PBR38) responds to the US Court Appeals decision against its acquisition of Cigna(PBR85 $CI), is committed to closing the transaction, reviewing options. $ANTM PR link.

Enterprise Products(PBR59) completes $189 million bankruptcy acquisition of E Texas/N Louisiana midstream business and assets of Azure Midstream Partners. $EPD PR link.

Emerson Electric(PBR109) completes $3.15 billion acquisition of valves & controls business from Pentair(PBR363 $PNR). $EMR PR link.

Sunoco Logistics(PBR158 $SXL) completes $1.8 billion acquisition of Energy Transfer Equity(PBR52) Partner’s unit. $ETE PR link.

CenturyLink(PBR160) $66.50/share, $34 billion acquisition of Level 3 Communications(PBR375 $LVT) on track to close by 09/30/17, new management team of merger announced. $CTL PR link.

Lear Corp(PBR165) completes $308 million cash acquisition of France based $324 million/yr 2,273 employee/contract workers in 14 facilities Grupo Antolin‘s automotive seating business. $LEA PR link.

Bristol-Myers Squibb(PBR185) gets China FDA approval for all-oral regimen for Chronic Hepatitis C, Daklinza® (daclatasvir) in combination with Sunvepra® (asunaprevir). $BMY PR link.

Allergan(PBR219) completes $56.50/share, $2.47 billion cash acquisition of proprietary controlled-cooling fat reducing treatment, CoolSculpting® developer ZELTIQ Aesthetics(NASDAQ: ZLTQ). $AGN PR link.

WellCare Health Plans(PBR221) completes $10.00/share, $600 million cash acquisition of Universal American(PBR882 $UAM). $WCG PR link.

Royal Caribbean(PBR329) authorizes up to $500 million share repurchase program. $RCL PR link.

Enbridge Energy Partners(PBR333) to sell its interest in Midcoast assets to Enbridge(NYSE: ENB) for $1.3 billion, finalizes Bakken Pipeline System joint funding agreement, repay $1.6 billion Series 1 Preferred Units obligations. $EEP PR link.

TimeInc(PBR631) decides not to sell itself, to pursue its strategic plan. $TIME PR link.

Hain Celestial(PBR712) completes acquisition of UK based premium soup brands producer The Yorkshire Provender. $HAIN PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says US Total National Debt on 04/27/17 was $19.847 trillion, same as 03/31/17, -0.7% YTD, +3.4% from 04/29/16. Treasury PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says US 1Q17 Advance Estimate of Annual Gross Domestic Product Annual Rate at +0.7%, 4Q16 was +2.1%, 1Q16 +0.8%. Commerce PR link.

The US Dept of Labor US March Employment Cost Index(2005=100) is at 129.0, +0.9% from December, +2.4% from March 2016. USDOL PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago estimates the March Midwest Economic Index at +0.60, February was +0.28, January +0.10. ChiFed PR link.

The U of Michigan US April Final Consumer Sentiment Index at 97.0, March was 96.9, April 2016 89.0. UMich PR link.

AAA says the US 04/28/17 National Average Price/Gallon of Gas-Regular at $2.398, +3.6% from 03/31/17, +9.2% from 04/29/16. AAA PR link.

The April MNI Chicago Business Barometer(50=Neutral) is at 58.3, March was 57.7, April 2016 50.4. MNI/ISM Chicago PR link.

***Thursday, April 27:

Micron Technology(PBR180) hires SanDisk co-founder and former president and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra as president/CEO, effective 05/08/17, succeeds retiring Mark Durcan. $MU PR link.

Barnes & Noble(PBR408) promotes COO Demos Parneros to CEO, succeeds Leonard Riggio who retains chairman role. $BKS PR link.

H&R Block(PBR669) Chief Innovation Officer Jason L. Houseworth leaving by mutual agreement on 04/30/17. $HRB PR link.

DSW(PBR778) hires Michele Love as EVP/COO, announces two other merchandising leadership appointments. $DSW PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US 04/15/17 Total 4 Week Moving Average Total Insured Unemployed is 2,007,250, -1.2% from March, -7.0% from April 2016. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says US 1Q17 Total Housing Units at 136.1 million, 87.3% occupied, 63.6% home ownership rate. USDOC PR link.

The US Energy Information Administration says US Crude Oil Stocks on 04/21/17 were at 528.7 millions of barrels, -1.0% from 03/24/17, +3.8% from 04/22/16. EIA PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR41) says US Average 30 Year Fixed Mortgage Rate on 04/27/17 was 4.03%, 03/30/17 was 4.14%, 04/28/16 3.66%, 0.5 points/fees. $FMCC PR link.

***Wednesday, April 26:

Office Depot(PBR182) completes sale of its S Korea business, part of plan to focus on N America business.
$ODP PR link.

Charter Communications(PBR297) gets exclusive initial window in the US for co-produced and co-funded content developed by AMC Networks(PBR851 $AMCX) AMC Studio unit. $CHTR PR link.

NCR(PBR383) rolls out record 350,000th ATM from its Hungarian manufacturing facility. $NCR PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) acquires Tulsa, OK, property/casual & employee benefit products and services provider Commercial Insurance Brokers, terms not disclosed. $AJG PR link.

HSN(PBR609) CEO Mindy Grossman leaving effective 05/24/17, interim Office of the CEO formed from current management team as CEO search starts. $HSNI PR link.

Weight Watchers(PBR988) hires Mindy Grossman to be President/CEO, starts in 07/17. $WTW PR link.

***Tuesday, April 25:

AT&T(PBR12) had 2.7 million wireless net new adds in 1Q17, revenues were $39.4 billion with record low wireless equipment sales, 1Q16 was $40.5 billion. $T PR link.

Tyson Foods(PBR80) to acquire Cincinnati, OH, based $1.6 billion/2016, national sandwich maker AdvancePierre Foods Holdings(NYSE:APFH) for $40.25/share, $4.2 billion cash, includes $1.1 billion of debt. $TSN PR link.

Rite Aid(PBR105) in 4Q17 report says merger with Walgreens Boots Alliance(PBR36) moved to 07/31/17 because of remaining FTC issues. $RAD PR link.

Allergan(PBR219) gets FDA marketing authorization for TrueTear™, the first intranasal neurostimulating device proven to temporarily increase tear production. $AGN PR link.

Noble Energy(PBR471) completes $2.7 billion cash/stock acquisition of Clayton Williams Energy(NYSE: CWEI), includes 71,000 net contiguous acres in the Delaware Basin & 100,000 acres in the Permian Basin. $NBL PR link.

Perrigo(PBR565) to restate 10-Ks and 10-Qs statements, some dating back to 2013. $PRGO PR link.

TreeHouse Foods(PBR690) to sell its $210 million/yr Soup and Infant Feeding business to affiliate of Insight Equity, terms not disclosed. $THS PR link.

Regeneron(PBR708) and Sanofi get FDA approval for monthly Praluent® (alirocumab) Injection for the treatment of adults with high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. $REGN PR link.

UPS(PBR47) Chief Marketing/Business Services Officer Teresa Finley to retire, a UPS employee for 34 years. $UPS PR link.

Popular(PBR886) appoints Richard Carrión as Executive Chairman and Ignacio Alvarez as CEO, effective 07/01/17. $BPOP PR link.

The US Department of Commerce/HUD estimates US March New Homes Sold Annual Rate at 621,000, +5.8% from February, +15.6% from March 2016, Median Price $315,100, 5.2 months supply available. HUD PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond says the April 5th District Annualized Manufacturing Index at 20%, March was 22%, February 17%. RichmondFed PR link.

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller US February National Home Price Index at 185.56, January was 185.11, February 2016 175.46(01/2000=100). CoreLogic PR link.

The Conference Board US April Consumer Confidence Index at 120.3, March was 124.9, April 2016 94.7(1985=100). TCB PR link.

***Monday, April 24:

GE(PBR9) gets $3 billion upgrades/training over 20 years deal with Algerian power company Sonelgaz. $GE PR link.

Express Scripts(PBR22) releases 1Q17 results, says that based on current negotiations Anthem(PBR38 $ANTM) might not renew its contract after current expiration in 2019 for pharmacy benefits management. $ESRX PR link.

Amazon(PBR29) launches self-service marketplace for subscription providers called Subscribe with Amazon. $AMZN PR link.

Tyson Foods(PBR80) exploring the sale of three non-protein businesses, Sara Lee® Frozen Bakery, the Kettle, and Van’s®, to focus on core protein businesses. $TSN PR link.

Sprint(PBR86) to add 79 retail locations, create 550+ jobs, by end of 2017 in Texas. $S PR link.

Conagra Brands(PBR166) completes acquisition of protein-based snacking businesses Thanasi Foods, maker of Duke’s® meat snacks, and BIGS LLC, maker of BIGS® seeds, terms not disclosed. $CAG PR link.

PPG Industries(PBR190) revises proposal from $96.61/share to $105.50/share $28.8 billion cash/stock for European based specialty paints, coatings and chemicals provider AkzoNobel. $PPG PR link.

Arconic(PBR215) postponing 05/16/17 annual meeting date to later in the month as it resolves proxy issues with activist investor Elliott Management. $ARNC PR link.

Ameriprise(PBR231) to acquire San Antonio, TX, based 200 financial advisors in 29 states 8+ billion in assets independent broker-dealer for financial institutions Investment Professionals, terms not disclosed. $AMP PR link.

JCPenney(PBR234) partners with SEPHORA to expand beauty retail offerings with 70 new locations and 32 expansions nationwide, to hire over 800 beauty consultants. $JCP PR link.

Becton Dickinson(PBR318) to acquire medical technologies developer CR Bard(PBR637) for $317/share, $24 billion cash/stock. $BDX PR link.

Darden Restaurants(PBR398) completes $780 million cash acquisition of 165 casual dining locations averaging $4.4 million/year each Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen. $DRI PR link.

Becton Dickinson(PBR318) promotes Tom Polen to President, to oversee all operating units. $BDX PR link.

Pinnacle Foods(PBR751) promotes Mark Schiller to EVP and new role of Chief Commercial Officer, Michael Barkley to EVP & President/Boulder who succeeds leaving Michael Allen. $PF PR link.

Aerojet Rocketdyne(PBR969) hires Mohammed Khan as SVP of the Defense Business unit, reports to CEO Eileen Drake. $AJRD PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago March National Activity Index is +0.08, February was +0.27, March 2016 -0.50. Chicago Fed PR link.

***Friday, April 21:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week Ending 04/21/17:
DJIA ends week at 20,547.76, +0.46% from last Friday, -0.56% MTD/QTD, +3.97% YTD, -2.69% from record 21,115.55 set 03/01/17.
NASDAQ ends week at 5,910.52, +1.82% from last Friday, -0.02% MTD/QTD, +9.80% YTD, -0.11% from record 5,916.78 set 04/20/17.
SPX ends week at 2,348.69, +0.85% from last Friday, -0.59% MTD/QTD, +4.91% YTD, -1.97% from record 2,395.96 set 03/01/17.

Amazon(PBR29) to open 3 additional fulfillment centers in New Jersey, to create 2,500+ full-time jobs. $AMZN PR link.

Wells Fargo(PBR30) expands class-action settlement for retail sales practices to $142 million, adds accounts as early as May 2002. $WFC PR link.

Johnson & Johnson(PBR37)’s DePuy Synthes unit acquires Tissue Regeneration System’s 3D printing technologies to treat bone defects, terms not disclosed. $JNJ PR link.

Dow Chemical(PBR48) releases statement on Associated Press story on pesticide chlorpyrifos, says EPA did not apply its own standards of data quality, nor did it follow its own procedures. $DOW PR link.

Macy’s(PBR97 $M) celebrates completion of 21 SunPower(PBR680) solar systems during Earth Week dedication events. $SPWR PR link.

iHeartMedia(PBR397 $IHRT) warns it may not survive another year. MarketWatch PR link.

Republic Airways(PBR951) Plan of Reorganization gets final approval, expects to emerge from Chapter 11 as a private company by 04/30/17. $RJETQ PR link.

Viacom(PBR212) promotes Julia Phelps to SVP/Communications & Culture. $VIA PR link.

The Natl Assn of Realtors US April Existing Home Sales Annual Rate at 5.71 million, +4.4% from March, +5.9% from April 2016, Median Price at $236,400. NAR PR link.

***Thursday, April 20:

GM(PBR8) ceases operations in Venezuela after seizure of its plant by authorities. $GM PR link.

GE(PBR9) completes $1.65 billion acquisition of Denmark’s global designer & manufacturer of wind turbine blades LM Wind Power. $GE PR link.

CVS Health(PBR11) going to new store format, adding hearing/optical centers in some stores, developing new standards for vitamins/supplements. $CVS PR link.

Verizon(PBR15) at 108.5 million retail postpaid connections, up 1.2% from 1Q16, net decline of 307,000 in 1Q17. $VZ PR link.

Allstate(PBR84) estimates 1Q17 catastrophic losses of $781 million pre-tax, $516 million from March alone. $ALL PR link.

CSX(PBR226) authorizes new $1 billion share repurchase program, expects to complete by 1Q18 end. $CSX PR link.

Gannett(PBR414) acquires Montreal based major brands location and reputation management software company SweetIQ Analytics, terms not disclosed. $GCI PR link.

Skechers(PBR808) announces its first $1 billion quarter, plans to open 50-75 new stores in 2017. $SKX PR link.

Ocwen Financial(PBR869) to vigorously defend itself against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau related to allegations concerning Ocwen’s mortgage servicing business. $OCN PR link.

Buffalo Wild Wings(PBR981) activist investor Marcato Capital Management files SEC document presenting case for change in executive management. $BWLD PR link.

Tyson Foods(PBR80) hires Justin Whitmore for newly created position Chief Sustainability Officer, effective 05/01/17. $TSN PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia April Manufacturing General Activity Indicator at 22.0, March was 32.8, April 2016 -1.2. PhillyFed PR link.

The Conference Board US March Leading Economic Index(2010=100) at 126.7, February was 126.3, March 2016 123.1. TCB PR link.

AIG(PBR46) Global M&A Insurance Claims Study: 23 Percent of Deals over $1 Billion End in a Claim; Highest Severity Claim Payouts Average $22 Million. $AIG PR link.

***Wednesday, April 19:

Caterpillar(PBR54) names Deerfield, IL, as its new global headquarters. $CAT PR link.

Alcoa(PBR115) to consolidate admin locations, move global headquarters from NYC to existing Pittsburgh location by 09/01/17, close 7 more admin offices in US, Europe, Asia over next 18 months. $AA PR link.

PPG Industries(PBR190) issues statement regarding AkzoNobel‘s plan to split into 2 companies. $PPG PR link.

TripAdvisor(PBR928) reaches 500 million reviews and opinions. $TRIP PR link.

21st Century Fox(PBR91) issues statement saying popular commentator Bill O’Reilly will not be returning to the Fox News Channel. $FOX PR link.

Devon Energy(PBR143) promotes Jeff Ritenour to EVP/CFO, succeeds leaving Tom Mitchell. $DVN PR link.

AutoNation(PBR148) promotes Coleman Edmunds to EVP/General Counsel & Secretary. $AN PR link.

Buffalo Wild Wings(PBR981) EVP/President N America Judy Shoulak to retire 06/30/17, position to then be eliminated. $BWLD PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Board releases Beige Book for data through 04/10/17, split on modest to moderate growth in the 12 districts. FRB PR link.

The ADP(PBR235) US 1Q17 Workforce Vitality Index at 113.5(3Q13=100), +3.4% from 1Q16. $ADP PR link.

The Natl Assn of Homebuilders US April Housing Market Index at 68, March was 71, April 2016 58. NAHB PR link.

***Tuesday, April 18:

Verizon(PBR15) agrees to $1.05 billion three-year 12.4 million miles of fibre optic cable/year minimum purchase agreement with Corning(PBR281 $GLW). $VZ PR link.

Cardinal Health(PBR26) to acquire Medtronic(PBR133)’s Patient Care, Deep Vein Thrombosis and Nutritional Insufficiency businesses for $6.1 billion cash. $CAH PR link.

Oracle(PBR78) acquires digital measurement cloud company Moat, terms not disclosed. $ORCL PR link.

CBRE(PBR301) acquires 90,000 users in 50 countries facilities management operations mobile & SaaS technologies provider Mainstream Software, terms not disclosed. $CBG PR link.

Charles Schwab(PBR409) adds 362,000 new accounts in 1Q17, most in 17 years. $SCHW PR link.

Post Holdings(PBR486) to acquire UK based global packaged ready-to-eat cereals producer Weetabix for $1.75 billion. $POST PR link.

Yahoo!(PBR519) $4.48 billion cash acquisition by Verizon(PBR15) on track for closing in 06/17. $YHOO PR link.

Keysight Technologies(PBR660) completes $19.65/share, $1.6 billion cash acquisition of networks services provider Ixia(NASDAQ: XXIA). $KEYS PR link.

Mondelez(PBR87) EVP & president/N America Roberto Marques will leave company, Chief Growth Officer Tim Cofer to also serve as interim president/N America until successor found. $MDLZ PR link.

Air Products(PBR267) hires Sean Major as EVP/General Counsel, effective 05/01/17. $APD PR link.

AAR Corp(PBR883) CFO/Vice Chairman Tim Romenesko to retire effective 12/31/17 after 36 years with the company. $AIR PR link.

AAR Corp(PBR883) promotes John Holmes to president/COO, effective 06/01/17. $AIR PR link.

Presidential Executive Order: President Trump signs “Buy American and Hire American” executive order. WhiteHouse PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/HUD estimates US March Building Permits Annual Rate at 1.260 million, +3.6% from February, +17.0% from March 2016. USDOC PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Board estimates US March Industrial Production Capacity at 76.1%, February was 75.7%, March 2016 74.9%. FRB PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR41) April Outlook lowers 2017 home sales to 5.9 million due to low housing for sale inventory. $FMCC PR link.

FannieMae(PBR17) says US 2017 Growth Forecast remains at modest 2.0%. $FNMA PR link.

***Monday, April 17:

Williams Cos(PBR348) Partners unit(NYSE: WPZ) to sell its 88.46% interest in the Geismar, Louisiana, olefins facility to NOVA Chemicals for $2.1 billion cash; gets long-term feedstock supply/transportation agreements with NOVA Chemicals. $WMB PR link.

Blackstone(PBR352) Energy Partners unit to acquire EagleClaw Midstream Ventures, largest private operator in Permian’s Delaware Basin in W Texas, for $2 billion cash. $BX PR link.

Peabody Energy(PBR372) to retain 2 million ton/year Metropolitan hard coking coal mine In New South Wales Australia. $BTU PR link.

Ashland(PBR407) to acquire private New Jersey based $300 million/year custom/branded nutritional & fragrance products manufacturer Pharmachem Laboratories for $660 million cash. $ASH PR link.

Netflix(PBR447) says it added 5 million new subscribers worldwide in 1Q17. $NFLX PR link.

Crown Castle(PBR603) to acquire private S California 1,900 miles of fiber services provider Wilcon for $600 million. $CCI PR link.

Cabela’s(PBR606) revises transaction agreements. Synovus Financial(PBR972 $SNV) to acquire certain assets and liabilities for $1.2 billion, which will then sell credit card assets/related liabilities to Capital One(PBR116 $COF), which will become exclusive VISA(PBR224 $V) card provider. Acquisition by Bass Pro Shops amended to $61.50/share, $5 billion, expects to close in 3Q17. $CAB PR link.

Skechers(PBR808) launches new brand YOU by Skechers footwear collection. $SKX PR link.

Revlon(PBR900) hires Christopher Peterson as COO, Operations. $REV PR link.

Regis Corp(PBR912) hires Hugh Sawyer as president/CEO, succeeds leaving Dan Hanrahan. $RGS PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of NY April Empire State Manufacturing General Business Conditions Index at 5.2, March was 16.4, April 2016 8.4. NYFed PR link.

***Friday, April 14:

***US Stock Markets closed in observance of Good Friday.

Abbott Labs(PBR134) acquisition of Alere(PBR752) amended to $51/share, $5.3 billion, originally was $5.8 billion, expects to close by 09/30/17. $ABT PR link.

Eli Lilly(PBR142) and Incyte(NASDAQ: INCY) get US FDA Complete Response Letter for New Drug Application for baricitinib rheumatoid arthritis therapy, wants more data. $LLY PR link.

Baxter Intl(PBR176) gets grand jury subpoena requesting information on IV saline sales. $BAX PR link.

Finish Line(PBR927) gets SEC notice that UK based Sports Direct has acquired 7.9% of its stock. $FINL PR link.

Kelly Services(PBR443) President/CEO Carl Camden stepping down effective 05/10/17 to pursue public service opportunities, to be succeeded by EVP/COO George Corona. $KELYA PR link.

The US Dept of Labor estimates US March Average Current Weekly Earnings at $896.60, +0.2% from February, +2.4% from March 2016. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US March Consumer Price Index was -0.3%, February was +0.1%, last 12 months +2.4%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US February Total Manufacturer/Retail/Wholesale Sales at $1.361 trillion, +0.2% from January, +7.1% from February 2016. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce advance estimate of US March Retail and Food Sales at $470.8 billion, -0.2% from February, +5.1% from March 2016. USDOC PR link.

Autonomous Vehicles: California has approved 30 vendors for autonomous vehicle testing. CADMV PR link.

***Thursday, April 13:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Trading Week Ending 04/13/17:
DJIA ends week at 20,453.25, -0.98% from last Friday, -1.02% MTD/QTD, +3.49% YTD, -3.14% from record 21,115.55 set 03/01/17.
NASDAQ ends week at 5,805.15, -0.24% from last Friday, -1.80% MTD/QTD, +7.84% YTD, -1.85% from record 5,914.34 set 03/30/17.
SPX ends week at 2,328.95, -1.13% from last Friday, -1.43% MTD/QTD, +4.03% YTD, -2.80% from record 2,395.96 set 03/01/17.

General Motors(PBR8) to add 1,100+ new jobs and invest $14 million in a new research and development facility for Cruise Automation in San Francisco. $GM PR link.

ConocoPhillips(PBR53) to sell San Juan Basin assets for $2.7 billion plus up to $0.3 billion contigent payment. $COP PR link.

Abbott Labs(PBR134 $ABT) gets FDA Warning Letter regarding cardiovascular medical devices manufacturing in Sylmar, CA, facility. FDA PR link.

Bristol-Myers Squibb(PBR185) gets separate deals with Biogen(PBR282 $BIIB) and Roche to license Anti-eTau and Anti-Myostatin compounds, respectively, includes combined payments of $470 million upfront plus milestone and royalties payments. $BMY PR link.

PVH(PBR328) announces licensing agreement with USA Legwear for Warner’s Socks and Hosiery. $PVH PR link.

Windstream(PBR426) to acquire Rye Brook, NY, based cloud-based unified communications for small/medium sized businesses provider Broadview Networks for $227.5 million cash. $WIN PR link.

Salesforce(PBR453) opens 2nd data center in Japan, to serve Japan and broader Asia-Pacific market. $CRM PR link.

Polaris Industries(PBR531) voluntarily recalling 51,000 model year 2015 Ranger 900s due to faulty fasteners on a heat shield and 3,800 2017 Sportsman ATVs for potentially faulty power steering unit. $PII PR link.

CIT Group(PBR608) hires John Fawcett as EVP/CFO, effective early 05/17, succeeds leaving Carol Hayles. $CIT PR link.

La-Z-Boy(PBR918) SVP & President/Brands Mark Bacon, Sr, resigns, effective 04/30/17. $LZB PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US March Producer Price Index was -0.1%, February was +0.3%, March 2016 -0.2%, last 12 months +2.3%. USDOL PR link.

The U of Michigan US April Preliminary Consumer Sentiment Index at 98.0, March was 96.9, April 2016 89.0. UMich PR link.

***Wednesday, April 12:

Walmart(PBR1) introduces Pickup Discount on 10,000 online items, expanding to over 1 million items by 06/30/17, offers discount on items and free pick up service or ship 2 day free, no membership required. $WMT PR link.

Lockheed(PBR64) gets US Air Force authorization extending service life of F-16’s from 8,000 to 12,000 equivalent flight hours, extends life of F-16 to at least 2048. $LMT PR link.

Qualcomm(PBR106) to refund $814.9 million plus interest and attorney fees to Blackberry related to royalties for certain past sales of subscriber units. $QCOM PR link.

NRG Energy(PBR186) begins deployment of 60 megawatts of commercial & industrial preferred resource programs in S California with its Ice Bear ice battery and NRG Lockheed(PBR64 $LMT) Martin Energy Efficiency Program. $NRG PR link.

Valspar(PBR526) to sell N American Industrial Wood Coatings business to Axalta Coating Systems(NYSE: AXTA) for $420 million, addresses US/Canadian regulatory concerns regarding $113.00/share, $11.3 billion acquisition by Sherwin-Williams(PBR251 $SHW). $VAL PR link.

CME Group(PBR664) intents to close CME Europe and CME Clearing Europe by end of 2017, clients prefer to use its US services. $CME PR link.

Domino’s(PBR889) opens store in Cyberjaya, Malaysia near capital Kuala Lumpur, 14,000th store worldwide. $DPZ PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says US March Receipts were $216.6 billion, Outlays $392.8 billion, Deficit $176.2 billion, YTD(6 months) Deficit is $526.9 billion. Treasury PR link.

The US Dept of Labor estimates US March Import Prices were -0.2%, February was +0.4%, last 12 months +4.2%. USDOL PR link.

International Monetary Fund‘s Managing Director Christine Lagarde says world economy is up for both developed and emerging countries, warns of protectionism. IMF PR link.

E*Trade(PBR930) Streetwise quarterly tracking study says investor bullish sentiment is at 63%, -2% from 1Q17 highs. $ETFC PR link.

