The PBR1000 for January: The Beginning of the End?

The January 2021 breaking news items of interest for The PBR1000 follow with the most current date first.

***Friday, January 29

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for Week 4 of 2021 ending 01/29/21:

DJIA ends Week 4 at 29,982.62, -3.27% from last Friday, -2.04% MTD/QTD/YTD, -3.87% from record 31,188.38 set 01/20/21.

NASDAQ ends Week 4 at 13,070.69,-3.49% from last Friday, +1.42% MTD/QTD/YTD, -4.15% from record 13,635.99 set 01/25/21.

SPX ends Week 4 at 3,714.24, -3.31% from last Friday, -1.11% MTD/QTD/YTD, -3.66%% from record 3,855.36 set 01/25/21.

US Stock Exchanges Week 4 and January 2021 Summary: The start of Week 4 looked promising as The Stock Market Bull opened Monday by establishing new records on the NASDAQ and S&P500. But The Stock Market Bear had had enough and took over the rest of the final week of the month by spilling a lot of green blood. At the same time there was a war between day trader and hedge fund shorters against users and sympathizers of GameStock and AMC Entertainment, with dramatic wild rides up then down and then way up again. Many say this was instigated through the Reddit social media platform. The popular millenial trading sites like Robinhood became the primary tool used to carry out the war, and the incident is starting to be scrutinized by the federal government. The Week 4 result, however, was clearly in favor of The Stock Market Bear who racks up a 3-0 result. Before the week started it appeared that January would be an easy victory for The Stock Market Bull, but January 2021 ended with a 2-1 mixed result in favor of The Stock Market Bear. There was a lot of volatility in January. Let’s see if there is a more loving Valentine effect in February.

The Week 4 of 2021 tally YTD is:
The Stock Market Bull: 2 weeks
The Stock Market Bear: 2 weeks
Mixed Results: 0 weeks

The Month 1 of 2021 tally YTD is:
The Stock Market Bull: 0 months
The Stock Market Bear: 0 months
Mixed Results: 1 month

The Week 4 and Month of January 2021 News Summary:

Coronavirus Pandemic: As of today, Friday, 01/29/21, at 14:21PM Eastern US, the John Hopkins University CSSE unit says there are now 101,879,985 confirmed cases globally with 2,201,401 deaths, an increase from last Friday of 99,507, which is +1,882 from last Friday. For the US it is 25,874,892 confirmed cases and 435,452 deaths, an increase from last Friday of 22,516, which is +678 from last Friday. It appears that 1+ million vaccinations are being injected daily, but logistical and manufacturing issues remain. Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are being used. Johnson & Johnson has published preliminary results of its Phase 3 trial single dose vaccine, effectiveness comes in at a high rate, but not as high as the first two. US FDA Emergency Use Authorization needs to be approved before it can start to be used. President Biden announced that an additional 200 million doses have been ordered for use through the summer. For January the Coronavirus Pandemic seems to have picked up some steam, especially as new variants are being detected, there are a lot of logistical and supply issues for approved vaccines, but there seems to be some longterm optimism that this pandemic will come to an end.

US Presidential Transition:  President Biden has signed several executive orders, including rejoining the Paris Climate Change Accord and the World Health Organization. He also has put a halt to the Keystone XL pipeline suspended construction of the wall between the US and Mexico. Other actions include a “Buy American” incentive plan, the reopening of the Obamacare health plans, and much more. The US Senate approved some high level nominations, most notable being Janet Yellen as Secretary of the US Dept of the Treasury and Antony Blinken as Secretary of the US Dept of State. Biden’s proposed Stimulus Bill is being questioned by the Republicans who would like a separate bill for funding stimulus checks while Democrats want a broader bill that includes additional priorities. It is the first big test of a split 50/50 US Senate and sets the tone for future efforts that require cooperation. January was a transition period as the new administration took on the reigns, but it has not been the smoothest, especially in light of the attempted January 6th insurrection at the Capital Building. However, forward movement is being made, but it appears many challenges lie ahead.

US Economy: The 4Q20 Gross Domestic Product Annual Rate came in at a respectable +4%. The mid January 4 Week Average of Total Insured Unemployment fell just below 5 million, about a 450,000 decrease from mid December, but still well above the 1.7+ million in pre-pandemic mid last January. Consumer confidence surveys were up a little bit, home prices continue to rise, mortgage rates remain low, the Federal Open Market Committee met and issued a statement that the US economy has “moderated” and remains at the mercy of the pandemic. January was mostly slightly positive for economic news with a lot of anxiety building up for a post-pandemic boom.

Corporate Business: It was a big week for annual corporate earnings reports. The effects of the Coronavirus Pandemic was pretty clear, but 4Q20 results indicated some optimism for the future as many corporations continue to implement startegies to raise cash to get them through however long the pandemic lasts. There were some bright spots as well, especially in the tech world, some retailers, and financial sector.

International News: . President Biden was a little more open about taking a hard stance against China regarding trade and intellectual property issues. New Secretary of State Blinkman is starting to try to rebuild some relationships that were affected during the Trump administration, working with the Palestinians as one example. Brexit is starting to show its so far mostly negative effects in the UK and Europe. The European economy is in a recession and continues to struggle from the Coronavirus Pandemic caused lockdowns.

