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The PBR1000: The August 2014 Breaking News Recap!

September 1, 2014 by admin

ID-100274698 Exclamation Question Mark-Boians Cho Joo Young

July Ended with a Question Mark, August with an Exclamation Mark, What Will Happen in September?

By Larry C. Paxton

Compared to July’s big plummet on the last day, August featured new stock market highs as the bulls maintained their run through the end of the month. This despite some big continuing question marks on the US economy, impacts of sanctions on Russia because of their activities in the Ukraine area, and other regional problems in Iraq and Syria. There was also an earthquake that caused some damage in Napa Valley and an Iceland volcano played a small part as well to help remind us that Mother Nature does not want to be left out of the economic influence mix.

The big news for PBRMarketTools.com is that it has made available to the general public The PBR US Indices Monthly Snapshot! Click here for more info & an Introductory Offer!

News items of interest for The PBR1000 in August follow, with the most current date first.

Sunday, August 31:
3M(PBR91) completes acquisition of Sumitomo Electrics’ 25% ownership of Sumitomo 3M for $865 million. Click here for the 3M press release.

Friday, August 29:
Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week:
DJIA closes at 17,098.45, +0.57% over last Friday, +3.23% MTD, +1.62% QTD, +3.15% YTD.
NASDAQ closes at 4,580.27, +0.92% over last Friday, +4.82% MTD, +3.90% QTD, +9.67% YTD.
SPX closes at 2,003.37, +0.75% over last Friday, +3.77% MTD, +2.20% QTD, +8.39% YTD.

BE Aerospace(PBR610) files SEC registration for public spin-off of its KLX Consumables Management segment. Click here for the BE Aerospace press release.

Briggs & Stratton(PBR912) closes its acquisition of towable electronic devices Allmand Bros for $62 million. Click here for the Briggs & Stratton press release.

Beacon Roofing Supply(PBR827) has acquired Vancouver, Canada, based residiential roofing systems distributor All Weather Products LTD, terms not disclosed. Click here for the Beacon press release.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR649) completes assets acquisition of Baker Tilly’s Employee Benefits Solutions business. Click here for the AJG press release.

The US Dept of Commerce reports personal income in July 2014 increased 0.2 percent. Nominal personal consumption expenditures (PCE) fell 0.1 percent, while real PCE fell 0.2 percent. Nominal and real disposable personal income (DPI) rose 0.1 percent. The personal saving rate as a percentage of DPI was 5.7 percent in July. Click here for the USDOC press release.

Thursday, August 28:
PBRMarketTools.com today makes available to the general public The PBR US Indices Monthly Snapshot! Click here for more info & an Introductory Offer!

RadioShack(PBR618) to be exclusive national retailer for new nationwide 4G LTE mobile services provider Defense Mobile Corp. Click here for the RadioShack press release.

Tyson Foods(PBR87) completes its $8.55 billion acquisition of Hillshire Brands(PBR571), which will be delisted. Click here for the Tyson Foods press release.

Fred’s(PBR893) announces it will close 60 stores without pharmacies after disappointing 2nd quarter results. Click here for the Fred’s press release.

KKR(PBR270) & Borealis Maritime grow shipping fleet through acquisition of 9 ships from Commerzbank. Click here for the KKR press release.

The US Dept of Commerce reports that the 2nd estimate of 2nd quarter Gross Domestic Product is a 4.2% annual rate, $17,311.3 billion. Click here for the USDOC press release.

FreddieMac reports that the average 30 year fixed rate mortgage for the week is 4.10% with 0.5 fees & points. Click here for the FreddieMac press release.

Wednesday, August 27:
Liberty Interactive Corp(PBR232) announces completion of Liberty TripAdvisor Holdings(NASDAQ: LTRPA, LTRPB) spin-off, which will start trading as a separate company on 08/28/14. Click here for the Liberty Interactive Corp press release.

AAR Corp(PBR852) acquires temperature-controlled container assets from Cool Containers, terms not disclosed. Click here for the AAR Corp press release.

Medtronic(PBR163) acquires private Italian based hospital managed services firm NGC Medical SpA, valued at $350 million. Click here for the Medtronic press release.

United Technologies(PBR45) increases stock repurchase program from $1.25 billion to $1.35 billion. Click here for the UT press release.

The US Congressional Budget Office forecasts $506 billion deficit for FY2014, $170 billion less than in FY2013. Click here for the USCBO press release.

The US Congressional Budget Office forecasts increasing federal deficit spending through 2024. Click here for the USCBO press release.

Tuesday, August 26:
Burger King(PBR1050) & Canadian based coffee/doughnut co Tim Hortons agree to merge, to be Canadian based, $12.5 billion financing in place, will create 3rd largest quick service restaurant company in the world. Click here for the Burger King press release.

Amazon(PBR36) to acquire interactive game company Twitch for $970 million. Click here for the Amazon press release.

American Airlines(PBR644) withdrawing fares for economic reasons from Orbitz(OWW) immediately, US Airways unit 09/01/14. Click here for the American Airlines press release.

Medtronic(PBR163) has acquired Netherland’s deep brain stimulation tech developer Sapiens SBS for $200 million cash. Click here for the Medtronic press release.

Yahoo!(PBR494) completes its acquisition of mobile analytics firm Flurry(NR). Click here for the Yahoo! press release.

The US Dept of Labor reports that 61% of 4.3 million workers displaced from 2011-2013 have been re-employed. Click here for the USDOL press release.

The US Dept of Commerce says July durable goods at $300.1 billion, up 22.6% over June, shipments at $248.9 billion, unfilled orders $1,158.5 billion, inventories at $401.9 billion. Click here for the USDOC press release.

Monday, August 25:
SunPower(PBR766) announces that Verizon(PBR15) investments in solar power to generate 25 MW of green energy, enough to power 8,500 homes annually. Click here for the SunPower press release.

Alcoa(PBR122) announces the permanent closing of 150k metric ton/year Portovesme Smelter in Italy, not cost competitive now. Click here for the Alcoa press release.

ANN(PBR770) receives an open joint letter from activist investors Engine Capital Management & Red Alder regarding why they think the retailer should be sold. Click here for the Ulitzer news article, which includes the letter.

Calpine Corp(PBR391) to acquire Boston area natural gas-fired 809 Megawatt power plant from Exelon Corp(PBR108) for $530 million. Click here for the Calpine press release.

Lockheed(PBR59) completes its acquisition of 25 employee Boston area energy management firm Sun Catalytix, terms not disclosed. Click here for the Lockheed press release.

Archer-Daniels-Midland(ADM)(PBR27) announces it has opened its new global headquarters & customer center in downtown Chicago. Click here for the ADM press release.

Kathryn Bufano officially becomes President/CEO of Bon-Ton Stores(PBR700). Click here for the Bon-Ton brief biography of KB.

The US Dept of Labor reports that July unemployment rates were much lower in 18 states, higher in 8 & DC, and around the 6.2% avg in 24 states. For more details click here for the DOL press release.

The US Dept of HUD reports that July sales of new homes was at a 412,000 annual rate, down 2.4% from the revised June rate, median sale price was $269,800. Click here for the HUD press release.

Apollo Education Group(PBR592) announces the death of 93 year old Dr. John Sperling, founder of AEG & its flagship University of Phoenix. Click here for the CNN article.

Friday, August 22:
Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week:
DJIA closes at 17,001.22, +2.03% over last Friday, +2.64% MTD, +1.04% QTD, +2.56% YTD.
NASDAQ closes at 4,538.55, +1.65% over last Friday, +3.86% MTD, +2.96% QTD, +8.67% YTD.
SPX closes at 1,988.40, +1.71% over last Friday, +2.99% MTD, +1.44% QTD, +7.58% YTD.

Dynegy(NR) to buy 12,500 MW of coal & gas generation from Duke Energy(PBR112) & Energy Capital Partners(NR) for $6.25 billion. Click here for the Dynegy press release.

Goldman Sachs(PBR72) settles with the Federal Housing Finance Agency(FHFA), will repurchase $3.15 billion in residential backed mortgage securities(RMBS) sold to Freddie Mac(PBR32) & Fannie Mae(PBR16) in 2005-2007. Click here for the Goldman Sachs press release.

Keurig Green Mountain(PBR527) & Kraft Foods(PBR146) announce multi-year agreement to package Kraft’s branded coffees in Keurig portion pack formats. Click here for the Keurig press release.

Lockheed(PBR59) completes the acquisition of satellite launch preparations services firm Astrotech Space Operations, terms not disclosed. Click here for the Lockheed press release.

Thursday, August 21:
Bank of America(PBR21) to pay $16.65 billion settlement in deal with the US Dept of Justice for financial fraud before & during financial crisis. Click here for the USDOJ press release.

Family Dollar(PBR253) rejects the Dollar General(PBR153) $9.7 billion offer based on antitrust issues. Click here for the Family Dollar press release.
Dollar General(PBR153) reconfirms its interest in Family Dollar(PBR253), says no antitrust issues. Click here for the Dollar General press release.

Home Depot(PBR34) names Craig Menear as CEO effective 11/01/14; current Chairman/CEO Frank Blake to remain as chairman. Click here for the Home Depot press release.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index for July is up sharply at 0.9%, indicating that the economy is gaining traction. Click here for the Conference Board press release.

The National Association of Realtors reports that July existing home sales were at a 5.15 million annual rate, up 2.4% over June. Click here for the NAR press release.

The US Census Bureau reports that the gap between the wealthy, with median assets of $630K in 2011, and poor, with median assets of -$6k, widened from 2000. Click here for the Census Bureau press release.

Wednesday, August 20:
Ventas(PBR704) completes $900 million acquisition of Canadian senior healthcare facilities firm Holiday Retirement. Click here for the Ventas press release.

AES Corp(PBR170) sells 100% of its equity interests in 87.5 MW of operating wind projects in the UK for $160 million. Click here for the AES press release.

ADP(PBR230) announces name of Dealer Services public spinoff will be CDK Global. Click here for the ADP press release.

VMWare(PBR453) acquires real-time application delivery technologies company CloudVolumes, terms not disclosed. Click here for the VMWare press release.

Tuesday, August 19:
PetSmart(PBR360) announces it is exploring strategic alternatives to maximize shareholder value, including possible sale of the company. Click here for the PetSmart press release.

The US Dept of Labor reports Real Earnings Per Hour were at $24.45 in July, unchanged from June, and unchanged from July, 2013. Click here for the USDOL press release.

The US Dept of Labor reports that the Consumer Price Index was up 0.1% in July, was up 0.3% in June, food prices up, energy costs down. Click here for the USDOL press release.

The US Dept of Housing & Urban Development reports that July Building Permits were at an annual rate of 1,052,000, up 8.1% over June, 7.7% over July 2013. Also, July Housing Starts were at an annual rate of 1,093,000, up 15.7% from June, up 7.7% from July, 2013. Click here for the USHUD press release.

Monday, August 18:
Dollar General(PBR153) bids $78.50/share, $9.7 billion cash for Family Dollar(PBR253), beats the $74.50/share Dollar Tree(PBR328) offer. Click here for the Dollar General press release.

Cameron International(PBR267) selling its Centrifugal Compression unit to Ireland based Ingersoll-Rand for $850 million. Click here for the Cameron International press release.

Kroger Co(PBR25) completes acquisition of online vitamin seller Vitacost.com for $8/share, $280 million. Click here for the Kroger Co press release.

HealthcareDIVE reports on the 4.5 million patients data hack in April or June of Community Health Systems(PBR181) originating from China. Click here for the HealthcareDIVE article.

Vulcan Materials(PBR706) acquires an Oklahoma quarry & 2 Dallas area distribution yards from Martin Marietta Materials(PBR843) for cash & property. Click here for the Vulcan Materials press release.

Aeropostale(PBR863) announces that Julian Geiger has rejoined company as CEO immediately, replaces Thomas Johnson who is also leaving the board. Click here for the Aeropostale press release.

Lockheed Martin(PBR59) completes acquisition of security systems provider Zeta Associates(NR), terms not disclosed. Click here for the Lockheed Martin press release.

Mobile apps city guides developer Jetpac announces it has been acquired by Google(PBR46). Click here for the Jetpac announcement.

Fannie Mae(PBR16) gives its outlook on housing for the rest of 2014, 2015; forecasts a flat market. Click here for the Fannie Mae analysis.

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index rises 2 points to 55, composite of 3 components, highest of the year. Click here for the NAHB article.

Dept of Labor says eCommerce has grown to 6% of all retail sales in 1st quarter of 2014 from 2% in 2004. For more click here for the USDOL press release.

Friday, August 15:
Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week:
DJIA closes at 16,662.91, +0.66% over last Friday, +0.60% MTD, -0.97% QTD, +0.52% YTD.
NASDAQ closes at 4,464.93, +2.15% over last Friday, +2.18% MTD, +1.29% QTD, +6.90% YTD.
SPX closes at 1,955.06, +1.22% over last Friday, +1.26% MTD, -0.26% QTD, +5.77% YTD.

Coca-Cola Co(PBR58) buys 16.7% stake in Monster Beverage(PBR824) for $2.15 billion, enters into long term strategic relationship. Click here for the Coca-Cola Co press release.

Deere & Co(PBR76) announces it is laying off 600 workers. Click here for the Des Moines Register article.

Gilead Sciences(PBR236) wins Solvaldi Hepatitis C drug legal fight with Roche. Click here for the San Francisco Business Times article.

Quebec, Canada based Valeant Pharmaceuticals extends expiration date for acceptance of acquisition of Allergan(PBR392) to 12/31/14. Click here for the Valeant press release.

Canadian based energy company Fortis completes its $4.3 billion acquisition of UNS Energy Corp(PBR990). Click here for the Fortis press release.

The US Dept of Labor reports that the Producer Price Index was up 0.1% in July, up 1.7% over 12 months. Click here for the USDOL press release.

Thursday, August 14:
Bloomberg reports that Cisco Systems(PBR54) is cutting 6,000 jobs, 8% of its workforce, after flat financial results. Click here for the Bloomberg article.

Briggs & Stratton(PBR912) to acquire towable light towers, industrial heaters, & solar LED arrow boards manufacturer Allmand Bros for $62 million cash. Click here for the B & S press release.

Donaldson Co(PBR783) to acquire United Arab Emirates based gas turbine inlet air filtration systems manufacturer Northern Technical, no terms disclosed. Click here for the Donaldson Co press release.