Investing: You’re not too busy and it’s not too complicated: 5 simple tips for investing. MarketWatch PR link.

***Tuesday, April 11:

United Continental(PBR77) CEO Oscar Munoz apologizes for the forced passenger removal incident on United Express Flight 3411, promises to do better. $UAL PR link.

Loews Corp(PBR200) to acquire Atlanta, GA, based rigid plastic packaging manufacturer Consolidated Container Co for $1.2 billion from Bain Capital. $L PR link.

MasterCard(PBR291) gets UK regulatory approval for $920 million acquisition of 92.4% of UK based payments provider VocaLink, expects to close in a few weeks. $MA PR link.

Mylan(PBR346 $MYL) gets US FDA warning letter about manufacturing facility in India. FDA PR link.

NuStar(PBR673) to acquire crude oil transportation, pipeline gathering and storage assets in the Midland Basin of W Texas holder Navigator Energy Services for $1.475 billion. $NS PR link.

Scientific Games(PBR937) acquires private mobile and social game developer Spicerack Media, creator of Bingo Showdown, terms not disclosed. $SGMS PR link.

CarMax(PBR202) promotes Diane Long Cafritz to SVP & newly created position of Chief Human Relations Officer. $KMX PR link.

Coty(PBR524) hires Sean Foster as Global SVP/eCommerce, to oversee digital marketing in all 3 divisions. $COTY PR link.

The US Dept of Labor estimates US February Non-Farm Labor Hires were at 5.314 million, -2.0% from January, -2.4% from February 2016. USDOL PR link.

The US Energy Information Agency says 2016 US Crude Oil Production averaged 8.9 million barrels/day(mb/d), forecasts 2017 to be 9.2 mb/d, 2018 9.9 mb/d. EIA PR link.

***Monday, April 10:

Ford(PBR10) to invest $4.5 billion globally on 13 new electric vehicles over next 5 years, reveals industry’s first pursuit-rated hybrid police car in New York and Los Angeles. $F PR link.

AT&T(PBR12) to acquire Straight Path Communications, with its nationwide portfolio of millimeter wave spectrum, for $95.63/share, $1.6 billion. $T PR link.

Hackers hit Amazon(PBR29)’s third-party sellers in fraud blitz. MarketWatch PR link.

Wells Fargo(PBR30) investigation into retail banking sales results in $180 million in clawbacks from previous executives. $WFC PR link.

Qualcomm(PBR106) files Answer and Counterclaims to Apple(PBR5 $AAPL) lawsuit. $QCOM PR link.

SuperValu(PBR164) to acquire $3.8 billion/yr 6 distribution centers Unified Grocers for $375 million, includes $261 million in debt. $SVU PR link.

Penske Automotive(PBR170) gets its 9th US Mercedes-Benz dealership with acquisition of $250 million/yr Phoenix, AZ, based Schumacher European. $PAG PR link.

JCPenney(PBR234) says 50 additional salon locations are rebranding to The Salon By InStyle® this year, part of reinvention of 750 salons in the US, rolling out an online salon scheduling system, and offering incentives to attract nearly 4,000 stylists. $JCP PR link.

Avis Budget(PBR316) completes transaction to operate Budget brand directly in Poland, Avis brand already directly operated, terms not disclosed. $CAR PR link.

Lennar(PBR340) plans to take an up to $140 million charge in settlement over dispute in a 2008 purchase of a Maryland property. $LEN PR link.

KBR(PBR395) gets $435 million settlement pertaining to EPC 1 construction project executed for Mexico based PEMEX. $KBR PR link.

Newell Brands(PBR434) to sell its $87 million/year Pine Mountain fire starters & Diamond matches related units to Royal Oak Enterprises, terms not disclosed. $NWL PR link.

Abercrombie & Fitch(PBR595) announces wholesale agreement with Asia 800+ million members online fashion destination ZALORA. $ANF PR link.

Intl Flavors & Fragrances(PBR666) acquires Oregon based PowderPure with its patented Infidri drying technology to create all-natural food ingredients, terms not disclosed. $IFF PR link.

Knight Transportation(PBR977) and Swift Transportation(PBR547) to merge in all stock deal valued at $6 billion, to be called Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings, symbol KNX, companies to maintain distinct brands and operations. $SWFT PR link.

Parker Hannifin(PBR218) promotes VP/Controller & Acting CFO Catherine A. Suever to EVP/Finance & Admin/CFO, succeeds retiring Jon Marten. $PH PR link.

DaVita Healthcare(PBR302) hires hires Robert Lang as president/International. $DVA PR link.

AmTrust Financial(PBR564) hires and promotes several people to senior financial/treasury positions. $AFSI PR link.

Rent A Center(PBR657) chairman/founder/interim CEO Mark Speese now also CEO, had previously served as CEO from 10/01 until 01/14. $RCII PR link.

Jack in the Box(PBR987) CFO Jerry Rebel to retire in 2018, search for new CFO starts. $JACK PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR41) US March Renters Profile indicates that although their finances are better, renters are comfortable with continuing to rent. $FMCC PR link.

TD Ameritrade(PBR662) March Investor Movement Index(IMX) is 6.22, new high after February’s 6.15, investors continue to be actively engaged. $AMTD PR link.

***Friday, April 7:

The PBRMarketTools Week Ending 04/07/17 US Stock Exchanges Recap:
DJIA ends week at 20,656.10, -0.03% from last Friday/MTD/QTD, +4.52% YTD, -2.18% from record 21,115.55 set 03/01/17.
NASDAQ ends week at 5,877.81, -0.57% from last Friday/MTD/QTD, +9.19% YTD, -0.62% from record 5,914.34 set 03/30/17.
SPX ends week at 2,355.54, -0.30% from last Friday/MTD/QTD, +5.21% YTD, -1.69% fromrecord 2,395.96 set 03/01/17.

Merck(PBR70) receives Complete Response Letter from the US FDA for TECOS cardiovascular study with Sitagliptin. $MRK PR link.

21st Century Fox(PBR91) $14.8 billion cash acquisition of European entertainment 30,000 employee Sky plc gets European Union approval, needs UK approval to complete the deal. $FOX PR link.

Gilead Sciences(PBR107) gets US FDA approval for new indications for Harvoni® and Sovaldi® in pediatric patients 12 years and older with Chronic Hepatitis C Infection. $GILD PR link.

Carnival Corp(PBR184) authorizes an additional up to $1.0 billion share repurchase program. $CCL PR link.

Fifth Third Bancorp(PBR387) transfers EVP/Wealth & Asset Management Phil McHugh to EVP/Consumer Bank, succeeds leaving Chad Borton. $FITB PR link.

Netflix(PBR447) to promote Greg Peters to Chief Product Officer in 07/17, succeeds leaving Neil Hunt. Also, Chief Talent Officer Tawni Cranz is leaving. $NFLX PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US March Civilians Employed at 153.0 million, +142,000 from February, +1.7 million from March 2016, Unemployment Rate at 4.5%, February was 4.7%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US February Total Wholesale Sales at $464.9 billion, +0.6% from January, +9.9% from February 2016. USDOC PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Board estimates US February Total Outstanding Consumer Credit Outstanding at $3.792 trillion, +0.4% from January, +6.5% from February 2016. FRB PR link.

The Fannie Mae(PBR17) US March Home Purchase Sentiment Index at 84.5, February was 88.3, March 2016 80.2. $FNMA PR link.

FreddieMac says Total Multifamily Origination Volumes could increase by 3-6% this year, and even top $295 billion. $FMCC PR link.

***Thursday, April 6:

Amazon(PBR29) to create 5,000 new part-time, work-from-home Virtual Customer Service jobs over the next year, part of 30,000 part-time jobs plan over next year. $AMZN PR link.

Comcast(PBR42) announces Xfinity Mobile for its wifi customers. $CMCSA PR link.

Sprint(PBR86) introduces new unlimited data, talk, and text plans, $50/mo 1 line, 2 lines for $40 month/line, 4 lines for $30 month/line. $S PR link.

CarMax(PBR202) plans to open 15 new stores in fiscal 2018, 13-16 stores in fiscal 2019. $KMX PR link.

Allergan(PBR219) $56.50/share, $2.47 billion cash acquisition of ZELTIQ Aesthetics(NASDAQ: ZLTQ) expected to close soon after 04/27/17 ZELTIQ shareholders vote meeting. $AGN PR link.

VISA(PBR224) announces its VISA Checkout online service has 20 million enrolled customers. $V PR link.

WestRock(PBR278) completes $1.025 billion sale of its Home, Health and Beauty business to Silgan(PBR576 $SLGN). $WRK PR link.

Becton Dickinson(PBR318) gets FDA 510(k) clearance for BD FACSVia™ system flow cytometer system with Leucocount Reagent Assay used in residual white blood cell enumeration. $BDX PR link.

American Axle & Mfg(PBR602) completes $1.6 billion cash/stock acquisition of lightweight components for powertrain/suspensions manufacturer Metaldyne Performance Group(NYSE: MPG), assumes $1.7 billion in net debt. $AXL PR link.

HB Fuller(PBR870) authorizes up to $200 million share repurchase program for up to 5 years. $FUL PR link.

Gartner(PBR885) completes $77.25/share, $2.6 billion stock/cash acquisition of talent management insights provider CEB(NYSE: CEB). $IT PR link.

Coach(PBR496) moves Ian Bickley to newly created role of president, Global Business Development & Strategic Alliances, effective 07/02/17. $COH PR link.

Coach(PBR496) hires Joshua Schulman to newly created role of president/CEO of Coach Brand unit, effective 06/05/17. $COH PR link.

AAR Corp(PBR883) hires Dylan Wolin as VP, Strategy & Acquisitions. $AIR PR link.

Ruby Tuesday(PBR990) hires Jim F. Hyatt, II, as president/CEO. $RT PR link.

FDA allows marketing of first direct-to-consumer tests that provide genetic risk information for certain conditions. FDA PR link.

***Wednesday, April 5:

PPG Industries(PBR190) reiterates invitation to AkzoNobel to discuss combination of the two companies. $PPG PR link.

Joy Global(PBR590) $3.7 billion cash acquisition by Japan based Komatsu is completed. $JOY PR link.

SunPower(PBR680) evaluating strategic options for its joint venture 8point3 Energy Partners after partner First Solar(PBR630 $FSLR) says it is reviewing alternatives for the sale of its interest. $SPWR PR link.

Panera Bread(PBR768) to be acquired by JAB Holding for $315/share, $7.5 billion cash. $PNRA PR link.

Greenbrier Cos(PBR846) gets Tokyo based Mitsubishi UFJ Lease & Finance deal for more than $1.0 billion in railcar business in N America. $GBX PR link.

Varian Medical(PBR678) hires Gary E. Bischoping, Jr, as CFO, effective 05/08/17, succeeds retiring Elisha Finney. $VAR PR link.

The US Federal Reserve releases it FOMC minutes from the 03/14-15/17 meeting. FOMC PR link.

ADP says US March Change In National Employment was +263,000, February was +298,000, March 2016 +200,000. $ADP PR link.

The ISM US March Non-Manufacturing Index(NMI) is 55.2%, February was 57.6%, March 2016 54.5%. ISM PR link.

***Tuesday, April 4:

Boeing(PBR27) gets $3 billion order for 30 737 MAXs from Iran Aseman Airlines, includes purchase rights for an additional 30 737 MAXs. $BA PR link.

VF Corp(PBR232) to sell its Licensed Sports Group business to Fanatics, terms not disclosed. $VFC PR link.

Computer Sciences(PBR237) & Enterprise Services business of Hewlett Packard Enterprise(PBR55) complete merger, now called DXC Technology(NYSE: DXC). $DXC PR link.

Liberty Interactive(PBR263) to acquire General Communication(NASDAQ: GNCMA) for $32.50/share, $2.68 billion enterprise value, then split-off as GCI Liberty. $QVCA PR link.

Becton Dickinson(PBR318) completes acquisition of Israel based infusion pump systems manufacturer Caesarea Medical Electronics, had 40% stake with acquisition of CareFusion. $BDX PR link.

Ralph Lauren(PBR349) to close its 711 Fifth Avenue store in NYC, move to an e-commerce platform, explore new retail concepts, develop new store formats. $RL PR link.

CIT Group(PBR608) completes $10.4 billion sale of CIT Commercial Air leasing unit to Avolon Holdings. $CIT PR link.

Brinker Intl(PBR697) EVP/CFO Tom Edwards resigns, VP Investor Relations/Treasurer Joe Taylor is interim CFO. $EAT PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US February International Trade Exports YTD at $385.4 billion, Imports $477.1 billion, Deficit $91.7 billion, February 2016 YTD Deficit was $88.8 billion. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US February Manufactures New Orders were $476.5 billion, +1.0% from January, +2.5% from February 2016. USDOC PR link.

The PurdueU/CME US March Ag Barometer Composite Index at 124, February was 134, March 2016 85. PurdueU PR link.

International Economics: Rising energy prices continue to push OECD annual inflation upwards. OECD PR link.

***Monday, April 3:

McKesson(PBR6) completes $1.1 billion acquisition of private healthcare electronic prior authorization systems developer CoverMyMeds. $MCK PR link.

Amazon(PBR29) Web Services to open data centers in Sweden in 2018. $AMZN PR link.

UPS(PBR47) to offer Saturday pickup & delivery services to 4,700+ cities by holiday season, to hire 6,000 employees by end of 2018. $UPS PR link.

Intel(PBR51) completes spin-off of cybersecurity unit McAfee as a separate standalone company. $INTC PR link.

Peabody Energy(PBR372) has emerged from Chapter 11, to start trading on NYSE on 04/04/17 with stock symbol BTU. $BTUUQ PR link.

Avery Dennison(PBR396) gets global Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) partnership agreement with Target(PBR40 $TGT). $AVY PR link.

Newell Brands(PBR434) completes $470 million acquisition of New Zealand based food storage containers provider Sistema Plastics; completes sale of the Rubbermaid consumer storage business to United Solutions; to sell its small central European Teutonia baby stroller business to a private investor. $NWL PR link.

United Rentals(PBR438) completes $965 million cash acquisition of Chicago based 1,100 employee, 73 branches, $369 million/2016 general rental equipment company NES Rentals. $URI PR link.

Berry Plastics(PBR488) changing name to Berry Global on 04/13/17, new mission and values statement, keeps ticker symbol BERY. $BERY PR link.

Coty(PBR524) to acquire for around $160 million exclusive long-term global development, manufacturing, and distribution license for UK based Burberry Beauty luxury fragrances, cosmetics, and skincare products. $COTY PR link.

CA Technologies(PBR550) completes $614 million cash acquisition of private SaaS-based secure DevOps platform provider Veracode. $CA PR link.

Tesla(PBR651) delivers record 25,000+ vehicles in 1Q17, 69% over 1Q16. $TSLA PR link.

GoDaddy(PBR905) completes acquisition of European small business cloud services provider Host Europe Group. $GDDY PR link.

Group 1 Automotive(PBR276) promotes Daryl Kenningham to new position of president, US Operations, effective 05/01/17. $GPI PR link.

M&T Bank(PBR504) assigns additional duties held by deceased president Mark Czarnecki to vice chairmen Richard Gold, Rene Jones, & Kevin Pearson, promotions to EVP also named. $MTB PR link.

HCP(PBR834) president Justin Hutchens leaving 06/01/17 to be CEO of UK based Operator HC-One. $HCP PR link.

Griffon Corp(PBR890) Clopay Plastics subsidiary president Alan Koblin to retire on 09/30/17, its COO Ron Zinco to be successor. $GFF PR link.

Pier 1 Imports(PBR916) hires Alasdair James as president/CEO, effective 05/01/17. $PIR PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US February Total Construction Spending Annual Rate at $1.193 trillion, +0.8% from January, +3.0% from February 2016. USDOC PR link.

The ISM Report On Business US March Manufacturing PMI Index at 57.2%, February was 57.7%, March 2016 51.7%. ISM PR link.

The Markit US March Manufacturing PMI at 53.3, February was 54.2, March 2016 51.2. Markit PR link.

Automotive News estimates US March New Vehicle Sales at 1,554,998 units, -1.7% from March 2016, Annual Rate at 16,600,000 units. AutoNews PR link.

(Photo courtesy of ClipartFest.com)

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

The PBR1000 March 2017 Breaking News Recap

April 13, 2017 by admin

March 2017: Keeping Promises

Capital Building-Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee ID-100286160

President Trump needs Congress to help keep his promises. The Capital building is beautiful, but what happens inside can sometimes be very ugly.

By Larry C. Paxton

Once again most corporate, economic, government, and investing news in the month seemed to revolve around the early days and actions of a new US President and the US Congress. On the very first day of March the major US stock exchanges skyrocketed to new highs based on President Trump’s speech to Congress and the nation the night before. Throughout March the pace continued by President Trump carrying out, or trying to carry out, his campaign promises. There was controversy over his new executive order regarding immigrants, a new healthcare bill was introduced but failed to gain passage, a budget was introduced, A Supreme Court nominee was named and the path to confirmation has some possible potholes, N Korea continued to take worrisome actions, and the list goes on, some more are in the paragraphs below. A lot happened in March, but the ramifications will probably not be known or clear for some time and April looks like it will provide more of the same.

Here’s a quick March 2017 summary on key activities that relate to The PBR1000:

Mergers & Acquisitions: 26 deals worth at least $1 billion initiated, closed, or updated. Total transaction value was $306 billion.

Spinoffs: None

Share Repurchase Programs: 13 announced, total $13.6 billion.

Bankruptcies: 4 initiated or updated

CEO Changes: 9 announced.

Jobs: Modest growth.

US Economy: Modest/moderate growth continues, stable but fragile.

Federal Reserve Federal Funds Rate Changes: 1, +0.25% to 0.75-1.00%, more increases anticipated in 2017.

National: US House unable to pass new healthcare plan, Obamacare continues, proposed budget released, Trump/Germany’s Merkel meet, Neil Gorsuch nominated to Supreme Court, Russia vote meddling hearings.

International: Brexit formal notice given to the European Union, UK Parliament attack, oil price fluctuations, Middle East conflicts, refugee crisis, N Korea missile tests, European elections, climate change, US President Trump actions continue to be the headliners.

For more details here are The PBR1000 corporate and economic related breaking news items of interest with hotlinks to the sources for March 2017, starting with the last active business day.

***Friday, March 31:

The PBRMarketTools Week Ending 03/31/17 US Stock Exchanges Recap:
DJIA ends March at 20,663.22, +0.32% from last Friday, -0.72% MTD, +4.56% QTD/YTD, -2.14% from record 21,115.55 set 03/01/17.
NASDAQ ends March at 5,911.74, +1.42% from last Friday, +1.48% MTD, +9.82% QTD/YTD, -0.04% from record 5,914.34 set 03/30/17.
SPX ends March at 2,362.72, +0.80% from last Friday, -0.04% MTD, +5.53% QTD/YTD, -1.39% from record 2,395.96 set 03/01/17.

Johnson & Johnson(PBR37) declares $280/share, $30 billion cash tender offer for Swiss based pharmaceutical company Actelion(SIX:ATLN) successful, expects to close transaction in 2Q17. $JNJ PR link.

Pfizer(PBR56) gets FDA approval for its IBRANCE® (palbociclib) metastic breast cancer therapy. $PFE PR link.

DuPont(PBR82) merger with Dow Chemical(PBR48 $DOW) transaction close date amended to be by 08/31/17, first of three spinoffs to be Material Science. $DD PR link.

Mylan(PBR346) provides update on expanded worldwide voluntary recall of certain lots of EpiPen® Auto-Injector. $MYL PR link.

The Andersons(PBR525) completes sale of Florida farm center locations to Wedgworth’s, terms not disclosed. $ANDE PR link.

FMC Corp(PBR566) to acquire portion of DuPont(PBR82 $DD)’s Crop Protection business to satisfy European Union requirements for DuPont’s merger with Dow Chemical(PBR48 $DOW), DuPont to acquire FMC Health and Nutritiion, FMC to make a $1.2 billion cash payment to DuPont. $FMC PR link.

WhiteWave Foods(PBR624) $56.25/share, $12.5 billion cash acquisition by France based global food company Danone gets US Dept of Justice approval, transaction to close soon. $WWAV PR link.

Verizon(PBR15) announces new operating structure with focused in 3 areas, hires Hans Vestberg as EVP/Network & Technology, Marni Walden is EVP/Media & Telematics, John Stratton EVP/Customer & Product Operations. $VZ PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says US National Debt on 03/30/17 was $19.847 trillion, -0.4% from 02/27/17, +3.0% from 03/31/16. Treasury PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says US 1 Year Treasury Bill Yield on 03/31/17 was 1.03%, 02/28/17 was 0.88%, 03/31/16 0.59%. Treasury PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US February Total Personal Income Annual Rate at $16.439 trillion, +0.4% from January, +4.6% from February 2016. USDOC PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago estimates the 7th District February Midwest Economy Index at +0.27, January was +0.01, December +0.06. ChicagoFed PR link.

The University of Michigan US March Final Consumer Sentiment Index was 96.9, February was 96.3, March 2016 91.0. UMich PR link.

The MNI March Chicago Business Barometer at 57.7, February was 57.4, March 2016 53.6(>50 gaining). MNI/ISM PR link.

The AAA Regular Gas Average Gallon Price for 03/31/17 is $2.314, +1.1% from 02/28/17, +12.4% from 03/31/16. AAA PR link.

***Thursday, March 30:

ExxonMobil(PBR2) announces new oil discovery on the Snoek well offshore Guyana, part of Stabroek Block. $XOM PR link.

AT&T(PBR12) selected by FirstNet for 25 year $6.5 billion agreement to build & manage America’s first nationwide public safety broadband network dedicated to first responders. $T PR link.

VF Corp(PBR232) introduces 2021 strategic growth plan, authorizes $5 billion share repurchase program. $VFC PR link.

JCPenney(PBR234) to celebrate 100 years in Texas on 03/31/17 at a store in Wichita Falls, where the first store opened. $JCP PR link.

Celanese(PBR369) sues 3 Chinese high-potency sweetner competitors in Europe for patent infringement, seeks additional US patent rights. $CE PR link.

Rent A Center(PBR657) not renewing Acceptance Now agreement with Conn Appliances because of under performance, expires 06/06/17, involves 115 kiosks. $RCII PR link.

Analog Devices(PBR701) acquires private San Jose, CA, based broadband GaAs and GaN amplifier expert OneTree Microdevices, terms not disclosed. $ADI PR link.

Kaman Corp(PBR934) increases stake from 26% to 49% in India based advanced composite structures manufacturing joint venture with Kineco Ltd. $KAMN PR link.

Six Flags(PBR962) to repurchase $500 million of its common stock, does not anticipate pursuing an real estate investment trust structure. $SIX PR link.

Facebook(PBR228 $FB) Oculus unit co-founder Palmer Luckey leaves. TechCrunch PR link.

Vail Resorts(PBR908) hires Lynanne Kunkel as Chief Human Relations Officer, effective 05/15/17. $MTN PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says US 4Q16 GDP 3rd Estimate is +2.1%, $18.869 trillion annual rate, +1.0% from 3Q16, +3.6% from 4Q15. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Labor US Initial Unemployment Insurance Claims 4 Week Moving Average for 03/25/17 is 254,250, +5.5% from February, -5.1% from March 2016. USDOL PR link.

The US Energy Information Administration says US Crude Oil Stocks on 03/24/17 were 534.0 million barrels, +3.0% from 02/17/17, +6.0% from 03/25/16. EIA PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR41) says US 30 Year Fixed Mortgage Rate Average for 03/30/17 is 4.14%, 02/23/17 was 4.16%, 03/31/16 was 3.71%. $FMCC PR link.

The US Congressional Budget Office says Federal Budget Deficit at 77% of GDP, could rise to 150% by 2047 if no changes made. CBO PR link.

***Wednesday, March 29:

Amazon(PBR29) to open 2nd Houston area fulfillment center, 10th in Texas, to be 1 million sf, employ 1,000 fulltime employees. $AMZN PR link.

Intel(PBR51) promotes Aicha Evans to Chief Strategy Officer. $INTC PR link.

ConocoPhillips(PBR53) to sell its 50% interest in Foster Creek Christina Lake partnership interest and Western Canada Deep Basin gas assets to Cenovus for $13.3 billion cash/stock. $COP PR link.

Mylan(PBR346) completes acquisition of Cold-EEZE(R) brand with several OTC cold remedies. $MYL PR link.

Mylan(PBR346) reviewing Complete Response Letter from FDA not approving its generic of GlaxoSmithKline’s Advair Diskus® asthma medication. $MYL PR link.

HCP(PBR834) completes $1.125 billion sale of 64 properties leased to Brookdale Senior Living(PBR587 $BKD) to Blackstone(PBR352 $BX) affiliates. $HCP PR link.

LabCorp(PBR413) promotes Gary Huff to CEO/LabCorp Diagnostics, one of LabCorp’s two primary business segments. $LH PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US 4Q16 Assets at $23.917 trillion, Liabilities $32.026 trillion, Deficit $8.109 trillion, USDOC PR link.

International News: The UK officially notifies the European Union that it is leaving the organization, expects the Brexit process to take two years.

***Tuesday, March 28:

General Motors(PBR8) board rejects investor Greenlight Capital’s proposal for dual class stock structure and four board nominees for upcoming annual shareholder meeting. $GM PR link.

Ford(PBR10) to invest $1.2 billion in 3 Michigan facilities. $F PR link.

Amazon(PBR29) to open 1 million sf fulfillment center in Clear Brook, VA, to employ 1,000 fulltime. $AMZN PR link.

Amazon(PBR29) to acquire Middle East e-commerce leader SOUQ.com, terms not disclosed. $AMZN PR link.

Wells Fargo(PBR30) agrees to settle class action lawsuit regarding retail sales practices for $110 million. $WFC PR link.