Johnson & Johnson(PBR35 $JNJ)’s Janssen unit says results from Phase 3 test indicates that its single shot COVID-19 vaccine candidate was 66% effective overall at preventing moderate to severe COVID-19 related hospitalization and death, 28 days after vaccination, to file for US FDA Emergency Use Authorization in early February. PR link.

American Airlines(PBR69 $AAL) enters into an at-the-market(ATM) agreement with some financial institutions to sell up to $1.18 billion in shares of common stock. PR link.

Eli Lilly(PBR137) says in 4Q20 report that the US government has committed to purchase a total of 1,450,000 doses of bamlanivimab, which includes 950,000 doses already delivered and an agreement earlier this week to deliver 500,000 additional doses no later than 03/31/21, for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older with a positive COVID-19 test, who are at high risk for progressing to severe COVID-19 and/or hospitalization. PR link.

Eaton Corp(PBR147) to acquire Tripp Lite, a leading supplier of power quality products and connectivity solutions including single-phase uninterruptible power supply systems, rack power distribution units, surge protectors, and enclosures for data centers, industrial, medical, and communications markets in the Americas, for $1.65 billion, to close mid-2021. PR link.

AMC Entertainment(PBR502) major investor Silver Lake sells all its stock for $713 million, capitalizing on a 10-fold rise in the price of the shares as traders organizing on social media platforms such as Reddit snapped them up. Reuters PR link.

The US Dept of the Treasury says that on 01/27/21 the US National Debt-Public is at $21.629 trillion, Intragovernmental $6.131 trillion, Total $27.760 trillion, 12/30/20 was at $27.747 trillion, 11/30/20 $27.406 trillion, 12/31/19 $23.201 trillion. PR link.

The US Dept of the Treasury says at the close on 01/29/21 the US 10 Year Treasury Note Yield is at 1.11%, 12/31/20 was at 0.93%, 11/30/20 0.84%, 12/31/19 1.92%. PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/BEA says the Preliminary December 2020 US Personal Income Annual Rate is at $19.569 trillion, November 2020 was at $19.452 trillion, October 2020 $19.708 trillion, December 2019 $18.801 trillion. PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the 4Q20 US Employment Cost Index(12/2005=100) is at 142.4, 3Q20 was at 141.1, 2Q2020 140.7, 4Q19 138.9. PR link.

The U of Michigan Final January 2021 US Consumer Sentiment Index is at 79.0, December 2020 was at 80.7, November 2020 76.9, January 2020 99.8. “Despite continuing job and income disparities, as precautionary motives begin to ease, accumulated savings will spark a significant gain in spending in late 2021.” PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago says the Preliminary December 2020 US 7th District Midwest Economy Index is at +1.26, November 2020 was at +1.83, October 2020 +3.00, December 2019 -0.51. “Index suggests slower, but still above-trend Midwest growth through December.” PR link.

MNI Indicators says the Preliminary December 2020 Chicago Business Barometer(>50 economy is gaining) is at +63.8, November 2020 was at +58.7, October 2020 58.2, December 2019 +48.9. “The index now stands at the highest level since July 2018, boosted by a pick-up in activity at the beginning of 2021.” PR link.

The American Automobile Assn says the 01/29/21 Average Price/Gallon for Gas(Regular) is at $2.422, 12/31/20 was at $2.253, 11/30/20 $2.142, 01/31/20 $2.485. PR link.

***Thursday, January 28

Walmart(PBR1 $WMT) expanding media business, renamed from Walmart Media Group to Walmart Connect, to accelerate the connection between partner brands and its 150 million weekly customers. PR link.

Ford(PBR13 $F) announces that the Mustang Mach-E, its first global pioneering SUV built on an all-new, all-electric platform, will be manufactured in China by Changan Ford for local customers. PR link.

General Motors(PBR19 $GM) plans to be carbon neutral by 2040 in its global products and operations, has worked with the Environmental Defense Fund to develop a shared vision of an all-electric future and an aspiration to eliminate tailpipe emissions from new light-duty vehicles by 2035. PR link.

Lowe’s(PBR44 $LOW) to provide $80 million in additional bonuses on 02/05/21 for frontline workers, $300 for full-time hourly associates, $150 for part-time and seasonal associates, is 7th bonus round, also is hiring more than 50,000 seasonal and full-time retail associates for spring. PR link.

Altria(PBR114 $MO) authorizes a new $2 billion share repurchase program, to complete by 06/30/22. PR link.

VISA(PBR142 $V) authorizes a new $8 billion share repurchase program, total funds available now around $11 billion. PR link.

MGM Resorts(PBR241 $MGM)’s BetMGM to become exclusive sports betting partner in the US for digital sports media company The Athletic, includes the creation of The Athletic Betting Hub, a new content vertical for The Athletic. PR link.

Chipotle(PBR489 $CMG) is testing Chipotle Carside at 29 restaurants in California, mobile Chipotle app orders delivered to parked cars. PR link.

AMC Entertainment(PBR502 $AMC) reports that affiliates of Silver Lake and certain co-investors to convert all $600.0 million of the Company’s 2.95% Convertible Senior Secured Notes due 2026 into shares of the Company’s Class A common stock at $13.51/share, will result in the issuance of 44,422,860 Class A shares. PR link.