The Chiquita Brands(PBR658) board determines $13/share Safra bid not sufficient, pushing for Fyffes merger offer. Click here for the Chiquita Brands press release.

The US Dept of Labor reports that US import prices fell 0.2% in July, primarily from fuel prices, & prices for exports were unchanged. Click here for the USDOL press release.

Wednesday, August 13:
Allergan(PBR392) to acquire worldwide rights to TARIS Holding’s LiRIS program, in 2nd phase testing, for $67.5 million plus up to $520 million in incentives. Click here for the Allergan press release.

WellPoint(PBR40) announces that pending stockholder approval it will change its name to Anthem by the end of 2014. Click here for the WellPoint press release.

Weyerhauser(PBR303) announces increased dividend, $700 million stock repurchase program. Click here for the Weyerhauser press release.

The US Dept of Labor reports that from April to July youth(16-24) employment is up 2.1 million to 20.1 million, 51.9 percent employed in July. Click here for the USDOL press release.

Tuesday, August 12:
Caesars Entertainment(PBR301) & Caesars Entertainment Operating Co(CEOC) reach agreement with certain creditors to reduce debt by nearly $550 million in preparation for CEOC going public. Click here for the Caesars Entertainment press release.

JPMorgan Chase(PBR18) is selling 50% of portfolio of companies in One Equity Partners to a group lead by Lexington Partners. Click here for the JPMorgan Chase press release.

The US Dept of Labor reports 4.58 million job openings at the end of June, 4.83 million hires, 4.55 million separations, all up over May. Click here for the USDOL press release.

The US Treasury reports $210.6 billion in receipts for July, $305.2 billion in outlays, $94.6 billion deficit. Fiscal Year-To-Date $460.4 billion deficit. Click here for the USDOT press release.

Monday, August 11:
Kinder Morgan(PBR196) to acquire all outstanding securities of KMP, KMR, & EPB, consolidate operations, $70 billion transaction value. Click here for the KMI press release.

Chiquita Brands(PBR658) confirms unsolicited $13/share buyout offer from Brazil based Cutrale Group & Safra Group. Click here for the Chiquita press release.

Anixter(PBR398) announces the acquisition of the independent security & low voltage technology products distributor Tri-Ed unit of Audax Group for $420 million. Click here for the Anixter press release.

Fred’s(PBR893) announces a multi-year agreement with Cardinal Health(PBR22) to be its primary pharmaceuticals provider. Click here for the Cardinal Health press release.

ConAgra Foods(PBR172) CEO Gary Rodkin announces intent to retire after 9 years at end of company’s fiscal year in May, 2015. Click here for the ConAgra press release.

Microsoft(PBR35) announces Nokia 130 mobile phone with music & video for $25. Click here for the Microsoft press release.

Liberty Interactive(PBR232) announces record & distribution date and symbol information for spin-off of Liberty TripAdvisor. Click here for the Liberty Interactive press release.

Blackstone Group(PBR374) & its founders buy France/UK based independent wholesale autoparts distributor Alliance Automotive Group from Weinberg Capital Partners. Click here for the Blackstone Group press release.

Puerto Rico based Popular(PBR753) Community Bank sells its 12 branch Chicago area operations to First Midwest Bancorp(NASDAQ: FMBI). Click here for the Popular press release.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR649) has acquired managing general agent & wholesale insurance broker Cowles & Connell. Click here for the AJG press release.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR649) has acquired Eastern Caribbean based full service insurance broker & risk management firm Minvielle & Chastanet. Click here for the AJG press release.

The Dover Corp(PBR296) OPW unit to acquire Australian based manufacturer of bulk liquid handling & storage solutions in petroleum, aviation, & chemicals market firm Liquip International. Click here for the Dover Corp press release.

Friday, August 8:
Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week:
DJIA closes at 16,553.93, +0.37% over last Friday, -0.06% MTD, -1.62% QTD, -0.14% YTD.
NASDAQ closes at 4,370.90, +0.42% over last Friday, +0.03% MTD, -0.85% QTD, +4.65% YTD.
SPX closes at 1,931.59, +0.33% over last Friday, +1.26% MTD, -1.46% QTD, +4.50% YTD.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR649) has acquired national travel insurance company Trip Mate, terms not disclosed. Click here for the AJG press release.

The US Dept of Labor reports nonfarm business sector labor increased at a 2.5% annual rate in the 2nd quarter, hours increased 2.7%, output up 5.2%. Click here for the USDOL press release.

The US Dept of Commerce reports that wholesale trade inventories for June were at $533.5 billion, sales at $454.4 billion. Click here for the USDOC press release.

Thursday, August 7:
Bemis Co(PBR467) elects Bill Austen to be President/CEO immediately, Henry Theisen becomes Executive Chairman until he retires in 2015. Click here for the Bemis press release.

Wendy’s(PBR773) franchised 418 US units, contributed to positive results in 2nd quarter report, will franchise all 135 Canadian locations. Click here for the Wendy’s press release.

Facebook(327) buying security technology company PrivateCore. Click here for the PrivateCore press release.

The Cliffs Natural Resources(PBR422) board announces the election of Lourenco Goncalves as its new Chairman/President/CEO. Click here for the CNR press release.

ABM Industries(PBR485) expands HVAC & energy solutions in N. California with acquisition of Airco Commercial Services, terms not disclosed. Click here for the ABM press release.

The US Dept of Commerce releases prototype estimates of Personal Consumption Expenditures by State, 1997-2012. Click here for the USDOC press release.

The US Dept of Labor reports 2013 labor productivity up in 39 of 54 industries, output up in 43, hrs up in 34, unit labor costs fall in 39. Click here for the USDOL press release.

The Federal Reserve Board reports total US consumer credit used increased by $17.3 billion in June. Click here for the FRB press release.

The US Dept of Labor reports 12 month percent changes in private industry salaries & wages, January 2007-June 2014. Click here for the USDOL press release.

Freddie Mac reports average 30 year fixed mortgage rate on 08/07/14 was 4.14%, with 0.7 fees & points. Click here for the Freddie Mac press release.

Wednesday, August 6:
Sprint(PBR161) names Marcelo Claure as its next President/CEO, effective 08/11/14. Click here for the Sprint press release.

AIG(PBR41) to acquire UK based Ageas Protective Life from Belgium based Ageas Group for $305 million. Click here for the AIG press release.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR649) acquires employee benefits Denver based Denman Consulting Services, no terms disclosed. Click here for the AJG press release.

VMWare(PBR453) authorizes up to $1 billion through 2016 for stock repurchase program. Click here for the VMWare press release.

The US Dept of Commerce reports June exports were $195.90B, imports $237.40B, deficit $41.50B, down from $44.70B in May. Click here for the USDOC press release.

The US Dept of Labor reports 250+ employee companies did 68% of the net job growth during 4th qtr 2013, companies with 1-49 & 50-249 employees did 16% each. Click here for the USDOL press release.

The US Dept of Labor reports that the 2013 national average for people holding more than 1 job was 4.9%, varies by state. Click here for the USDOL press release.

Tuesday, August 5:
21st Century Fox(PBR97) withdraws Time Warner(PBR92) offer, authorizes $6 billion share repurchase program. Click here for the Fox press release.

Gannett(PBR457) to create 2 public companies from spinoff of publishing business & a broadcasting/digital business. Will also acquire remaining interest in Cars.com for $1.8 billion. Click here for the Gannett press release.

The Institute for Supply Management reports that the July non-manufacturing activity index was up 4.9% over June to 62.4%, 60th consecutive month of growth. Click here for the ISM press release.

The Mortgage Bankers Association reports its mortgage availability index increased slightly by 0.5% in July from 115.8 in June. Click here for the MBA press release.

Monday, August 4:
CBRE Group(PBR348) acquires Germany based project management services 100 person Preuss, no terms provided. Click here for the CBRE press release.

CIT Group(PBR608) completes acquisition of small/medium sized businesses financing 250 employee Direct Capital. Click here for the CIT press release.

CBRE Group(PBR348) has acquired affilliate commercial real estate firm CBRE Louisville, terms not disclosed. Click here for the CBRE press release.

ITT Educational(PBR1030) CEO Kevin Modany resigns as chairman & member of the board, to resign as CEO effective 02/04/15. Click here for the ITT Educational press release.

Dana Holding(PBR368) announces additional $400 million stock repurchase program by end of 2015, adds to $1 billion already authorized. Click here for the Dana Holding press release.

Friday, August 1:
Click here for the The PBR1000 July 2014 Breaking News Recap! blog post.

Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week:
DJIA closes at 16,493.37, -2.75% over last Friday, -0.42% MTD, -1.98% QTD, -0.50% YTD. NASDAQ closes at 4,352.64, -2.18% over last Friday, -0.39% MTD, -1.26% QTD, +4.22% YTD. SPX closes at 1,925.15, -2.69% over last Friday, -2.69% over last Friday, -0.29% MTD, -1.79% QTD, +4.15% YTD.

US Dept of Labor reports 209,000 new jobs in July, unemployment at 6.2%. Click here for the USDOL press release.

Allergan(PBR392) files lawsuit in federal court against Valeant & Pershing Square for violations of federal securities laws. Click here for the Allergan press release.

Ashland(PBR331) completes its sale of Ashland Water Technologies for $1.8 billion. Click here for the Ashland press release.

Brunswick(PBR572) acquires Bell Industries’ $40 million revs/2013 parts & accessories distributor Recreational Products Group. Click here for the Brunswick press release.

ITT Educational(PBR1030) files SEC Form 8 regarding new credit facilty to be secured by mortgages by 09/28/14. Click here for the ITT Educational press release.

Calumet Specialty Products(PBR443) has acquired privately held Oilfield Solutions for $30 million. Click here for the Calumet press release.

Harsco Corp(PBR686) welcomes F. Nicholas Grasberger as its new President/CEO, David Everitt becomes Non-Executive Chairman.

SVP/CFO Robert Gudbranson officially adds titles Interim President/CEO of Invacare(PBR1017) as additional responsibilities.

The Institute for Supply Management reports that the production manufacturing index for July was 57.1%, up 1.8% in June, indicating continued expansion for 14 months. Click here for the ISM press release.

Check out the BLOG page for the previous RECAPS blog posts.

Filed Under: Recaps Tagged With: acquisitions, Business, Investing, mergers, Rankings, The PBR1000

The PBR1000: The July 2014 Stocks/Commodities Snapshot!

August 6, 2014 by admin

Which Arrow Will August Be?

By Larry C. Paxton

The PBR1000 July 2014 Snapshot reflects the latest annual 10-K reports from 2013 and for 2014 through May. There is one still not available for 2013 and the company has filed extensions with the SEC, so we use the 2012 10-K data.

The PBR1000 July 2014 Snapshots reflect the rankings by revenues based on the 10-Ks reported by March 31, 2014. The next rankings update should be with the August Snapshots. The quarterly The PBR1000 By Industry is available, a new The PBR1000 By State will come out during August.

A sample of The PBR1000 May 2014 Snapshot is available for download at the top of the “Sample Snapshots” page.

The tables below are compiled from The PBR1000 July 2014 Snapshot, which now includes 14 reports. Current The PBR1000 Subscribers should have already received these.

The stock exchanges reached record highs during the month, but as stated in our previous post, there was a big “hiccup” on the last day. The bull and bear market people continue to argue strongly their point of view. Hotspot conflicts in Ukraine and Mideast, European banks possibly struggling, the Fed maybe cutting back on its Quantitative Easing program, and upcoming primaries for the upcoming mid-term elections could have played a part, even though the economy, still regarded as fragile, but still having an upward trend.

The stock price is for the close of trading on July 31st, Month % Chg is compared to June 30th, YTD % Chg is compared to December 31, 2013, and the 19 Mos % Chg is compared to December 31, 2012.

Table 1: The PBR1000 Stock Price Composite

Company	Price 07/31/14	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	19 Mos % Chg
The PBR1000	258,240.07	-1.55	4.90	39.84

Table 1 Summary: Made up of the sum of the stock prices of the 1,077 companies currently tracked by The PBR1000.

Table 2: The PBR1000 Top 5 Month Stock Price % Gainers

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Price 07/31/14	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	19 Mos % Chg
USEC Inc	1029	USU	5.69	87.79	-14.05	-57.06
US Steel Corp	155	X	26.04	28.61	13.53	40.42
URS Corp	241	URS	45.85	24.91	8.08	45.87
NII Holding	489	NIHD	0.55	24.60	-75.08	-90.39
Gentiva Health	941	GTIV	15.06	20.19	45.85	80.10

Table 2 Summary: Range was 87.79% to -65.58%. 259 out of 1,077 stock prices were up 0.00% or more, or 24.05% of the companies tracked.

Table 3: The PBR1000 Top 5 Year-To-Date Stock Price % Gainers

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Price 07/31/14	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	19 Mos % Chg
Greenbrier Companies	933	GBX	64.45	11.89	96.25	298.58
Green Plains Renewable Energy	661	GPRE	37.49	14.06	93.45	373.96
Hillshire Brands	571	HSH	62.77	0.75	87.71	123.06
Pilgrim’s Pride	306	PPC	27.96	2.19	72.06	286.19
Newfield Exploration	927	NFX	40.30	-8.82	63.62	50.49

Table 3 Summary: Range was 96.25% to -88.20%. 573 out of 1,075 stock prices were up 0.00% or more, or 53.30% of the companies tracked.

Table 4: The PBR1000 Top 5 18 Months Stock Price % Gainers

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Price 07/31/14	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	19 Mos % Chg
Fannie Mae	16	FNMA	4.19	7.16	39.20	1,511.54
Freddie Mac	32	FMCC	4.17	8.03	43.79	1,503.85
Tesla Motors	882	TSLA	223.30	-6.98	48.44	559.29
SunPower Corp	766	SPWR	36.73	-10.37	23.21	553.56
SunEdison	883	SUNE	20.00	-11.50	53.26	523.05

Table 4 Summary: Range was 1,511.54% to -93.10%. 936 out of 1,063 stock prices were up 0.00% or more, or 88.05% of the companies tracked.

Table 5: The PBR1000 Selected Stock Exchanges/Commodities

Company	Price 07/31/14	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	19 Mos % Chg
DJIA	16,563.30	-1.56	-0.08	26.40
NASDAQ	4,369.77	-0.87	4.63	44.72
S&P500	1,930.67	-1.51	4.45	35.37
Gold	1,282.20	-3.39	6.65	-23.77
Silver	20.41	-3.09	5.37	-32.77
Oil	98.17	-6.93	-0.25	4.77

Have questions on The PBR1000? Please contact us at Sales@PBRMarketTools.com or call us at 520-282-4100.