American Airlines(PBR69), largest airline in the world, makes $200 million equity investment in China’s largest airline, China Southern Airlines. $AAL PR link.

Delta Air(PBR72) and Korean Air to implement a joint venture arrangement to grow trans-Pacific network serving 290+ destinations in the Americas and 80+ in Asia. $DAL PR link.

BlackRock(PBR252) investing in data science technologies as part of investment teams, segmenting into 4 active equity products. $BLK PR link.

Salesforce(PBR453) launches Financial Services Cloud Einstein for financial advisors. $CRM PR link.

Tesla(PBR651) gets $1.8 billion investment for 5% ownership by China’s Tencent internet company. $TSLA PR link.

Rent A Center(PBR657) adopts stockholder rights plan. $RCII PR link.

Regeneron(PBR708) & Sanofi get FDA approval of DUPIXENT® (dupilumab) Injection, the first and only biologic medicine approved for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. $REGN PR link.

AMC Entertainment(PBR728) completes $929 million cash acquisition of Sweden based largest Northern Europe 7 country region theatre exhibitor Nordic Cinema Group. $AMC PR link.

KB Home(PBR802) chairman/president/CEO Jeffrey Mezger rings NYSE opening bell in celebration of company’s 60th(Diamond) anniversary. $KBH PR link.

AIG(PBR46) announces Donna DeMaio rejoining company as EVP/Chief Auditor. succeeds Martha Gallo who is now CIO. $AIG PR link.

Caesars Entertainment(PBR314) promotes Christian Stewart to newly created role of EVP/Gaming & Interactive Entertainment. $CZR PR link.

Mylan(PBR346) hires former SEC commissioner Daniel M. Gallagher as Chief Legal Officer, effective 04/17/17. $MYL PR link.

Tailored Brands(PBR643) elects Dinesh Lathi as non-executive chairman of the board, succeeds William Sechrest who remains a member of the board. $TLRD PR link.

Treehouse Foods(PBR690) hires Moe Alkemade to be SVP/Chief Strategy Officer, succeeds Rachel Bishop who is now president/Snacks division. $THS PR link.

Itron(PBR896) EVP/CFO Mark Schmitz resigns, VP/Strategic Planning & Treasury Robert Farrow named interim CFO until successor found. $ITRI PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond says 5th District March Manufacturing Index at 22%, February was 17%, January 12%. RichmondFed PR link.

The Conference Board US March Preliminary Consumer Confidence Index(1985=100) is at 125.6, February was 116.1, March 2016 96.1. TCB PR link.

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller US January National Home Price NSA Index is 185.51(01/2000=100), December was 185.21, January 2016 175.23. CoreLogic PR link.

Fitch Ratings research indicates US auto insurer underwriting results tumble; return to profit a long haul. Fitch PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR41) US March Outlook says house pricing increasing faster than income, mortgage rates going up, expects mortgage originations to drop, cap 2017 home sales. $FMCC PR link.

***Monday, March 27:

Dow Chemical(PBR48 $DOW) and DuPont(PBR82) merger gets EU approval conditioned on divesting some business units. $DD PR link.

Macy’s(PBR97) to be exclusive US department store for G-III Apparel Group’s DKNY women’s apparel & accessories brand starting 02/18. $M PR link.

Computer Sciences(PBR237) shareholders approve acquisition of Enterprise Services business of Hewlett Packard Enterprise(PBR55 $HPE), to be called DXC Technology, will create $26 billion/yr global IT services company. $CSC PR link.

Ball Corp(PBR312) sells Hubbard, OH, 70 employee paint & general line plant to BWAY, was part of US Can acquisition in 2006. $BLL PR link.

Sealed Air(PBR344) to sell its Diversey Care division & food hygience and cleaning services units of its Food Care division to Bain Capital for $3.2 billion; increases share repurchase program by $1.5 billion, balance is $2.2 billion. $SEE PR link.

Darden Restaurants(PBR398) to acquire 165 casual dining locations averaging $4.4 million/year each Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen for $780 million cash. $DRI PR link.

Perrigo(PBR565) completes up to $2.85 billion divesture of muscular sclerosis drug Tysabri® royalty stream to affiliate of Royalty Pharma. $PRGO PR link.

GEO Group(PBR953) to do 3:2 stock split payable on 04/24/17. $GEO PR link.

Viacom(PBR212) hires Jim Gianopulos as chairman/CEO of its Paramount Pictures division effective 04/03/17. $VIA PR link.

Alexion Pharmaceutical(PBR840) hires Ludwig Hantson, PhD, as CEO, succeeds David Brennan who is expected to be appointed chairman on 05/10/17. $ALXN PR link.

***Friday, March 24:

The PBRMarketTools Week Ending 03/24/17 US Stock Exchanges Recap:
DJIA ends week at 20,596.72, -1.52% from last Friday, -1.04% MTD, +4.22% QTD/YTD, -2.46% from record 21,115.55 set 03/01/17.
NASDAQ ends week at 5,828.74, -1.22% from last Friday, +0.06% MTD, +8.28% QTD/YTD, -1.28% from record 5,904.03 set 03/01/17.
SPX ends week at 2,343.98, -1.44% from last Friday, -0.83% MTD, +4.70% QTD/YTD, -2.17% from record 2,395.96 set 03/01/17.

Tesoro(PBR71) $37.30/share all stock deal, $6.4 billion transaction, acquisition of Western Refining(PBR193 $WNR) approved by stockholders of each company, expects to close 1H2017. $TSO PR link.

SeaWorld(PBR948) gets long-term investment with Beijing, China, based tourism real estate firm Zhonghong Group acquiring the 21% equity stake held by Blackstone(PBR352 $BX) for $23.00/share. SeaWorld to also provide advisory services to Zhonghong. $SEAS PR link.

***Thursday, March 23:

Amazon(PBR29 $AMZN) wins $1.5 billion tax dispute with IRS. MarketWatch PR link.

GameStop(PBR294) 2017 plan includes opening 35 new Collectibles stores, 65 new Technology Brand stores, to close 2-3% of global store footprint. $GME PR link.

KKR(PBR332) completes $1.28 billion tender offer acquisition of Japan based power tool/life sciences equipment manufacturer Hitachi Koki. $KKR PR link.

KKR(PBR332) completes tender offer acquisition of 20,000 employees worldwide Japanese automotive components manufacturer Calsonic Kansei Corp. $KKR PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) acquires Novato, CA, based retail property/casual insurance broker Farallone Pacific Insurance Services, terms not disclosed. $AJG PR link.

Brunswick(PBR584) to close Bayliner & Sea Ray Joinville boat manufacturing facility in Brazil due to South America weak economy. $BC PR link.

Walt Disney(PBR57) extends chairman/CEO Bob Iger’s contract to 07/02/19. $DIS PR link.

Coca-Cola(PBR63) names Francisco Crespo to new position of Chief Growth Officer, Robert Long to Chief Innovation Officer, SVP/CIO Barry Simpson to report to CEO, Jennifer Mann to Chief People Officer, Bea Perez to Chief Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability Officer. Retirements announced include EVP/Chief Marketing Officer Marcos de Quinto, SVP/Chief People Officer Ceree Eberly, SVP/Chief Public Affairs/Communications Officer Clyde Tuggle. $KO PR link.

Macy’s(PBR97) board elects Jeff Gennette as president/CEO, succeeds Terry Lundgren who retains executive chairman role. $M PR link.

The US Dept of HUD says US February New Homes Sold Annual Rate at 592,000 units, Median Price $296,200, -3.9% from January, -4.9% from February 2016. HUD PR link.

***Wednesday, March 22:

Apple(PBR5) acquires iPad/iPhone automation tool Workflow. Techcrunch PR link.

Microsoft(PBR31) gets patent license agreement with Toyota primarily for connected car technologies. $MSFT PR link.

Philip Morris Intl(PBR35) to invest $322 million in Greek cigarette factory to convert to tobacco sticks producer for smoke-free IQOS, to make 20 billion tobacco sticks/year. $PM PR link.

Cisco(PBR60) completes $3.7 billion acquisition of private application performance monitoring developer AppDynamics. $CSCO PR link.

Merck(PBR70) Animal Health unit acquires controlling interest in privately held leading Brazil animal health products producer Vallee SA, terms not disclosed. $MRK PR link.

Sears(PBR93) CFO Jason Hollar reiterates company focus is on long-term profitability in response to some press regarding 2017 Annual Report comments. $SHLD PR link.

Medtronic(PBR133) receives FDA approval for CoreValve(TM) Evolut(TM) Pro Transcatheter Valve with Advanced Sealing. $MDT PR link.

Starbucks(PBR178) plans to create 240,000+ jobs globally(68,000 in the US), open 12,000 new stores(3,400 in the US) by fiscal year 2021. $SBUX PR link.

PNC Financial(PBR189) meets 30% Carbon Reduction Goal ahead of plan, reports results of 2016 Corporate Social Responsibility Plan. $PNC PR link.

PPG Industries(PBR190) makes revised proposal of $96.61/share, $26.3 billion cash/stock for European based specialty paints, coatings and chemicals provider AkzoNobel, gets rejected again. $PPG PR link.

Campbell Soup(PBR326) authorizes new up to $1.5 billion share repurchase program to start 05/01/17 with no expiration date. $CPB PR link.

Alaska Air(PBR454) to incorporate many Virgin America brand elements, phase out VA name in 2019. $ALK PR link.

Hologic(PBR767) completes $66.00/share, $1.65 billion cash acquisition of medical aesthetics systems developer Cynosure(NASDAQ: CYNO). $HOLX PR link.

GoDaddy(PBR905) to acquire website security products and services provider Sucuri, terms not disclosed. $GDDY PR link.

Williams Cos(PBR348) hires US Magistrate Judge T Lane Wilson as its SVP/General Counsel, succeeds resigned Sarah Miller. $WMB PR link.

HRG Group(PBR420) president/CEO Omar Asali to resign 04/14/17, chairman Joseph Steinberg to add CEO role. $HRG PR link.

Tailored Brands(PBR643) promotes EVP/COO Bruce Thorn to president/COO. $TLRD PR link.

Brinker Intl(PBR697) promotes Steve Provost to Chili’s Chief Marketing/Innovation Officer. $EAT PR link.

The Natl Assn of Realtors says US February Existing Home Sales Annual Rate at 5.48 million, -3.7% from January, +7.7% from February 2016. Realtor PR link.

***Tuesday, March 21:

Apple(PBR5) introduces iPhone7 & iPhone7 Plus RED Special Edition; new 9.7 inch iPad with Retina display; Clips app for creating videos. $AAPL PR link.

Amazon(PBR29) introduces Alexa with Prime Now to order items by voice and get 2 hour free delivery. $AMZN PR link.

Progressive(PBR145)’s Direct Insurance Company subsidiary selling its Australian business to The Hollard Insurance Company, terms not disclosed. PRG PR link.

Cummins(PBR146) to cut its global water use by 50% by 2020. $CMI PR link.

Marathon Oil(PBR250) to acquire 21,000 net surface acres in Permian’s Northern Delaware basin in New Mexico for $700 million. $MRO PR link.

AutoZone(PBR290) increases share repurchase program by $750 million. $AZO PR link.

SunPower(PBR680) to supply 31% of solar panels in projects awarded and 130 MW in solar capacity in 1st round of French tender. $SPWR PR link.

Cooper Cos(PBR950) increases share repurchase program by $500 million, has $618.5 million available with no expiration date. $COO PR link.

YRC Worldwide(PBR472) promotes Jason Ringgenberg to Chief Information Officer. $YRCW PR link.

CNO Financial(PBR559) promotes Mike Heard to President of Washington National, Gerardo Monroy Chief Marketing Officer, and Joel Schwartz as President of Colonial Penn. $CNO PR link.

Denbury Resources(PBR963) CEO Phil Rykhoek to retire on 06/30/17, board to recommend COO Christian S. Kendall as successor. $DNR PR link.

***Monday, March 20:

eBay(PBR163) to roll out 3-day or less guaranteed delivery for 20 million items. $EBAY PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) acquires Springfield, IL, based Nicoud Insurance Services, serves central US as property/casualty broker & employee benefits consultant, terms not disclosed. $AJG PR link.

Comcast(PBR42) promotes Dave Watson to president/CEO Comcast Cable, succeeds Neil Smit who becomes Comcast vice chairman on 04/01/17. $CMCSA PR link.

Avery Dennison(PBR396) elects Greg Lovins to VP/Interim CFO, retains Treasurer role, succeeds leaving SVP/CFO Anne Bramman. $AVY PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago US February National Activity Index(CFNAI) is +0.34, January was +0.02, February 2016 -0.17. ChiFed PR link.

***Friday, March 17:

The PBRMarketTools Week Ending 03/17/17 US Stock Exchanges Recap:
DJIA ends week at 20,914.62, +0.06% from last Friday, +0.49% MTD, +5.83% QTD/YTD, -0.95% from record 21,115.55 set 03/01/17.
NASDAQ ends week at 5,901.00, +0.67% from last Friday, +1.30% MTD, +9.62% QTD/YTD, -0.05% from record 5,904.03 set 03/01/17.
SPX ends week at 2,378.25, +0.24% from last Friday, +0.62% MTD, +6.23% QTD/YTD, -0.74% from record 2,395.96 set 03/01/17.

Walmart(PBR1) acquires women’s fashion and accessories online specialty retailer ModCloth, terms not disclosed. $WMT PR link.

Huntsman Corp(PBR244) to close remaining operations at its titanium dioxide facility in Calais, France, in 3Q17, affects 108 positions. $HUN PR link.

KKR(PBR332) and CDPQ to jointly acquire 4,400 US professionals in 140 offices USI Insurance Services from Onex, transaction values USI at $4.3 billion. $KKR PR link.

Bon-Ton Stores(PBR707) says NASDAQ to withdraw its deficiency notice, company meets minimum market value standard to continue to be listed. $BONT PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US December Average Hourly Wages and Benefits was $34.90, +2.2% from September, +3.9% from December 2015, USDOL PR link.

The Federal Reserve estimates US February Industrial Production Capacity was at 75.4%, January was 75.5%, February 2016 75.6%. FRB PR link.

The Conference Board says the US February Leading Economic Index was 126.2(2010=100), 6th monthly gain, highest in over a decade. TCB PR link.

The U of Michigan US March Preliminary Consumer Sentiment Index is 97.3, February was 96.3, March 2016 91.7. UMich PR link.

***Thursday, March 16:

3M(PBR92) to acquire 1,500 employees worldwide safety devices provider Scott Safety from Johnson Controls(PBR68 $JCI) for $2.0 billion. $MMM PR link.

Dollar General(PBR151) to open 1,000 new stores, relocate/remodel 900 stores in fiscal 2017. $DG PR link.

CenturyLink(PBR160) and to be acquired Level 3 Communications(PBR375 $LVLT) shareholders approve $66.50/share, $34 billion merger, expects to close by 09/30/17. $CTL PR link.

ConAgra Foods(PBR166) to acquire Thanasi Foods, maker of Duke’s® Meat Snacks and BIGS® Seeds, terms not disclosed. $CAG PR link.

PVH(PBR328) to acquire direct-to-consumer intimate women’s apparel e-commerce retailer True&Co., terms not disclosed. $PVH PR link.

Peabody Energy(PBR372) presiding Chapter 11 judge to confirm Plan of Reorganization, on track to emerge from Chapter 11 in early 04/17. $BTUUQ PR link.

Hyatt Hotels(PBR537) doing $300 million accelerated share repurchase agreement with Deutsche Bank affiliate. $H PR link.

AmTrust Financial(PBR564) delays 2016 10-K report, 2015 & 2014 reports being restated, should not be relied upon. $AFSI PR link.

hhgregg(PBR864) terminates Letter of Intent with anonymous party to buy its assets, has others to talk to during Chapter 11 reorganization. $HGGG PR link.

PharMerica(PBR911) acquires national CareMed Specialty Pharmacy, terms not disclosed. $PMC PR link.

Dollar General(PBR151) EVP/Chief Merchandising Officer Jim Thorpe to retire on 04/15/17. $DG PR link.

Ameren(PBR410) promotes Shawn Schukar to Chairman/President of Ameren Transmission subsidiary starting 05/01/17, succeeds retiring Maureen Borkowski. $AEE PR link.

PulteGroup(PBR428) hires Todd Sheldon as EVP/General Counsel, succeeds retired Steve Cook. $PHM PR link.

Knowles Corp(PBR990) hires Mike Polacek as president of it Intelligent Audio unit, succeeds retiring Paul Dickinson. $KN PR link.

The US Dept of Labor estimates US January Job Openings at 5.625 million, +1.6% from December, -1.5% from January 2016. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/HUD estimates US February Private Housing Building Permits Annual Rate at 1.213 million, -6.2% from January, +4.4% from February 2016. USDOC/HUD PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia says March Philadelphia Manufacturing General Activity Indicator is at 32.8, February was 43.6, March 2016 10.6. PhillyFed PR link.

International Data Corporation forecasts that the Augmented and Virtual Reality Headsets Market will grow from 10.1 million units shipped worldwide in 2016 to 99.4 million units in 2021. IDC PR link.

***Wednesday, March 15:

AT&T(PBR12) gets European Commission approval for $85.4 billion cash/stock acquisition of Time Warner(PBR103 $TWX). $T PR link.

Enterprise Products(PBR59) wins bankruptcy bid for $189 million for E Texas/N Louisiana midstream business and assets of Azure Midstream Partners. $EPD PR link.

Barnes & Noble(PBR408) authorizes up to $50 million share repurchase program. $BN PR link.

Pioneer Natural Resources(PBR476) to sell NE Texas Martin County acreage with 1,500 barrels of oil/day equivalent for $266 million. $PXD PR link.

NVIDIA(PBR510) partners with Germany based Bosch, world’s largest automotive supplier, to develop artificial intelligence self-driving systems for mass market cars. $NVDA PR link.

Tempur Sealy(PBR687) amends Rights Plan to add Qualified Offer Exemption Provision, to be voted on at 2017 annual meeting. $TPX PR link.

GoPro(PBR902) to restructure, cut 270 positions, on track for new hardware, software and international growth in 2017. $GPRO PR link.

Marathon Petroleum(PBR23) EVP/Corporate Strategy Randy Nickerson to retire on 04/01/17. $MPC PR link.

Peabody Energy(PBR372) promotes Charles Meintjes to new position of EVP/Corporate Services & Chief Commercial Officer; George Schuller to succeed Meintjes as president-Australia. $BTUUQ PR link.

Williams-Sonoma(PBR508)’s Pottery Barn Brands president Sandra Stangl resigning 03/31/17 after 23 years at company. Marta Benson promoted to president/Pottery Barn brand, Jennifor Kellor promoted to president/Pottery Barn Kids & PBteen brands. $WSM PR link.

The Federal Open Market Committee votes 9-1 to increase by 0.25% the US federal funds rate to 0.75-1.00%. Many financial institutions raise their Prime Lending Rate from 3.75% to 4.00%. FOMC PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US February Consumer Price Index-Urban was +0.1% from January, January was +0.6% from December, last 12 months is +2.7%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor estimates US February Current Average Earnings/Hr at $26.09, +0.2% from January, +2.8% from February 2016. $USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US January Manufacturers/Retail/Wholesale Sales at $1.359 trillion, +0.2% from December, +6.4% from January 2016. $USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce US February Advance Retail Sales Estimate at $474.0 billion, +0.1% from January, +5.7% from February 2016. USDOC PR link.

,p>
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York says the March Empire State Manufacturing General Business Index is at 16.4, February was 18.7, March 2016 -1.5. NYFed PR link.

The Natl Assn of Homebuilders says US March Housing Market Composite Index at 71, February was 65, March 2016 was 58. NAHB PR link.

***Tuesday, March 14:

Merck(PBR70) gets FDA approval for KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) for treatment of adult and pediatric patients with refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL), or who have relapsed after three or more prior lines of therapy. $MRK PR link.

Community Health Systems(PBR125) to sell 4 Pennsylvania hospitals to Pinnacle Health, terms not disclosed. $CYH PR link.

Medtronic(PBR133) gets FDA approval for Melody(TM)Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve (TPV) for implantation in patients whose surgical bioprosthetic pulmonary heart valves have failed. $MDT PR link.

Medtronic(PBR133) gets FDA clearance for Kyphon(TM) Xpede Bone Cement, a new bone cement indication for treating sacral fractures. $MDT PR link.

Parker Hannifin(PBR218) installs 30 MW 4 hour duration lithium ion battery-based energy storage facility, the largest in the world, in S California. $PH PR link.

Cognizant(PBR272) launches $1.5 billion accelerated share repurchase agreement with Barclays, Citibank, and UBS AG. $CTSH PR link.

Sonoco Products(PBR480) completes $230 million cash acquisition of thermoformed packaging for fruit/vegetables manufacturer Peninsula Packaging Co. $SON PR link.

NASDAQ(PBR618) announces NYIAX, world’s first advertising contract exchange, to transform ad inventory into standardized and durable securities in $72 billion US digital advertising marketplace. $NDAQ PR link.

Gap Inc(PBR179) hires Mark Breitbard as president/CEO of Banana Republic unit, starts in early May, succeeds Andi Owen who has left. $GPS PR link.

Universal Corp(PBR833) CFO David Moore returns from temporary medical leave of absence. $UVV PR link.

Revlon(PBR900) hires Serge Jureidini as president, Elizabeth Arden & Fragrances. $REV PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US February Producer Price Index was +0.3% from January, January was +0.6% from December, December +0.2% from November, last 12 months +1.8%. USDOL PR link.

Manpower(PBR132) Report: Global Job Outlook Improving as Employers in 39 of 43 Countries Report Positive Hiring Plans for Q2 2017. $MAN PR link.

Manpower(PBR132) Report: U.S. Employer Confidence Remains Positive as One in Five Plan to Increase Staff in Q2 2017. $MAN PR link.

***Monday, March 13:

Intel(PBR51) to acquire autonomous vehicle computer vision products developer Mobileye NV(NYSE: MBLY) for $63.54/share, $15.3 billion cash. $INTC PR link.

Travelers Cos(PBR104) to acquire UK based small business insurance policies distributor Simply Business for $490 million. $TRV PR link.

Staples(PBR122) to focus on N American business, selling its Australian and New Zealand business to Platinum Equity, terms not disclosed. $SPLS PR link.

Medtronic(PBR133) gets FDA clearance for Reveal LINQ(TM) Insertable Cardiac Monitor (ICM) with TruRhythm(TM) Detection. $MDT PR link.

Parker Hannifin(PBR218) celebrates 100th year of its founding and being an engineering innovator. $PH PR link.

JCPenney(PBR234) accelerates expansion of Home Services by testing 6 replacement and remodeling programs in select markets. $JCP PR link.

AGCO(PBR280) to acquire European balers and loader wagons forage division of Lely Group, terms not disclosed. $AGCO PR link.

Mylan(PBR346) launches Exemestane Tablets, 25 mg, a generic version of the reference listed drug, Pfizer(PBR56)’s Aromasin® Tablets, a post menopausal breast cancer therapy. US market is $100 million/yr. $MYL PR link.

NCR(PBR383) to acquire 49% of Blackstone(PBR352) stake, 14.4 million shares, extends lockup of 51% remaining balance for 6 months; increases 2017 planned share repurchase from $300 million to $350 million. $NCR PR link.

Ruby Tuesday(PBR990) to explore strategic alternatives, including sale or merger. $RT PR link.

Viacom(PBR212) promotes Kern Schireson to newly created position of EVP/Chief Data Officer. $VIA PR link.

Lincoln Financial(PBR213) hires Raj Chakraborty to newly created position of Chief Digital Officer. $LNC PR link.

Owens & Minor(PBR292) hires Stuart Morris-Hipkins as EVP/Global Manufacturing Services. $OMI PR link.

Hershey(PBR354) hires Mary Beth West as SVP/Chief Growth Officer, effective 05/01/17. $HSY PR link.

Under Armour(PBR668) hires Clay Dean as Chief Innovation Officer. $UA PR link.

Personal Investing: Investing and retirement investing attitudes results from Capital One(PBR116)’s Financial Freedom Annual Survey. $COF PR link.

***Friday, March 10:

The PBRMarketTools Week Ending 03/10/17 US Stock Exchanges Recap:
DJIA ends week at 20,902.98, -0.49% from last Friday, +0.44% MTD, +5.77% QTD/YTD, -1.01% from record 21,115.55 set 03/01/17.
NASDAQ ends week at 5,861.73, -0.15% from last Friday, +0.62% MTD, +8.89% QTD/YTD, -0.72% from record 5,904.03 set 03/01/17.
SPX ends week at 2,372.60, -0.44% from last Friday, +0.38% MTD, +5.97% QTD/YTD, -0.97% from record 2,395.96 set 03/01/17.

Stanley Black & Decker(PBR249) completes $1.95 billion cash acquisition of Tools business of Newell Brands(PBR434 $NWL). $SWK PR link.

Mylan(PBR346) launches generic of Pfizer(PBR56 $PFE)’s Pristiq tablets for major depressive disorder treatment, $853 million/yr US market. $MYL PR link.

HARMAN Intl(PBR456) $112.00/share, $8.0 billion cash acquisition by S Korea based Samsung Electronics(KRX: 005930) is completed. $HAR PR link.

Analog Devices(PBR701) completes $60/share, $14.8 billion stock/cash acquisition of high performance analog integrated circuits developer Linear Technology(PBR1011 $LLTC). $ADI PR link.

AMC Entertainment(PBR728) in compliance with the US Dept of Justice Final Order on AMC’s acquisition of Carmike Cinemas, reaches 20 year agreement for National CineMedia to provide cinema advertising at most legacy and future AMC theatres. $AMC PR link.