Marriott Vacations(PBR598 $VAC) to acquire Welk Resorts, a large independent timeshare company with 8 properties primarily on the West coast, for around $430 million, will rebrand as Hyatt Residence Club resorts, to close in early 2Q21. PR link.

Verso Corp(PBR827 $VRS) appoints Randy J. Nebel as President/CEO, had been interim since 10/20. PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/BEA says the Advance 4Q20 Real Gross Domestic Product Annual Rate is +4.0%, $21.480 trillion, 3Q20 was at $21.170 trillion, 2Q20 $19.520 trillion, 4Q19 $21.747 trillion. PR link.

The Conference Board says the Preliminary December 2020 US Leading Economic Index(2016=100) is at 109.5, November 2020 was at 109.2, October 2020 108.5, December 2019 110.7. “While the resurgence of COVID-19 and weak labor markets remain barriers to growth, The Conference Board expects the economy to expand by at least 2.0 percent (annual rate) in Q1 and then gain momentum throughout the year.” PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says that for the Week Ending 01/16/21 the US Total Insured Unemployment is at 4,771,000, 12/19/20 was at 5,219,000, 11/14/20 6,071,000, 01/18/20 1,704,000. PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/HUD says the Preliminary December 2020 US New Family Homes Sold Annual Rate is at 842,000, November 2020 was at 829,000, October 2020 949,000, December 2019 731,000; the December 2020 US Median New Family Home Price is at $355,900, November 2020 was at $343,900, October 2020 $345,500, December 2019 $329,500. PR link.

FreddieMac says on 01/28/21 the US Average 30 Year Fixed Mortgage Rate is at 2.73% with 0.7 points/fees, 12/31/20 was at 2.67%, 11/25/20 2.72%, 01/29/20 3.51%. “As the market reacts to a new administration in Washington and COVID-19 driven economic malaise, mortgage rates continued to decrease this week, just slightly. Even as house prices increase at the fastest rate we’ve seen in years, competition to buy is strong given the low inventory that exists across the country. The fact that there are not enough homes to meet demand is going to be an ongoing issue for the foreseeable future.” PR link.

***Wednesday, January 27

Walmart(PBR1 $WMT) to begin administering COVID-19 vaccines in Maryland, Texas, Delaware, Indiana and the District of Columbia to eligible populations as determined by each district and state. PR link.

Walmart(PBR1 $WMT) expanding its network of local automated fulfillment centers, some as add-on facilities to an existing store, others to be utilizing space in existing stores. PR link.

Apple(PBR3 $AAPL) in 1Q21 has record $111.4 billion in revenues, up 21% from 1Q20, 1Q21 diluted earnings/share at $1.68, international sales accounted for 64% of 1Q21 revenues. PR link.

AT&T(10 $T) in 4Q20 report says it has a total of 182.6 million total subscribers and connections, up from 165.9 million at end of 2019, ended 2020 with 17.2 million total video connections, had 20.4 million at end of 2019, total 2020 revenues are at $171.8 billion, 2019 was at $181.2 billion. PR link.

Anthem(PBR20 $ANTM) in 4Q20 report says it now has 42.9 million members, up 4.7% from 2019, repurchased shares for $2.7 billion in 2020, authorizes an increase of $5 billion for share repurchase program, balance available is now around $6.1 billion. PR link.

JPMorgan Chase(PBR24 $JPM) to launch a mobile app based digital retail bank in the UK in the coming months, is headquartered in London, already has 400 employees. Businesswire PR link.

Boeing(PBR40 $BA) issues statement regarding European Union Aviation Safety Agency‘s approval to resume 737 MAX operations in Europe. PR link.

Pfizer(PBR97 $PFE)/BioNTech SE to use Sanofi facilities in Frankfurt, Germany, starting in the summer, to manufacture 125 million COVID-19 vaccine doses for distribution in Europe. Sanofi PR link.

Eli Lilly(PBR137 $LLY), Vir Biotechnology(NASDAQ: VIR) and GlaxoSmithKline plc (LSE/NYSE: GSK) to collaborate to evaluate a combination of two COVID-19 therapies in low-risk patients with mild to moderate COVID-19. PR link.

Salesforce(184 $CRM) announces Vaccine Cloud, technology to help government agencies, healthcare organizations, businesses, nonprofits and educational institutions worldwide more rapidly, safely and efficiently deploy and manage their vaccine programs. PR link.

MGM Resorts(PBR241 $MGM)’s BetMGM launches its sports betting and iGaming app in Virginia. PR link.

Regeneron(PBR382 $REGN) says tests show REGEN-COVTM (casirivimab and imdevimab antibody cocktail) successfully neutralizes the circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants first identified in the UK (B.1.1.7) and South Africa (B.1.351). PR link.

Navistar(PBR397 $NAV) to collaborate with GM(PBR19 $GM) and Navistar’s OneH2 subsidiary to launch a hydrogen fuel cell truck ecosystem, will be initially piloted by JB Hunt Transport(PBR335 $JBHT), Navistar’s first production model International® RH™ Series hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) to be commercially available in model year 2024. PR link.