(The PBR1000 is the premiere comparative data and reporting service covering over 1,000 of the largest publicly held companies with principle or administration headquarters in the US. These companies generate over $13 trillion in annual worldwide revenues, more than all other companies in the US combined. These are the key drivers in the US and world economies. On a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis several analytical reports in customizable Microsoft Excel format are provided to The PBR1000 subscribers. Users include C-level executives, entrepreneurs, sales/marketing/advertising professionals, investors/investment advisers, business professors/students, career counselors/job seekers, to name just a few. To order your annual subscription, just go to the PBRMarketTools.com Order page.)

(Photo Courtesy of ddpavumba/FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Filed Under: Snapshots Tagged With: Business, Investing, Marketing, Rankings, The PBR1000

The PBR1000: The July 2014 Breaking News Recap!

August 1, 2014 by admin

Puzzled Confused Lost Signpost Showing Puzzling Problem

Okay, What Happened on the Last Day of July???

By Larry C. Paxton

Things were going so well at the beginning of July. Key economy indices continue to show improvement, to the point where the Federal Reserve talked about fading out of its Quantitative Easing program but saying any increases in interest rates are far down the road for now. Major stock exchanges reached new highs. For many, especially the bull market people, cautious optimism was becoming a little less cautious.

But then there was also the unexpected and tragic downing of the Malaysian Airlines international flight while over a contentious area of Ukraine. The war there has ended up forcing the international community to declare more and more difficult economic sanctions on Russia, which also has a negative effect as well for businesses around the world that provides products and services to Russia. Then there are the other events, including the Israeli attacks on Gaza as a response to the rockets being fired further and further in Israel, the continuing effort for the control of Iraq in a religious war, the conflict in Syria, in the last few days the problems with a prominent Portuguese bank, the default of debt payments by the Argentina government. There continues to be a lot of mergers, especially by US corporations with foreign companies and moving headquarters offshore to take advantage of lower corporate tax rates, and maybe investors were just also taking some of the profits from the recent rapid rises in stock prices. But after the build up all during the month of July and then the major dip on the last day, what does it all mean, and how should we prepare and respond? For each of us, the answer is different. But PBRMarketTools continues to provide the data and reporting to hopefully help you through this and help you make some sound decisions.

Take a deep breath, let’s see what happens in August!

Here are The PBR1000 July 2014 Breaking News briefs with hotlinks to the source documents, from the last day to the first day of July:

Thursday, July 31, 2014:
Stock Exchanges Recap for July:
DJIA closes at 16,563.30, -1.56% over 06/30/14 & QTD, -0.08% YTD.
NASDAQ closes at 4,369.77, -0.87% over 06/30/14 & QTD, +4.63% YTD.
SPX closes at 1,930.67, -1.51% over 06/30/14 & QTD, +4.45% YTD.
For more details subscribe to The PBR1000 today!

US Dept of Labor reports nonfarm employment in all 38 largest metro areas increased from June 2013 to June 2014. Click here for the USDOL press release.

France based broadband & mobile service provider Iliad makes offer for T-Mobile US(PBR115) for $15 billion cash for 56.6% ownership. Click here for the Iliad press release.

Target(PBR37) board names retail veteran Brian Cornell as its next Chairman/CEO, to be effective 08/12/14. Click here for the Target press release.

Freddie Mac(PBR32) reports 30 year fixed rate mortgages at 4.12% with 0.6 fees & points. Click here for the Freddie Mac mortgage page.

Nordstrom(PBR214) to acquire fast growth personalized clothing for men service Trunk Club, terms not disclosed. Click here for the Nordstrom mortgage page.

Brookdale Senior Living(PBR688) completes acquisition of Emeritus Corp(PBR889) for $2.8 billion. Click here for the Brookdale press release.

Alpha Natural Resources(PBR475) gives notice that 11 N. Virgina mining facilities with 1,100 employees to be idled. Click here for the ANR press release.

The Bon-Ton Stores(PBR700) names Kathryn Bufano president & CEO effective 08/25/14. Click here for the Bon-Ton press release.

Darden Restaurants(PBR302) announces accelerated $500 million buyback plan. Click here for the Darden press release.

CBRE Group(PBR348) has acquired Australian based 26 professionals Paragon Project Management Pty Ltd, terms not disclosed. Click here for the CBRE press release.

Cabot Corp(PBR613) closes sale of its Security Materials business to SICPA for $20 million. Click here for the Cabot Corp press release.

Atmel(PBR1004) completes acquisition of high performance low power Wi-Fi & bluetooth solutions company Newport Media(NR) for $140 million. Click here for the Atmel press release.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014:
US Dept of Commerce reports preliminary 2nd qtr GDP at 4.0%, annual rate of $17.294T, 1st qtr GDP revised from -2.9% to -2.1%. Click here for the USDOC press release.

Pfizer(PBR53) buying vaccines unit of Baxter International(PBR177) for $635 million. Click here for the Pfizer press release.

Susser Holdings(PBR399) schedules special stockholders meeting for 08/28/14 to vote on acquisition by Energy Transfer Equity(PBR55) Partners unit for $1.8 billion. Click here for the Susser press release.

Liberty Interactive(PBR232) selling its Provide Commerce floral & gift business to FTD Companies(NASDAQ: FTD) for $430 million. Click here for the Liberty Interactive press release.

Caesars Entertainment(PBR301) subsidiary Caesars Entertainment Operating Company appoints management team, takes steps to be listed. Click here for the Caesars press release.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014:

The US Dept of Commerce reports homeownership rate at 64.8% at end of 2nd quarter 2014, down from 65.0% in 1st quarter. Click here for the USDOC press release.

AECOM Technology(PBR317) acquiring commercial construction management firm Hunt Construction Group, does $1.2 billion revenues, terms not disclosed. Click here for the AECOM press release.

Caterpillar(PBR49) announces $2.5 billion accelerated stock buyback plan, follows $1.7 billion plan completed in March. Click here for the Caterpillar press release.

Boeing(PBR30) reselling Inmarsat-5 satellite military bandwidth to the US government. Click here for the Boeing press release.

Amgen(PBR144) in 2nd quarter report says it will be reducing staff primarily in US by 2,400-2,900 through 2015. Click here for the Amgen press release.

RadioShack(PBR618) opens 21 interactive remodel stores in San Francisco Bay area. Click here for the RadioShack press release.

Expedia(PBR490) completes acquisition of European based online car reservations company Auto Escape Group. Click here for the Expedia press release.

TreeHouse Foods(PBR812) completes acquisition of Flagstone Foods(NR) for $860 million cash. Click here for the TreeHouse Foods press release.

Walmart(PBR1) acquiring 16 person online shopping recommendation company Luvocracy. Click here for the Walmart Labs blog post.

Macerich(PBR1076) & Pennsylvania REIT form joint venture to redevelop downtown Philadelphia 1.4 million sf The Gallery, each partner contributing $106.8 million. Click here for the Macerich press release.

Monday, July 28, 2014:
Dollar Tree(PBR328) to acquire fellow retailer Family Dollar(PBR253) for $74.50/share, $9.2 billion transaction value. Click here for the Dollar Tree press release.

Tyson Foods(PBR87) announces proposed sale of 24 million Class A common stock & 30 million tangible equity units to help fund the Hillshire Brands(PBR571) acquisition. Click here for the Tyson Foods press release.

Medtronic(PBR163) completes acquisition of MRI-guided laser & image guided system developer Visualase for up to $105 million. Click here for the Medtronic press release.

Amazon(PBR36) announces customized 3D printed products store. Click here for the Amazon press release.

Darden Restaurants(PBR302) completes the $1.2 billion cash sale of its Red Lobster business to private equity investment firm Golden Gate Capital. Click here for the Darden press release.

Darden Restaurants(PBR302) announces that Chairman/CEO Clarence Otis to step down as Chairman, remain CEO until 12/31/14 at latest, Chairman/CEO roles now split, Interim Chair appointed. Click here for the Darden press release.

Owens & Minor(PBR285) elects Pres/COO Jim Bierman to Pres/CEO effective 09/01/14, current Chair/CEO Craig Smith to become Executive Chairman. Click here for the O & M press release.

Blackstone Group(PBR374) acquiring heart of London 330ksf 125 Old Broad Street from Brookfield Property Partners for $540 million. Click here for the Blackstone press release.

The Nationall Assn of Realtors says pending home sales slipped in June, forecasting 4.95 million sold homes in 2014, 2.8% lower than the 5.1 million sold in 2013. Click here for the NAR press release.

Friday, July 25, 2014:
DJIA closes at 16,960.57, -0.82% over 07/18/14, +0.80% MTD & QTD, +2.32% YTD.
NASDAQ closes at 4,449.56, +0.39% over 07/18/14, +0.94% MTD & QTD, +6.54% YTD.
SPX closes at 1,978.34, +0.01% over 07/18/14, +0.92% MTD & QTD, +7.03% YTD.
For more details subscribe to The PBR1000 today!

Safeway(PBR83) announces preliminary results of 2014 stockholder vote, 96% approve acquisition by Albertsons. Click here for the Safeway press release.

RadioShack(PBR618) receives continued listing standards notice from NYSE because trading under $1, plans to cure issue in 6 month period. Click here for the RadioShack press release.

The US Dept of Labor reports that in March 2014 86% of fulltime private industry workers received medical care benefits, 23% of part timers did. For more click here for the USDOL press release.

The US Dept of Commerce reports that 16 out of 22 industry groups contributed to the 1st quarter 2014 2.9% decrease in Gross Domestic Product. For details click here for the USDOC press release.

The US Dept of Commerce reports that Durable Goods Orders were up 0.7% in June to $239.9 billion. Click here for the USDOC press release.

Thursday, July 24, 2014:
US Dept of HUD says New Single Family Homes sold at 406,000 annual rate in June, down 8.1% from May, median price $273,500, avg price $331,400. Click here for the HUD press release.

Freddie Mac reports that 30 year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 4.13% with 0.6 point for the week ending 07/24/14. Click here for the Freddie Mac press release.

The US Securities & Exchange Commission fines Morgan Stanley(PBR80) $275 million for misleading investors in subprime residential mortgages. Click here for the SEC press release.

SunEdison(PBR883) acquiring Colorado 156 MW, 900 acre solar project from Community Energy(NR). XCEL Energy(PBR242) to contract for 25 year power purchase. Click here for the SunEdison press release.

Macerich(PBR1076) announces 1st phase of expanded Tysons Corner Center in Northern Virginia, adding 1.4 million sq feet of office, residential, hotel, & retail uses. Click here for the Macerich press release.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014:
Fannie Mae(PBR16) forecasts 2nd half 2014 growth of 3.0%, overall year at 1.5% due to slow 1st half. Click here for the Fannie Mae press release.

The International Monetary Fund sees the US economy accelerating in 2nd half of 2014(3-3.5%) & 2015, but 1.7% for all of 2014 due to slow 1st half. Click here for the IMF press release.

Blackstone Group(PBR374) buying majority stake in Service King Collision Repair Centers, The Carlyle Group(PBR521) retaining large minority stake. Click here for the Blackstone press release.

SunEdison(PBR883) subsidiary TerraForm Power(NASDAQ: TERP) closes IPO. Click here for the SunEdison press release.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014:
CIT Group(PBR608) acquiring regional S. Calif. privately held OneWest Bank for $3.4 billion stock & cash. Click here for the CIT Group press release.

LinkedIn(PBR984) to acquire business audience marketing firm Bizo(NR) for $175 million cash & stock. Click here for the LinkedIn press release.

Altria(PBR113) in its 2nd quarter report announces $1 billion stock buyback program. Click here for the Altria press release.

The National Association of Realtors says 5.04M sales of existing homes annual rate, +2.6% over May, $223,300 median price in June. Click here for the NAR press release.

US Dept of Labor reports Average Current Real Earnings for June at $24.45/hr, +0.2% over May, for 34.5 hour average work week. Click here for the USDOL press release.

Dept of Labor says Consumer Price Index-Urban +0.3% seasonally adjusted in June, mostly due to gasoline prices, +2.1% annual unadjusted. Click here for the USDOL press release.

Monday, July 21, 2014:
Yahoo!(PBR494) buying mobile analytics firm Flurry(NR). Click here for the Yahoo! press release.

Allergan(PBR392) to cut workforce by 1,500, eliminate 250 vacant positions per 2nd quarter 2014 report. Click here for the Allergan press release.

Netflix(PBR525) in 2nd quarter 2014 report to shareholders says it now has over 50 million subscribers in 40 countries, 36 million in the US. Click here for the Netflix press release.

Johnson & Johnson(PBR39) announces $5 billion stock buyback program. Click here for the JNJ press release.

Gentiva Health(PBR941) confirmed it has received a new $17.25/share buyout offer from Kindred Healthcare(PBR476). Click here for the Gentiva press release.

Arch Coal(PBR668) to idle its metallurgical coal Cumberland River coal complex. Click here for the Arch Coal press release.

Cliffs Natural Resources(PBR422) issues open letter to shareholders regarding upcoming meeting, recommendation to vote for its board of directors slate, not activist investor Casablanca Capital’s. Click here for the CNR press release.

Friday, July 18, 2014:
DJIA closes at 17,100.18, +0.92% over 07/11/14, +1.63% MTD, +3.16% YTD.
NASDAQ closes at 4,432.15, +0.38% over 0711/14, +0.54% MTD, +6.12% YTD.
SPX closes at 1,978.22, +0.54% over 07/11/14, +0.92% MTD, +7.03% YTD. For more details subscribe to The PBR1000 today!

AbbVie(PBR142) $54 billion cash & stock offer is finally accepted by Ireland’s Shire plc. Click here for the AbbVie press releases.

In 2nd quarter 2014 report General Electric(PBR9) says it plans its Synchrony Financial IPO to occur by the end of July. Click here for the GE press release.

Amazon(PBR36) introduces Kindle Unlimited for $9.99/mo for unlimited reading/listening service on any device. Click here for the Amazon press release.

Brunswick(PBR572) is selling its retail bowling centers business to Bowlmor AMF(NR) for $270 million. Click here for the Brunswick press release.