Viacom(PBR212) promotes Christa D’Alimonte to EVP/General Counsel & Secretary, effective 04/15/17, succeeds leaving Michael Fricklas. $VIA PR link.

Facebook(PBR228) to live stream at least 22 2017 regular season Major League Soccer matches in English on the Univision Deportes Facebook page. MLS PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says US February FYTD(5 months) Federal Government Receipts are $1.257 trillion, Outlays $1.606 trillion, Deficit $349.0 billion, February 2016 FYTD Deficit was $353.0 billion. Treasury PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US February Total Employed at 152.5 million, +0.3% from January, +1.0% from February 2016, Unemployment rate at 4.7%. USDOL PR link.

***Thursday, March 9:

Kroger(PBR20) approves incremental $500 million share repurchase program, balance is $620 million. $KR PR link.

Comcast(PBR42) completes acquisition of Icontrol Networks & its IoT Converge home security service, terms not disclosed. $CMCSA PR link.

Staples(PBR122) says it will close around 70 stores in N America, targets $500 million free cash flow in 2017. $SPLS PR link.

PPG Industries(PBR190 $PPG) unsolicited proposal of $87/share, $22 billion for European based specialty paints, coatings and chemicals provider AkzoNobel is turned down as undervalued. AkzoNobel PR link.

Stanley Black & Decker(PBR249) completes $775 million plus ongoing royalties acquisition of Craftsman Tools from Sears Holdings(PBR93 $SHLD). $SWK PR link.

Marathon Oil(PBR250) sells Canadian Oil Sands subsidiary to Shell/Canadian Natural Resources for $2.5 billion cash, to acquire 70,000 net acres in Permian Basin from BC Operating for $1.1 billion cash. $MRO PR link.

Avis Budget(PBR316) adds 11 US states to consumer used car sales program, now has nearly 40 states in program. $CAR PR link.

Ingredion(PBR415) completes acquisition of 120 employee rice starch/rice flour business of Thailand’s Sun Flour Industry Co, now has 870 employees, 4 facilities in Thailand. $INGR PR link.

Ulta Salon(PBR646) authorizes new $425 million share repurchase program, plans to open 100 net new stores in fiscal 2017, grow e-commerce sales by 40%. $ULTA PR link.

BE Aerospace(PBR748) stockholders approve $64.38/share $8.3 billion cash/stock acquisition by Rockwell Collins(PBR495 $COL), expects to close deal after regulatory approvals in spring, 2017. $BEAV PR link.

Marathon Petroleum(PBR23) promotes Rod Nichols to EVP/Human Resources, Health and Administrative Services. $MPC PR link.

AIG(PBR46) President/CEO Peter Hancock to resign upon appointment of CEO successor. $AIG PR link.

LKQ(PBR376) president/CEO Robert Wagman steps down for health reasons, CFO Nick Zarcone selected as new president/CEO. $LKQ PR link.

The US Dept of Labor estimates US February Imports Price Index was +0.2% from January, +4.6% from February 2016, Exports Price Index +0.3% from January, +3.1% from February 2016. USDOL PR link.

The US Federal Reserve estimates 4Q16 Networth of Households/Non-Profits is $92.804 trillion, +2.3% from 3Q16, +6.3% from 4Q15. FRB PR link.

***Wednesday, March 8:

GE(PBR9) to sell Water & Process Technologies business to France based Suez and Canadian Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec for $3.4 billion cash. Suez PR link.

Colfax(PBR517) to acquire Siemens Turbomachinery Equipment GmbH from Siemens AG for a cash consideration of approximately $205 million. $CFX PR link.

Scientific Games(PBR937) signs exclusive James Bond licensing deal with EON Productions and MGM. $SGMS PR link.

Bristol-Myers Squibb(PBR185) hires Dr. Tom Lynch, Jr, as EVP/Chief Scientific Officer, effective 03/16/17, succeeds retiring Dr. Francis Cuss. $BMY PR link.

The US Dept of Labor estimates US 2016 Labor Productivity Output/Hr-All Persons was +0.3%, 2015 was +0.8%, 2014 +0.6%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US January Wholesale Sales were $463.7 billion, -0.1% from December, +8.4% from January 2016. USDOC PR link.

The ADP US February National Employment Report says 298,000 jobs created, 104,000 from small businesses, 122,000 from medium sized, 72,000 from large sized. $ADP PR link.

The Conference Board US February Total Online Advertised Job Vacancies were at 4,537,613, -7.4% from January, -17.3% from February 2016. TCB PR link.

***Tuesday, March 7:

The PBR1000 February Snapshot 11
Top 5 Month Stock Price Gainers Summary:

1. Community Health Systems(PBR115), $CYH, +52%
2. AMD(PBR536), $AMD, +39%
3. Tronox(PBR808), $TROX, +38%
4. Kindred Healthcare(PBR343), $KND, +35%
5. SunPower(PBR912), $SPWR, +32%

Range: +52% to -57%
Companies >+0%: 651/1,000
Average: +2.51%
Median: +2.4%

Get the full Snapshot 11 list with many more details and the 14 other analytical snapshots today with a 2 month or significantly discounted annual The PBR1000 subscription! Subscribe link.

Penske Automotive(PBR170) acquires Jaguar and Land Rover dealerships In Paramus, New Jersey, from the Prestige Family of Fine Cars, generate $215 million revenues/year. $PAG PR link.

AutoNation(PBR148) EVP/General Counsel, Corporate Secretary, & Human Resources Jon Ferrando to retire 03/31/17. $AN PR link.

JetBlue(PBR429) announces 8 executive leadership promotions. $JBLU PR link.

Juniper Networks(PBR516) announces new organizational structure, appoints Kevin Hutchins to new position of SVP/Strategy & Product Line Management, engineering organization now reports to chief development officer Andy Athreya, EVP/GM Development/Innovation Jonathan Davidson has resigned. $JNPR PR link.

Coty(PBR524) hires Laurent Kleitman as President/Consumer Beauty, succeeds leaving Esi Eggleston Bracey. $COTY PR link.

Nu Skin(PBR756) hires Mark Lawrence as CFO, effective 03/27/17, succeeds Ritch Wood who will become CEO. $NUS PR link.

The US Federal Reserve estimates US January Consumer Credit Outstanding at $3.774 trillion, +0.2% from December, +6.3% from January 2016. FRB PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US January Exports were $192.1 billion, Imports $240.5 billion, Deficit $48.4 billion, January 2016 was $43.3 billion. USDOC PR link.

The US Energy Information Administration says 2016 US Crude Oil Production Average was 8.9 million barrels/day, forecasts 9.2 million b/d in 2017, 9.7 million b/d in 2018. EIA PR link.

FannieMae(PBR13) says US February Home Purchase Sentiment Index at 88.3, January was 82.7, February 2016 was 82.7. $FNMA PR link.

The PurdueU/CME US February Ag Barometer Index is 134, January was 153, February 2016 was 96. PurdueU/CME PR link.

***Monday, March 6:

ExxonMobil(PBR2) plans $20 billion of investments over 10 years to expand manufacturing in US Gulf region. $XOM PR link.

General Motors(PBR8) selling Opel/Vauxhall subsidiary & GM Financial’s European operations to France based PSA Group(Paris: UG) for $2.3 billion. $GM PR link.

GE(PBR9 $GE) and Baker Hughes(PBR108) receive expected second round of requests from US Dept of Justice regarding pending $7.4 billion merger deal, transaction still expected to close mid 2017. $BHI PR link.

Ross Stores(PBR253) opens 23 Ross Dress for Less and 5 dd’s DISCOUNTS stores across 15 states in February/March, part of 90 stores planned for 2017. $ROST PR link.

PSEG(PBR257) outlines 5 year $15 billion investment in energy infrastructure upgrade plans. $PEG PR link.

Advance Auto Parts(PBR279) 2017 plans include opening a new distribution center, open 75-85 new stores, hire 15,000+ team members. $AAP PR link.

Casey’s General Stores(PBR342) authorizes up to $300 share repurchase program over 2 years, fiscal year 2017 goal is to build/acquire 77-116 stores, replace 35 existing locations, complete 100 major remodels. $CASY PR link.

Peabody Energy(PBR372) names post chapter 11 emergence new board members. Reorganization plan hearing scheduled for 03/16/17. $BTUUQ PR link.

Peabody Energy(PBR372) has US reclamation bonding assurances in place upon emergence from Chapter 11. $BTUUQ PR link.

The Andersons(PBR525) to sell Florida farm center locations to Wedgworth’s, terms not disclosed. $ANDE PR link.

CA Technologies(PBR550) to acquire private SaaS-based secure DevOps platform provider Veracode for $614 million cash. $CA PR link.

Analog Devices(PBR701) gets final regulatory approval from China for $60.00/share, $14.8 billion stock/cash acquisition of high performance analog integrated circuits developer Linear Technology(PBR1011 $LLTC), plans to complete transaction on 03/10/17. $ADI PR link.

Universal Forest Products(PBR733) acquires certain assets of first operation devoted to hardwood products, Indiana based $30 million/2016 Quality Hardwood Sales, completes acquisition of Florida based $86 million/2016 treated wood products manufacturer Robbins Manufacturing. $UFPI PR link.

Applied Industrial Technologies(PBR787) acquires hydraulic and lubrication components, systems & solutions distributor Sentinel Fluid Controls, terms not disclosed. $AIT PR link.

hhgregg(PBR864) files for Chapter 11 Reorganization, expects smooth process to emerge in around 60 days. $HGGG PR link.

Barnes Group(PBR977) to acquire private Virginia based hot runner temperature and sequential valve gate control systems for the plastics industry supplier Gammaflux, terms not disclosed. $B PR link.

Wells Fargo(PBR30) hires Allen Parker as SrEVP/General Counsel, effective 03/27/17, succeeds retiring James Strother. $WFC PR link.

AIG(PBR46) promotes Martha Gallo to Chief Information Officer, succeeds Philip Fasano who has left the company. $AIG PR link.

Halliburton(PBR90) CFO Mark McCollum has left for a CEO position, EVP/General Counsel Robb Voyles adds interim CFO role, promotes Lyn Beaty to SVP/Finance. $HAL PR link.

CSX(PBR226) hires E. Hunter Harrison as CEO, succeeds chairman/CEO Michael Ward who has retired, shareholders to provide input on CEO compensation package, board reconstituted per agreement with investor Mantle Ridge. $CSX PR link.

Fitbit(PBR870) in reorganization hires Jeff Devine as EVP/Operations, Chief Business Officer Woody Scal & EVP/Interactive Tim Roberts leaving by end of March; to focus on two business areas, Consumer Health/Fitness and Enterprise Health. $FIT PR link.

Lands’ End(PBR976) new CEO Jerome Griffith starts today. $LE PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US January Manufacturers’ Total New Orders at $470.2 billion, +1.2% from December, +3.8% from January 2016. USDOC PR link.

***Friday, March 3:

The PBRMarketTools Week Ending 03/03/17 US Stock Exchanges Recap:
DJIA ends week at 21,005.71, +0.88% from last Friday, +0.93% MTD, +6.29% QTD/YTD, -0.52% from record 21,115.55 set 03/01/17.
NASDAQ ends week at 5,870.75, +0.44% from last Friday, +0.78% MTD, +9.06 QTD/YTD, -0.56% from record 5,904.03 set 03/01/17.
SPX ends week at 2,383.12, +0.67% from last Friday, +0.82% MTD, +6.44% QTD/YTD, -0.54% from record 2,395.96 set 03/01/17.

The February Non-Manufacturing ISM NMI Index is 57.6%, January was 56.5%, February 2016 was 53.4%(>50%=Growing). ISM PR link.

***Thursday, March 2:

McKesson(PBR6) has 70% stake upon completion of combining its Technology Solutions unit with IT services provider Change Healthcare. $MCK PR link.

Amazon(PBR29) to install solar systems on 50 fulfillment facility rooftops worldwide by 2020, 15 of those by end of 2017. $AMZN PR link.

Caterpillar(PBR54) issues statement saying it is cooperating with law enforcement authorities who entered 3 Peoria, IL, facilities, including headquarters, with search and seizure warrants. $CAT PR link.

Alcoa(PBR115) consolidates to 3 business units, Bauxite, Alumina, & Aluminum. Aluminum a consolidation of smelting, cast products, rolled products, and most energy segments. $AA PR link.

Office Depot(PBR182) retains Zimmerman Advertising as its advertising and media agency of record in 2 year agreement. $ODP PR link.

hhgregg(PBR864) to close 3 distribution centers and 88 stores to refocus on core markets and goals. $HGG PR link.

E*Trade(PBR930) lowers trade commissions rate from $9.99 to $6.95/trade, active traders(30+/qtr) have $4.95 rate plus $0.50/option. $ETFC PR link.

Alexion Pharmaceutical(PBR840) founder/chairman Leonard Bell, MD, to retire 05/10/17, Interim CEO David Brennan expected to be appointed chairman at that time. $ALXN PR link.

Cincinnati Bell(PBR981) CEO Ted Torbeck to retire on 05/31/17, Leigh Fox to be successor as president/CEO. $CBB PR link.

***Wednesday, March 1:

Marathon Petroleum(PBR23) drops down terminal, pipeline and storage assets to MPLX(NYSE: MPLX) for $2 billion cash/stock. $MPC PR link.

General Dynamics(PBR94) authorizes additional 10 million shares for repurchase program. $GD PR link.

McDonald’s(PBR101) unveils new global growth plan, to refranchise 4,000 restaurants in 2017, a year ahead of schedule, focus on digital, expand delivery services, to have 2,500 Experience of the Future restaurants by end of 2017. $MCD PR link.

Eli Lilly(PBR142) completes $46.50/share, $960 million acquisition of pain management for migraine developer CoLucid(NASD: CLCD). $LLY PR link.

Icahn Enterprises(PBR147) to keep Tropicana Casino & Resort in Atlanta City, selling the former Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort to investor group lead by Hard Rock International. $IEP PR link.

LKQ(PBR376) completes $310 million sale of its OEM glass manufacturing business to Mexico based Vitro SAB. $LKQ PR link.

AmTrust Financial(PBR564) completes $92.8 million cash acquisition of Pennsylvania/New Jersey workers’ compensation specialist $116 million/2015 gross written premiums firm AmeriHealth Casualty Insurance from Independence Health Group. $AFSI PR link.

Perrigo(PBR565) gets FDA final approval for generic version of Eli Lilly(PBR142)’s Axiron®(Testosterone) Topical Solution, 30 mg/1.5 mL. $PRGO PR link.

Fortune Brands(PBR569) authorizes new up to $300 million share repurchase program, expires in 2 years. Current authorization has $196 million available, expires early 2018. $FBHS PR link.

Monster Beverage(PBR785) authorizes new up to $500 million share repurchase program. $MNST PR link.

Beacon Roofing(PBR818) has 10 locations in Michigan with acquisition of 3 branches Eastern Michigan based ACME Building Materials. $BECN PR link.

CenterPoint Energy(PBR295) promotes Scott Doyle to SVP/Natural Gas Distribution, Joe Vortherms SVP/Energy Services. $CNP PR link.

The US Federal Reserve releases the Beige Book, modest to moderate economic growth, some tightening of the labor market. BeigeBook PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US January Total Personal Income Annual Rate at $16.371 trillion, +0.4% from December, +4.0% from January 2016. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US January Total Construction Spending Annual Rate at $1.180 trillion, -1.0% from December, +3.1% from January 2016. USDOC PR link.

The US February Manufacturing ISM Report on Business PMI Index at 57.7%, January was 56.0%, February 2016 was 49.5%. ISM PR link.

Automotive News says US February Total New Auto Sales were at 1,333,128 vehicles, +16.7% from January, -1.1% from February 2016. Auto News PR link.

(Photo courtesy of Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee, FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

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

The PBR1000 February 2017 Breaking News Recap

March 10, 2017 by admin

February 2017: Business As Unusual

ID-10094980 Order Chaos Buttons-Stuart Miles

Maybe the Green Button Should Be a Lot Larger.

By Larry C. Paxton

The highlight for February was President Trump’s speech the evening of the last day of the month to a joint session of the US Congress. During that speech he briefly addressed hot topics like illegal immigration, refugees, healthcare, infrastructure projects, personal and corporate income tax reforms, international trade, military preparedness, and a few other topics that could have a significant impact not only on people and businesses in the US, but worldwide. During his first full month President Trump has generated a lot of executive orders, made some interesting and often controversial appointees, and the Republican Congress has started introducing legislation based on Trump’s directives. These should not be surprising since he is doing what he promised during the presidential campaign. Now there is some not unexpected organized resistance building. Predictions are all over the place. Make yours, but also guard your wallet! One thing for sure, there will be changes in the way businesses are run.

Here’s a quick February 2017 summary on key activities that relate to The PBR1000:

Mergers & Acquisitions: 24 deals worth at least $1 billion initiated, closed, or updated. Total transaction value was $136 billion.

Spinoffs: 2 completed or announced.

Share Repurchase Programs: 28 announced, total $36.6 billion.

Bankruptcies: 2 actions

CEO Changes: 14 announced.

Jobs: Modest growth.

US Economy: Modest/moderate growth continues, stable but fragile.

Federal Reserve Federal Funds Rate Changes: 0, remains 0.50-0.75%, increases anticipated in 2017.

International: Brexit, oil price fluctuations, Middle East conflicts, refugee crisis, N Korea nuclear/missile tests, upcoming European elections, climate change, US President Trump actions continue to be the headliners.

For more details here are The PBR1000 corporate and economic related breaking news items of interest with hotlinks to the sources for February 2017, starting with the last active business day.

***Tuesday, February 28:

The PBRMarketTools February 2017 US Stock Exchanges Recap:
DJIA ends February at 20,812.24, -0.05% from last Friday, +4.77% MTD, +5.31% QTD/YTD, -0.12% from record 20,837.44 set 02/27/17.
NASDAQ ends February at 5,825.44, -0.34% from last Friday, +3.75% MTD, +8.22% QTD/YTD, -0.69% from record 5,865.95 set 02/21/17.
SPX ends February at 2,363.64, -0.16% from last Friday, +3.72% MTD, +5.57% QTD/YTD, -0.26% from record 2,369.75 set 02/27/17.

Target(PBR40) committing over $7 billion to enhance digital shopping, reimagine 600 stores, opening 130 small format stores by 2019, add 12 new exclusive brands. $TGT PR link.

Avnet(PBR100) adds $500 million to share repurchase program. $AVT PR link.

Staples(PBR122) keeps 15% equity in sale of $1.9 billion/yr European business to Cerberus Capital Management. $SPLS PR link.

Parker-Hannifin(PBR218) completes $83/share, $4.3 billion cash acquisition of filtration company CLARCOR(PBR983 $CLC). $PH PR link.

Ross Stores(PBR253) authorizes new 2 year $1.75 billion stock repurchase program. $ROST PR link.

Hershey(PBR354) strategy for future growth includes reducing global primarily hourly workforce outside of US by around 15%. $HSY PR link.

Oshkosh(PBR368) plans several activities and celebrations for it founding in 1917 and 100th year in business. $OSK PR link.

Charles Schwab(PBR409) lowers online equity/ETF trade commissions rate from $6.95 to $4.95/trade plus $0.65/option. $SCHW PR link.

LINN Energy(PBR484) emerges from Chapter 11 bankruptcy with $730 million in liquidity, debt reduced from $5 billion to $962 million. $LINEQ PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) acquires retail insurance broker Ace IRM Broking Group in Beenleigh, Queensland, Australia. $AJG PR link.

Orbital ATK(PBR655) authorizes additional $200 milllion share buyback, balance is $450 million, expires 03/31/18. $OA PR link.

TD Ameritrade(PBR662) reducing online equity & ETF trade commissions from $9.99 to $6.95, options pricing is $0.75/trade. $AMTD PR link.

Weight Watchers(PBR988) reports 2,621,100 subscribers at end of 2016, up 9.7% from 2015. $WTW PR link.

Waste Management(PBR206) elects board member Brad Anderson to chairman, succeeds deceased Bob Reum; VP Devina Rankin promoted to SVP/CFO. $WM PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce in 2nd estimate say US 4Q16 GDP Annual Rate remained at +1.9%, $18.856 trillion, +1.0% from 3Q16, +3.5% from 4Q15. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says 02/27/17 US National Debt at $19.931 trillion, -0.03% from 01/31/17, -0.23% YTD, +4.21% from 02/29/16. Treasury PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR41) US February Outlook examines how the US economy could be affected by which direction inflation goes. $FMCC PR link.

The Conference Board US February Consumer Confidence Index at 114.8(1985=100), January was 111.6, February 2016 94.0. TCB PR link.

The February MNI Chicago Business Barometer at 57.4, January was 50.3, February 2016 47.6(50=Neutral). MNI/ISM PR link.

The S&P Case-Shiller US December National Home Price Index is at 185.54(01/2000=100), November was 185.16, December 2015 175.29. Case-Shiller PR link.

AAA says 02/28/17 US Regular Gas Average Price/Gallon is $2.289, +0.7% from 01/31/17, +30.9% from 02/29/16. AAA PR link.

Gold(Electronic GCJ7 04/17) price at 02/28/17 close was $1,243. 40, +2.9% from 01/31/17, -0.1% from 02/29/17. GOLD PR link.

The Euro Price at the close of 02/28/17 was $1.0556, -2.2% from 01/31/17, -3.0% from 02/29/16. EURO PR link.

***Monday, February 27:

AT&T(PBR12) introduces new Unlimited Plus wireless and entertainment deals. $T PR link.

Johnson & Johnson(PBR37) completes $4.325 billion cash acquisition of Abbott Labs(PBR134 $ABT)’s Medical Optics vision care unit. $JNJ PR link.

T-Mobile(PBR95) customers with 2 lines or more get 3rd line free, or 3 lines for $100/month, starts 03/01/17. $TMUS PR link.

Avnet(PBR100) completes $2.6 billion cash/stock sale of global IT distributor Technology Solutions unit to Tech Data(PBR99 $TECD). $AVT PR link.

Spectra Energy(PBR422) $28 billion acquisition by Enbridge(NYSE: ENB) has been completed. $SE PR link.

Windstream(PBR426) completes $1.1 billion for 51% ownership of network services provider EarthLink(NASDAQ: ELNK). $WIN PR link.

Perrigo(PBR565) selling muscular sclerosis drug Tysabri® royalty stream to affiliate of Royalty Pharma for $2.2 billion cash plus up to $650 million based on future sales. $PRGO PR link.

SunPower(PBR680) starts construction on 56 megawatts Gala Solar Power Plant in Crook County, OR, to be largest operating solar facility in OR at end of 2017. $SPWR PR link.

Northrop Grumman(PBR113) promotes Janis Pamiljans to corporate VP & president, Aerospace Systems, effective 04/01/17, succeeds retiring Thomas Vice. $NOC PR link.

Allergan(PBR219) VP/Investor Relations Lisa DeFrancesco to leave for other opportunities after successor found. $AGN PR link.

M&T Bank(PBR504) president/COO Mark Czarnecki dies after extended illness. $MTB PR link.

Perrigo(PBR565) EVP/Business Operations/CFO Judy Brown leaving 04/01/17, SVP Ron Winowiecki appointed interim CFO; Svend Andersen promoted to EVP/president of Consumer Healthcare International unit. $PRGO PR link.

Olin Corp(PBR838) chairman Joseph Rupp to retire 04/27/17, president/CEO John Fischer to then add chairman role. $OLN PR link.

Kimco Realty(PBR982) promotes Ross Cooper to president & David Jamieson to COO. $KIM PR link.

***Friday, February 24:

The PBRMarketTools Week Ending 02/24/17 US Stock Exchanges Recap:
DJIA ends week at 20,821.76, +0.96% from last Friday, +4.82% MTD, +5.36% QTD/YTD, +0.00% from record 20,821.76 set 02/24/17.
NASDAQ ends week at 5,845.31, +0.12% from last Friday, +4.11% MTD, +8.59 QTD/YTD, -0.35% from record 5,865.95 set 02/21/17.
SPX ends week at 2,367.34, +0.69% from last Friday, +3.88% MTD, +5.74% QTD/YTD, +0.00% from record 2,367.34 set 02/24/17.

AES Corp(PBR171) and Alberta Investment Management Corp to acquire largest independent owner, operator, and developer of utility solar scale assets in the US( 1,274 MW) FTP Power from Fir Tree Partners for $853 million cash plus assumption of $724 million debt. $AES PR link.

JCPenney(PBR234) has net profit for 1st time since 2010, to close 2 distribution centers, 130-140 stores in next few months, offering early retirement to 6,000 eligible employees. $JCP PR link.

Hilton Worldwide(PBR262) authorizes up to $1 billion share repurchase program. $HLT PR link.

Wabash Natl(PBR917) authorizes an additional up to $100 million share repurchase program, balance is $115 million, expires in 2 years. $WNC PR link.

SunTrust Banks(PBR307) appoints 4 key executives to new roles, effective 04/03/17, in streamlining push. $STI PR link.

Flowserve(PBR492) EVP/CFO Karyn Ovelmen has left, VP/Investor Relations/Treasurer Jay Roueche III assumes interim CFO role during search for new CFO. $FLS PR link.

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

The US Dept of Commerce/HUD estimates US January New Family Home Sales/For Sale Annual Rate at 555,000 units, Median Price $312,900, -1.0% from December, +7.5% from January 2016. HUD PR link.

The U of Michigan says US Final February Consumer Sentiment Index at 96.3, January was 98.5, February 2016 was 91.7. UMich PR link.

***Thursday, February 23:

Merck(PBR70) to take $2.9 billion asset impairment charge in 2016 for Hepatitis Cuprifosbuvir study. $MRK PR link.

Sprint(PBR86) and Puerto Rico based 300 employee, 309 locations Open Mobile doing Puerto Rico & Virgin Islands joint venture. $S PR link.