AMC Entertainment(PBR502 $AMC) has sold in aggregate 63.3 million additional shares of its Class A common stock since 01/25/21 for additional proceeds of $304.8 million, completes at the market equity program. PR link.

Coty(PBR563 $COTY) is consolidating its global fragrance operations, to close manufacturing site in Cologne, Germany, to be completed by Summer 2022, will affect around 300 employees. PR link.

First Horizon National(PBR860 $FHN) authorizes up to $500 million share repurchase program, expires 01/31/23. PR link.

Brown-Forman(PBR603 $BF.B) Chairman G. Garvin Brown IV to retire in 07/21 after serving 14 years, will be succeeded by Campbell P. Brown, who will assume the Chair role at the company’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders. PR link.

The US Federal Open Market Committee releases a statement from its 01/26-27/21 meeting, says, “The COVID-19 pandemic is causing tremendous human and economic hardship across the United States and around the world. The pace of the recovery in economic activity and employment has moderated in recent months, with weakness concentrated in the sectors most adversely affected by the pandemic… The path of the economy will depend significantly on the course of the virus, including progress on vaccinations. The ongoing public health crisis continues to weigh on economic activity, employment, and inflation, and poses considerable risks to the economic outlook… The Committee decided to keep the target range for the federal funds rate at 0 to 1/4 percent… will continue to increase its holdings of Treasury securities by at least $80 billion per month and of agency mortgage‑backed securities by at least $40 billion per month until substantial further progress has been made toward the Committee’s maximum employment and price stability goals.” PR link.

The Quarterly ADP Workforce Vitality Report says the 4Q20 Wage Growth is at +4.4%, 3Q20 was at +5.3%, 2Q20 +6.0%, 4Q19 +3.1%. “… the labor market recovery will continue to plod along in the near-term as the easy part of the recovery is mostly in the rearview and the hard work of new business creation lies ahead.” PR link.

The US Energy Information Administration says that on 01/22/21 the US Crude Oil Stocks(Millions of Barrels) is at 476.7, 12/25/20 was at 493.5, 11/20/20 488.7, 01/24/20 431.7. PR link.

***Tuesday, January 26

Verizon(PBR20 $VZ) ends 2020 with 94.4 million total wireless retail connections, had 94.5 million at end of 2019, total 2020 revenues were at $128.3 billion, had $131.9 billion in 2019. PR link.

Target(PBR36 $TGT) announces a limited-edition collection with Levi Strauss(PBR476 $LEVI), featuring an assortment of home and lifestyle items and marking Levi’s® first Home partnership, to launch on 02/28/21. PR link.

Raytheon Technologies(PBR39 $RTX) in 4Q20 transcript CFO says it has reduced commercial headcount at Collins by another 1,500, bringing the total to 16,500, and contractors by another 500, bringing the total to approximately 4500 contractors, has reducted total commercial aero headcount by around 20%. The Motley Fool The Motley Fool PR link.

Tesla(PBR118 $TSLA) in 4Q20 report says had $10.744 billion in sales for the quarter, +46% from $7.384 billion in 4Q19. PR link.

VISA(PBR142 $V) and TransferWise, which provides multi-currency debit cards services in Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, UK and US, form global partnership for first use of Visa Cloud Connect services. PR link.

Twitter(PBR680 $TWTR) has acquired Revue, a service that makes it free and easy for anyone to start and publish editorial newsletters, terms not disclosed. PR link.

Elanco Animal Health(PBR732 $ELAN) to close some R&D sites in New Zealand and Germany in restructuring post Bayer acquisition, will eliminate around 350 positions worldwide. PR link.

Walgreens Boots Alliance(PBR18 $WBA) appoints Starbucks COO Rosalind (Roz) Brewer as its next CEO, to be effective 03/15/21, will succeed Stefano Pessina who will transition to Executive Chairman. PR link.

Las Vegas Sands(PBR226 $LVS) appoints Acting Chairman/CEO and President/COO Robert Goldstein as Chairman/CEO, succeeds Sheldon Adelson who passed away on 01/12/21, COO and CFO appointments also announced. PR link.

The Conference Board says the Preliminary January 2021 US Consumer Confidence Index(1985=100) is at 89.3, December 2020 was at 87.1, November 2020 92.9, January 2020 130.4. “Consumers’ expectations for the economy and jobs… advanced further, suggesting that consumers foresee conditions improving in the not-too-distant future. In addition, the percent of consumers who said they intend to purchase a home in the next six months improved, suggesting that the pace of home sales should remain robust in early 2021.” PR link.

The S&P/CoreLogic/Case-Shiller November 2020 US National Home Price Index(01/2000=100) is at 232.38, October 2020 was at 229.93, September 2020 226.82, November 2019 212.24. “Recent data are consistent with the view that COVID has encouraged potential buyers to move from urban apartments to suburban homes. This may represent a true secular shift in housing demand, or may simply represent an acceleration of moves that would have taken place over the next several years anyway. Future data will be required to address that question.” PR link.