PPG Industries(PBR180) selling Mt Zion float glass manufacturing facility to Fuyao Glass America(NR), terms not disclosed. Click here for the PPG press release.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR649) acquires employee benefits broker Foundation Strategies(NR), terms not disclosed. Click here for the AJG press release.

Thursday, July 17, 2014:
US Dept of HUD says seasonally adjusted annual rate for Private Housing Building Permits for June was 963,000, down 4.2% over May. Click here for the HUD press release.

Microsoft(PBR35) to simplify organization, eliminate 18,000 positions, in alignment with acquired Nokia devices business. Click here for the Microsoft press release.

Herbalife(PBR482) responds to Pershing Square(NR) attacks. Click here for the Herbalife press release.

Hewlett-Packard(PBR17) announces its President/CEO Meg Whitman is now its new Chairman. Click here for the HP press release.

Blackstone(PBR374) buys $8.6 billion loan portfolio from Spanish bank CatalunyaCaixa. Click here for the CatalunyaCaixa press release.

Gentiva Health(PBR941) board rejects Kindred Healthcare(PBR476) $16.00/share for 14.9% ownership, says has another 100% offer at $17.25/share. Click here for the Gentiva press release.

KeyCorp(PBR512) buying Portland based 170 employee tech investment & capital markets firm Pacific Crest Securities, no transaction details. Click here for the KeyCorp press release.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014:
International Game Technology(PBR798) is being acquired by Italian based game technology company Gtech SpA for $6.4 billion in cash, stock, & debt. Click here for the IGT press release.

Time Warner(PBR92) rejects unsolicited cash & stock offer to be acquired by Twenty-First Century Fox(PBR97). Click here for the Time Warner press release.

US Dept of Labor reports seasonally adjusted Producer Price Index for June was up 0.4%, was down 0.2% in May. Click here for the USDOL press release.

AmSurg(PBR1064) announces the completion of its acquisition of Sheridan Healthcare for $2.35 billion. Click here for the AmSurg press release.

AIG(PBR41) announces settlement with Bank of America(PBR21) on residential mortgage related disputes for $650 million plus. Click here for the AIG press release.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014:
Reynolds American(PBR312) to acquire fellow cigarette maker Lorillard(PBR358) for $68.88/share, $27.4 billion in cash, stock, & assumed debt. Click here for the Reynolds American press release.

Albemarle Corp(PBR738) to buy fellow specialty chemicals co Rockwood Holdings(PBR1006) in a deal valued at $6.2 billion cash & stock. Click here for the Albemarle press release.

Wolverine Worldwide(PBR718) announces plans to close 140 mostly Stride Rite stores by end of 2015. Click here for the Wolverine Worldwide press release.

Hewlett-Packard(PBR17) announces that chairman Ralph Whitworth is stepping down immediately to focus on health issues. Click here for the HP press release.

Apple(PBR6) & IBM(PBR24) forming global partnership to transform enterprise mobility. Click here for the Apple press release.

Sumitomo 3M(PBR91) buying out Sumitomo Electrics remaining 25% ownership share for $885 million. Click here for the 3M press release.

Monday, July 14, 2014:
Today The PBR1000 June 2014 By Industry Snapshot has been emailed to all Subscribers. A blog post to follow in the next week or so.

The US Dept of Justice announces $7 billion settlement with Citigroup(PBR26) for mortgages improprieties prior to 01/01/09. Click here for the USDOJ press release. Click here for the Citigroup press release.

The board of Ireland based Shire has indicated it is willing to recommend AbbVie’s(PBR142) latest $53 billion offer. Click here for the Shire press release.

Whiting Petroleum(PBR701) to buy Kodiak Oil & Gas(NYSE: KOG) for $6 billion in stock. Click here for the Whiting press release.

Abbott Labs(PBR127) to sell its developed markets branded generics pharmaceuticals business to Mylan(PBR361) & form a new publicly held entity. Click here for the Abbott Labs press release.

Exterran(PBR651) buying 110k horsepower natural gas compression assets of a Chesapeake Energy(PBR152) subsidiary for $135 million. Click here for the Exterran press release.

LinkedIn(PBR984) acquiring blogs & articles notifying service Newsle. Click here for the LinkedIn blog post.

eBay(PBR168) & Sotheby’s to create new live auctions for mid-priced($5k-$100k) art & collectibles. Click here for the eBay press release.

ConAgra Foods(PBR172) acquires Chinese potato processor TaiMei Potato Industry Ltd for $93 million. Click here for the ConAgra press release.

Sunday, July 13, 2014:
AECOM Technology(PBR317) to acquire engineering & construction firm URS(NYSE: URS) for $6 billion in cash, stock, & debt. Click here for the AECOM press release.

Friday, July 11, 2014:
DJIA closes at 16,943.81, -0.73% over 07/03/14, +0.70% MTD,2.21% YTD.
NASDAQ closes at 4,415.49, -1.57% over 07/03/14, +0.17% MTD, +5.72% YTD.
SPX closes at 1,967.57, -0.90% over 07/03/14, +0.37% MTD, +6.45% YTD. For more details subscribe to The PBR1000 today!

Reynolds American(PBR312) confirms it is in talks regarding possible acquisition of fellow cigarette manufacturer Lorillard(PBR358). Click here for the Reynolds American press release.

Yahoo(PBR494) is acquiring online video streaming company RayV. Click here for the RayV announcement.

Thursday, July 10, 2014:
The US Federal Trade Commission alleges Apple(PBR36) unlawfully billed parents millions for children’s unauthorized in-app charges. Click here for the FTC press release.

Verizon(PBR15) CEO says its wireless services gaining 1.4 million users in 2nd quarter. Click here for the Verizon press release.

Automotive News reports TRW Automotive(PBR154) is a takeover target by Germany’s auto supplier ZF Friedrichshafen AG for around $11 billion. Click here for the Automotive News article.

Freddie Mac(PBR32) says average 30 year fixed mortgage rate is 4.15% and 0.7 point, down from 4.51% a year ago. Click here for the Freddie Mac press release.

The US Dept of Commerce says May Wholesale Inventories at $532.7B, up 0.5% from April, Wholesale Sales at $453.2B, up 0.7%. Click here for the USDOC press release.

Whirlpool(PBR143) is acquiring majority interest in Italy’s appliances manufacturer Indesit for $1 billion. Click here for the Whirlpool press release.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014:
BusinessWeek: DISH Network(PBR199) asks FCC to deny Comcast(PBR44) & Time Warner Cable(PBR125) $45.2 billion deal. Click here for the BusinessWeek article.

Vornado(PBR708) to acquire St. Regis Fifth Avenue Retail for $700 million. Click here for the Vornado press release.

Vornado(PBR708) completes the $260 million sale of Los Angeles property Beverly Connection Shopping Center. Click here for the Vornado press release.

Cisco(PBR54) completes acquisition of privately held Tail-f, a specialist in virtualized networks. Click here for the Cisco press release.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014:
AbbVie(PBR142) makes new offer to Ireland based Shire, $38.45/share plus 0.8568 AbbVie shares, $51 billion deal. Click here for the Shire statement.

The US Dept of Labor reports 4.6 million job openings at end of May, 4.7 million hires, 4.5 million separations. Click here for the USDOL press release.

Monday, July 7, 2014:
The PBR1000 June 2014 Stocks/Commodities Snapshot blog post is now available. Click here for the The PBR1000 blog post.

Archer-Daniels-Midland(PBR27) to acquire Swiss based flavor systems company WILD Flavors GmbH for $3.13 billion cash. Click here for the ADM press release.

Atmel(PBR1004) to acquire high performance low power Wi-Fi & bluetooth solutions company Newport Media(NR) for $140 million. Click here for the Atmel press release.

Sunday, July 6, 2014:
Expedia(PBR490) acquiring Australia based online travel company Wotif Group for $658 million cash. Click here for the Expedia press release.

Friday, July 4, 2014:
Hospira(PBR565) completes acquisition of India based active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturer Orchid Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals for $218 million. Click here for the Hospira press release.

Thursday, July 3, 2014:
DJIA closes at record 17,086.26, +1.28% over 06/27/14, +1.44% MTD, +2.97% YTD. NASDAQ closes at 4,485.93, +2.00% over 06/27/14, +1.76% MTD, +7.41% YTD. SPX closes at record 1,985.44, +1.25% over 06/27/14, +1.29% MTD, +7.42% YTD. Click here for The PBR1000 4th of July Special!

SunTrust Banks(PBR319) agrees to pay up to $320 million to resolve claims regarding administration of mortgages. Click here for the SunTrust press release.

Corinthian Colleges(PBR969) & the US Dept of Education sign operating agreement regarding the phase out of CCs 107 US campuses & online programs. Click here for the Corinthian Colleges press release.

US Dept of Labor reports June nonfarm payroll employment up by 288,000, unemployment rate falls from 6.3% to 6.1%. Click here for the USDOL press release.

US Dept of Commerce reports May exports of $195.50 billion, imports of $239.80 billion, deficit of $44.40 billion. Click here for the USDOC press release.

Blackstone(PBR374) closes $5.4 billion deal for industrial & auto components manufacturer Gates Corporation. Click here for the Blackstone press release.

Wednesday, July 2, 2014:
Facebook(PBR327) acquiring ad tech provider LiveRail. Click here for the Facebook press release.

Boeing(PBR30) gets $2.8 billion contract with NASA to build next generation rocket. Click here for the Boeing press release.

Textron(PBR218) to acquire flight simulation & pilot training company ProFlight. Click here for the Textron press release.

Popular(PBR753) completes its repayment of TARP bailout funds to the US government. Click here for the Popular press release.

Kroger(PBR25) agrees to buy online vitamin seller Vitacost for $280 million, according to the Wall Street Journal. Click here for the WSJ press release.

Tyson Foods(PBR87) makes it official, to buy Hillshire Brands(PBR571) for $63/share, $8.55 billion cash/debt deal. Click here for the Tyson Foods press release.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014:
Click here for the The PBR1000 June 2014 Breaking News Recap blog post.

MasterCard(PBR308) completes its acquisition of Australia based loyalty/rewards service Pinpoint. Click here for the MasterCard press release.

Regency Energy Partners(PBR760) completes its acquisition of midstream business of Eagle Rock Energy Partners(NASDAQ: EROC). Click here for the Regency press release.

Hormel Foods(PBR295) buying Muscle Milk privately held producer CytoSport Holdings for $450 million. Click here for the Hormel press release.

Actavis(PBR298) completes its $28 billion acquisition of Forest Labs(PBR595). Click here for the Actavis press release.

Google(PBR46) acquiring streaming music provider Songza(NR). Click here for the Songza announcement.

Alere(PBR664) announces resignation of Pres/CEO Ron Zwanziger & others, COO Namal Nawana appointed interim Pres/CEO. Click here for the Alere press release.

Mark Fields officially becomes President/CEO of Ford Motor(PBR8)

Air Products(PBR260) has new Chairman/President/CEO, Seifi Ghasemi.

(The purpose of The PBR1000 is to provide a wide range of interested people with the premier key demographic, industry, financial, personnel, and comments/news briefs on over 1,000 of the largest publicly traded companies with principal offices in the US, companies that have a huge impact on the US and world economies. This information is updated monthly and published in MS Excel format as The PBR1000 Monthly Update Report. During a month several supplementary reports are published as well.

Larry C. Paxton is the President/CEO of Pax Business Resources, LLC. PBRMarketTools is the marketing research unit. For several years Larry has worked for and provided products and services to The PBR1000 companies.)

Filed Under: Recaps Tagged With: acquisitions, Business, Investing, mergers, The PBR1000

The PBR1000: The CEO Longevity Snapshot-July 2014!

July 16, 2014 by admin

Who Wants To Be A The PBR1000 Company CEO?

By Greyson Gardlik.

The CEO’s of The PBR1000 companies not only have control over their companies, but in today’s ever changing economy, the CEO’s can affect the entire market. This article will provide some observations on CEO longevity based on a compilation by the PBRMarketTools.com Team, focused on The PBR1000, which currently contains key demographic, financial, industry and people data based on 1,078 of the largest publicly traded with principle offices in the US.

Currently there are only 144 of the 1,078 CEOs that were appointed before the year 2000, which means since the millennia 86.6 percent of the companies have had management changes in this new era of business. Already through June of this year there have been 59 new CEO appointments, varying across the many different companies including Walmart(PBR1). Since 2010 almost half of The PBR1000 re-structured their chief management position with 446 new appointments in the past 4.5 years.

By year in descending order here are the current number of CEOs that have been appointed:

2014 (through June 30^th) Appointed: 59
2013: 110
2012: 102
2011: 96
2010: 79
2009-2005: 338 (5 years approx. an average of about 68 per year)
Before 2005: 289

The company with the longest serving CEO in The PBR1000 is the Founder and Chairman/CEO of L Brands(PBR247), Leslie Wexner, who has been serving since 1963, 51 years.Currently in The PBR1000 the median year of CEO appointment sits at 2008 for all of the 1,078 companies we follow, which has shifted one year forward from last year’s median of 2007. We also must keep in mind that 521 CEOs, just under half of the 1,078 companies appointed new CEOs between 2009 and June 2014, which could bump the median by the end of the year to 2009.

When looking at the 100 highest revenue-producing companies, 60 of them have replaced their CEO’s during 2009-2014 (June). When looking at the CEO longevity for the companies who didn’t crack the top 100 but fell between $2 billion and $27 billion in revenues for 2013 the median year was 2008 and the average year they were appointed was about 2006. The companies that did below the $2 billion in revenues were similar to the companies who fell between $2 and $27 billion with a median year of 2008 and the average year appointed of about 2006.

For the 100 most profitable companies the data shows that 50 of them have changed management between 2009 -2014 (June).

The companies that did between $50 million and $2.3 billion in profits had a median CEO appointment of 2008 and an average of 2006.

However the companies who were least profitable of The PBR 1000, companies with profits below $50 million, had a median CEO appointment year of 2010 and an average appointment year of about 2008, which is a full two-year jump compared to the median and mean years compared to the data for revenues.

Here are some examples of industries broken down by median CEO appointment year as well as the average CEO appointments for specific sector. These 15 sectors consist of 339 of The PBR 1000 companies. The information is ordered by SIC numbers, title of sector, number of companies, median CEO appointment year and then average appointment year.