Capital One(PBR116) in 10-K report says it withdrew its application for acquisition of Cabela’s(PBR606) credit card business due to regulatory issues, will re-apply when resolved. $COF PR link.

Stanley Black & Decker(PBR249) completes $725 million cash sale of majority Of Its Mechanical Security businesses to dormakaba. $SWK PR link.

Herbalife(PBR354) & Tianjin, China, 1,000+ patents, 18,000+ worldwide employees traditional Chinese medicine health products/services provider Tasly Holding Group to form joint venture within next 60 days. $HLF PR link.

LabCorp(PBR413) to acquire Spokane, WA, based 8 states lab services provider Pathology Associates Medical Laboratory from Providence Health & Catholic Health Initiatives, terms not disclosed. $LH PR link.

Spectra Energy(PBR422) $28 billion acquisition by Enbridge(NYSE: ENB) set to close 02/27/17. $SE PR link.

Rent A Center(PBR657) receives from key shareholder Engaged Capital a list of 5 nominees for 3 available board positions at next annual meeting. $RCII PR link.

Carter’s(PBR699) acquires global children’s products producer Skip Hop Holdings for $140 million cash & future performance payments up to $10 million. $CRI PR link.

Synopsys(PBR879) initiates $100 million accelerated share repurchase agreement by 05/27/17 with Wells Fargo(PBR30), follows $100 million ASR settled 02/16/17. $SNPS PR link.

Restoration Hardware(PBR915) authorizes up to $300 million share repurchase program, no expiration date. $RH PR link.

Hillenbrand(PBR962) adds $100 million to existing share repurchase program, balance is $129 million. $HI PR link.

Cigna(PBR85) promotes Christopher Hocevar to president/Strategy, Segments and Solutions; Michael Triplett to president/US Markets; Chief Medical Officer Alan Muney joins executive team; Eric Palmer to Deputy CFO, who will become CFO upon retirement of Thomas McCarthy this summer. $CI PR link.

Marathon Oil(PBR250) hires Dane Whitehead as EVP/CFO, starting around 03/06/17, interim CFO Patrick Wagner returns to SVP/Corporate Development & Strategy. $MRO PR link.

Celgene(PBR347) president/COO Jacqualyn Fouse, PhD, to retire on 06/30/17, Scott Smith being promoted to president/COO on 04/01/17. $CELG PR link.

Hershey(PBR354) incoming president/CEO Michele Buck names 8 person executive leadership team. $HSY PR link.

Wynn Resorts(PBR427) hires Craig Billings to be CFO starting 03/01/17, succeeds leaving Stephen Cootey. $WYNN PR link.

TeleFlex()PBR923) CEO Benson Smith to retire on 12/31/17, successor is president/COO Liam Kelly. $TFX PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US 02/18/17 Total 4-Week Moving Average Unemployment Claims at 2,069,000, -1.1% from January, -7.7% from last year. USDOL PR link.

The US Energy Information Administration says US 02/17/17 Crude Oil Stocks were at 518.7 million barrels, +6.2% from 01/20/17, +8.9% from 02/19/16. EIA PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago US January National Activity Index estimated at -0.05, December was +0.18, January 2016 was +0.12. ChiFed PR link.

Freddie Mac(PBR41) says US Average 30 Year Fixed Mortgage Rate on 02/23/17 is 4.16% with 0.5 points/fees, 01/26/17 was 4.19%, 02/29/16 was 3.62%. $FMCC PR link.

***Wednesday, February 22:

ExxonMobil(PBR2) reports 20 billion oil-equivalent barrels of proven reserves at the end of 2016. $XOM PR link.

Aetna(PBR49) to do $3.3 billion accelerated share repurchase program of 20.8 million shares through two dealers. $AET PR link.

TJX Cos(PBR96) plans $1.3-1.8 billion in share repurchases by 02/03/18, has done $18 billion since 1997. $TJX PR link.

Dollar General(PBR151) to build its 16th distribution center, a 750,000 sf facility, in Amsterdam, NY, to employ 430 when completed in Fall 2018. $DG PR link.

Carnival Corp(PBR184) joint venture in China orders 2 new cruise ships to be built in China with option to order 4 more ships. $CCL PR link.

DISH(PBR196) reports 2016 revenues of $15.09 billion, ended with 13.671 million Pay-TV subscribers. $DISH PR link.

Henry Schein(PBR270) Medical unit gets exclusive distributor agreement for Rijuven’s CardioSleeve digital diagnostic device for use by medical practitioners. $HSIC PR link.

AMD(PBR446) taking pre-orders for its high performance 8 core AMD Ryzen™ 7 desktop processors, to be available 03/02/17. $AMD PR link.

Greenbrier Cos(PBR846) manufactures its 100,000th intermodal double stack railcar unit at its Gunderson facility in Portland, OR. $GBX PR link.

TeleFlex(PBR923) gets FDA 510(k) clearance for US commercialization of TrapLiner Catheter for vascular therapies. $TFX PR link.

Community Health Systems(PBR125) president of Financial Services/CFO W Larry Cash to retire 05/16/17, SVP/Finance Thomas Aaron to be CFO successor. $CYH PR link.

Viacom(PBR212) Paramount Pictures unit chairman/CEO Brad Grey to step down, search starts. $VIA PR link.

Tesla(PBR651) CFO Jason Wheeler leaving in 04/17 for public policy position, 1st CFO Deepak Ahuja returns to Tesla and CFO role in 03/17. $TSLA PR link.

The Federal Reserve issues the Federal Open Market Committee report from its 01/31-02/01/17 meeting, says labor market strengthening, economic activity expanding at a moderate rate, still below 2% goal. FOMC PR link.

The Natl Assn of Realtors says US January Existing Home Sales Annual Rate was at 5.69 million, +3.3% from December, +3.8% from January 2016. NAR PR link.

Harris Poll releases its 2017 Reputation Quotient Ratings of 100 companies, Amazon(PBR29 $AMZN) is #1 with RQ of 86.27. Harris PR link.

***Tuesday, February 21:

Verizon(PBR15) acquisition of Yahoo!(PBR519) reduced by $350 million to $4.48 billion cash, will share liabilities related to Yahoo breaches, expects to close in 2Q17. $VZ PR link.

Amazon(PBR29) launches up to 1 hour restaurant delivery service for Prime members in Las Vegas area, over 100 restaurants taking part. $AMZN PR link.

UPS(PBR47) to start 6 day ground service, rolling out delivery & pickup services on Saturdays in major metropolitan areas. $UPS PR link.

Bristol-Myers Squibb(PBR185) names 3 new independent directors per conversations with investor JANA Corp, authorizes $2 billion accelerated share repurchase program through 2Q17. $BMY PR link.

PNC Financial(PBR189) to acquire the $1.1 billion US portfolio of commercial & vendor finance business of ECN Capital. $PNC PR link.

KKR(PBR332) to acquire up to 40% stake in Europe & the Americas 16,000 towers telecom infrastructure owner & service provider Telxius. $KKR PR link.

Terex(PBR357) authorizes up to $350 million share repurchase program, to start when current $70 million balance is used. $TEX PR link.

Ashland(PBR407) eliminates 2 executive positions and consolidates leadership in anticipation of spinoff of Valvoline this spring. $ASH PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) acquires Madison, WI, retirement plan/wealth management firm Kelly Financial. $AJG PR link.

Thor Ind(PBR616) subsidiary Heartland to expand recreational vehicle products manufacturing & pre-delivery inspection by 500,000 sf across 3 facilities by 2017 end. $THO PR link.

TSYS(PBR790) to provide its PRIME platform to International Bank of Qatar for Visa/MasterCard & debit card issuing, and ATM acquiring business. $TSS PR link.

Vail Resorts(PBR908) makes first acquisition on the East Coast, Stowe Mountain Resort in Vermont, for $50 million. $MTN PR link.

Tronox(PBR946) to acquire the TiO2 business of private global mining company Cristal for $1.673 billion cash/stock. $TROX PR link.

SeaWorld(PBR948), in preliminary 2016 report, says it had 22.0 million visitors, looking at a debt refinancing transaction. $SEAS PR link.

Macy’s(PBR97) CEO transition scheduled for 03/23/17, president Jeff Gennette to become CEO, Terry Lundgren keeps executive chairman role. $M PR link.

CSX(PBR226) Chairman/CEO Michael Ward & President Clarence Gooden to retire 05/31/17, Fredrik Eliasson appointed President. $CSX PR link.

JetBlue(PBR429) promotes Steve Priest to EVP/CFO. $JBLU PR link.

Navient(PBR443) hires Christian Lown to be EVP/CFO starting 03/27/17, succeeds Somsak Chivavibul who becomes EVP/Chief Decision Management Officer. $NAVI PR link.

E*Trade(PBR930) study of self-directed investors with at least a $10,000 account balance shows that nearly seven out of ten conservatives surveyed believe the new administration will benefit their retirement portfolio, compared to only three out of ten liberals. $ETFC PR link.

***Monday, February 20:

***US Stock Markets Closed.
***Federal Holiday: Presidents’ Day

Freeport-McMoRan(PBR128) provides update on PT Freeport Indonesian operations, unable to reach a new agreement with government, to reduce investment and workforce. $FCX PR link.

Kraft Heinz(PBR156) amicably agrees to withdraw its $143 billion acquisition proposal for Unilever plc/NV in joint statement. $KHC PR link.

Cincinnati Bell(PBR981) acquires Troy, MI, based regional network security, data connectivity, and unified communications provider SunTel Services. $CBB PR link.

Brown-Forman(PBR563) hires Rachel Barrie as Whisky Maker for BenRiach, The GlenDronach, and Glenglassaugh distilleries. $BFB PR link.

***Friday, February 17:

The PBRMarketTools Week Ending 02/17/17 US Stock Exchanges Recap:
DJIA ends week at 20,624.05, +1.75% from last Friday, +3.83% MTD, +4.36% QTD/YTD, +0.00% from record 20,624.05 set 02/17/17.
NASDAQ ends week at 5,838.58, +1.82% from last Friday, +3.99% MTD, +8.46 QTD/YTD, +0.00% from record 5,838.58 set 02/17/17.
SPX ends week at 2,351.16, +1.51% from last Friday, +3.17% MTD, +5.02% QTD/YTD, +0.00% from record 2,351.16 set 02/17/17.

Aetna(PBR49) adds $4 billion to share repurchases program, balance is $5.1 billion. $AET PR link.

AbbVie(PBR136) authorizes an additional $5 billion for its share repurchase program, no time limit. $ABBV PR link.

Kraft Heinz(PBR156 $KHC) proposes $49.61/share, $143 billion acquisition of Unilever plc/NV, which issues statement saying offer is undervalued. Unilever PR link.

Nordstrom(PBR214) authorizes new $500 million share repurchase program through 08/31/18, current authorization has $529 million balance, expires 03/31/17. $JWN PR link.

Bloomin’ Brands(PBR536) 4Q16 revenues down 4.3%, plans to close 43 underperforming restaurants. $BLMN PR link.

Perrigo(PBR565) gets FDA approval for Hydrocodone Bitartrate and Homatropine Methylbromide Oral Solution(syrup) for symptomatic relief of cough. $PRGO PR link.

TeleFlex(PBR923) completes $56.00/share, $1 billion cash acquisition of medical devices developer Vascular Solutions(NASDAQ: VASC). $TFX PR link.

Aerojet Rocketdyne(PBR969) promotes Jerry Tarnacki to SVP of newly formed Space Business Unit. $AJRD PR link.

The Conference Board US January Leading Economic Index at 125.5(2010=100), +0.6% from December, which was +0.5% from November, which was +0.2% from October. TCB PR link.

***Thursday, February 16:

AT&T(PBR12) expands access to unlimited data, 4 lines for $180/month. $T PR link.

Sprint(PBR86) announces 4 line unlimited talk, text and data family plan for $90/month, includes $0/month for 18 months iPhone7 upgrade. $S PR link.

Medtronic(PBR133) gets FDA approval for Freezor® Xtra Cryoablation Catheter for abnormal heart rhythm treatment. $MDT PR link.

Penske Automotive(PBR170) completes acquisition of UK‘s 5 locations $340 million/year used vehicles retailer CarShop. $PAG PR link.

BB&T(PBR277) breaks ground in Mauldin, SC, on $30 million 140,000 sf mortgage servicing center, to have 600 employees. $BBT PR link.

Live Nation(PBR366)’s TicketMaster unit acquires 1 million tickets sold/year Poland/Czech Republic based TicketPro. $LYV PR link.

Blackstone(PBR352) acquires majority stake in UK based global cloud enabler Cloudreach, serves mid-market & large enterprises. $BX PR link.

Spectra Energy(PBR422) gets FTC approval for $28 billion acquisition by Enbridge(NYSE: ENB), expects to close in 1Q17. $SE PR link.

Sonoco Products(PBR480) to acquire thermoformed packaging for fruit/vegetables manufacturer Peninsula Packaging Co for $230 million cash. $SON PR link.

SunPower(PBR680) to supply 64.4 megawatts of solar power panels for 7 La Compagnie du Vent France based solar power plants. $SPW PR link.

Tempur Sealy(PBR687) adds $200 million to share repurchase program, balance is $227 million. $TPX PR link.

Universal American(PBR882) shareholders agree to $10/share, $600 million cash acquisition by Wellcare Health Plans(PBR221 $WCG), expects to close in 2Q17. $UAM PR link.

Verisk Analytics(PBR943) acquires UK based Healix Intl automated medical risk assessment for the travel industry subsidiary Healix Risk Rating. $VRSK PR link.

Cree(PBR964) terminates $850 million cash sale of Wolfspeed Power and RF division to Infineon Technologies AG(FSE: IFX) due to regulatory national security issues. $CREE PR link.

Kate Spade(PBR970) reports 4Q16 &2016 results, no forward looking guidance because reviewing strategic alternatives. $KATE PR link.

Avnet(PBR100) president/Electronics Marketing Gerry Fay leaving; in reorganization regional presidents to report to CEO. $AVT PR link.

Ralph Lauren(PBR349) hires Jonathon Bottomley to newly created role of Chief Marketing Officer and Tom Mendenhall to new position of Brand President, Men’s Polo, Purple Label, and Double RL. $RL PR link.

Alaska Air(PBR454) hires Charu Jain as VP/Chief Information Officer, promotes Chris Berry to VP/Finance & Controller. $ALK PR link.

Diebold Nixdorf(PBR676) promotes Dr. Juergen Wunram to COO; president Eckard Heidloff resigning effective 03/31/17. $DBD PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US January Housing Permits Issued Annual Rate at 1,285,000 units, +4.6% from December, +8.2% from January 2016. USDOC PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia February Manufacturing General Activity Indicator is 43.6, January was 23.6, December 19.7. PhillyFed PR link.

Fannie Mae(PBR17) February Economic Forecast: Policy Uncertainty Remains at the Center of 2017 Modest Growth Expectations. $FNMA PR link.

***Wednesday, February 15:

Walmart(PBR1) acquires ecommerce outdoor retailer 400 brands Michigan based Moosejaw for $51 million. $WMT PR link.

Boeing(PBR27) S Carolina employees vote by 74% to not unionize. $BA PR link.

Johnson & Johnson(PBR37) to commence $280/share, $30 billion cash tender offer for Swiss based pharmaceutical company Actelion(SIX: ATLN) on 03/03/17, expires 03/30/17, may be extended. $JNJ PR link.

Johnson & Johnson(PBR37 $JNJ) to sell Codman Neurosurgery business to Integra LifeSciences for $1.045 billion cash. $IART PR link.

Anthem(PBR38) files suit against Cigna(PBR85 $CI) seeking a temporary restraining order to enjoin Cigna from terminating the $48 billion merger agreement. $ANTM PR link.

Time Warner(PBR103) shareholders approve $107.50/share, $85.4 billion cash/stock acquisition by AT&T(PBR12 $T), close planned by 2017 end. $TWX PR link.

Manpower(PBR132) acquires Ciber(NYSE: CBR) Spain unit. $MAN PR link.

Peabody Energy(PBR372) closes on $1.0 billion aggregate principal amount of secured notes, to be used in reorganization and emerging from bankruptcy. $BTUUQ PR link.

NVR(PBR533) authorizes $300 million share repurchase program. $NVR PR link.

Groupon(PBR652) adds 5.2 million net new customers in N America, has 31.1 million N America active users, 52.7 million globally, at end of 2016. $GRPN PR link.

Intl Flavors & Fragrances(PBR666) in 2016 report says it will reduce workforce by 5%, around 350 employees. $IFF PR link.

Hologic(PBR767) gets FDA PMA approval for Aptima® Hepatitis C Quant Dx Assay therapy. $HOLX PR link.

Carlisle Cos(PBR650) hires Bob Roche as VP/CFO. $CSL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US January Consumer Price Index was +0.6%, December was +0.3%, +2.5% from January 2016. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor estimates US January Average Currently Weekly Earnings at $894.40, +0.1% from December, +1.9% from January 2016. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US December Manufacturing/Retail/Wholesaler Sales were $1.356 trillion, +2.0% from November, +5.2% from December 2015. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce Advance Estimate of US January Total Retail Sales were $472.1 billion, +0.3% from December, +5.5% from January 2016. USDOC PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Board estimates US January Industrial Production % of Capacity at 75.3%, December was 75.6%, January 2016 75.7%. FRB PR link.

The New York Federal Reserve Bank says February Empire State Manufacturing General Business Conditions Index at 18.7, +12.2 from January, +33.2 from February 2016. NYFRB PR link.

The Natl Assn of Home Builders says US February Composite Housing Market Index is 65, January was 67, February 2016 was 58. NAHB PR link.

***Tuesday, February 14:

Amazon(PBR29) Web Services announces Amazon Chime online video/audio/chat/screen sharing meetings service. $AMZN PR link.

Proctor & Gamble(PBR33) gets SEC notification that The Vanguard Group owns 6.62% of outstanding stock. $PG PR link.

AIG(PBR46) authorizes additional up to $3.5 billion in share repurchase program, balance is now $4.7 billion. $AIG PR link.

Aetna(PBR49) to pay Humana(PBR58 $HUM) $1 billion in mutual agreement to terminate $37 billion stock/cash acquisition. $AET PR link.

Humana(PBR58) authorizes $2 billion share buyback program for 2017, $1.5 billion in 1Q17. $HUM PR link.

Cigna(PBR85) terminates $48 billion acquisition by Anthem(PBR38 $ANTM), seeks $1.85 billion reverse termination fee plus $13+ billion in damages, expands share repurchase program to $3.7 billion. $CI PR link.

T-Mobile(PBR95) has 2.1 million customer net adds in 4Q17, has 71.5 million customers. $TMUS PR link.

CenturyLink(PBR160) gets first regulatory approvals for $66.50/share, $34 billion acquisition of Level 3 Communications(PBR375 $LVLT) from Ohio & Utah; special stockholders meeting scheduled for 03/16/17; close planned for 3Q17. $CTL PR link.

CSX(PBR226) calls special meeting for 03/16/17 to seek shareholder guidance on certain extraordinary requests by investor Mantle Ridge & CEO candidate Hunter Harrison and his $300 million compensation package. $CSX PR link.

Air Products(PBR267) sends public letter of concern to Hong Kong based Yingde Gases board in response to recent public disclosures by Yingde. $APD PR link.

Dover(PBR343) completes $150 million sale of its Performance Motorsports International unit to Race Winning Brands. $DOV PR link.

Mattel(PBR412) to promote toys, learning resources & educational content to China’s Alibaba(NYSE: BABA) 440 million active e-commerce Chinese buyers. $MAT PR link.

Hologic(PBR767) to acquire medical aesthetics systems developer Cynosure(NASDAQ: CYNO) for $66.00/share, $1.65 billion cash. $HOLX PR link.

Williams Cos(PBR348) hires Micheal Dunn as EVP/COO, effective 02/27/17. $WMB PR link.

General Cable(PBR418) hires Shruti Singhal as SVP/President of Europe, effective 02/27/17. $BGC PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US January Producer Price Index was +0.6%, last 12 months +1.6%. USDOL PR link.

CoreLogic estimates US December Housing Serious Delinquency Units at 1,027,000, -0.5% from November, -19.5% from December 2015. CoreLogic PR link.

***Monday, February 13:

Verizon(PBR15) introduces unlimited data, calls, text plans, 1 line $80/mo, 4 lines $45/line, cellphone trade-in options. $VZ PR link.

Delta Air Lines(PBR72) to pay out $1+ billion to employees for third year in a row in profit sharing, on 02/14/17. $DAL PR link.

Delta Air Lines(PBR72) launches cash tender offer to acquire 49% stake in Grupo Aeromexico. $DAL PR link.

Dupont(PBR82) to split with spinoff Chemours a $670.7 million global settlement of 3,500+ personal injury claims arising from environmental releases of PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid and its salts) from the Washington Works plant in W Virginia. $DD PR link.

T-Mobile(PBR95) announces T-Mobile ONE new pricing, 2 line service for $100/month, includes taxes, compares to Verizon‘s $140/month before taxes. $TMUS PR link.

Dollar General(PBR151) opens 1st store in N Dakota, plans to open 6 more in 2017, now in 44 states. $DG PR link.

Lear Corp(PBR165) increases share repurchase program from $341 million balance to $1 billion, expires 12/31/19. $LEA PR link.

NRG Energy(PBR186) in agreement with 9.4% stakeholders Elliott Management & Bluescape Energy Partners names Lawrence Coben as Chairman, succeeds Howard Cosgrove who has left the board, forms 5 person ad-hoc committee to review business. $NRG PR link.

Allergan(PBR219) to acquire body contouring provider ZELTIQ Aesthetics(NASDAQ: ZLTQ) for $56.50/share, $2.47 billion cash. $AGN PR link.

CBRE(PBR301) acquires US 6 offices nationwide boutique commercial real estate finance and consulting firm Capstone Financial. $CBG PR link.

KKR(PBR332) to acquire TUI AG‘s UK based global high end experiential travel groups specialist Travelopia. $KKR PR link.

Dana(PBR382) to acquire US Manufacturing‘s Warren, MI, axle housing & driveline shaft manufacturing operations for $100 million cash. $DAN PR link.

Sonoco Products(PBR480) announces 10% price increase on expanded polystyrene products because of industry styrene production outages. $SON PR link.

AMC(PBR728) Stubs Reward Program now has over 6 million members, plans 3x growth over 12 months by this summer. $AMC PR link.

Macerich(PBR957) authorizes $500 million share repurchase program. $MAC PR link.

Terex(PBR357) hires John Sheehan as SVP/CFO, starts 02/27/17, succeeds leaving Kevin Bradley. $TEX PR link.

Vornado(PBR738) CFO Stephen Theriot to become CFO of spinoff & its merger with JBG SMITH Properties; Vornado EVP/former CFO Joseph Macnow named interim CFO. $VNO PR link.

Scientific Games(PBR937) hires Karin-Joyce Tjon as President/COO. $SGMS PR link.

CBL & Assoc(PBR998) promotes Katie Reinsmidt to EVP/Chief Investment Officer. $CBL PR link.

***Friday, February 10:

The PBRMarketTools Week Ending 02/10/17 US Stock Exchanges Recap:
DJIA ends week at 20,269.37, +0.99% from last Friday, +2.04% MTD, +2.56% QTD/YTD, +0.00% from record 20,269.37 set 02/10/17.
NASDAQ ends week at 5,734.13, +1.19% from last Friday, +2.13% MTD, +6.52 QTD/YTD, +0.00% from record 5,734.13 set 02/10/17.
SPX ends week at 2,316.10, +0.81% from last Friday, +1.63% MTD, +3.45% QTD/YTD, +0.00% from record 2,316.10 set 02/10/17.

Ford(PBR10) to invest $1 billion over 5 years in new artificial intelligence company Argo AI in development of autonomous vehicles. $F PR link.

Sears(PBR93) streamlining operations, expects to save $1 billion in 2017, to close 108 KMart & 42 Sears stores, evaluating strategic options for Kenmore & Diehard brands, Sears Home Services, & Sears Auto Centers. $SHLD PR link.

Interpublic(PBR350) announces new up to $300 million share repurchase program. $IPG PR link.

Blackstone(PBR352) acquires Aon plc(NYSE: AON)‘s technology-enabled benefits & HR platform unit for $4.3 billion plus up to $500 million based on future performance. $BX PR link.

Mead Johnson(PBR539) agrees to be acquired by global consumer health & hygiene company Reckitt Benckiser Group plc for $90/share, $17.9 billion(includes debt), to close in 3Q17. $MJN PR link.

Owens & Minor(PBR292) Chairman Craig Smith to retire 05/05/17, board intends to name President/CEO P Cody Phipps as Chairman. $OMI PR link.

Insurance Industry: Willis Towers Watson(PBR621) report says major natural catastrophe losses totaled $39.5 billion in 2016, highest since 2012. $WLTW PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says US January Receipts FY YTD(4 months) is $1.085 trillion, Outlays $1.242 trillion, Deficit $156.9 billion, January 2016 Deficit was $160.4 trillion. Treasury PR link.

The US Dept of Labor estimates US January Import Prices Index was +0.4% from December, +3.7% from January 2016, similarly Exports were +0.1%, +2.3%. USDOL PR link.

The U of Michigan US Preliminary February Consumer Sentiment Index is at 95.7, January was 98.5, February 2016 was 91.7. UMich PR link.