TrueCar says the Forecasted January 2021 US Total New Car Units Sold will be at 1,048,975, December 2020 was at 1,619,907, January 2020 1,143,027; Forecasted January 2021 Average New Car Price will be at $37,330, December 2020 was at $39,089, January 2020 $35,821. PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia says the January 2021 US 3rd District Non-Manufacturing Current General Activity Index is at -17.5, December 2020 was at -26.6. “The respondents continued to anticipate growth over the next six months.” PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond says the January 2021 US 5th District Manufacturing Index(Annualized) is at +14%, December 2020 was at +19%, November 2020 +15%, January 2020 +20%. “The composite index… remained in expansionary territory… Overall, manufacturers were optimistic that conditions would continue to improve in the coming months.” PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond says the January 2021 US 5th District Service Sector Revenue Index(Annualized) is at -3%, December 2020 was at -9%, November 2020 +13%, January 2020 +10%. “Firms were optimistic that conditions would improve in the next six months.” PR link.

***Monday, January 25

CVS Health(PBR5 $CVS) has administered the first round of COVID-19 vaccine doses, nearly two million shots, to nearly 8,000 skilled nursing facilities across the US, second doses is well underway and expected to be complete within four weeks. PR link.

Verizon(PBR20 $VZ), in an evaluation with AT&T(PBR10 $T) and T-Mobile(PBR71 $TMUS), sweeps the 2H20 US RootScore Awards, bringing home by far the most state and metro area awards, and delivering excellent speeds, outstanding reliability, and an expanded 5G footprint in major cities. IHS Markit RootMetrics PR link.

UPS(PBR43 $UPS) to sell UPS Freight unit to TFI International(NYSE and TSX: TFII) for $800 million, UPS gets agreement for UPS Freight to continue to utilize UPS’ domestic package network to fulfill shipments for a period of five years, to close in 2Q21. PR link.

Merck(PBR68 $MRK) says based on Phase 1 results it is discontinuing development of its SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 vaccine candidates, V590 and V591, and plans to focus its SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 research strategy and production capabilities on advancing two therapeutic candidates, MK-4482 and MK-7110. PR link.

Honeywell(PBR85 $HON) to divest five performance and lifestyle footwear brands it deems non-core to its business: The Original Muck Boot Company, XTRATUF fishing boots and deck shoes, Ranger, NEOS overshoes and Servus protective rubber boots, to Rocky Brands, a leading manufacturer of premium footwear and apparel, for approximately $230 million, to close by end of 1Q21. PR link.

Baker Hughes(PBR123 $BKR) files statement with US SEC noting that GE(PBR33 $GE) sold 38,007,041 shares of Class A Common Stock on 01/22/21, GE has 311+ million shares remaining, represents 30.1% of BKR Class A shares issued. PR link.

Carnival Corp(PBR153 $CCL) releases plans for additional ship deployments from its US West coast ports. PR link.

Edison Intl(PBR250 $EIX)’s Southern California Edison unit settles 2017 and 2018 wildfire and mudslide events with approximately 1000 individual plaintiffs for $2.2 billion. PR link.

Alaska Air(PBR347 $ALK) takes delivery of its first Boeing(PBR40 $BA) 737-9 MAX aircraft, to get 68 over 4 year period, passenger service to start 03/01/21. PR link.

NCR(PBR422 $NCR) to acquire Cardtronics (Nasdaq: CATM), the world’s largest non-bank ATM operator and service provider, for $39.00/share, around $2.5 billion cash, to close mid 2021, Cardtronics has terminated its acquisition agreement with Apollo Global Mgmt(PBR759 $APO), NCR paid the termination fee of $32.6 million. PR link.

AMC Entertainment(PBR502 $AMC) has raised $917 million in fresh investment capital since mid-December, should allow the company to make it through this dark coronavirus-impacted winter, CEO Aron says, “… any talk of an imminent bankruptcy for AMC is completely off the table.” PR link.

IAC(PBR557 $IAC) raised $300 million in primary equity for its Vimeo unit, which now has a valuation of $5+ billion, Vimeo spin-off planned for 2Q21. PR link.

Apollo Global Mgmt(PBR759 $APO) Chairman/CEO Leon Black to retire as CEO on or before 07/31/21, will remain Chairman, Marc Rowan appointed to be successor. PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago says the Preliminary December 2020 US National Activity Index is at +0.52, November 2020 was at +0.31, October 2020 +1.01, December 2019 -0.26. “Index points to an uptick in economic growth in December.” PR link.

Blackstone(PBR402 $BX) Vice Chairman Byron Wien’s Market Insights provides an interesting review of the 2021 Ten Surprises and Three Also Rans in its 36th annual edition. PR link.

***Friday, January 22

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for Week 3 of 2021 ending 01/22/21:

DJIA ends Week 3 at 30,996.98, +0.59% from last Friday, +1.28% MTD/QTD/YTD, -0.61% from record 31,188.38 set 01/20/21.

NASDAQ ends Week 3 at record 13,543.06,+4.19% from last Friday, +5.08 MTD/QTD/YTD, +0.00% from record 13,543.06 set 01/22/21.

SPX ends Week 3 at 3,841.47, +1.94% from last Friday, +2.27% MTD/QTD/YTD, -0.30%% from record 3,841.47 set 01/21/21.