SIC 1311, Petroleum & Natural Gas: 25 Companies, 2009, and 2006.
SIC 2834, Pharmaceuticals: 17 Companies, 2010, and 2007.
SIC 2911, Petroleum Refining: 13 Companies, 2010, and 2007.
SIC 3310-3357, Steal Manufacturing: 17 Companies, 2007, and 2006
SIC 3670-3690, Electronic Components: 34 companies, 2008.5, and 2007.
SIC 3711-3790, Transportation Manufacturing: 41 Companies, 2010, and 2009.
SIC 4911, Electric Services: 23 Companies, 2010, and 2009
SIC 5600-5661, Retail (Apparel, Family, Shoes): 22 Companies, 2007.5, and 2004
SIC 6021, National Banks: 18 Companies, 2009.5, and 2008
SIC 6200-6282, Investment Services: 27 Companies, 2005, and 2002.
SIC 6798, Real Estate Investment Trusts: 23 Companies, 2004, and 2003.
SIC 7011, Hotels/Motels, 12 Companies: 2007, and 2007.
SIC 7370-7374, Computer Programing/Software: 35 Companies, 2009, and 2007
SIC 7389, Business Services: 16 companies, 2009, and 2007
SIC 8050-8090, Hospitals and Healthcare related services: 16 Companies, 2005, and 2004.

Real Estate Investment Trusts, Healthcare and Investment Services are the three sectors that have on average have had their Chief Executives Officers in their positions the longest, which has been about 10-12 years.The top 6 states accounted for 500 of the 1,078 companies and had the following median CEO appointment year, and average CEO appointment year. (State, The PBR1000 company count, median CEO appointment year, and average CEO appointment year):

California: 115, 2008 and 2006
Texas: 108, 2009 and 2007
New York: 101, 2007 and 2005
Illinois: 66, 2008 and 2007
Ohio: 58, 2008.5 and 2007
Pennsylvania: 52, 2010 and 2008

When taking a look at the 1,078 companies CEOs and evaluating the gender breakdown, the numbers show that male CEO’s comprise 95.6% or 1,031 out of all 1,078. The median year that male CEOs were appointed was 2008 and the average year of appointment was about 2006. In 2013 there were 105 male CEO’s appointed and so far in 2014 there have been 56 appointed.The median year that female CEO’s were appointed was 2011 with an average year of appointment of about 2010. In 2013 there were only 6 female CEO’s appointed and so far in 2014 there have only been 3 appointed. This means that the majority of female CEOs are much newer to their positions as Chief Executive Officer than their male counterparts.

More and more companies are changing this key management position in hopes that this strategic decision will help their businesses maintain a competitive advantage in today’s marketplace. Many conclusions can be drawn from the CEO data but you may interpret the data as you see fit. The next report we will provide is an analysis about CEO compensation packages.

More details are available in The PBR1000 Monthly Snapshots which are a series of Microsoft EXCEL worksheets that includes each company’s CEO name, other titles they hold in the company, year and month they became CEO, and a hotlink to a brief biography about them.

(The PBR1000 is the premiere comparative data and reporting service covering over 1,000 of the largest publicly held companies with principle or administration headquarters in the US. These companies generate over $13 trillion in annual worldwide revenues, more than all other companies in the US combined. These are the key drivers in the US and world economies. On a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis several analytical reports in customizable Microsoft Excel format are provided to The PBR1000 subscribers. Users include C-level executives, entrepreneurs, sales/marketing/advertising professionals, investors/investment advisers, business professors/students, career counselors/job seekers, to name just a few. To order your annual subscription, just go to the PBRMarketTools.com Order page.

The author of this post, Greyson Gardlik, is an intern at PBRMarketTools. He is majoring in business economics and entrepreneurship with a minor in environmental science at the highly acclaimed University of Arizona Eller College of Management.)

Filed Under: Leadership Tagged With: Business, Investing, Leadership, Marketing, The PBR1000

The PBR1000: The June 2014 Breaking News Recap!

July 1, 2014 by admin

So Far, So Good! What Will Happen In The Second Half?

By Larry C. Paxton.

The results for the first half of 2014 are in. So far it has been a mellower year than 2013. The stock market has performed as many people predicted, with new highs being established. At the same time the popular commodities were up as well. Economic data had some interesting mixed results. Unemployment fell a little, but the GDP caused some concern. Nevertheless, the major stock exchanges all improved during the month, for the quarter and year to date. Some experts remain bullish, others are still predicting a bearish correction. There have been quite a few significant mergers and acquisitions. Politically there are some hotspots in the world that seem very fragile and could have an impact. In the US we continue to struggle with political gridlock as the Senate, House and the President just can’t seem to address some critical issues in a way that the American people would like. But the midterm elections are nearing, some primary elections have already been held, and it could be a pretty volatile election season coming up. So, as the caption above indicates, CEOs and their C-level management team members, investors, workers, and citizens continue to have a giant question mark as we enter the second half of 2014.

We start out July by celebrating Independence Day. Let’s be thankful for the freedoms and opportunities the Founding Fathers initiated, fought for, and which we enjoy today. As we celebrate let’s remember that around the world our success is an ideal many people dream of and strive for.

Following are news items of interest for The PBR1000, most current date first. (NR) behind a company name means “No Ranking.”

Monday, June 30, 2014:
DJIA closes at 16,826.20 on 06/30/14, +0.65% over 05/30/14, +2.24% QTR, +1.51% YTD. NASDAQ closes at 4,408.18 on 06/30/14, +3.90% over 05/30/14, +4.98% QTR, +5.54% YTD. SPX closes at 1,960.23 on 06/30/14, +1.91% over 05/30/14, +4.69% QTR, +6.05% YTD. Gold closes at 1,327.20 on 06/30/14, +6.06% over 05/30/14, +3.26% QTR, +10.39% YTD. Silver closes at 21.06 on 06/30/14, +12.02% over 05/30/14, +6.80% QTR, +8.72% YTD. Oil closes at 105.48 on 06/30/14, +2.48% over 05/30/14, +4.03% QTR, +7.17% YTD.

PPG Industries(PBR180) to acquire Mexico based coatings company Consorcio Comex for $2.3 billion. Click here for the PPG press release.

TreeHouse Foods(PBR812) acquiring Flagstone Foods for $860 million cash. Click here for the TreeHouse Foods press release.

General Motors(PBR7) announces 6 new safety recalls affecting 7.6 million vehicles. Click here for the GM press release.

Devon Energy(PBR252) selling non-core US oil & gas units to Linn Energy(NASDAQ: LINE) for $2.3 billion pre-tax. Click here for the Devon Energy press release.

Johnson & Johnson(PBR39) completes divestiture of the Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics unit to The Carlyle Group(PBR521) for $4 billion. Click here for the J&J press release.

Friday, June 27, 2014:
DJIA closes at 16,851.84, -0.56% over last week, +0.81% MTD, +1.67% YTD; NASDAQ closes at 4,397.93, +0.68% over last week, +3.66% MTD, +5.30% YTD, and; S&P500 closes at 1960.96, -0.10% over last week, +1.94% MTD, +6.09% YTD.

Caesars Entertainment(PBR301) to close Atlantic City Showboat property on 08/31/14, cites high property tax burden. Click here for the Caesars press release.

Dollar General(PBR153) Chairman/CEO Rick Dreiling to retire by 05/30/15. Click here for the DG press release.

Boeing(PBR30) acquires government software development & services 140 employee firm Ventura Solutions. Click here for the Boeing press release.

Thursday, June 26, 2014:
Alcoa(PBR122) acquiring UK based jet engine parts producer Firth Rixson for $2.85 billion cash & stock. Click here for the Alcoa press release.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014:
The US Dept of Commerce revises 2014 1st quarter GDP annual rate to -2.9%. Click here for the USDOC press release.

Barnes & Noble(PBR364) splitting into 2 public companies, one for retail, the other for Nook Media, by end of 1st quarter 2015. Click here for the BN press release.

Carlyle’s(PBR521) Sequential Brands Group to acquire consumer products firm Galaxy Brand Holdings for $100 million cash. Click here for the Carlysle press release.

Owens & Minor(PBR285) acquiring kits & trays producer Medical Action Industries(NASDAQ: MDCI) for $13.80/share, $208 million cash & assumed debt. Click here for the O&M press release.

The US Supreme Court rules against live streaming TV provider Aereo, says it is not just an equipment provider, but also has characteristics of cable & network TV providers like CBS(PBR176) & Comcast(PBR44). Click here for the Supreme Court press release.

AES Corp(PBR170) selling its 45% stake in Phillipine based Maisin-AES to Thailand based EGCO Group for $453 million. Click l here for the AES press release.

Tuesday, June 24, 2014:
CIT Group(PBR608) acquiring small/mid sized business financing provider & technology driven Lender Direct Capital. Terms not disclosed. Click here for the CIT Group press release.

US Dept of Housing & Urban Development reports that May sales of new homes(seasonally adjusted annual rate) was 504,000 units, April was 425,000. The May new home sales median price was $282,000, average price was $319,200. 189,000 new homes were available at the end of May(seasonally adjusted annual rate), represents 4.5 months supply. Click here for the HUD press release.

CitiGroup(PBR26) gets extension to 01/05/15 to refile acceptable capital plan with Federal Reserve Board, will not be able to increase capital distributions until plan approved. Click here for the FRB press release.

Monday, June 23, 2014:
Wisconsin Energy(PBR513) is acquiring Integrys Energy(PBR426) for $9.1 billion in cash, stock & assumed debt. Click here for the Wisconsin Energy press release.

Oracle Corp(PBR79) to acquire integrated software/hardware retail/hospitality provider MICROS for $68/share cash, $5.3 billion deal. Click here for the Oracle press release.

The Allergan(PBR392) board unanimously rejects the latest Valeant offer as grossly inadequate. Click here for the Allergan press release.

Harbinger Group(PBR431) offers $10/share, $1.1 billion cash, for Central Garden & Pet Supply(NR). Also offers alternative of $750 million cash for pet segment only. Click here for the Harbinger press release.

AMSURG(PBR1064) announces 2 stock offerings, proceeds to help consummate the $2.35 billion Sheridan Healthcare(NR) acquisition. Click here for the AMSURG press release.

Abbott Labs(PBR127) acquiring Russian pharmaceutical Veropharm for up to $495 million cash, will also assume net debt of $150 million. Click here for the Abbott Labs press release.

The A. Schulman(PBR855) board elects 22 year employee Bernard Rzepka as President/CEO, effective 01/01/15. He will replace retiring Joseph Gingo who will stay on as Chairman. Click here for the A. Schulman press release.

Saturday, June 21, 2014:
The France based Alstom board unanimously approves the General Electric(PBR9) $16.9 billion offer to form 3 joint power ventures. Click here for the GE press release.

Friday, June 20, 2014:
AbbVie(PBR142) makes 3rd offer of $54.10/share, $46.3 billion in cash & shares, for Ireland based Shire, offer is again rejected. Click here for the Shire press release.

Oracle Corp(PBR79) is buying co-browsing & screen sharing provider LiveLOOK(NR). Click here for the Oracle press release.

Thursday, June 19, 2014:
General Electric(PBR9) revises offer, announces 2 joint 50/50 ventures with France based Alstom. Click here for the GE press release.

CelGene(PBR382) stockholders approve 2:1 stock split, to occur on 06/26/14. Click here for the CelGene press release.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014:
Red Hat(PBR983) to acquire France based open source cloud computing services company eNovance(NR) for $95 million in cash & stock. Click here for the Red Hat press release.

Amazon(PBR36) announces Fire Phone, its first smartphone, $199, available exclusively on AT&T(PBR12). Click here for the Amazon press release.

Allergan(PBR392) receives another unsolicited tender offer from Valeant Pharmaceuticals(NR). Click here for the Allergan press release.

Men’s Wearhouse(PBR775) completes its acquisition of Jos. A. Bank for $65/share cash, $1.8 billion. Click here for the Men’s Wearhouse press release.

Apple(PBR6) introduces new iMac desktop computer starting at $1,099. Click here for the Apple press release.

Air Products and Chemicals(PBR260) announces that Seifi Ghasemi will become the Chairman/President/CEO on 07/01/14. Click here for the APC press release.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014:
The US Dept of HUD reports annual rate for Private Housing Starts was 1,001,000 in May, down 6.5% from April, up 9.4% from May 2013. Click here for the HUD press release.

The US Dept of Labor reports that the Consumer Price Index increased 2.1% over the past 12 months. Click here for the USDOL press release.

Actavis(PBR298) & Forest Labs(PBR595) shareholders approve $25 billion merger, expected to close mid year. Click here for the Forest Labs press release.

AES Corp(PBR170) to sell majority of its solar business to SunEdison(PBR883) for up to $207 million. Click here for the AES press release.

Monday, June 16, 2014:
SanDisk(PBR401) to acquire flash based PCIe hardware & software developer Fusion-io(NYSE: FIO) for $1.1 billion cash. Click here for the SanDisk press release.

Level 3 Communications(PBR390) to acquire tw telecom(NASDAQ: TWTC) for $40.86/share, $7.3 billion in stock & cash. Click here for the Level 3 press release.

Safeway(PBR83) makes settlement on proposed merger with Albertsons, will delist on NYSE on 07/03/14. Click here for the Safeway press release.

General Motors(PBR7) announces a new recall of 3.16 million vehicles to rework or replace ignition keys. Click here for the GM press release.

Hillshire Brands(PBR571) board withdraws merger recommendation with Pinnacle Foods(PBR778), will focus on merger with Tyson Foods(PBR87). Click here for the Hillshire Brands press release.

Walmart(PBR1) acquiring retail mobile app developer Stylr, 13th tech acquisition in 3 years. Click here for the Walmart press release.

Sunday, June 15, 2014:
Medtronic(PBR163) to buy Ireland based medical supplies provider Covidien for $93.22/share, $49.2 billion cash. Click here for the Medtronic press release.

Williams Cos(PBR363) to become 100% general partner & 50% limited partner in Access Midstream Partners(NYSE: ACMP) in $5.995 billion transaction. Click here for the Williams Cos press release.

Friday, June 13, 2014:
Priceline(PBR366) to acquire online restaurant reservations company OpenTable for $103/share, $2.6 billion cash. Click here for the Priceline press release.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the Producer Price Index for final demand for May fell 0.2% after increases in April of 0.6% and March of 0.5%. Click here for the USDOL press release.

Thursday, June 12, 2014:
US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports import and export prices rose 0.1% in May following drops of 0.5% and 1.0% in April. Click here for the USBOL press release.