***Thursday, February 9:

The PBR1000 January 2017
Top 5 Shares Outstanding
(PBR Rankings by Revenues;
B=billions, M=millions):

1. Bank of America(PBR25), $BAC, 10.5B shares
2. General Electric(PBR16), $GE, 8.8B shares
3. Microsoft(PBR30), $MSFT, 7.7B shares
4. AT&T(PBR11), $T, 6.1B shares
5. Pfizer(PBR56), $PFE, 6.1B shares

Total The PBR1000: 374.4B shares
Range: 10.5B to 1.1M shares
Companies >1B shares: 75/1,002
Average: 373.7M shares
Median: 140.2M shares

Not a The PBR1000 Subscriber? Get the full The PBR1000 big business intelligence service with many more details in 15 insightful snapshots and 22 rankings today with an affordable investment in a 2 month or significantly discounted annual The PBR1000 subscription! Subscribe link.

Amazon(PBR29) to create 2,000 new full-time jobs at two new California fulfillment centers, making 12 in the state. $AMZN PR link.

Anthem(PBR38) comments on blocking of $48 billion acquisition of Cigna(PBR85 $CI) by US District Court, to work aggressively to complete the transaction. $ANTM PR link.

Kellogg(PBR198) US Snacks unit to exit Direct Store Delivery business. $K PR link.

AGCO(PBR280) makes tender offer of $7.03/share, $185 million for Brazil based grain storage & handling equipment manufacturer Kepler Weber SA. $AGCO PR link.

Symantec(PBR385) completes $24/share, $2.3 billion acquisition of LifeLock(NYSE: LOCK), creates world’s largest digital safety platform for consumers. $SYMC PR link.

Activision Blizzard(PBR540) reports 447 million Monthly Active Users in 4Q16, authorizes up to $1 billion over 2 years share repurchase program. $ATVI PR link.

Tempur Sealy(PBR687) adopts Stockholder Rights Plan, to expire 02/07/18. $TPX PR link.

Twitter(PBR786) reports 4Q16 Average Monthly Active Users were 319 million, +4% from 4Q15, 67 million from the US. $TWTR PR link.

Hexcel(PBR921) adds $300 million to share repurchase program, balance is $393 million. $HXL PR link.

Caterpillar(PBR54) EVP/Chief Legal Officer Jim Buda to retire 05/01/17. $CAT PR link.

SunPower(PBR680) promotes Bill Mulligan to EVP/Global Operations, succeeds leaving Marty Neese. $SPWR PR link.

Revlon(PBR900) hires Linda Wells to newly created post of Chief Creative Officer, effective 02/13/17. $REV PR link.

Radian(PBR978) hires Rick Thornberry as CEO, effective 03/06/17, to succeed retiring SA Ibrahim. $RDN PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US December Wholesale Sales at $464.9 billion, +2.6% from November, +6.8% from December 2015. USDOC PR link.

***Wednesday, February 8:

Anthem(PBR38)‘s $48 billion purchase of Cigna(PBR85) blocked by judge as anticompetitive. MarketWatch PR link.

Dow Chemical(PBR48 $DOW), Dupont(PBR82 $DD) tell EU they’ll sell businesses to get greenlight for merger. MarketWatch PR link.

Intel(PBR51) to invest $7 billion to complete Fab 42 semiconductor factory in 3-4 years in Chandler, AZ, to create 10,000 long-term jobs. $INTC PR link.

Energy Transfer Equity(PBR52) Partner’s unit receives Lake Oahe easement notice from US Army to complete 1,172 mile long Dakota Access pipeline. $ETE PR link.

Goodyear Tire(PBR157) spends $500 million for 16.7 million share repurchases in 2016, adds $1 billion to share repurchase program, balance is $2.1 billion. $GT PR link.

Cognizant(PBR272) agrees to replace 3 board members with 3 selected by key investor Elliott Management. $CTSH PR link.

Peabody Energy(PBR372) upsizes term loan from $500 million to $950 million, will have $1.95 billion long-term debt capitalization upon emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. $BTUUQ PR link.

USG Corp(PBR599) celebrates the 100th Anniversary of Sheetrock® brand wallboard. $USG PR link.

W.R. Grace(PBR625) authorizes new $250 million share repurchase program over 24-36 months, starts upon completion of $34 million balance. $GRA PR link.

Regeneron(PBR708) & Sanofi get appeals court stay of permanent injunction against Amgen(PBR135) for cardiovascular disease therapy Repatha/Praluent patent infringement. $REGN PR link.

Deckers Outdoor(PBR929) gets SEC notice that Marcato Capital owns 6.0% of shares. $DECK PR link.

Iron Mountain(PBR663) hires Fidelma Russo as Chief Technology Officer, effective mid 03/17. $IRM PR link.

IDC Technology Forecast: Worldwide IT Spending Forecast to Sustain Growth of More Than 3% Through 2020 Led by Financial Services and Manufacturing Industries. IDC PR link.

***Tuesday, February 7:

Kroger(PBR20) acquires cheese/charcuterie purveyor Murray’s Cheese, in 350 Kroger locations nationwide, terms not disclosed. $KR PR link.

Amazon(PBR29) says 33+ million customers in 170 countries used Amazon Payments in 2016, almost double from 2015, average transaction was $80. $AMZN PR link.

Amgen(PBR135) gets FDA approval for Parsabiv™ (etelcalcetide) for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) in adult patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on hemodialysis. $AMGN PR link.

Priceline(PBR319) to acquire leading European travel meta engine provider Momondo Group for $550 million, will report to KAYAK unit. $PCLN PR link.

ABM Industries(PBR478) agrees to $110 million class action settlement against its former Security Services unit. $ABM PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) acquires Visalia, CA, retail insurance broker/employee benefits firm Lewis & Associates. $AJG PR link.

Perrigo(PBR565) to add 5 independent directors to board per agreement with 6.7% sharesholder Starboard Value. $PRGO PR link.

Perrigo(PBR565) confirms patent challenge for generic version of acne therapy medication Onexton® Gel. $PRGO PR link.

Dynegy(PBR777) completes $3.3 billion, $378/kW acquisition of ENGIE’s US portfolio of 9,017 megawatts of generation capacity in New England area. $DYN PR link.

Waste Management(PBR206) issues statement on passing this past weekend of non-executive chairman Bob Reum. $WM PR link.

Autodesk(PBR773) CEO Carl Bass steps down as president/CEO, remains on board, interim Office of CEO formed as search begins with SVPs Amar Hanspal & Andrew Anagnost appointed interim co-CEOs. $ADSK PR link.

Greenbrier Cos(PBR846) hires Greg Bretzing as Director, Global Security/Special Projects, reports to CEO. $GBX PR link.

The US Federal Reserve estimates US December Consumer Debt Outstanding is $3.763 trillion, +0.4% from November, +6.4% for 2016. FRB PR link.

The US Dept of Labor estimates US December Job Openings at 5.500 million, -0.1% from November, +4.2% from December 2015. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US 2016 Exports were $2.209 trillion, Imports $2.712 trillion, Trade Deficit $502.3 billion. USDOC PR link.

The PurdueU/CME US January Ag Barometer Composite Index at 153, December was 132, January 2016 98. PurdueU PR link.

***Monday, February 6:

Occidental Petroleum(PBR123) says at end of 2016 it had worldwide proven reserves of 2.4 billion barrels of oil equivalent. $OXY PR link.

Lear Corp(PBR165) to acquire France based $324 million/yr 2,273 employee/contract workers in 14 facilities Grupo Antolin‘s automotive seating business for $308 million cash. $LEA PR link.

Avery Dennison(PBR396) to acquire China based $160 million/2016 industrial specialty tapes manufacturer Yongle Tape Company for $190 million plus up to $55 million earnouts. $AVY PR link.

Hasbro(PBR549) gets first year of $5+ billion revenues in 2016, returns $400 million to shareholders. $HAS PR link.

Abercrombie & Fitch(PBR595) to unveil new store concept, first in 15 years, with opening of first of seven stores planned in 2017. $ANF PR link.

Crown Holdings(PBR298) to promote Jerry Gifford to EVP/COO & Didier Sourisseau to President CROWN Europe, effective 04/01/17. $CCK PR link.

Tiffany(PBR551) CEO Frederic Cumenal steps down, chairman/former CEO Michael Kowalski adds interim CEO role. $TIF PR link.

Wolverine Worldwide(PBR722) hires Todd Spaletto as President/Outdoor & Lifestyle Group; promotes Jim Zwiers to EVP/Strategic Initiatives. $WWW PR link.

***Sunday, February 5:

***Super Bowl LI***
The New England Patriots win over The Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in a dramatic come from behind overtime win, with several records being broken. QB Tom Brady wins his 5th Super Bowl, 4th MVP. Lady Gaga is the featured halftime entertainment show.

***Friday, February 3:

The PBRMarketTools Week Ending 02/03/17 US Stock Exchanges Recap:
DJIA ends week at 20,071.46, -0.11% from last Friday, +1.04% MTD, +1.56% QTD/YTD, -0.15% from record 20,100.91 set 01/26/17.
NASDAQ ends week at 5,666.77, +0.11% from last Friday, +0.93% MTD, +5.27 QTD/YTD, +0.00% from record 5,666.77 set 02/03/17.
SPX ends week at 2,297.42, +0.12% from last Friday, +0.81% MTD, +2.62% QTD/YTD, -0.04% from record 2,298.37 set 01/25/17.

Energy Transfer Equity(PBR52) Partner’s unit gets FERC approval for Rover Pipeline Project, will transport 3.25 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas from Appalachian supply area to Michigan. 2 phase project to be completed by 11/17. $ETE PR link.

Pfizer(PBR56) gets accelerated $5 billion share repurchase agreement with Citigroup(PBR28)‘s Citibank. $PFE PR link.

Dollar General(PBR151) to create around 10,000 jobs in 2017, plans to open 1,000 new stores, 2 distribution centers. $DG PR link.

Computer Sciences(PBR237) announces board of new company to be formed on 04/03/17 with merger of CSC & Enterprise Services segment of HP Enterprises, will create a $26 billion/yr global IT services company. $CSC PR link.

Williams Cos(PBR348) Partners unit gets FERC approval for nearly $3 billion Atlantic Sunrise 200 mile pipeline project, will transport natural gas from Pennsylvania to Mid-Atlantic/Southeastern states. $WMB PR link.

hhgregg(PBR864) gets listing non-compliance notice from NYSE, market capitalization under $50 million, stock trading under $1/share. $HGG PR link.

The US Dept of Labor estimates the US January Civilian Non-Farm Employed at 152,081,000 people, -0.02% from December, +1.03% from January 2016. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US December Manufacturers’ New Orders were $464.9 billion, +1.3% from November, +3.6% from December 2015. USDOC PR link.

The Markit US January Composite PMI Output Index is 55.8, December was 54.1, November 54.9. Markit PR link.

The ISM US January Non-Manufacturing Index(NMI) is at 56.5%, December was 57.2%, January 2016 53.5%. ISM PR link.

***Thursday, February 2:

Dow Chemical(PBR48) agrees to divest its global Ethylene Acrylic Acid (EAA) copolymers and ionomers business to SK Global Chemical upon its merger with DuPont(PBR82 $DD) as part of regulatory requirement. $DOW PR link.

Abbott Labs(PBR134) gets FDA approval for emergency use for first whole blood molecular test for Zika virus. $ABT PR link.

Bristol-Myers Squibb(PBR185) gets FDA approval for Opdivo (nivolumab) as a bladder cancer therapy . $BMY PR link.

CBS(PBR210) to merge Radio unit with Entercom Communications(NYSE: ETM) in stock deal, create $1.7 billion/year 244 stations company. $CBS PR link.

L Brands(PBR247) authorizes new $250 million share repurchase program, repurchased $438 million in 2016. $LB PR link.

Dana(PBR382) completes 80% acquisition of 2,300 employee, $419 million/2015 power-transmission, fluid power businesses of Europe’s Brevini Group SpA, to buy remaining 20% by 2020. $DAN PR link.

Amkor Technology(PBR659) to acquire Portugal based 550 employees $40 million/2016 wafer-level fan-out (WLFO) semiconductor packaging manufacturer NANIUM. $AMKR PR link.

Dynegy(PBR777)/Energy Capital Partners gets FERC okay to complete $3.3 billion, $378/KW acquisition of ENGIE‘s US portfolio of 9,017 megawatts of generation capacity in New England area. $DYN PR link.

Dynegy(PBR777) indirect wholly owned subsidiary Illinois Power Generating Co emerges from Chapter 11 restructuring. $DYN PR link.

Carpenter Technology(PBR856) to acquire all assets of W Virginia based titanium powders producer Puris for $35 million. $CRS PR link.

La-Z-Boy(PBR918) to build new $26 million, 70,000 sf Innovation Center at its 1.2 million sf Dayton, TN, campus, its largest US manufacturing location with 1,400 employees. $LZB PR link.

MDC Holdings(PBR952), parent of Richmond American, celebrates 40 years of building single family homes, has built 190,000. $MDC PR link.

Micron Technology(PBR180) CEO Mark Durcan to retire upon appointment of new CEO, search committee formed. $MU PR link.

Tenneco(PBR321) chairman/CEO Gregg Sherrill to become executive chairman on 05/17/17, COO Brian Kesseler to become CEO. $TEN PR link.

Ralph Lauren(PBR349) president/CEO Stefan Larsson leaving on 05/01/17 because of creative differences. $RL PR link.

Ingredion(PBR415) EVP/CFO Jack Fortnum to retire on 06/30/17 after 33 years with company, successor will be Jim Gray. $INGR PR link.

Boston Beer(PBR1004) CEO Martin Roper to retire in 2018 after 17+ years, successor search starts. $SAM PR link.

The US Dept of Labor estimates US 4Q16 Business Sector Productivity Output was +2.0%, +0.3% for 2016. USDOL PR link.

***Wednesday, February 1:

The PBR1000 January/YTD Snapshot 11
Top 5 Stock Price Gainers Summary:

1. Republic Airways(PBR955), $RJETQ, +333%
2. Aeropostale(PBR921), $AROPQ, +261%
3. Allegheny Technology(PBR559), $ATI, +36%
4. NRG Energy(PBR179), $NRG, +35%
5. Alcoa(PBR116), $AA, +30%

Range: +333% to -62%
Companies >+0%: 610/1,004
Average: +1.88%
Median: +1.28%

Get the full Snapshot 11 list with many more details and the 14 other analytical snapshots today with a 2 month or significantly reduced annual The PBR1000 subscription! Subscribe link.

Apple(PBR5) reclaims top spot over Samsung in 2016 for smartphone shipments says IDC, shipped 78.3 million iPhones in 4Q16, +4.7% over 4Q15. IDC PR link.

Verizon(PBR15) completes $1.8 billion purchase of XO Communications’ fiber-optic network business. $VZ PR link.

Abbott Labs(PBR134) gets FDA approval for Assurity MRI-TM Pacemaker, worlds smallest longest lasting wireless MRI compatible pacemaker. $ABT PR link.

HollyFrontier(PBR140) completes $845 million acquisition of Suncor Energy‘s 15,600 barrels/day Group III base oils Petro-Canada Lubricants business. $HFC PR link.

Parker-Hannifin(PBR218) acquires Enumclaw, WA, based $75 million/2016 300 employees helical rotary actuators manufacturer Helac. $PH PR link.

Allergan(PBR219) completes $2.9 billion acquisition of Acelity LP‘s regenerative medicine company LifeCell Corporation. $AGN PR link.

ONEOK(PBR236) to acquire all remaining common stock it does not already own in ONEOK Partners(NYSE: OKS) for $9.3 billion in all stock deal. $OKE PR link.

BlackRock(PBR252) acquires energy infrastructure franchise from First Reserve, has has $3.7 billion in committed capital. $BLK PR link.

Biogen(PBR282) completes spinoff of global hemophilia business Bioverativ(NASDAQ: BIVV). $BIIB PR link.

Tenneco(PBR321) authorizes new $400 million shares repurchase program over 3 years. $TEN PR link.

Celanese(PBR369) to expand global nylon solutions presence with acquisition of Nilit‘s nylon compounding Plastics division, terms not disclosed. $CE PR link.

Peabody Energy(PBR372) to offer up to $1.0 billion of senior secured notes to be used to fund a portion of distribution to creditors upon approval of reorganization plan. $BTUUQ PR link.

FIS(PBR394) completes $850 million sale of SunGard Public Sector and Education businesses to Vista Equity Partners. $FIS PR link.

Coty(PBR524) completes $600 million acquisition of 60% stake in online peer-to-peer social selling platform in beauty provider Younique. $COTY PR link.

Activision Blizzard(PBR540) creates new Consumer Products Division, hires Tim Kilpin as its CEO & president. $ATVI PR link.

Tesla(PBR651) changes name from Tesla Motors, Inc to Tesla, Inc. $TSLA PR link.

Citrix(PBR658) completes $65.31/share, $1.8 billion spin-off and merger deal of GoTo family of service offerings with LogMeIn(NASDAQ: LOGM). $CTXS PR link.

Apollo Education(PBR681) $1.14 billion acquisition by investor group lead by Apollo Global Mgmt(PBR906 $APO) is completed. $APOL PR link.

WABCO(PBR704) extends longterm agreement to provide advanced braking systems to Russia’s largest heavy duty vehicle manufacturer KAZAM. $WBC PR link.

Chemtura(PBR849) stockholders approve $33.50/share, $2.5 billion cash acquisition by Germany based global specialty chemicals company LANXESS AG, to close mid 2017. $CHMT PR link.

Berry Plastics(PBR488) promotes president/COO Tom Salmon to CEO, effective 02/03/17, succeeds Jon Rich who remains Executive Chairman. $BERY PR link.

Triumph Group(PBR578) hires Gary Tenison as VP/Business Development, effective 02/13/17. $TGI PR link.

Abercrombie & Fitch(PBR595) promotes president/Chief Merchandising Officer Fran Horowitz to CEO. EVP/CFO Joanne Crevoiserat adds COO role. $ANF PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US December New Construction Spending Annual Rate at $1.182 trillion, -0.3% from November, +4.94% from December 2015. USDOC PR link.

ADP(PBR235) says US January Change In Employment was +247,000, 46,000 from Goods Producing Sector, 201,000 from Services Sector. $ADP PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Board releases its FOMC statement from the 01/31-02/01/17 meeting, notes labor market continues to strengthen, economy growing at a moderate pace, will keep federal funds rate at 0.50-0.75%. FRB PR link.

The Conference Board says US January New Online Help Wanted Ads were 2,248,702, +4.3% from December, -11.9% from January 2016. TCB PR link.

The ISM US January PMI was 56.0%, December was 54.5%, January 2015 was 48.2%. ISM PR link.

The Markit US January Manufacturing PMI was 55.0, December was 54.3, November 54.1. Markit PR link.

TrueCar estimates US January New Auto Sales were at $37 billion, +1.6% from January 2015, Average Transaction Price at $33,127, +1.4% YoY. $TRUE PR link.

Automotive News says US January New Auto Sales were 1,142,568 units, -32.3% from December, -1.9% from January 2016. AutoNews PR link.

(Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles, FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

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

The PBR1000 January 2017 Breaking News Recap

February 10, 2017 by admin

January 2017: The Big Ball Gets Rolling

Business Sphere ID-100278111-Stuart Miles

Which way will the Big Ball roll? How will it overcome the inevitable obstacles?

By Larry C. Paxton

January’s focus by the US and the world was clearly on US President-Elect Trump and he did not disappoint. On January 20th he officially became President and came charging out of the gate with many controversial executive orders, ongoing nominations of accomplished people with strong opinions, and continuing to baffle everyone through his use of social media, especially Twitter. So the Big Ball is now rolling. Let’s see how it handles the dips, hills, water hazards, and unanticipated obstacles as it rolls through its first term knowing that it will definitely not be in a straight line.

Here’s a quick January 2017 summary on key activities that relate to The PBR1000:

US Presidency: Donald J. Trump is inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States on Friday, January 20, 2017. Cabinet appointees are being confirmed, being announced, heavy emphasis on business experience, major policy changes expected in healthcare, immigration, infrastructure programs, and international trade.

Mergers & Acquisitions: 32 deals worth at least $1 billion initiated, closed, or updated. Total transaction value is $234 billion.

Spinoffs: 4 completed or announced.

Share Repurchase Programs: 16 announced, total $27.8 billion.

Bankruptcies: 4 actions

CEO Changes: 7 announced.

Jobs: Modest growth.

US Economy: Modest/moderate growth continues, stable but fragile, significant growth in eCommerce, retail outlets down.

Federal Reserve Federal Funds Rate Changes: 0, remains 0.50-0.75%, increases anticipated in 2017.

For more details here are The PBR1000 corporate and economic related breaking news items of interest with hotlinks to the sources for January 2017, starting with the last active business day.

Tuesday, January 31:

The PBRMarketTools January 2017 US Stock Exchanges Recap:
DJIA ends January at 19,864.09, -1.14% from last Friday, +0.51% MTD/QTD/YTD, -1.18% from record 20,100.91 set 01/26/17.
NASDAQ ends January at 5,614.79, -0.81% from last Friday, +4.30% MTD/QTD/YTD, -0.81% from record 5,660.78 set 01/27/17.
SPX ends January at 2,278.87, -0.69% from last Friday, +1.79% MTD/QTD/YTD, -0.85% fromrecord 2,298.37 set 01/25/17.

Amazon(PBR29) to create 2,000 jobs at new air cargo hub in Hebron, KY. $AMZN PR link.

Caterpillar(PBR54) to establish global headquarters with 300 employees in more accessible, strategic location Chicago, most employees to remain in Peoria, IL. $CAT PR link.

Merck(PBR70) gets European Commission approval for lung cancer therapy KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab). $MRK PR link.

Sprint(PBR86) reports 1,694,000 wireless net additions in 2016, 59,515,000 total platform connections. $S PR link.

DISH(PBR196) acquires DBS and OTT assets from EchoStar(PBR622) in exchange for 80% economic interest in Hughes Retail Group. $DISH PR link.

Harley-Davidson(PBR400) in 4Q16 report says 262,221 motorcycles shipped in 2016, -1.6% from 2015. $HOG PR link.

Dr Pepper Snapple(PBR406) completes $1.7 billion cash acquisition of antioxidant infused beverages provider Bai Brand. $DPS PR link.

JM Smucker(PBR437) to build additional Smucker’s® Uncrustables® Sandwiches manufacturing facility in Longmont, CO, $340 million investment, will employ up to 500 in 2019. $SJM PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) acquires Salt Lake City, UT, based retail insurance broker The Presidio Group. $AJG PR link.

Hologic(PBR767) completes divestiture of blood screening business to partner Grifols(NASDAQ: GRFS) for $1.85 million cash.$HOLX PR link.

Invacare(PBR984) to reduce workforce by 100 from continued restructuring. $IVC PR link.

PharMerica(PBR911) hires Bob Dries as EVP/CFO. $PMC PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago says the December Midwest Economy Index was +0.06, November was -0.02, slightly higher than national growth rate. ChiFed PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR41) Multifamily 2017 Outlook: Commentary and analysis on apartments; rental demand expecting to grow at a more moderate rate. $FMCC PR link.

Monday, January 30:

Citigroup(PBR28) to exit US mortgage servicing operations by end of 2018, will focus on originations. $C PR link.

Archer-Daniels-Midland(PBR34) selling Crop Risk Services business to Validus Holdings(NYSE: VR) for $127.5 million. $AMD PR link.

Walgreens Boots Alliance(PBR36) to acquire Rite Aid(PBR105 $RAD) for amended $6.50-7.00/share, to divest 1,200 Rite Aid stores to meet regulatory approval, moves acquisition by date from 01/27/17 to 07/31/17. $WBA PR link.

Macy’s(PBR97) sells ownership of Frango chocolates to Garrett Brands, terms not disclosed, will continue to be sold at Macy’s stores and online. $M PR link.

Whirlpool(PBR138) secures 4-year appliances renewal with Meritage Homes(PBR858 $MTH). $WHR PR link.

American Electric Power(PBR174) completes $2.1 billion sale of 4 power plants totaling 5,200 MW to Blackstone(PBR352 $BX)/ArcLight joint venture. $AEP PR link.

Starbucks(PBR178) chairman/CEO Howard Schultz in partners message says Starbucks will hire 10,000 refugees over 5 years worldwide, will start in US. $SBUX PR link.

PNC Financial(PBR189) adds $300 million to share repurchase plan, balance is now $2.3 billion, expires 06/30/17. $PNC PR link.

Allergan(PBR219) gets FDA approval for sNDA for AVYCAZ® (ceftazidime and avibactam) for patients with complicated urinary tract infections. $AGN PR link.

Jacobs Engineering(PBR225) acquires Australia based integrated project services provider, 220 employees, Aquenta Consulting, terms not disclosed. $JEC PR link.

BlackRock(PBR252 $BLK) discloses 6% stake in GoPro(PBR903). $GPRO PR link.

Mylan(PBR346) wins US District Court ruling related to Copaxone® 40 mg/mL patents, serves $3.3 billion/year US market. $MYL PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) acquires Syracuse, NY, regional retail insurance broker Eagle Insurance Agency, terms not disclosed. $AJG PR link.

Keysight Technologies(PBR660) to acquire networks services provider Ixia(NASDAQ: XXIA) for $19.65/share, $1.6 billion cash. $KEYS PR link.

Varian Medical(PBR678) completes spinoff of independent public company Varex Imaging(NASDAQ: VREX), receives $200 million cash transfer. $VAR PR link.

Tempur Sealy(PBR687) and Mattress Firm unable to come to new agreement, contracts terminated, to be effective by 1Q17 end. $TPX PR link.

Endo Intl(PBR700) gets FDA approval of new Ephedrine Sulfate Injection, for $177 million/year US marketplace. $ENDP PR link.

HB Fuller(PBR870) acquires $100 million/2016 Wisdom Worldwide Adhesives for $122 million. $FUL PR link.

Fitbit(PBR870) preliminarily says 6.5 million devices sold in 4Q16, lower than expected, reorganizing, to reduce workforce by 6%, 110 employees. $FIT PR link.

Woodward(PBR888) authorizes up to $500 million share repurchase program, expires 11/30/19. $WWD PR link.