The Week 3 of 2021 News Summary:

Coronavirus Pandemic: As of today, Friday, 01/22/21, at 14:22PM Eastern US, the John Hopkins University CSSE unit says there are now 97,986,357 confirmed cases globally with 2,101,894 deaths, an increase from last Friday of 97,625, which is +6,735 from last Friday. For the US it is 24,771,973 confirmed cases and 412,936 deaths, an increase from last Friday of 21,838, which is -491 from than last Friday. Now President-Elect Joe Biden has pledged that 100 million people will be vaccinated in the first 100 days of his taking office. Logistical and manufacturing issues still seem to be having an effect, 2 more vaccine candidates are expected to be approved by the US FDA and available in a few weeks in addition to the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna that are the only ones available currently.

US Presidential Transition: It was a rather subdued transition compared to recent transfers of power because of restrictions from the Coronavirus Pandemic and the presence of 25,000 National Guard troops for security purposes after the break-in at the Capital Building on January 6th. As scheduled, two weeks later on January 20th, Joe Biden became the 46th President of the US and Kamala Harris the Vice President, to much pomp and circumstance and no public protests. In his acceptance speech President Biden appealed for unity among the American people, and reiterated that his first priority was to conquer the Coronavirus Pandemic. Washington Mall was filled with American flags instead of people. There was a televised remote parade of the states presentation afterwards, and an evening of nice and hopeful messages, presentations, singing, and a spectacular Mall fireworks show. President Biden quickly went into action by signing several executive orders, several of them reversing some of former President Trump directives. VP Harris installed 3 new Democrats into the Senate, two from the runoff elections in Georgia and one from California who has taken the seat she previously held. With a 50-50 Senate split, VP Harris is now the tiebreaker when there is a 50-50 vote on a measure. The Senate committees have started the process of interviewing nominees for cabinet and other high posts. President Biden at age 78 makes history by becoming the oldest President to start serving in that position, and Kamala Harris is the first woman, the first Black, and the first person of Asian American descent to take on the role of Vice President.

US Economy: The number of weekly initial unemployment insurance claims decreased a little. Housing starts had a nice increase, existing home sales had a slight increase, home builders say conditions are still good despite increases in prices for lumber, and the Philly Fed’s manufacturing survey index took had a greater than expected increase.

International News: . Initial indications are that President Biden will also take a hard stance against China regarding trade and intellectual property issues. Brexit is a work in process. Much of the European economy is struggling because of the Coronavirus Pandemic caused lockdowns, and Europe is now viewed as being in a recession.

US Stock Exchanges: The exchanges were closed on Monday in observance of the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr, and his legacy. On Tuesday The Stock Market Bull charged onto the field feeling optimistic about the transition of power and the economy, and continued to do so throughout the week as all 3 major indices hit new records on inauguration day. The Stock Market Bear could only counter by taking the last 2 days of the DJIA and last day of the S&P500. The Stock Market Bull easily takes Week 3 3-0. “Experts” are again divided over those that say the run can continue forever and those who say the markets are way overdue for a major crash. Sounds a little bit like last year when both came true.

The Week 3 of 2021 tally YTD is:
The Stock Market Bull: 2 weeks
The Stock Market Bear: 1 week
Mixed Results: 0 weeks

Kroger(PBR22 $KR) and Ocado(LSE: OCDO) announces Phoenix, AZ, for a Customer Fulfillment Center, will be around 200,000 sf, employ up to 700, to be operational in 24 after breaking of ground, will serve Arizona markets. PR link.

Boeing(PBR40 $BA) is committing that its commercial airplanes are capable and certified to fly on 100% sustainable aviation fuels by 2030. PR link.

Pfizer(PBR63 $PFE) and BioNTech SE get an initial agreement to provide up to 40 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to COVAX, which serves 92 countries, in 2021, first deliveries to occur in 1Q21, will be at a not-for-profit price. PR link.

Bristol-Myers Squibb(PBR109 $BMY) gets US FDA approval for OPDIVO®(nivolumab) 240 mg (injection for intravenous use) every two weeks or 480 mg every four weeks in combination with CABOMETYX® (cabozantinib) 40 mg once daily tablets for the first-line treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma. PR link.

Eli Lilly(PBR137 $LLY) completes $22.50/share, $880 million cash plus a contigent value right worth up to an additional $4.00/share based on milestone achievements, for up to $1.04 billion cash acquisition of developer of potentially disease-modifying AAV9-based gene therapies for patients with neurodegenerative diseases Prevail Therapeutics(NASDAQ: PRVL). PR link.

DuPont(PBR144 $DD), Corteva(PBR225 $CTVA) and Chemours(PBR496 $CC) agree to resolution of legacy PFAS chemicals legacy claims, DuPont & Corteva together, on one hand, and Chemours, on the other hand, agree to a 50-50 split of certain qualified expenses incurred over a term not to exceed twenty years or $4 billion. PR link.

Carnival Corp(PBR153 $CCL) is extending its pause for US departures through 04/30/21, cancelling Australian operations through 05/19/21, and European itineraries for Carnival Legend are being planned to start 05/29/21. PR link.

MGM Resorts(PBR241 $MGM)’s BetMGM launches its sports betting and iGaming app in Michigan. PR link.