Tesla(PBR882) making its patents available to other car manufacturers to help speed up low emission electric car acceptance. Click here for the Tesla blog post by CEO Elon Musk.

The US Bureau of Labor reports average employer cost per employee was $31.93/hour in March, benefits portion was $9.97(31.2%). Click here for the USBOL press release.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014:
CBS Corp(PBR176) completing its 81% divestiture of CBS Outdoors(NYSE: CBSO) through a shares exchange. Click here for the CBS press release.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014:
Allergan(PBR392) board unanimously rejects Valeant revised merger proposal. Click here for the Allergan press release.

AIG(PBR41) names Peter Hancock, currently an Exec VP, to become President/CEO, effective 09/01/14. Click here for the AIG press release.

BE Aerospace(PBR610) announces it plans to divide up into 2 separate publicly held entities, manufacturing & services. Click here for the BE Aerospace press release.

MetLife(PBR42) to repurchase up to $1 billion of its shares. Click here for the MetLife press release.

Google(PBR46) acquiring satellites provider Skybox Imaging for $500 million cash. Click here for the Google press release.

Monday, June 9, 2014:
Pilgrim’s Pride(PBR306) withdraws its offer to acquire Hillshire Brands(PBR571). Click here for the Pilgrim’s Pride press release.

Tyson Foods(PBR87) submits unilateral offer to acquire Hillshire Brands(PBR571) for $8.55 billion cash. Click here for the Tyson Foods press release.

Hillshire Brands(PBR571) confirms receipt of Tyson Foods(PBR87) $63/share offer, comments on Pinnacle Foods(PBR778) acquisition status. Click here for the Hillshire Foods press release.

Merck(PBR63) to acquire Idenix Pharmaceuticals(NASDAQ: IDIX) for $24.50/share, $3.85 billion cash. Click here for the Merck press release.

Apple(PBR6) closed Friday, 06/06/14 at $645.54/share, $92.22/share after 7:1 split, opens 06/09/14 at $92.70, closes at $93.70.

Analog Devices(PBR733) to acquire Hittite Microwave(NASDAQ: HITT) for $78/share cash, $2 billion enterprise value. Click here for the Analog Devices press release.

Family Dollar(PBR253) adopts 1 year shareholder rights plan. Click here for the Family Dollar press release.

ON Semiconductor(PBR705) to acquire image sensor provider Aptina Imaging for $400 million. Click here for the ON Semiconductor press release.

Friday, June 6, 2014:
The US Dept of Labor reports that in May nonfarm employment rose 217,000, unemployment rate remains at 6.3%. Click here for the USDOL press release.

Men’s Wearhouse(PBR775) extends Jos. A. Bank $65/share all cash offer to 06/19/14. Click here for the Men’s Wearhouse press release.

The UPS(PBR50) board has named COO David Abney to become CEO, CEO Scott Davis to retire & be non-executive Chairman, effective 09/01/14. Click here for the UPS press release.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014:
The PBR1000 May 2014 Snapshots have been emailed out to Subscribers. Click here for The PBR1000 May 2014 Snapshots Summary blog post.

The US Dept of Labor reports revised 1st qtr 2014 nonfarm labor productivity as down at a 3.2% annual rate, hours increased 2.2%, output down 1.1%. Click here for the USDOL press release.

The US Dept of Commerce reports that April exports were $193.3B, imports $240.6B, resulting in a trade deficit of $47.2B. Click here for the USDOC press release.

A. Schulman(PBR855) to buy selected majority assets of Ferro Corp(PBR963) specialty plastics business for $91 million. Click here for the A. Schulman press release.

Tuesday, June 3, 2014:
Hillshire Brands(PBR571) to talk with $55/share bidder Pilgrim’s Pride(PBR366) & $50/share bidder Tyson Foods(PBR87). Click here for the Hillshire Brands press release.

Finnish based mobile app developer Pryte announces it has been acquired by Facebook(PBR327). Click here for the Pryte website announcement.

KKR(PBR270) is acquiring 1,600 employee website & software developer Internet Brands(NR). Click here for the press release.

First Solar(PBR627) to acquire German based technology provider Skytron-Energy from AEG Power Solutions. Click here for the press release.

Dept of Commerce says new manufactured goods orders up 0.7% to $499.8B in April. Shipments, unfulfilled orders, inventories up also. Click here for the Dept of Commerce press release.

Monday, June 2, 2014:
Click here for the The PBR1000 May 2014 Breaking News Recap blog post.

Ventas(PBR705) to acquire ARC Healthcare for $2.6 billion cash/stock, & 29 Canadian senior healthcare facilities for $900 million in a separate transaction. Click here for the Ventas press release.

Filed Under: Recaps Tagged With: acquisitions, Business, Investing, mergers, Rankings, The PBR1000

The PBR1000: The May 2014 Breaking News Recap!

June 2, 2014 by admin

By Larry C. Paxton

The Art of the Big Deal was very much in evidence in May. Highlights include a lot of drama in Pfizer’s attempt to acquire AstraZeneca, the pursuit of Allergan by Valeant Pharmaceuticals, GE’s bid for Alstom, Hillshire Brands desire to acquire Pinnacle Foods only to find itself being chased by Pilgrim’s Pride, then by Tyson Foods. It appears that the Men’s Wearhouse/Jos. A. Banks dance will finally end with a hopefully nicely dressed merger, while the “Deal of Equals” between Omnicom and Publicis fell apart.

Here are the May recaps by most current date first:

Friday, May 30, 2014:
Allergan(PBR391) acknowledges new unsolicited bid by Valeant & Pershing Square Capital Management for $72.00/share. Click here for the Allergan press release.

Men’s Wearhouse(PBR773) acquisition of Jos A Banks expected to close within 30 days upon FTC waiting period expiration. Click here for the Men’s Wearhouse press release.

Thursday, May 29, 2014:
Tyson Foods(PBR87) makes $50/share $6.8 billion all cash bid to acquire Hillshire Brands(PBR569). Click here for the Tyson Foods press release.

Microsoft’s(PBR35) Office & Windows systems to connect with Salesforce(PBR557) CRM per strategic partnership. Click here for the Salesforce press release.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that GDP for 2014 1st quarter has been revised downward to a -1% on an annual basis. Click here for the BEA press release.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014:
Apple(PBR6) to acquire Beats Music & Beats Electronics for $3 billion. Click here for the Apple press release.

Allergan(PBR391) confirms receipt of unsolicited Valeant increased bid to $58.30/share. Click here for the Allergan press release.

McDonald’s(PBR95) announces it plans to return $18-20 billion to shareholders over 3 years. Click here for the McDonald’s press release.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014:
Pilgrim’s Pride proposes to acquire Hillshire Brands(PBR569) for $45.00/share, $6.4 billion. Click here for the Pilgrim’s Pride press release.

Intuit(PBR544) to acquire mobile pay company Check for $360 million cash. Click here for the Intuit press release.

KKR(PBR270) to acquire Singapore based packaging company Goodpack for $1.1 billion. Click here for the KKR press release.

Boeing(PBR30) acquiring Netherland’s airplane maintenance & leasing records management firm AerData BV. Click here for the Boeing press release.

Monday, May 26, 2014:
Memorial Day Observed

After the AstraZeneca board rejects the Pfizer(PBR53) $118 billion bid, no additional offer will be made at this time. Click here for the Pfizer press release.

Friday, May 23, 2014:
The US Dept of Commerce reports new single-family home sales rose 6.4% in April to a 433,000 annual rate. Click here for the USDOC press release.

Thursday, May 22, 2014:

Hess Corp(PBR113) selling 1,300+ locations retail business to Marathon Oil(PBR184) for $2.6 billion cash, will use proceeds in stock repurchase plan. Click here for the Hess press release.

General Electric(PBR9) agrees to French govt request to extend $16.9 billion bid for Alstom to 06/23/14. Click here for the GE press release.

Johnson & Johnson(PBR39) moves $1+ billion US media buying from Interpublic(PBR351) to Omnicom(PBR192). Click here for the Ad Age article.

Reuters reports on the Hewlett-Packard(PBR17) announcement that it will cut up to 16,000 more jobs. Click here for the Reuters article.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014:
Netflix(PBR523) to expand services into 6 European countries by the end of 2014. Click here for the Netflix press release.

eBay(PBR167) asking users to change passwords because of limited account information data breach. Click here for the eBay press release.

KKR’s(PBR270) Brickman Group landscape service merges with snow services ValleyCrest to form $2 billion/yr company. Click here for the Brickman press release.

Monday, May 19, 2014:
Yahoo!(PBR492) Japan & SoftBank agree to cancel $3.17 billion agreement for mobile service eAccess. Click here for the Yahoo! Japan press release.

MasterCard(PBR306) to acquire India based global software & electronics payment services company ElectraCard. Click here for the MasterCard press release.

Sunday, May 18, 2014:
AT&T(PBR11) to acquire DirecTV(PBR89) for $95.00/share, $67.1 billion total transaction value. Click here for the AT&T press release.

Friday, May 16, 2014:
Abbott Labs(PBR126) acquiring Latin America based CFR Pharmaceuticals for $2.9 billion plus debt. Click here for the Abbott Labs press release.

Darden Restaurants(PBR300) selling Red Lobster chain to Golden Gate Capital for $2.1 billion cash. Click here for the Darden press release.

Chesapeake Energy(PB151) announces anticipated $4 billion in asset sales in 2014. Click here for the Chesapeake press release.

Thursday, May 15, 2014:
The Indianapolis Power & Light unit of AES(PBR169) gets approval to build 650 MW gas turbine power plant & natural gas conversion of a 200 MW coal plant, $636 million projects total. Click here for the AES press release.

General Motors(PBR7) announces 2.7 million vehicle recall for 5 safety features. Click here for the GM press release.

Germany’s Deutsche Bank selling The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas to a Blackstone(PBR373) real estate unit for $1.73 billion cash. Click here for the Deutsche Bank press release.

Kindred Healthcare(PBR475) proposes to acquire Gentiva Health Services(PBR941) for $14/share, $1.6 billion cash & stock. Click here for the Kindred press release.

Boston Scientific(PBR349) to acquire interventional division of Bayer AG for $415 million cash. Click here for the Boston Scientific press release.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the urban Consumer Price Index for April increased by 0.3%, 2.0% over the past 12 months. Click here for the BLS press release.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014:
American Intl Grp(AIG)(PBR41) completes $7.6 billion sale of its International Lease Finance Corp to AerCap Holdings NV. Click here for the AIG press release.

The Louisiana-Pacific(PBR864) $1.1 billion agreement to buy Canada’s Ainsworth Lumber has been terminiated. Click here for the L-P press release.

Sears Holdings(PBR81) is considering sale of its 51% stake in Sears Canada. Click here for the Sears press release.

Gannett(PBR456) purchasing 6 Texas TV stations from London Broadcasting Co for $215 million cash. Click here for the Gannett press release.

Acxiom(PBR1058) to acquire LiveRamp for $310 million. Click here for the Acxiom press release.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the Producer Price Index for April was up 0.6. Click here for the USBLS press release.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014:
Merck(PBR63) selling it’s opthalmology products unit to Japan’s Santen Pharmaceutical for $600+ million. Click here for the Merck press release.

Meh Labs announces that its self-destruct mobile messaging app Blink is now a part of Yahoo(PBR492). Click here for the Blink press release.

Monday, May 12, 2014:
Hillshire Brands(PBR271) to acquire Pinnacle Foods for $6.6 billion. Click here for the Hillshire Brands press release.

Allergan(PBR391) unanimously rejects Valeant Pharmaceutical $46 billion takeover bid, viewed as undervalued. Click here for the Allergan press release.

Vantiv(PBR857) to acquire POS payment systems vendor Mercury Payment Systems from Silver Lake investment group for $1.65 billion. Click here for the Vantiv press release.

Friday, May 9, 2014:
DR Horton(PBR394) acquiring Atlanta based home builder Crown Communities for $210 million cash. Click here for the DR Horton press release.

Thursday, May 8, 2014:
Omnicom Group(PBR192) & France’s Publicis Groupe agree to terminate proposed $35 billion merger agreement. Click here for the Omnicrom press release.

Liberty Media(PBR564) in 1st quarter 2014 report announces plan to spin off Liberty Broadband Group cable business into separate public company. Click here for the Liberty Media press release.

Fannie Mae(PBR16) reports 1st quarter net income of $5.3 billion, will pay US government $5.7 billion dividend in June. Click here for the Fannie Mae press release.

Freeport-McMoRan(PBR131) buying Apache Corp(PBR166) deepwater gulf assets for $1.4 billion. Click here for the Freeport-McMoRan press release.

Time Warner(PBR92) announces spin-off dividend of Time, Inc, which will become a separate public company. Click here for the Time Warner press release.

Discovery Communications(PBR433) & England based Liberty Global forming 50/50 joint venture to buy TV producer & distributor All3Media for $930 million. Click here for the Discovery press release.

Wednesday, May 7, 2014:
Ford Motor(PBR8) announces $1.8 billion stock repurchase program to offset share dilution; consistent with capital strategy. Click here for the Ford press release.

Mondelez Intl(PBR84) & Netherland’s DE Masters Blenders 1753 to form world’s leading $7 billion in revenues pure-play coffee company. Click here for the Mondelez Intl press release.

Hyatt(PBR542) selling its Residential Group timesharing service & Maui property to Interval Leisure Group(NR) for $136 million. Click here for the Hyatt press release.

The International Olympic Committee awards broadcast rights through 2032 to the NBCUniversal unit of Comcast(PBR44). Click here for the Comcast press release.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014:
The US Dept of Commerce/Bureau of Economic Analysis says March international trade was $193.9B for exports, $234.3B for imports, $40.4B deficit, down from $41.9B in Feb. Click here for the BEA press release.

Merck(PBR63) selling its consumer care business to Germany’s Bayer AG for $14.2 billion. Click here for the Merck press release.

Office Depot(PBR232) in 1st quarter report announces it will close 400 US stores, 150 in 2014. Click here for the Office Depot press release.

AOL(PBR801) buying ad tracker Convertro(NR) for $101 million. Click here for the AOL press release.

Xerox(PBR127) acquiring workers compensation firm ISG Holdings for $225 million. Click here for the Xerox press release.

Boston Scientific(PBR349) is acquiring 100% of gynecological surgery pre-commercial stage firm IoGyn for $65 million. Click here for the Boston Scientific press release.