Intel(PBR51) promotes Steven Rogers to EVP/General Counsel, Aicha Evans to SVP/GM Communications & Devices Group, Leslie Gulbertson to SVP/Human Resources. $INTC PR link.

Office Depot(PBR182) hires Gerry Smith as CEO, effective 02/27/17, to succeed retiring Roland Smith. $ODP PR link.

Cincinnati Financial(PBR490) lists promotions & new appointments of subsidiary companies directors, officers & general counsel. $CINF PR link.

Synopsys(PBR879) EVP/Business Operations & Chief Administrative Officer Brian Beattie to retire on 12/22/17. $SNPS PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US December Personal Income Annual Rate at $16.290 trillion, +0.3% from November, +3.5% from December 2015.
USDOC PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR41) January Outlook: An interesting read with comments about uncertainties regarding new fiscal policies, foreign US real estate investments, and the mortgage market. $FMCC PR link.

President Trump: A summary with hotlinks on President Trump’s many actions in his 1st week in office. WhiteHouse PR link.

Friday, January 27:

The PBRMarketTools Week Ending 01/27/17 US Stock Exchanges Recap:
DJIA ends week at 20,093.78, +1.34% from last Friday, +1.68% MTD/QTD/YTD, -0.04% from record 20,100.91 set 01/26/17.
NASDAQ ends week at 5,660.78, +1.90% from last Friday, +5.16% MTD/QTD/YTD, +0.00% from record 5,660.78 set 01/27/17.
SPX ends week at 2,294.69, +1.03% from last Friday, +2.50% MTD/QTD/YTD, -0.16% fromrecord 2,298.37 set 01/25/17.

Lowe’s(PBR50) authorizes additional $5 billion for share repurchase program, balance is $5.627 billion, no expiration set. $LOW PR link.

American Airlines(PBR69) approves new $2.0 billion share repurchase program, expires 12/31/18. $AAL PR link.

McDonald’s(PBR101 $MCD): Private-equity pioneer Guy Hands buys Nordic McDonald’s 435 restaurants. MarketWatch PR link.

Peabody Energy(PBR372) gets US Bankruptcy Court approval for disclosure statement, plan support, private placement and backstop commitment agreements, creditors vote to be held no later than 03/03/17. $BTUUQ PR link.

Ulta Salon(PBR646) implementing a holding company reorganization, named Ulta Beauty, effective 01/29/17, no other changes. $ULTA PR link.

Celanese(PBR369) hires Peter Edwards as General Counsel, succeeds leaving Gjon Nivica. $CE PR link.

Knowles Corp(PBR990) hires Helmut Vogler SVP/Global Sales. $KN PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates 4Q16 GDP Annual Rate(Advance Report) at +1.9%, $18.861 trillion, +1.0% from 3Q16, +3.50% from 4Q15. USDOC PR link.

The University of Michigan Final January Consumer Sentiment Index is at 98.5, December was 98.2, January 2016 92.0. UMich PR link.

Thursday, January 26:

Johnson & Johnson(PBR37) to acquire Swiss based pharmaceutical company Actelion(SIX: ATLN) for $280/share, $30 billion cash. $JNJ PR link.

Comcast(PBR42) increases stock repurchase program to $12 billion, to use $5 billion in 2017, to do 2:1 stock split payable 02/17/17. $CMCSA PR link.

Allergan(PBR219) gets FDA approval for 72 mcg dose of LINZESS® (linaclotide) for adults with Chronic Idiopathic Constipation. $AGN PR link.

Sherwin-Williams(PBR251) to divest under $650 million/year revenues to gain FTC approval on $11.3 billion acquisition of Valspar(PBR526), expects to close within 90 days. $SHW PR link.

Celgene(PBR347) to acquire autoimmune disease therapies developer Delinia for $300 million plus up to $475 million in contigent payments. $CELG PR link.

Endo Intl(PBR700) initiates restructuring US corporate & branded R&D functions, to reduce fulltime workforce by 90. $ENDP PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says Total Insured Unemployment on 01/14/17 was 2,100,000, +2.4% from December, -6.2% from January 2016. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US December New Family Homes Sold Annual Rate was 536,000, -10.4% from November, -0.4% from December 2015. USDOCPR link.

The US Energy Information Administration says 01/20/17 US Crude Oil Reserves at 488.3 million barrels, +0.5% from 12/23/16, +5.3% from 01/22/16. EIAPR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago shows the December Chicago Fed National Activity Index at 0.14, November was -0.33, December 2015 -0.17. ChiFed PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR41) says 30 Year Fixed Rate Housing Mortgage averaged 4.19% for week ending 01/26/17, 12/29/16 was 4.32%, 01/28/16 was 3.79%. $FMCC PR link.

The Conference Board estimates US December Leading Economic Index at 124.6(2010=100), +0.5% from November. TCB PR link.

Wednesday, January 25:

McKesson(PBR6) to acquire private healthcare electronic prior authorization systems developer CoverMyMeds for $1.1 billion. $MCK PR link.

AT&T(PBR12) wireless net adds was 9.5 million in 2016, 6.2 million from the US, 3.3 million from Mexico. $T PR link.

JP Morgan Chase(PBR21 $JPM) to become custodian for $1 trillion in BlackRock(PBR252 $BLK) transfer of assets from State Street(PBR260 $STT). MarketWatch PR link.

United Technologies(PBR45) 2017 plans include share repurchases of $3.5 billion, $1-2 billion for acquisitions. $UTX PR link.

Cisco(PBR60) to acquire private application performance monitoring developer AppDynamics for $3.7 billion. $CSCO PR link.

INTL FCStone(PBR88) gets #1 ranking by Bloomberg for dollar value traded OTC and for around 2,500 securities. $INTL PR link.

Macy’s(PBR97) extends Ideology activewear brand to men with ID Ideology, in 250 stores, online, $25-$70 retail. $M PR link.

Textron(PBR207) to acquire ATV/snowmobiles & accessories manufacturer Arctic Cat(NASDAQ: ACAT) for $247 million plus debt; authorizes a new up to 25 million shares repurchase program. $TXTPR link.

United Rentals(PBR438) to acquire Chicago based 1,100 employee, 73 branches, $369 million/2016 general rental equipment company NES Rentals for $965 million cash. $URIPR link.

WGL Holdings(PBR717) to be acquired by Canadian based energy infrastructure provider AltaGas(TSX: ALA) for $88.25/share, $6.4 billion cash. $WGLPR link.

Dynegy(PBR777) indirect wholly owned subsidiary Illinois Power Generating Co to emerge from Chapter 11 per confirmation of plan by US Bankruptcy Court. $DYNPR link.

BlueLinx(PBR892) completes sale/15 year leaseback of Tampa distribution facility, looks to do more sale/leaseback deals. $BXC PR link.

Chevron(PBR3) names Mike Wirth as Vice Chairman, effective 02/01/17. $CVX PR link.

FirstEnergy(PBR195) promotes Ebony Yeboah-Amankwah VP, State and Federal Regulatory Legal Affairs. $FE PR link.

Constellation Brands(PBR377) promotes Bill Newlands to EVP & newly created role of COO. $STZ PR link.

Asbury Automotive(PBR424) CFO Keith Style leaving 03/07/17, William Stax to then be interim Principal Financial Officer. $ABG PR link.

The Natl Retail Federation poll shows American consumers will spend an average of $75 each for a total of $14.1 billion as an estimated 188.5 million watch Super Bowl LI on 02/05/17. NRF PR link.

Tuesday, January 24:

Verizon(PBR15) ends 2016 with 114.2 million retail connections, +1.9% from 2015. 2016 revenues almost $126.0 billion, -4.3% from 2015. $VZ PR link.

Assurant(PBR268) to restructure into 4 reporting segments, starting with 4Q2016 results. $AIZ PR link.

Core-Mark(PBR271) supply agreement with 680 stores Kroger Convenience to expire in 04/17. Core-Mark serves 44,000 locations. $CORE PR link.

WestRock(PBR278) to acquire $1.6 billion/2016 Multi Packaging Solutions(NYSE: MPSX) for $18.00/share, $2.28 billion, includes $873 million net debt. $WRK PR link.

Concho Resources(PBR734) to net $800 million in $1.215 billion sale of the Alpha Crude Connector System to Plains All American Pipeline(PBR66). $CXO PR link.

Popular(PBR886) approves common stock repurchases of up to $75 million. $BPOP PR link.

Bob Evans(PBR954) to sell Bob Evans Restaurants unit for around $605 million to Golden Gate Capital; to acquire potato products producer Pineland Farms Potato Co for $115 million; Mike Downsley to be President/CEO upon completion of transactions expected late 04/17. $BOBE PR link.

Buffalo Wild Wings(PBR981) expands share repurchase program by $400 million, balance is now $900 million. $BWLD PR link.

Ford(PBR10) hires Musa Tariq as VP/Chief Brand Officer, effective 01/30/17. $F PR link.

Kroger(PBR20) promotes Jerry Clontz to President/Mid-Atlantic Division, effective 02/10/17, succeeds retiring Joe Fey. $KR PR link.

Microsoft(PBR31) names Kevin Scott to newly created role of Chief Technology Officer. $MSFT PR link.

Johnson & Johnson(PBR37) evaluating potential strategic options for its Diabetes Care Companies. $JNJ PR link.

DuPont(PBR82) merger with Dow Chemical(PBR48 $DOW) re-planned for 1H2017. $DD PR link.

Sprint(PBR86) hires Néstor Cano for newly created position of COO. $S PR link.

Kimberly-Clark(PBR141) plans to repurchase $800 million to $1 billion in shares in 2017. $KMB PR link.

Gap Inc(PBR179) Banana Republic Brand President Andi Owen to depart in late 02/17. $GPS PR link.

Texas Instruments(PBR220) promotes Brian Crutcher to COO. $TXN PR link.

Celanese(PBR369) General Counsel Gjon Nivica to leave during 1Q2017. $CE PR link.

Ciena Corp(PBR829) SVP/COO François Locoh-Donou to step down 03/23/17. $CIEN PR link.

MGIC Investment(PBR993) subsidiary Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corp promotes James Hughes to EVP-Sales & Business Development and Salvatore Miosi to EVP-Business Strategy & Operations, 4 other VP promotions also named. $MTG PR link.

President Trump signs executive orders to proceed with the building of the Keystone and Dakota pipelines using US built materials. WhiteHouse PR link.

The Natl Assn of Realtors says December Existing Home Sales at a 5,490,000 annual rate, -2.8% from November, +0.7% from December 2015. NAR PR link.

Monday, January 23:

Ford(PBR10) to sell parts for Ford & non-Ford vehicle brands at Ford dealerships through new Omicraft service. $F PR link.

Kroger(PBR20) to fill 10,000 permanent positions in its family of stores in 2017, hired 12,000+ in 2016. $KR PR link.

Amazon(PBR29) to open first fulfillment center in Colorado, to be in Aurora, will have 1,000+ full-time employees. $AMZN PR link.

US District Court blocks Aetna(PBR49)’s acquisition of Humana(PBR58), says it would stifle competition. USDOJ PR link.

Sprint(PBR86) to acquire 33% stake in music artist Jay Z’s 42.5 million song catalog, 140,000 videos TIDAL artist content service. $S PR link.

JCPenney(PBR234) extends Stockholder Rights Plan for additional 3 years to protect $2.6 billion net operating loss carryforwards tax benefits. $JCP PR link.

Henry Schein(PBR270) enters S America animal healthcare market with 51% stake acquisition in Brazil based private 130 employees, 5,000 customers, $24 million/2016 animal health products distributor Tecnew. $HSIC PR link.

WestRock(PBR278) to sell Home, Health and Beauty business to Silgan(PBR576 $SLGN) for $1.025 billion. $WRK PR link.

Avis Budget(PBR316) adopts short-term stockholder rights plan while in discussions with 9.7% voting rights investor SRS Investment Management. $CAR PR link.

Yahoo!(PBR519) $4.83 billion cash acquisition by Verizon(PBR15) being moved from 1Q17 to 2Q17 because of integration issues. $YHOO PR link.

Liberty Media(PBR534) completes $8 billion acquisition of Formula 1. $LMCA PR link.

Endo Intl(PBR700) resolves certain patent issues with the FTC, no admission of wrongdoing, no monetary payments involved. $ENDP PR link.

AMC Entertainment(PBR728) to acquire Sweden based largest Northern Europe 7 country region theatre exhibitor Nordic Cinema Group for $929 million cash. $AMC PR link.

SunEdison(PBR782 $SUNEQ) spinoff TerraForm(NASDAQ: $TERP) gets Memorandum of Understanding outlining potential separate settlements of claims in connection with the SunEdison Chapter 11 bankruptcy case. $TERP PR link.

Edwards Lifesciences(PBR819) completes $340 million plus up to $350 million over 10 years acquisition of Israel based private Valtech Cardio. $EW PR link.

Lowe’s(PBR50) promotes Jocelyn Wong to Chief Marketing Officer, succeeds Marci Grebstein. $LOW PR link.

HCP(PBR834) hires Peter Scott as EVP/CFO, effective 02/13/17, succeeds Tom Herzog who is now CEO. $HCP PR link.

Minerals Tech(PBR949) hires Matthew Garth as SVP/Finance & Treasury, CFO. $MTX PR link.

Legg Mason(PBR709) Forecast: Global Economic Growth Will Be “Sturdy but Unspectacular,” Potentially Enhanced by U.S. Boost Under Trump Administration. $LM PR link.

Friday, January 20:

***Donald J Trump is inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States.***

The PBRMarketTools Week Ending 01/20/17 US Stock Exchanges Recap:
DJIA ends week at 19,827.25, -0.29% from last Friday, +0.33% MTD, QTD, & YTD, -0.74% from record 19,974.62 set 12/20/16.
NASDAQ ends week at 5,555.33, -0.34% from last Friday, +3.20% MTD, QTD, & YTD, -0.34% from record 5,574.12 set 01/13/17.
SPX ends week at 2,271.31, -0.15% from last Friday, +1.45% MTD, QTD, & YTD, -0.25% fromrecord 2,276.98 set 01/06/17.

Ford(PBR10) expects 2016 pension plans to be underfunded by $8.9 billion, OPEB by $5.9 billion. $F PR link.

AT&T(PBR12) to record $1 billion loss from annual remeasurement of pension & postemployment benefit plans; reports 900,000 branded net adds of domestic wireless subscribers. $T PR link.

Johnson & Johnson(PBR37) Ethicon Endo-Surgery unit acquires private electrosurgical tools developer Megadyne Medical Products, terms not disclosed. $JNJ PR link.

AIG(PBR46) to pay Berkshire Hathaway(PBR4 $BRKA) subsidiary National Indemnity Company $9.8 billion for reinsurance agreement. $AIG PR link.

Merck(PBR70) to pay $625 million plus continuing royalties to Bristol-Myers Squibb(PBR185) and Ono Pharmaceutical to resolve PD-1 antibody Keytruda patent litigation. $BMY PR link.

Qualcomm(PBR106) says $1 billion lawsuit filed by Apple(PBR5) claiming monopolistic practices is baseless. $QCOM PR link.

PG&E(PBR172) submits $253 million 7 projects proposal to the California Public Utilities Commission to expand support for electric vehicles. $PCG PR link.

Air Products(PBR267) proposes to buy Hong Kong based Yingde Gases for $7.09/share, $13.4 billion. $APD PR link.

AutoZone(PBR290) to hire 12,000+ new part-time, full-time employees nationwide through April for its 5,300 stores. $AZO PR link.

Berry Plastics(PBR488) completes $765 million cash/stock acquisition of flexible plastic packaging films manufacturer AEP Industries(NASDAQ: $AEPI). $BERY PR link.

Carnival Corp(PBR184) Costa Group CEO Michael Thamm now also CEO of Carnival Asia. $CCL PR link.

Thursday, January 19:

Bristol-Myers Squibb(PBR185) to not accelerate regulatory pathway for the combination of Opdivo plus Yervoy in first-line lung cancer in the US. $BMY PR link.

FirstEnergy(PBR195) to sell 4 Pennsylvania natural gas generating plants & a portion of a Virginia hydroelectric power station to LS Power Equity Partners for $925 million cash. $FE PR link.

YUM!(PBR217 $YUM)’s Pizza Hut unit plans to fill 11,000 jobs in the US. MarketWatch PR link.

Allergan(PBR219) gets FDA approval of RHOFADE™ 1% cream for the topical treatment of persistent facial redness(Rosacea) in adults. $AGN PR link.

Western Union(PBR441) to pay federal government $582 million for misconduct of agents & 3rd parties from 2004 to 2012. Funds to be reimbursed to fraud victim consumers. $WU PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) acquires Denver based wholesale insurance broker Adco General Corporation, terms not disclosed. $AJG PR link.

CA Technologies(PBR550) completes around $640 million acquisition of Austria based 600 employees business automation software provider Automic. $CA PR link.

Chipotle(PBR561) selects agencies Venables Bell & Partners for advertising responsibilities and MullenLowe Mediahub for media planning & buying. $CMG PR link.

Total System(PBR790) renews long-term payments services agreement with BBVA Compass Bank. $TSS PR link.

Domino’s(PBR889) corporate locations throughout New York City to hire 200 new Team Members. $DPZ PR link.

Macerich(PBR957) sells Burlington, WA, and San Rafael, CA, malls for $170 million, nets $100 million. $MAC PR link.

Target(PBR40) promotes Rick Gomez to EVP/Chief Marketing Officer, effective 01/29/17. $TGT PR link.

PPG Industries(PBR190) promotes Vincent Morales to SVP/CFO, effective 03/01/17, succeeds retiring Frank Sklarsky. $PPG PR link.

HNI Corp(PBR841) SVP/CFO Kurt Tjaden appointed President/HNI International, retains SVP corporate title, succeeds retiring Marco Molinari; Marshall Bridges promoted to VP/CFO. $HNI PR link.

Allscripts(PBR944) hires Lisa Khorey as Chief Client Delivery Officer, Alan Fowles as President-International. $MDRX PR link.

Minerals Tech(PBR949) promotes Brett Argirakis to VP/GM Minteq International & member of executive team. $MTX PR link.

The US Dept of HUD estimates US December Private Housing Permits Issued Annual Rate at 1,210,000, -0.2% from November, +0.75% from December 2015. HUD PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia says the January Philadelphia Manufacturing General Activity Index at 23.6, December was 19.7, January 2016 -5.3. PhillyFed PR link.

Wednesday, January 18:

GE(PBR9) gets >$1.4 billion in power generation orders with Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity. $GE PR link.

Amazon(PBR29) to open 9th fulfillment center in Texas, 6th in DFW metroplex; robotics site will employ 1,000+ full-time jobs. $AMZN PR link.

Amazon(PBR29) to open 3rd fulfillment center in Maryland, 1.2 million sf, will create 700 new full-time jobs. $AMZN PR link.

Mondelez(PBR87) selling Australian VEGEMITE & other iconic brands to Bega Cheese(ASX: BGA) for $361 million. $MDLZ PR link.

Eli Lilly(PBR142) to acquire pain management for migraine developer CoLucid(NASD: CLCD) for $46.50/share, $960 million cash. $LLY PR link.

Netflix(PBR447) letter to shareholders says ended 2016 with 93.8 million subscribers, includes 19.0 million net additions, 7.05 million in 4Q16. $NFLX PR link.

Salesforce(PBR453) opens new Engineering & Innovation Hub in Bellevue, WA, to double workforce to 500. $CRM PR link.

Liberty Media(PBR534) gets Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile(FIA) approval for $8 billion acquisition of Formula 1, now expected to close by 01/31/17. $LMCA PR link.

KB Home(PBR802) recognized by EPA for building Its 100,000th ENERGY STAR® certified home. $KBH PR link.

La Quinta(PBR998) considering separating into two public companies, one being owned real estate assets. $LQ PR link.

Community Health Systems(PBR125) EVP/Secretary & General Counsel Rachel Seifert to retire at 1Q17 end. $CYH PR link.

SuperValue(PBR164) hires Anne Dament as SVP of Retail, Merchandising and Marketing. $SVU PR link.

Host Hotels(PBR455) promotes Nathan Tyrrell to EVP/Investments, Bret McLeod to SVP/Corporate Strategy & Investor Relations, SVP Sourav Ghosh to head new enterprise analytics group. $HST PR link.

NVIDIA(PBR510) hires Tim Teter as SVP/General Counsel & Company Secretary, succeeds retiring David Shannon. $NVDA PR link.

Brunswick(PBR584) hires Jaime Irick as President-Fitness Division, succeeds leaving Christopher Clawson. $BC PR link.

New York Times(PBR971) promotes David Perpich to President/General Manager of The Wirecutter. $NYT PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US December Consumer Price Index was +0.3% from November, +2.1% from December 2015. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor estimates US December Average Current Weekly Earnings at $891.80, +0.4% from November, +2.3% from December 2015. USDOL PR link.

The US Federal Reserve estimates US December Total Industry % of Capacity was 75.5%, +0.4% from December 2015. USFRB PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Bank Beige Book for data through 01/09/17 indicates continued modest economic growth, generally tightening of the job market. USFRB PR link.

ADP(PBR235) Workforce Vitality Index-4Q16 at 112.4(3Q13=100), indicates wages were +4.0% from 4Q15. $ADP PR link.

The Natl Assn of Homebuilders/Wells Fargo US January Housing Market Index at 67, December was 69, January 2015 61. NAHB PR link.

Commercial Real Estate Market: Jones Lang LaSalle(PBR449) says 2017 Commercial Real Estate Global Investment to reach $700 billion, was $650 billion in 2016. $JLL PR link.

Tuesday, January 17:

Walmart(PBR1) to open 59 US stores in 2017, will support 34,000 new retail & construction jobs, planning $6.8 billion of US capital investments. $WMT PR link.

ExxonMobil(PBR2) to acquire companies doubling Permian Basin resource to 6 billion barrels of oil, to be purchased with $5.6 billion in shares upfront. $XOM PR link.

McKesson(PBR6) agrees to $150 million settlement with US Dept of Justice & US Drug Enforcement Agency for suspicious controlled substances orders reporting dating back to 2009. $MCK PR link.

General Motors(PBR8) to add 7,000 US jobs, invest additional $1 billion in manufacturing facilities, move axle production from Mexico to the US. $GM PR link.

Morgan Stanley(PBR79)‘s 15,763 Wealth Managers annualized average was $1+ million in fees per rep in 4Q16. $MS PR link.

Qualcomm(PBR106) says FTC complaint of business practices in violation of competition law is based on flawed legal theory. $QCOM PR link.

Altria(PBR110) acquires N Carolina based private super-premium cigarettes & premium cigars manufacturer Sherman Group Holdings, terms not disclosed. $MO PR link.

JCPenney(PBR234) to open 500 sf Nike(PBR98 $NKE) brand shops in 600+ retail stores. $JCP PR link.

Huntsman Corp(PBR244) to spinoff Pigments & Additives business as Venator Materials Corp(NYSE: VNTR) in 2Q17, excludes Textile Effects business. $HUN PR link.

Henry Schein(PBR270) completes acquisition of majority interest in Brazil’s dental supplies/equipment distributor $145 million/year Dental Cremer. $HSIC PR link.

Biogen(PBR282) agrees to settlement & licensing agreement with Forward Pharma, to pay $1.25 billion cash, plus future royalties on muscular sclerosis therapy. $BIIB PR link.

Caesars Entertainment(PBR314), Caesars Entertainment Operating Co get US Bankruptcy Court confirmation of CEOC’s Plan of Reorganization. $CZR PR link.

Reynolds American(PBR317) accepts $59.64/share, $49 billion cash/stock offer by British American Petroleum(BSE: BAT) to acquire 57.8% of stock it doesn’t own. $RAI PR link.

Liberty Media(PBR534) stockholders approve $8 billion acquisition of Formula 1 Racing, expected to close by end of 1Q17. $LMCA PR link.

FMC Technologies(PBR334) & France based Technip(EUROnext: TEC) complete $13 billion merger, now called TechnipFMC plc(NYSE: FTI), registered in England, headquarters in Houston, London, Paris. $FTI PR link.

Adobe Systems(PBR557) authorizes new up to $2.5 billion share repurchase program through end of FY 2019. $ADBE PR link.

Crown Castle(PBR603) completes $1.5 billion cash acquisition of NextEra Energy(PBR178)‘s fiber services provider FPL FiberNet. $CCI PR link.

Intl Flavors & Fragrances(PBR666) completes acquisition of $75 million/year private specialty fine fragances developer Fragrance Resources, terms not disclosed. $IFF PR link.

Werner(PBR862) celebrates 25,000th truck driving apprenticeship program veteran hire since partnership with US Dept of Labor & Dept of Veterans Affairs in 2006. $WERN PR link.

Revlon(PBR900) reorganizing into 4 brands structure, 5 regions, reorganizing corporate support functions. $REV PR link.

Lowe’s(PBR50) promotes Marshall Croom to CFO, succeeds retiring Robert Hull, Jr. $LOW PR link.

US Bancorp(PBR129) president/COO Andy Cecere to become CEO 04/18/17, succeeds Richard Davis who will be exedutive chairman. $USB PR link.

Mattel(PBR412) hires Margo Georgiadis as CEO, effective 02/08/17, succeeds Christopher Sinclair who will be executive chairman. $MAT PR link.

Zimmer Biomet(PBR512) promotes Rob Delp to President, Americas, succeeds retiring Stuart Kleopfer. $ZBH PR link.

Tiffany(PBR551) appoints Reed Krakoff to the newly created role of Chief Artistic Officer. $TIF PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Bank of New York says the January General Business Conditions Index at 6.5, -1.1 from December, +23.3 from January 2016. NYFed PR link.

Monday, January 16:
***US Stock Markets Closed.
***Federal Holiday: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Observed.