Boston Scientific(PBR289 $BSX) gets US FDA approval for its fourth-generation Vercise Genus™ Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) System, used for treating symptoms of Parkinson disease, a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder. PR link.

JetBlue(PBR374 $JBLU) enters into a Payroll Support Program Extension Agreement with the US Dept of the Treasury for $252 million, also issues to Treasury warrants to purchase 316,583 shares of JetBlue’s common stock for $14.43/share. PR link.

The Natl Assn of Realtors says the Preliminary December 2020 US Existing Home Sales Annual Rate is at 6,760,000, November 2020 was at 6,710,000, October 2020 6,860,000, December 2019 5,530,000; December 2020 Median Home Price is at $309,800, November 2020 was at $310,800, October 2020 $313,000, December 2019 $274,500; December 2020 Existing Homes for Sale Inventory is at 1,070,000, about 1.9 months supply; December 2020 Average 30 Year Fixed Mortgage Rate is at 2.68%. “Home sales rose in December, and for 2020 as a whole, we saw sales perform at their highest levels since 2006, despite the pandemic… What’s even better is that this momentum is likely to carry into the new year, with more buyers expected to enter the market.” PR link.

***Thursday, January 21

Alphabet(PBR12 $GOOG)’s Google France unit to provide remuneration to French news publications based on criteria agreed to with the Alliance de la Presse d’Information Générale. PR link.

Alphabet(PBR12 $GOOG)’s Loon unit to shut down after over 7 years, was trying to provide low cost internet connectivity through the use of stratospheric balloons. PR link.

Ford(PBR13 $F) expects to record a pre-tax remeasurement loss in its 4Q20 results of approximately $1.5 billion related to its pension and other postretirement employee benefits. PR link.

Boston Scientific(PBR289 $BSX) to acquire privately held $158 million in sales in 2020 Preventice Solutions, offers a full portfolio of mobile cardiac health solutions and services, ranging from ambulatory cardiac monitors – including short and long-term Holter monitors – to cardiac event monitors and mobile cardiac telemetry, for an upfront cash payment of $925 million, and up to an additional $300 million in a potential commercial milestone payment. PR link.

Alaska Air(PBR347 $ALK) gets $533 million Payroll Support Program loan assistance from the US Dept of the Treasury, to be used exclusively toward continuing to pay employee salaries, wages and benefits, includes granting of 95,532 warrants to purchase Alaska Air Group (ALK) common stock at a strike price of $52.25. PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/HUD says the Preliminary December 2020 US New Residential Building Permits Issued Annual Rate-Private Housing is at 1,709,000, November 2020 was at 1,635,000, October 2020 1,544,000, December 2019 1,457,000. PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia says the January 2021 US 3rd District Manufacturing General Business Indicator is at 26.5, December 2020 was at 9.1, November 2020 20.7, January 2020 13.7. “Changes in future indexes were mixed this month, but levels remained positive, suggesting that overall growth is expected to continue over the next six months.” PR link.

***Wednesday, January 20

***Joseph R. Biden inaugurated as
***46th President of the United States
***Kamala Harris inaugurated as
***Vice President of the United States

Merck(PBR68 $MRK) gets US FDA approval for VERQUVO, a soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulator, to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death and heart failure hospitalization following a hospitalization for heart failure or need for outpatient intravenous (IV) diuretics in adults with symptomatic chronic heart failure and ejection fraction less than 45%. PR link.

Tyson Foods(PBR76 $TSN) agrees to settle all claims regarding the Broiler Antitrust Civil Litigation, will pay $221.5 million to affected classes. PR link.

CACI(PBR478 $CACI) Chairman of the Board/Executive Chairman and former CEO Dr. J. Philip (Jack) London passes away at age 83, Michael A. Daniels elected Chairman. PR link.

The Natl Assn of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Preliminary January 2021 Housing Market Composite Index is at 83, December 2020 was at 86, November 2020 90, January 2020 75. “Rising material costs led by a huge upsurge in lumber prices along with a resurgence of the coronavirus across much of the nation pushed builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes down three points to 83 in January… Despite the drop, builder sentiment remains at a strong level.” PR link.

***Tuesday, January 19

Walmart(PBR1 $WMT) to provide domestic and international money transfers, bill payments and money orders services at its stores through an agreement with Western Union(PBR518 $WU), to roll out starting in Spring 2021. PR link.

General Motors(PBR19 $GM) and Cruise enter a long-term strategic relationship with Microsoft(PBR17 $MSFT) to accelerate the commercialization of self-driving vehicles, includes General Motors, Honda, Microsoft, and institutional investors in a combined new equity investment of more than $2 billion in Cruise, bringing the post-money valuation of Cruise to $30 billion. PR link.

Bank of America(PBR25 $BAC) authorizes the repurchase of $2.9 billion in common stock through 03/31/21, plus repurchases to offset shares awarded under equity-based compensation plans during the same period, estimated to be approximately $0.3 billion, maximum allowed per US Federal Reserve rules. PR link.

FedEx(PBR49 $FDX) proposes to reduce its European workforce by 5,500-6,300 across operational teams and back-office functions as it nears the completion of the network integration of TNT. PR link.