Monday, May 5, 2014:
Target(PBR37) board announces resignation of Chair/Pres/CEO Greg Steinhafel; CFO John Mulligan named Interim Pres/CEO. Click here for the Target press release.

PBRMarketTools.com releases its The PBR1000 April Stocks/Commodities Recap report. Click here for the PBRMarketTools.com blog post.

The Institute for Supply Management(ISM) reports that in April its Non-Manufacturing ISM index rose to 55.2%, Business Activity Index up at 60.9%, New Orders Index up at 58.2%, and Employment Index down a little at 51.3%. Click here for the ISM press release.

Friday, May 2, 2014:
The US Dept of Labor reports that 288,000 jobs were created in April, unemployment fell from 6.7% to 6.3%. Click here for the USDOL press release.

News Corp(PBR290) acquiring Canada’s Torstar’s fiction publisher Harlequin for $414 million. Click here for the News Corp press release.

Visteon(PBR335) selling majority of auto interiors business to Cerberus Capital Management affiliate. Click here for the Visteon press release.

The Textron(PBR217) E-Z-GO unit acquires aviation ground support manufacturer TUG Techologies. Click here for the Textron press release.

Thursday, May 1, 2014:
Click here for the The PBR1000 April 2014 Breaking News Recap blog post.

Ford Motor(PBR8) announces Pres/CEO Alan Mulally to retire on July 1, COO Mark Fields to become Pres/CEO. Click here for the Ford press release.

Berkshire Hathaway(PBR4) Energy unit acquiring Canadian transmission company AltaLink for $2.9 billion. Click here for the BHE press release.

Telephone & Data Systems(PBR476) buying Oregon based BendBroadband for $261 million. Click here for the TDS press release.

Viacom(PBR201) to acquire UK’s Channel 5 for $757 million. Click here for the Viacom press release.

YUM!(PBR206) Chair/CEO David Novak to become Exec Chair on 01/01/15, Greg Creed to become CEO. Click here for the YUM! press release.

Ferrellgas Partners(PBR885) acquiring private fluid logistics South Texas company Sable Environmental(NR) for $125 million. Click here for the Ferrellgas press release.

The official start of summer is in June. Let’s see what hot deals are made during the month!

Filed Under: Recaps Tagged With: acquisitions, Business, Investing, mergers, Rankings, The PBR1000

The PBR1000: April 2014 Stocks/Commodities Recap!

May 5, 2014 by admin

By Larry C. Paxton

During the month of April daily stock indices fluctuated quite a bit, depending on the mixed economic news and international reporting on places of conflict. However, at the end of the month you would not have guessed that there had been such wide swings.

The tables below are compiled from The PBR1000 April 2014 Recap. Current The PBR1000 Subscribers should have already received this and the supplementary reports.

The stock price is for the close of trading on April 30th, Month % Chg is compared to March 31st, YTD % Chg is compared to December 31, 2013, and the 16 Mos % Chg is compared to December 31, 2012.

Table 1: The PBR1000 Composite

Company	Price 04/30/14	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	16 Mos % Chg
The PBR1000	262,712.37	2.01	6.39	41.69

Table 1 Summary: Made up of the sum of the stock prices of the 1,074 companies currently tracked by The PBR1000.

Table 2: The PBR1000 Top 5 Month % Gainers

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Price 04/30/14	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	16 Mos % Chg
Ruby Tuesday	1033	RT	7.71	37.43	11.26	-1.91
Allergan	391	AGN	165.84	33.63	49.30	80.79
Pepco Holdings	495	POM	26.76	30.66	39.88	36.46
Adams Resources & Energy	567	AE	72.06	24.41	5.20	105.47
Susser Holdings	398	SUSS	77.38	23.87	18.16	124.35

Table 2 Summary: Range was 37.43% to -32.55%, 514 out of 1,074 stock prices were up 0.00% or more, or 47.86% of the companies tracked.

Table 3: The PBR1000 Top 5 Year-To-Date % Gainers

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Price 04/30/14	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	16 Mos % Chg
Greenbrier Companies	933	GBX	52.44	15.00	59.68	224.30
Green Plains Renewable Energy	659	GPRE	29.90	-0.20	54.28	278.00
Systemax	622	SYX	17.29	15.96	53.69	79.17
Forest Labs	649	FRX	91.91	-0.39	53.11	160.22
Hawaiian Holdings	841	HA	14.45	3.51	50.05	119.94

Table 3 Summary: Range was 59.68% to -73.36%, 577 out of 1,074 stock prices were up 0.00% or more, or 53.72% of the companies tracked.

Table 4: The PBR1000 Top 5 16 Months % Gainers

Company	PBR Rank	Symbol	Price 04/30/14	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	16 Mos % Chg
Freddie Mac	32	FMCC	3.91	1.30	34.83	1,403.85
Fannie Mae	16	FNMA	3.90	0.00	29.57	1,400.00
Tesla Motors	880	TSLA	207.89	-0.27	38.20	513.79
SunEdison	881	SUNE	19.23	2.07	47.36	499.07
SunPower Corp	764	SPWR	33.42	3.60	12.11	494.66

Table 4 Summary: Range was 1,403.85% to -94.15%, 960 out of 1,064 stock prices were up 0.00% or more, or 90.23% of the companies tracked.

Table 5: The PBR1000 Selected Stock Exchanges/Commodities

Company	Price 04/30/14	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	16 Mos % Chg
DJIA	16,580.84	0.75	0.03	26.53
NASDAQ	4,114.56	-2.01	-1.49	36.27
S&P500	1,883.95	0.62	1.93	32.10
Gold	1,295.90	0.82	7.79	-22.95
Silver	19.17	-2.79	-1.03	-36.86
Oil	99.74	-1.63	1.34	6.45

Have questions on The PBR1000? Please contact us at Sales@PBRMarketTools.com or call us at 520-282-4100.

(Photo courtesy of 2nix/FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Filed Under: Snapshots Tagged With: acquisitions, Business, Investing, Rankings, Research, The PBR1000

The PBR1000: The April 2014 Breaking News Recap!

May 1, 2014 by admin

By Larry C. Paxton

In the fourth month of the year we saw a lot of surprise mergers and acquisitions announcements across many industries. It was also interesting to note how some companies are also looking at splitting up their companies into two entities. Some international mega deals are in the works that have to go through approvals of multiple countries and regulatory bodies. In general, it’s just a time consuming process, some adjustments are made, and the deals go through. It will be interesting to see if that’s true for some of the deals that were announced in April.

Following are the breaking news items for April from The PBR1000, starting with the most current items.

Wednesday, April 30, 2014:
The Bureau of Economic Analysis adjusts 4th quarter 2013 US real GDP to 2.6%, increased 0.1% in 1st quarter 2014. Click here for the BEA press release.

Exelon(PBR107) buying electric & gas utilities firm Pepco Holdings(PBR492) for $27.25/share, $6.83 billion cash. Click here for the Exelon press release.

ADT(PBR623) acquiring Canadian based security monitoring company Reliance Protectron for $500 million. Click here for the ADT press release.

Energizer(PBR513) plans to split into two public companies in 2015. Click here for the Energizer press release.

Red Hat(PBR1021) to acquire private open source storage solutions vendor Inktank for $175 million. Click here for the Red Hat press release.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014:
Alliant Techsystems(PBR522) spinning off outdoor sporting unit to separate public company, merging aerospace & defense unit with Orbital Sciences(PBR1005). Click here for the ATK press release.

General Electric(PBR9) makes positively received $13.5 billion bid for French based Alstom’s thermal, renewables, & grid business. Click here for the GE press release.

Bristol-Myers Squibb(PBR163) has acquired private biotech firm Iperian for $175 million. Click here for the Bristol-Myers press release.

Monday, April 28, 2014:
Forest Labs(PBR647) acquiring drug developer Furiex Pharmaceutical(NR) for $95/share, $1.1 billion cash. Click here for the Forest Labs press release.

Comcast(PBR44) agrees to give 3.9 million video subscribers to Charter Communications(PBR313). Click here for the Charter Communications press release.

Susser Holdings(PBR397) being acquired by Energy Transfer Partners(NR, NYSE: ETP) for $1.8 billion. Click here for the Susser Holdings press release.

Pfizer(PBR53) confirms discussion & continuing interest in UK based biopharmaceutical AstraZeneca. Click here for the Pfizer press release.

KKR(PBR270) reduces stake in Norwegian software company Visma from 76% to 31.3%. Click here for the KKR press release.

Friday, April 25, 2014:
The Bureau of Economic Analysis(BEA) reports GDP annual rate for 4th quarter 2013 was 2.6%, 1.9% for all of 2013. Click here for the BEA press release.

Kellogg’s(PBR188) President/CEO John Bryant to become Chairman on July 1, succeeding James Jenness, who remains on the board. Click here for the Kellogg’s press release.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014:
Hess Corp(PBR113) has sold Thailand assets for $1 billion. Click here for the Hess press release.

Apple(6) expands capital return program to $130 billion, increases dividend, announces 7 for 1 stock split. Click here for the Apple press release.

JetBlue(PBR439) statement regarding pilots approving unionizing under Air Lines Pilots Assn. Click here for the JetBlue press release.

Amazon(PBR36) to offer exclusive subscriptions to HBO Prime Instant Video and HBO GO streaming service. Click here for the Amazon press release.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014:
Allergan(PBR390) confirms receipt of unsolicited $48.30/share buy bid by Valeant Pharmaceuticals(NR). Click here for the Allergan press release.

Allergan(PBR390) adopts 1 yr stockholders rights ‘poison pill’ to avert takeover bid by Valeant Pharmaceuticals(NR). Click here for the Allergan press release.

Eli Lilly(PBR120) buying Novartis Animal Health(NR) for $5.4 billion. Click here for the Eli Lilly press release.

Blackstone(PBR372) completes equity acquisition of Accuvant. Click here for the Blackstone press release.

Monday, April 21, 2014:
In 1st quarter report Kimberly-Clark(PBR129) updates status of a public health care $1.6 billion/yr spin-off in May. Click here for the Kimberly-Clark press release.

Hillshire Brands(PBR566) to acquire Van’s Natural Foods from Catterton Partners(NR) for $165 million. Click here for the Hillshire Brands press release.

Treehouse Foods(PBR809) to acquire food/beverage company Protenergy Natural Foods(NR) for $150 million. Click here for the Treehouse Foods press release.

Friday, April 18, 2014:
LinkedIn(PBR979) announces that it now has 300 million members worldwide. Click here for the LinkedIn press release.

Calpine(PBR389) to sell 6 southeast power plants for $1.57 billion. Click here for the Calpine press release.

Thursday, April 17, 2014:
Chemtura(PBR717) selling its AgroSolutions unit to Platform Specialty Products(NR) for $1 billion. Click here for the Chemtura press release.

Walmart(PBR2) to offer low cost Walmart-2-Walmart money transfer service. Click here for the Walmart press release.

Live Nation Entertainment(PBR382) assumes sole ownership of Live Nation Japan. Click here for the Live Nation Entertainment press release.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014:
Johnson Controls(PBR65) acquiring Air Distribution Technologies for $1.6 billion. Click here for the Johnson Controls press release.

MasterCard(PBR326) acquiring Australia based loyalty/rewards service Pinpoint. Click here for the MasterCard press release.

Vornado Realty Trust(PBR690) realizes $145 million net proceeds from $350 million refinancing of 1.3Msf Manhattan office building 909 Third Ave. Click here for the Vornado press release.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014:
Mosaic Co(PBR225) acquiring Archer-Daniels-Midland(PBR27) Brazil & Paraguay fertilizer units for $350 million. Click here for the Mosaic press release.

Motorola Solutions(PBR285) selling its enterprise business to Zebra Technologies(NR) for $3.45 billion. Click here for the Motorola Solutions press release.

Aaron’s(PBR794) rejects $2.3 billion buyout bid, acquires virtual payments Progressive Finance Holdings for $700 million cash. Click here for the Aaron’s press release.

MGM Resorts(PBR274) & Hakkasan Group(NR) form joint global hotel management company. Click here for the MGM press release.

Monday, April 14, 2014:
Safeway(PBR60) completes its Blawkhawk Network Holdings spin-off. Click here for the Safeway press release.

KKR(PBR257) selling its Ipreo unit to Blackstone Group(PBR539) & Goldman Sachs(PBR66) Merchant Banking. Click here for the KKR press release.

Boston Properties(PBR895) leasing 714,000 sq ft in 61 story San Francisco building to Salesforce.com(PBR784). Click here for the Boston Properties press release.

Google(PBR55) is buying solar powered drone maker Titan Aerospace, terms not disclosed.

Friday, April 11, 2014:
Ametek(PBR606) acquiring optical instrument maker Zygo for $280 million. Click here for the Ametek press release.

Vornado Realty Trust(PBR690) spinning off shopping center business into publicly held SpinCo. Click here for the Vornado press release.

Thursday, April 10, 2014:
Blackstone(PBR539) units providing $650 million for Ventika, to become largest onshore wind farm development in Mexico. Click here for the Blackstone press release.

H&R Block(PBR668) selling its banking unit to BofI Federal Bank. Click here for the H&R Block press release.

ADP(PBR234) announces plan to spin off automobile Dealer Services unit as separate public company. Click here for the ADP press release.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014:
Procter & Gamble(PBR29) selling 3 petfood brands to Mars, Inc(NR) for $2.9 billion. Click here for the P&G press release.

Hewlett-Packard(PBR15) announces $108 million settlement with the DOJ & SEC over Foreign Corrupt Practices Act charges. Click here for the HP press release.

Bank of America(PBR21) agrees to fines & refunds totaling $783 million regarding past credit card debt cancellation & identity theft products. Click here for the BofA press release.

Tuesday, April 8, 2014:
The Time Inc unit of Time Warner(PBR94) to raise $1.4 billion in debt as it prepares to be a spin-off(Bloomberg). Click here for the Bloomberg News article.

Eli Lilly(PBR119) responds to its $3 billion share of punitive damages in lawsuit with Takeda regarding drug Actos. Click here for the Eli Lilly press release.

Monday, April 7, 2014:
AGL Resources(PBR551) is selling its Tropical Shipping unit to Seattle based Saltchuk Resources(NR) for $220 million after taxes. Click here for the AGL Resources press release.

The Jones Group(PBR562) shareholders approve $15/share, $2.2 billion merger with private equity firm Sycamore Partners(prnewswire). Click here for the prnewswire press release.