Noble Energy(PBR471) to acquire Clayton Williams Energy(NYSE: CWEI) for $2.7 billion cash/stock. Includes 71,000 net contiguous acres in the Delaware Basin & 100,000 acres in the Permian Basin. $NBL PR link.

The Andersons(PBR525) to exit retail business, affects 1,050 people in Ohio, 75% part-timers. $ANDE PR link.

Aerojet Rocketdyne(PBR969) delivers 2,500th PAC-3 CRI Missile(aka Patriot) and 500,000th PAC-3 ACM. $AJRD PR link.

CF Industries(PBR502) hires Martin Jarosick as VP/Investor Relations. $CF PR link.

Diebold Nixdorf(PBR676) hires Devora Henderson as VP Retail-Americas. $DBD PR link.

Friday, January 13:

The PBRMarketTools Week Ending 01/13/17 US Stock Exchanges Recap:
DJIA ends week at 19,885.73, -0.39% from last Friday, +0.62% MTD, QTD, & YTD, -0.45% from record 19,974.62 set 12/20/16.
NASDAQ ends week at 5,574.12, +0.96% from last Friday, +3.55% MTD, QTD, & YTD, +0.00% from record 5,574.12 set 01/13/17.
SPX ends week at 2,274.64, -0.10% from last Friday, +1.60% MTD, QTD, & YTD, -0.10% fromrecord 2,276.98 set 01/06/17.

Boeing(PBR27) gets order for up to 205 airplanes from low cost carrier SpiceJet. $BA PR link.

NextEra Energy(PBR173) Florida Power & Light unit completes installation of 3 74.5 MW solar power plants, 4 more planned for 2017. $NEE PR link.

BlackRock(PBR252) authorizes up to an additional 6 million share buyback program, balance is 9 million. $BLK PR link.

KKR(PBR332) to acquire Japan based power tool/life sciences equipment manufacturer Hitachi Koki through $1.28 billion tender offer. $KKR PR link.

Newell Brands(PBR434) completes $100 million acquisition of WoodWick Candle; to sell $70 million/year Rubbermaid consumer storage business to United Solutions; puts up for sale Pine Mountain fire starters & Diamond matches related units, which generate $87 million/year. $NWL PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) acquires N Carolina based employee benefits consulting firm Hill, Chesson, & Woody. $AJM PR link.

Moody’s(PBR636) to pay $863.8 million in fines to US DOJ, 21 states, & DC to resolve civil claims related to credit ratings assigned during financial crisis era. $MCO PR link.

Macy’s(PBR97) involuntarily separates 34 year employee Chief Growth Officer Peter Sachse, effective 01/30/17, includes $2.7 million lump sum payment, other benefits under Executive Severance Plan. $M PR link.

HollyFrontier(PBR140) promotes Richard Voliva III to EVP/CFO effective 03/01/17, Mark Plake to become president of Petro-Canada Lubricants business upon completion of acquisition. $HFC PR link.

Kellogg(PBR198) hires Fareed Khan as CFO, effective 02/17/17, succeeds retiring Ron Dissinger. $K PR link.

Host Hotels(PBR455) EVP Asset Management Minaz Abji to retire on 04/30/17. $HST PR link.

CNO Financial(PBR559) promotes Doug Williams to VP, Finance & Administration. $CNO PR link.

Cinemark(PBR739) promotes Phillip Couch to EVP/Food & Beverage. $CNK PR link.

Conn’s(PBR986) hires Coleman R Gaines as president/COO of Retail, Casey Chung VP of Logistics, & David Hutchinson VP of Service. $CONN PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US December Producer Price Index Total Demand was +0.3%, November was +0.4%, October +0.0%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US November Total Manufacturing, Retail, Wholesale Sales at $1.327 trillion, +0.12% from October, +2.28% from November 2015 USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce advance estimate of US December Retail Sales is $469.1 billion, +0.6% from November, +4.1% from December 2015. USDOC PR link.

Natl Retail Federation says US Holiday Sales were +4% over 2015, $658.3 billion, exceeded expectations, includes non-store sales. NRF PR link.

The University of Michigan preliminary US January Consumer Sentiment Index at 98.1, December was 98.2, November 93.8. UMich PR link.

International Trade: China Raises Anti-Dumping, Anti-Subsidy Taxes on U.S.-Made Animal Feed. Caixin Global PR link.

Thursday, January 12:

CVS Health(PBR11) announces lowest cash price Epineprine auto-injector now available, $109.99 for a 2 pack. $CVS PR link.

Amazon(PBR29) to create more than 100,000 new, full-time, full-benefit jobs across the U.S. over the next 18 months. $AMZN PR link.

Sears(PBR93 $SHLD) is ‘one sick puppy,’ and there may be no remedy. MarketWatch PR link.

Eli Lilly(PBR142) gets US Court of Appeals favorable ruling on Alimta vitamin regimen patent. $LLY PR link.

PG&E(PBR172) to eliminate 8 officers positions, 390 support services jobs, 800 non-employee contractors, and not fill 500 non-critical positions in streamlining effort. $PCG PR link.

Hess(PBR248) announces Payara-1 new oil discovery offshore Guyana. $HES PR link.

Blackstone(PBR352) & 50/50 partner Sanchez Energy(NYSE: SN) to acquire 318,000 gross oil/gas acreage in Western Eagle Ford for $2.3 billion from Anadarko(PBR154 $APC). $BX PR link.

TeamHealth(PBR498) stockholders approve $43.50/share, $6.1 billion cash acquisition by funds affiliated with Blackstone(PBR352 $BX). $TMH PR link.

Zimmer Biomet(PBR512) to pay $30.5 million penalty to DOJ and SEC regarding previously disclosed legacy Biomet FCPA matters. $ZBH PR link.

WPX Energy(PBR619) to add to Permian & Delaware oil/gas assets with $775 million cash buy of 19,000 net acres. $WPX PR link.

Tesla(PBR651) describes new national supercharging network plan. $TSLA PR link.

Cincinnati Bell(PBR1027) adding 300+ local call center agents. $CBB PR link.

Marathon Petroleum(PBR23) hires Dave Sauber as VP of Human Resources and Labor Relations, effective 02/01/17. $MPC PR link.

Salesforce(PBR453) hires Monica Langley as EVP/Global Strategic Affairs. $CRM PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) promotes Jim Durkin, Jr, from president to chairman, employee benefits division, Bill Ziebell becomes president. $AJM PR link.

Universal Corp(PBR833) CFO David Moore taking temporary medical leave of absence, other executive officers to cover position. $UVV PR link.

Brown & Brown(PBR972) promotes Julie Ryan to Chief People Officer. $BRO PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says US Government December Receipts YTD(3 months) at $740.8 billion, Outlays $949.1 billion, Deficit $208.4 billion. Treasury PR link.

The US Dept of Labor estimates US December Year-over-Year Import Prices were +1.8%, Exports +1.1%. USDOL PR link.

Wednesday, January 11:

Amazon(PBR29) and JPMorgan Chase(PBR21 $JPM) introduce new Prime Rewards Visa Card with 5% back on all Amazon.com purchases and rewards everywhere else you shop. $AMZN PR link.

Walgreens Boots Alliance(PBR36 $WBA) to offer FedEx(PBR65 $FDX) dropoff and pickup at Walgreens locations nationwide. MarketWatch PR link.

Penske Automotive(PBR170) completes acquisition 5 l ofocations $350 million/year Pennsylvania based used vehicles retailer CarSense. $PAG PR link.

JM Smucker(PBR437) announces 6% average increases on Folger’s, Dunkin Donuts, Cafe Bustelo retail coffee brands. $SJM PR link.

Carnival Corp(PBR184)’s Cruise Lines unit hires Sean Kenny as SVP/Chief Information Officer, reports to CFO James Heaney. $CCL PR link.

Viacom(PBR212) promotes David Lynn to president/CEO of Viacom International Media Networks. $VIA PR link.

KKR Outlook for 2017: Paradigm Shift. $KKR PR link.

Tuesday, January 10:

General Motors(PBR8) adds $5 billion to share repurchase program, balance is $14 billion, no expiration date. $GM PR link.

Archer-Daniels-Midland(PBR34) to acquire Kansas based 5 facilities 300 employees pet food producer Crosswind Industries. $ADM PR link.

Kellogg(PBR198) to launch 50+ new products across morning foods, snacks, and frozen items. $K PR link.

Visteon(PBR351) announces new up to $400 million share repurchase authorization through 03/18. $VC PR link.

Dana(PBR382) to provide Navistar(PBR258) driveline components in multi-year commercial sales agreement. $DAN PR link.

Coty(PBR524) to acquire 60% stake for $600 million in online peer-to-peer social selling platform in beauty provider Younique. $COTY PR link.

Chipotle(PBR561) authorizes additional $100 million for share repurchase program, current remaining authorization is $200 million. $CMG PR link.

Werner(PBR862) celebrates 35,000th truck driver apprenticeship program enrollee. $WERN PR link.

Teleflex(PBR923) receives FDA 510(k) clearance for its Arrow® VPS Rhythm™ Device with Optional TipTracker™ Technology. $TFX PR link.

Dun & Bradstreet(PBR957) acquires $60 million/2016 OneSource maker Avention for $150 million. $DNBPR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US November New Hires at 5.219 million, +1.1% from October, -0.7% from November 2015. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US November Wholesale Sales at $452.6 billion, +0.4% from October, +3.4% from November 2015. USDOC PR link.

US EIA estimates 2017 WTI oil price/barrel to average $52.50, 2018 $55.18, 2016 was $43.33. EIA PR link.

PurdueU/CME US Dec Ag Barometer at 132, Nov was 116, Oct 92. PurdueU/CME PR link.

FannieMae(PBR17) says US December Home Purchase Sentiment Index at 80.7, November was 81.2, December 2015 83.2. $FNMA PR link.

CoreLogic estimates US November Housing in Serious Delinquency at 1,004,000, -2.3% from October, -22.0% from November 2015. CoreLogic PR link.

Monday, January 9:

UnitedHealthGrp(PBR14) Optum unit to acquire Surgical Care Affiliates(NASDAQ: SCAI) for $57.00/share, $2.3 billion. $UNH PR link.

Cardinal Health(PBR26) agrees to pay $20 million to W Virginia in distribution of controlled substances lawsuit. $CAH PR link.

McDonald’s(PBR101) selling China/Hong Kong 20 year master franchise rights to CITIC Ltd, CITIC Capital, Carlyle Group(PBR581), McDonald’s partnership for up to $2.08 billion. $MCD PR link.

Southern Co(PBR155) Power subsidiary acquires 276 MW 120 wind turbines Texas based Bethel Wind Energy Center from Invenergy Services. $SO PR link.

Entergy(PBR227), NY State agree to close 1,000 employee Indian Point Energy Center in 2020-2021 for economic reasons. $ETR PR link.

Mylan(PBR346) to acquire Cold-EEZE® brand to further expand OTC business. $MYL PR link.

Williams Cos(PBR348) to convert economic general partner interest in Williams Partners(NYSE: WPZ) into 289 million non-economic units in $11.4 billion transaction, will then have 660 million common units, 72% of total outstanding. $WMB PR link.

Noble Energy(PBR471) completes $300 million acquisition of 7,200 net acres in the Reeves Cty, TX, S Delaware Basin. $NBL PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) acquires Maryland based national construction industry retail insurance broker Construction Risk Solutions. $AJG PR link.

Yahoo!(PBR519) at close of sale to Verizon(PBR15) to become Altaba, be an investment company. $YHOO PR link.

Beacon Roofing(PBR818) acquires NE region insulation distributor Eco Insulation Supply of Stamford, CT. $BECN PR link.

ResMed(PBR977) gets FDA approval for world’s smallest CPAP machine, the AirMini, to be launched later in 2017. $RMD PR link.

American Airlines(PBR69) promotes VP/Flight Service Hector Adler to SVP/Product & Service Delivery, being succeeded by Jill Surdek. $AAL PR link.

WellCare Health Plans(PBR221) hires Tim Trodden as SVP/Chief Human Resources Officer. $WCG PR link.

Rent A Center(PBR657) CEO Robert Davis resigns, chairman/founder/former CEO Mark Speese named interim CEO. $RCII PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Bank estimates US November Consumer Credit Outstanding at $3.750 trillion, +0.7% from October, +6.1% YTD. FRB PR link.

FannieMae(PBR17) says US December Home Purchase Sentiment Index® (HPSI) at 80.7, -0.5 from November. $FNMA PR link.

Friday, January 6:

The PBRMarketTools Week Ending 01/06/17 US Stock Exchanges Recap:
DJIA ends week at 19,963.80, +1.02% from last Friday, MTD, QTD, & YTD, -0.05% from record 19,974.62 on 12/20/16.
NASDAQ ends week at 5,521.06, +2.56% from last Friday, MTD, QTD, & YTD, +0.00% from record 5,521.06 on 01/06/17.
SPX ends week at 2,276.98, +1.70% from last Friday, MTD, QTD, & YTD, +0.00% from record 2,276.98 on 01/06/17.

Apple(PBR5 $AAPL) cuts CEO Tim Cook’s 2016 pay to $8.75 million from 2015’s $10.28 million, missed targeted revenue by 3.7%. MarketWatch PR link.

Penske Automotive(PBR170) to acquire UK’s 5 locations $340 million/year used vehicles retailer CarShop. $PAG PR link.

Pilgrim’s Pride(PBR310) completes $350 million cash acquisition of Upper Midwest premium branded chicken products GNP Company. $PPC PR link.

Insight(PBR460) completes $258 million acquisition of $771 million/year 570 employee IT services firm DataLink(NASDAQ: DTLK). $NSIT PR link.

Citrix(PBR658) GoTo business spinoff scheduled for 01/20/18, its merger with LogMein(NASDAQ: LOGM) on 01/31/17 in $65.31/share, $1.8 billion deal. $CTXS PR link.

Alexion Pharmaceutical(PBR840) gets FDA grant of Orphan Drug Designation for ALXN1210 for treatment of ultra rare blood disorder Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH). $ALXN PR link.

The US Dept of Labor estimates US December Employment at 152.1 million, +0.04% from November, +1.4% from December 2015, Unemployment Rate 4.7% USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US December Factory New Orders at $458.4 billion, -2.4% from November, -0.3% from December 2015. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US Total Exports Through November(11 months) at $2.022 trillion, Imports $2.476 trillion, Deficit $454 billion. USDOC PR link.

Thursday, January 5:

The PBR1000 December Snapshot 12
Top 5 Stock Price Gainers in 2016 Summary:

1. Cliffs Natural Resources(PBR830), $CLF +432%
2. AK Steel(PBR353), $AKS, +356%
3. US Steel(PBR229), $X, +314%
4. AMD(PBR533), $AMD, +295%
5. Navistar(PBR264), $NAV, +255%

Range: +432% to -80%
Companies >+0%: 730/1,000
Average: +12.1%
Median: +14.3%

Get the full Snapshot 12 list with more details and the 14 other analytical snapshots with a 2 month or significantly reduced annual The PBR1000 subscription today! Subscribe link.

Apple(PBR5) AppStore developers earned $20+ billion in 2016, +40% from 2015. $AAPL PR link.

T-Mobile(PBR95) has 8.2 million net adds in 2016, has 71.5 million subscribers at end of 2016. $TMUS PR link.

Amgen(PBR135) gets permanent injunction by courts against Sanofi & Regeneron(PBR708 $REGN) for cardiovascular disease therapy Repatha patent infringement, may be appealed. $AMGN PR link.

Stanley Black & Decker(PBR249) to acquire Craftsman Tools from Sears Holdings(PBR93 $SHLD) for $775 million plus ongoing royalties. $SWK PR link.

Iron Mountain(PBR663) acquires controlling interest in Dubai based 4 facilities records/information management company Endless DSS. $IRM PR link.

Gartner(PBR885) to acquire talent management insights provider CEB(NYSE: CEB) for $77.25/share, $2.6 billion stock/cash. $IT PR link.

Cenveo(PBR899) now in full compliance with NYSE listing standards, taken off watch list. $CVO PR link.

Staples(PBR122) hires Jeff Hall to newly created role of Chief Administration Officer and Vice Chairman. $SPLS PR link.

Eli Lilly(PBR142) president/CEO is now David Ricks, Christi Shaw hired as SVP/Bio-Medicines effective 04/03/17, organizational changes made. $LLY PR link.

Viacom(PBR212) names Sarah Levy COO of its Global Entertainment Group. $VIA PR link.

Davita Healthcare(PBR302) hires Joel Ackerman as CFO effective 03/01/17. $DVA PR link.

Dollar Tree(PBR309) promotes Gary Philbin to Enterprise President; Duncan Mac Naughton hired as president/COO of Family Dollar unit, reports to Philbin. $DLTR PR link.

Fifth Third Bancorp(PBR387) hires Jelena Williams as Chief Legal Officer/Corporate Secretary. $FITB PR link.

General Cable(PBR418) hires Juan Picon as SVP & president/North America. $BGC PR link.

Calumet Specialty(PBR431) hires D. West Griffin as EVP/CFO. $CLMT PR link.

Graphic Packaging(PBR553) promotes Joe Yost to SVP & president/Americas. $GPK PR link.

ITT Corp(PBR735) promotes Luca Savi to new COO role; Industrial Process president Aris Chicles leaving. $ITT PR link.

Zions Bancorp(PBR813) promotes Terry Shirey to president/CEO of Nevada State Bank, Dallas Haun remains chairman. $ZION PR link.

Griffon Corp(PBR890) promotes Mike Sarrica to SVP/Operations, Mark Traylor succeeds Sarrica as president/The AMES Co. $GFF PR link.

Markit US December Composite PMI at 54.1, November was 54.9, October 54.9. Markit PR link.

ISM US December NMI Index at 57.2%, November also 57.2%, December 2015 55.8%. ISM PR link.

ADP estimates US December Non-Farm Employment Services Jobs +169,000 from November, Manufacturing -16,000, 153,000 net gain. $ADP PR link.

Wednesday, January 4:

Apple(PBR5) to invest $1 billion in Softbank Vision Fund. MarketWatch PR link.

Ford(PBR10) leads US automakers with sales of 2,614,697 vehicles sold in 2016, best in 10 years. $F PR link.

AT&T(PBR12) announces 5G Evolution plans for 2017, includes 1Gbps speeds. $T PR link.

Amazon(PBR29) delivered record 2+ billion items for sellers worldwide in 2016. $AMZN PR link.

Amazon(PBR29) opening 2nd Jacksonville, FL, fulfillment center, to add 1,000+ full time jobs. $AMZN PR link.

Alphabet(PBR44 $GOOGL) Google unit being sued by US Dept of Labor for refusing to provide requested compensation data. USDOL PR link.

Sears Holdings(PBR93) obtains $500 million loan facility, $321 million secured by 46 real properties. $SHLD PR link.

Macy’s(PBR97) to close 68 of its 730 stores, eliminate 6,200 positions in 2017 in streamlining/efficiency effort. $M PR link.

Abbott Labs(PBR134) completes $25 billion cash/stock acquisition of cardiovascular medical devices developer St Jude Medical(PBR440 $STJ). $ABT PR link.

AutoNation(PBR148) holding 1 day hiring event on 01/10/17 in 15 cities, new hires start 01/23/17. $AN PR link.

Assurant(PBR268) to acquire housing protection products provider Green Tree Insurance for $125 million plus up to $25 million earn out. $AIZ PR link.

Blackstone(PBR352) to acquire only US based leading music rights organization SESAC. $BX PR link.

Terex(PBR357) completes $1.9 billion sale of Material Handling and Port Solutions Business to Finland based Konecranes. $TEX PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) acquires Chicago-based HR/benefits technology solutions provider Gruppo Marcucci. $AJG PR link.

Tesla(PBR651) & Panasonic begin mass production of lithium-ion batteries at Reno, NV, Gigafactory. $TSLA PR link.

Iron Mountain(PBR663) Crozier Fine Arts unit acquires arts/antiques storage provider Cirkers Williamsburg. $IRM PR link.

CME Group(PBR664) reached record average daily volume of 15.6 million contracts in 2016, up 12% from 2015. $CME PR link.

Albemarle(PBR792) receives final approval to expand lithium operations in Chile, 27 year agreement. $ALB PR link.

ResMed(PBR977) reaches historic one billionth night of sleep monitored. $RMD PR link.

Weight Watchers(PBR988) ranked #1 in four best diet categories by U.S. News & World Report. $WTW PR link.

TDS(PBR482) hires Dr. Daniel DeWitt as SVP/Human Resources effective 01/23/17, succeeds retiring Ted Herbert. $TDS PR link.

Coach(PBR496) hires Kevin Wills as CFO no later than 03/17. $COH PR link.

T Rowe Price(PBR570) CFO Kenneth Moreland to retire In 2017. $TROW PR link.

Hologic(PBR767) names Jan Verstreken as Regional President for Europe/EMEA/Canada. $HOLX PR link.

SeaWorld(PBR1013) hires Denise Godreau as Chief Marketing Officer. $SEAS PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Board releases FOMC minutes from 12/13-14/16 meeting, continued modest/moderate economic growth FRB PR link.

The Conference Board says US December New Help Wanted Online Jobs were 2.171 million, +2.5% from November, -9.7% from December 2015. TCB PR link.

Automotive News says US December New Auto Sales at 1,688,368, +22.5% from November, +3.0% from December 2015, Annual Rate at 18.38 million. Automotive News PR link.

Tuesday, January 3:

The PBR1000 December Snapshot 11
Top 5 Stock Price Gainers Summary:

1. Fred’s(PBR800), $Fred, +86%
2. Pier 1 Imports(PBR847), $PIR, +53%
3. Tailored Brands(PBR580), $TLRD, +36%
4. Bristow Group(PBR887), $BRS, +31%
5. Alliance One Intl(PBR843), $AOI, +30%

Range: +86% to -85%
Companies >+0%: 609/1,000
Average: +0.9%
Median: +1.35%

Get the full Snapshot 11 list with more details and the 14 other analytical snapshots with a 2 month or significantly reduced annual The PBR1000 subscription today! Subscribe link.

Ford(PBR10) adding electrified F-150, Mustang, Transit by 2020; Expanded US plant to add 700 jobs to make electrified vehicles, autonomous cars; cancels $1.6 billion Mexico plant investment. $F PR link.

AIG(PBR46) completes $3.4 billion sale of private mortgage insurance unit United Guaranty Corporation to Arch Capital Group(NASDAQ: ACGL). $AIG PR link.

Intel(PBR51) to acquire 15% ownership of Netherlands based digital mapping for luxury brand autonomous vehicles/IoT services provider HERE. $INTC PR link.

Community Health Systems(PBR125) completes $128 million sale of majority interest in Home Health division to Almost Family((NASDAQ: AFAM). $CYH PR link.

Eli Lilly(PBR142) Elanco Animal Health unit completes $885 million acquisition of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica‘s US feline, canine and rabies vaccines portfolio. $LLY PR link.

Xerox(PBR144) completes separation of independent public business process outsourcing firm Conduent, now focused on digital print technology. $XRX PR link.

Icahn Enterprises(PBR147) increases tender offer for Federal-Mogul from $9.25/share to $10.00/share, expires 01/17/17. $IEP PR link.

Allergan(PBR219) gets FDA approval of NATRELLE INSPIRA® SoftTouch Breast Implants. $AGN PR link.

JCPenney(PBR234) sells 45 acre Plano, TX, home office campus for $353 million, will lease back 65% of the office building. $JCP PR link.

Air Products(PBR267) completes $3.8 billion Performance Materials Division sale to Germany based Evonik. $APD PR link.

Blackstone(PBR352) to acquire largest US outsourced skilled craftsman workforce provider, Tradesmen International, from Wellspring Capital Management. $BX PR link.

Ingredion(PBR415) completes $400 million acquisition of TIC Gums. $INGR PR link.

Alliance Data(PBR462) authorizes up to $500 million new share repurchase program for 2017. $ADS PR link.

Arthur J. Gallagher(PBR515) acquires Brisbane, Australia, financial services advisory firm Complete Financial Balance Pty Ltd. $AJG PR link.

Brunswick(PBR584)’s Mercury Marine announces exclusive Southeast Asia distribution agreement with Singapore based Supratechnic. $BC PR link.

H&R Block(PBR669) opens 10,000 offices nationwide for tax season. $HRB PR link.

Hologic(PBR767) gets FDA PMA approval for Aptima® HIV-1 Quant Assay. $HOLX PR link.

Albemarle(PBR792) completes $145 million acquisition of lithium salts production assets in China. $ALB PR link.

Southwest Gas(PBR867) completes holding company reorganization, now Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc, stock symbol stays SWX. $SWX PR link.

American Axle & Mfg(PBR602) promotes Donald E. Wright to VP/CIO. $AXL PR link.

Welltower(PBR635) extends CEO contract through 04/20, announces new organization structure, eliminates investment officer & COO positions. $HCN PR link.

HCP(PBR834) promotes CFO Tom Herzog to CEO, Justin Hutchens to president, CFO search starts. $HCP PR link.

IDEX(PBR861) promotes William Grogan to CFO. $IEX PR link.

hhgregg(PBR864) hires Aaron Trahan as Chief Merchandising Officer. $HGG PR link.

On Assignment(PBR918) promotes Ted Hanson to President. $ASGN PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce estimates US November Construction Spending Annual Rate at $1.182 trillion, +0.9% from October, +5.8% from November 2015. USDOC PR link.

Markit US December Final PMI at 54.3, November was 54.1, October 53.4. Markit PR link.

ISM US December PMI Index at 54.7%, November was 53.2%, October 51.9%. ISM PR link.

Monday, January 2:
***US Stock Markets Closed.
***Federal Holiday: New Year’s Day Observed.

Sunday, January 1:
***Happy New Year!***

(Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles, FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

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

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