CitiGroup(PBR25) agrees to pay $1.125 billion to mortgage trusts. Click here for the CitiGroup press release.

Cincinnati Bell selling its wireless spectrum licenses to Verizon(PBR16) for $210 million. Click here for the Cincinnati Bell press release.

Laclede Group(PBR1050) to buy Alabama Gas Company from Energen(PBR951) for $1.6 billion. Click here for the Laclede press release.

Sunday, April 6, 2014:
Arthur J Gallagher(PBR734) buying Australian based Wesfarmer Insurance Brokerage for $933 million. Click here for the AJG press release.

Friday, April 4, 2014:
Blackstone(PBR539) acquiring precision automotive parts manufacturer Gates Corp for $5.4 billion. Click here for the Blackstone press release.

Thursday, April 3, 2014:
Anadarko(PBR192) settles Tronox(PBR909) environmental liabilities suit against subsidiary Kerr-McGee for $5.15 billion. Click here for the Anadarko press release.

Liberty Media(PBR863) reducing financial stake & losing 2 board members at Barnes & Noble(PBR339). Click here for the Liberty Media press release.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014:
Cardinal Health(PBR19) acquiring extravascular closure devices firm AccessClosure for $320 million. Click here for the Cardinal Health press release.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014:
3M Company(PBR91) completes acquisition of healthcare data analytics & business intelligence firm Treo Solutions(NR). Click here for the 3M press release.

Allstate(PBR85) completes sale of Lincoln Benefit Life Co to Resolutions Life Holdings(NR) for $796 million. Click here for the Allstate press release.

KKR(PBR257) to acquire Brazil based data center solutions provider Aceco IT. Click here for the KKR press release.

Pinnacle Entertainment(PBR1037) sells its St. Louis property Lumiere Place Casino to Tropicana Entertainment for $260 million. Click here for the Pinnacle press release.

STERIS Corp(PBR993) acquiring privately held Integrated Medical Systems International for $165 million. Click here for the STERIS press release.

Actavis(PBR400) has acquired Thailand’s privately held generic pharmaceutical Silom Medical Co for $100 million. Click here for the Actavis press release.

Actavis(PBR400) completes sale of its Western European generics pharma operations to India based Aurobinda Pharma Ltd. Click here for the Actavis press release.

(Graphic courtesy of Kookai_nak/FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Filed Under: Recaps Tagged With: acquisitions, Business, Investing, mergers, Rankings, The PBR1000

The PBR1000: March Stocks/Commodities Recap!

April 11, 2014 by admin

By Larry C. Paxton

There was a lot of movement in stock prices in March among The PBR1000 companies. Daily prices continue to fluctuate dramatically based on almost any kind of good or bad news.

In the tables below the price is for the end of trading on March 31st, Month % Chg is compared to February 28th, YTD % Chg is compared to December 31, 2013, and 15 Mos % Chg is compared to December 31, 2012.

Table 1: The PBR1000 Composite

Company	Price 03/31/14	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	15 Mos % Chg
The PBR1000	258,185.34	5.43	4.24	38.86

Table 2: The PBR1000 Top 5 Month % Gainers

Company	Price 03/31/14	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	15 Mos % Chg
Big Lots	37.87	28.16	17.23	33.06
Willbros Group	12.62	27.73	33.97	135.45
Systemax	14.91	26.68	32.53	54.51
Stage Stores	24.45	23.48	10.04	-1.33
First Solar	69.75	22.29	27.73	126.15

Table 3: The PBR1000 Top 5 Year-To-Date % Gainers

Company	Price 03/31/14	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	15 Mos % Chg
Green Plains Renewable Energy	29.96	13.36	54.59	278.76
Forest Labs	92.27	-5.43	53.71	161.24
Freescale Semiconductor	24.41	7.30	52.09	121.71
Emeritus Corp	31.44	-.29	45.35	27.18
Hawaiian Holdings	13.96	15.95	44.96	112.48

Table 4: The PBR1000 Top 5 15 Months % Gainers

Company	Price 03/31/14	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	15 Mos % Chg
Fannie Mae	3.90	-18.75	29.57	1,400.00
Freddie Mac	3.86	-16.45	33.10	1,384.62
Tesla Motors	208.45	-14.85	38.57	515.14
SunEdison	18.84	2.61	44.37	486.92
SunPower Corp	32.26	-2.63	8.22	474.02

Table 5: The PBR1000 Selected Stock Exchanges/Commodities

Company	Price 03/31/14	Mo % Chg	YTD % Chg	15 Mos % Chg
DJIA	16,457.66	0.83	-0.72	25.59
NASDAQ	4,198.99	-2.53	0.54	39.06
S&P500	1,872.34	0.69	1.30	31.28
Gold	1,285.30	-3.26	6.90	-23.59
Silver	19.72	-7.29	1.81	-35.05
Oil	101.39	-1.33	3.02	8.21

A new The PBR1000 Rankings based on data available through March 31, 2014, will be released within the next week or so.

Have questions? Please contact us at Sales@PBRMarketTools.com or call us at 520-282-4100.

Filed Under: Recaps Tagged With: acquisitions, Business, Investing, mergers, Rankings, The PBR1000

The PBR1000: The March 2014 Breaking News Recap!

April 2, 2014 by admin

(So, the 1st Quarter of 2014 is complete. Do we know which direction we are going yet?)

By Larry C. Paxton

A lot of mergers and acquisition deals in progress during late 2013 and early 2014 closed in March. There continues to be a lot of mixed signals about the recovery of the economy. Some experts say the bulls have plenty of more room to roam. Other experts say the markets are over extended, we are overdue for a correction, and the bears will be showing up soon.

Russia’s taking Ukraine’s Crimea area and the massing of troops in other areas are cause for concern, especially since a lot of Europe is dependent on Russian oil that goes through the Ukraine. Syria, Iran, and North Korea have been in the background for a while, will they soon emerge and what effect will they have on the world and US markets and economies?

Earthquakes around the world are being reported, will those cause the markets to shake as well? Obamacare seems to have met some important goals, what effect can that have on the economy?

As stated before, there are a lot of uncertainties, so it looks like we need some more time to see what direction the markets are going. Hopefully we all guess right before the year ends!

Following are the The PBR1000 March Breaking News Recaps, with the most current items first.

Monday, March 31, 2014:
Johnson & Johnson(PBR40) accepts The Carlyle Group(PBR654) offer of $4 billion to acquire J&J’s Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics unit. Click here for the J&J press release.

KKR(PBR257) acquires 80% stake in Japan’s Panasonic Corp’s Panasonic Healthcare medical equipment unit. Click here for the KKR press release.

General Motors(PBR7) announces $750 million 1st quarter expense for ignition switch & power steering recalls. Click here for the GM press release.

SunEdison(PBR732) closes funding of solar power plant in Chile, largest in South America. Click here for the SunEdison press release.

BE Aerospace(PBR634) to acquire oilfield rental company Vision Oil Tools for $145 million plus $35 million incentive. Click here for the BE Aerospace press release.

Thursday, March 27, 2014:
Baxter(PBR184) announces splitting into 2 companies, biopharmaceuticals & medical devices. Click here for the Baxter press release.

KKR(PBR257) & Investindustrial(NR) partner with UK based Babcock to by helicopter emergency services Avincis for $2.75 billion. Click here for the KKR press release.

Microsoft(PBR34) expands cloud services by making Office products available on Apple’s(PBR6) iPad. Click here for the Microsoft press release.

Yahoo!(PBR261) Japan buying SoftBank’s mobile service eAccess for $3.17 billion. Click here for the Yahoo! Japan press releases page.

Intel(PBR52) becomes largest stakeholder & collaborator in big data firm Cloudera. Click here for the Intel press release.

NRG Energy(PBR294) acquiring residential solar company Roof Diagnostics Solar(NR). Click here for the NRG press release.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014:
Bank of America(PBR21) settles with FHFA for $9.5 billion regarding residential mortgage backed securities. Click here for the BofA press release.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014:
Facebook(PBR448) to acquire virtual reality gaming firm Oculus for $2 billion. Click here for the Facebook press release.

Intel(PBR52) completes acquisition of privately held wearable health tracker BASIS Science. Click here for the Intel press release.

Monday, March 24, 2014:
Walt Disney Co(PBR64) to acquire YouTube network firm Maker Studio for $500 million plus $450 million incentive. Click here for the Disney press release.

Google(PBR55) in strategic partnership with Italian based world’s largest eyeware company Luxottica to promote Glass. Click here for the Luxottica press release.

Friday, March 21, 2014:
Regency Energy Partners(PBR1009) completes acquisition of PVR Partners(PBR1074) for $5.6 billion. Click here for the REP press release.

Nortek(PBR801) to acquire global HVAC company Thomas & Betts(NR) for $260 million. Click here for the Nortek press release.

Thursday, March 20, 2014:
NAR reports Feb existing home sales down 0.4% from Jan to 4.60 million annual rate, Feb median price was $189,000. Click here for the NAR press release.

Symantec(PBR354) CEO Steve Bennett terminated, board member Michael Brown appointed interim CEO. Click here for the Symantec press release.

Precision Castparts(PBR336) to acquire high speed machining Aerospace Dynamics International from The Marvin Group(NR) for $625 million. Click here for the Precision Castparts press release.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014:
JPMorgan Chase(PBR18) selling its physical commodities business to Mercuria Energy Group Ltd for $3.5 billion. Click here for the JPMorgan press release.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014:
Lockheed Martin(PBR58) buying German commercial airport services firm BEONTRA AG. Click here for the Lockheed Martin press release.

Monday, March 17, 2014:
Chesapeake Energy’s(PBR206) oilfield services subsidiary files SEC paperwork to become a separate company. Click here for the Chesapeake Energy press release.

American Express(PBR84) announces 50/50 joint venture for its Global Business Travel division. Click here for the AMEX press release.

Friday, March 14, 2014:
Textron(PBR208) completes its $1.4 billion acquisition of Beechcraft(NR). Click here for the Textron press release.

Liberty Global(PBR239) completes acquisition of VTR, Chile’s largest cable operator, for $422 million. Click here for the Liberty Global press release.

Thursday, March 13, 2014:
General Electric(PBR8) starts exit from its retail finance business by filing IPO registration for spin-off Synchrony Financial. Click here for the GE press release.

JetBlue Airways(PBR460) selling its LiveTV subsidiary to Thales Group(NR) for $400 million. Click here for the JetBlue press release.

AT&T(PBR12) completes its acquisition of Leap Wireless(PBR625). Click here for the AT&T press release.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014:
Lockheed Martin(PBR58) acquiring cybersecurity solutions provider Industrial Defender(NR). Click here for the Lockheed press release.

Graham Holdings(PBR540) selling Miami TV station WPLG to Berkshire Hathaway(PBR5) & buying Berkshire’s stake of 1.6 million Graham Class B shares. Click here for the Graham Holdings press release.

Tuesday, March 11, 2014:
After several attempts, Men’s Wearhouse(PBR766) to acquire Jos. A. Bank(NR) for $65/share, $1.8 billion. Click here for the Men’s Wearhouse press release.

Quest Diagnostics(PBR327) to acquire privately held onsite prevention & wellness programs provider Summit Health. Click here for the Quest Diagnostics press release.

NRG Energy(PBR294) acquiring the retail electric business of Dominion Resources(PBR199). Click here for the NRG press release.

Blackstone Group(PBR539) is acquiring majority stake in information security & services company Accuvant(NR). Click here for the Blackstone press release.

Monday, March 10, 2014:
Chiquita Brands(PBR638) to merge with Irish fruit company Fyffes plc by year end, $1.07 billion deal. Click here for the Chiquita press release.

Quest Diagnostics(PBR327) completes its acquisition of Solstace Lab Partners Group(NR) for $570 million. Click here for the Quest Diagnostics press release.

Sunday, March 9, 2014:
United Rentals(PBR525) is acquiring specialty pump rental company National Pump(NR) for $780 million. Click here for the United Rentals press release.

Friday, March 7, 2014:
MasterCard(PBR326) & VISA(PBR237) to start cross-industry effort for payment security, to implement EMV. Click here for the MasterCard press release.

Thursday, March 6, 2014:
Staples(PBR109) announces 4th quarter/full year results, to close 225 stores by end of 2015. Click here for Staples press release.

Cerberus Capital controlled Albertsons to acquire Safeway(PBR60) for $40/share, $9 billion, to close in 4th quarter. Click here for the Safeway press release.

KKR(PBR257) completes its acquisition of Southeastern Central Europe’s 1.89 million subscriber cable & pay TV operator United Group. Click here for the KKR press release.

Morgan Stanley(PBR88) sells majority stake in UK based Zenith Vehicle Contracts to HgCapital. Click here for the Zenith press release.

ABM Industries(PBR506) acquires San Diego based HVAC & energy solutions provider Alpha Mechanical(NR). Click here for the ABM press release.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014:
RadioShack(PBR510) announces FY2013 results, closing 1,100 stores, 5 year financing, changing fiscal year to end of January. Click here for RadioShack’s press release.

QUALCOMM(PBR136) increases stock repurchase program to $7.8 billion. Click here for the QUALCOMM press release.

QUALCOMM(PBR136) appoints Steve Mollenkopf as CEO, Dr. Paul Jacobs as Executive Chairman. Click here for the QUALCOMM press release.

Airgas(PBR474) acquires $10 million/year Welding & Therapy Service, Inc(NR) with its 5 locations in Indiana & Kentucky. Click here for the Airgas press release.

Monday, March 3, 2014:
The Carlyle Group(PBR654) is acquiring ADT Korea from Tyco International for $1.93 billion. Click here for The Carlyle Group press release.

Caesars Entertainment(PBR289) selling 4 properties to Caesars Growth Partners(NR) for $2.2 billion. Click here for the CE press release.

DISH Network(PBR180) & Walt Disney(PBR64) agree to multi-year sports, news, & entertainment package. Click here for DISH press release.

Valero Energy(PBR9) announces that Bill Klesse will step down as CEO on May 1, current Pres/COO Joe Gorder to become CEO. Click here for Valero press release.

Larry C. Paxton is the President/CEO of Pax Business Resources, LLC. PBRMarketTools is the marketing research unit. For several years Larry has worked for and provided products and services to The PBR1000 companies.)

Filed Under: Recaps Tagged With: acquisitions, Business, Investing, mergers, Rankings, The PBR1000

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