Cisco(PBR66 $CSCO) gets China’s State Administration for Market Regulation approval for $115/share $4.3 billion cash acquisition of designer and manufacturer of high-speed, optical interconnect technologies Acacia Communications under several conditions aimed to protect supply to the companies’ Chinese customers. MarketWatch PR link.

American Airlines(PBR69 $AAL) gets a Payroll Support Program Extension Agreement with the US Dept of Treasury for $3.1 billion, be used exclusively for the continuation of payment of employee wages, salaries and benefits, the requirement against involuntary furloughs and reductions in employee pay rates and benefits through 03/31/21. PR link.

ViacomCBS(PBR103 $VIAC) to launch its streaming service Paramount+ on 03/04/21 in the US, will also be launching in Latin America, the Nordics, and later in Australia. PR link.

Thermo Fisher Scientific(PBR113 $TMO) to acquire 500 employees $45 million in 2020 revenues Mesa Biotech, a privately held molecular diagnostic company, includes its Accula System which has received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the US FDA for SARS-CoV-2 in vitro diagnostic testing and is now available for use in patient care settings, providing results within 30 minutes, with higher accuracy than other rapid tests on the market, for approximately $450 million in cash plus up to $100 million for milestone achievements, to close in 1Q21. PR link.

Eli Lilly(PBR137 $LLY) and Merus NV (NASDAQ: MRUS), a clinical-stage oncology company developing multi-specific antibodies, agree to a research collaboration and exclusive license agreement, will leverage Merus’ proprietary Biclonics® platform along with the scientific and rational drug design expertise of Loxo Oncology at Lilly to research and develop up to three CD3-engaging T-cell re-directing bispecific antibody therapies, Eli Lilly to make up front payment of $40 million plus an equity investment in Merus of $20 million, plus up to around $1.6 billion for milestone achievements. PR link.

Netflix(PBR158 $NFLX) says in 4Q20 report that it has crossed the 200 million paid memberships mark, 37 million new members in 2020. PR link.

Cognizant(PBR188 $CTSH) to acquire Magenic Technologies, a privately-held custom software development services company headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, with 475 employees in the US and 350+ employees in Manila, Philippines, to close in 1Q21, terms not disclosed. PR link.

MGM Resorts(PBR241 $MGM) says it does not intend to submit a revised proposal and it will not make a firm offer for for gaming partner Entain plc. PR link.

Bed Bath & Beyond(PBR276 $BBY) completes sale of its Cost Plus World Market brand to private equity firm Kingswood Capital Management, includes 243 brick-and-mortar locations, the CPWM digital business, 2 distribution facilities and a corporate office located in Alameda, CA, terms not disclosed. PR link.

Royal Caribbean(PBR284 $RCL) to sell its Azamara brand to private equity firm Sycamore Partners for $201 million cash, to close in 1Q21. PR link.

eBay(PBR288 $EBAY) says it has initiated a process to explore, review and evaluate a range of strategic alternatives for its Korea business. PR link.

Charles Schwab(PBR290 $SCHW) says in 4Q20 report that total client assets reached a record of $6.69 trillion spread across 29.6 million brokerage accounts, up 66% and 140%, respectively, from a year ago. PR link.

Office Depot(PBR292 $ODP) responds to proposal by be acquired by parent of Staples, says it is open to combining its retail and consumer-facing ecommerce operations with Staples under the right set of circumstances and on mutually acceptable terms, offers two options, a joint venture or an acquistion. PR link.

Oshkosh(PBR425 $OSK) completes $115 million acquisition of Pratt Miller which specializes in advanced engineering, technology and innovation across the motorsport and multiple ground vehicle markets. PR link.

Norwegian Cruise Lines(PBR451 $NCLH) extends suspension of all voyages through 04/30/21. PR link.

Harley-Davidson(PBR510 $HOG) releases its 2021 motorcycle lineup. PR link.

Hill-Rom(PBR767 $HRC) to acquire Bardy Diagnostics(BardyDx), an innovator in digital health and a leading provider of ambulatory cardiac monitoring technologies, for $375 million cash and future potential payments based on the achievement of certain commercial milestones, to close by 03/31/21. PR link.

***Monday, January 18

***US Federal Government Holiday.
***Martin Luther King, Jr, Birthday Observed.
***US Stock Exchanges Closed.

***Friday, January 15

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for Week 2 of 2021 ending 01/15/21:

DJIA ends Week 2 at 30,814.26, -0.91% from last Friday, +0.68% MTD/QTD/YTD, -0.91% from record 31,097.97 set 01/08/21.

NASDAQ ends Week 2 at 12,998.50, -1.54% from last Friday, +0.86 MTD/QTD/YTD, -1.54% from record 13,201.98 set 01/08/21.

SPX ends Week 2 at 3,768.25, -1.48% from last Friday, +0.32% MTD/QTD/YTD, -1.48%% from record 3,824.68 set 01/08/21.

The Week 2 of 2021 News Summary:

Coronavirus Pandemic: As of Friday, 01/15/21, at 14:22PM Eastern US, the John Hopkins University CSSE unit says there are now 93,626,393 confirmed cases globally with 2,004,269 deaths, an increase from last Friday of 90,890, which is 6,932 less than last Friday. For the US it is 23,475,380 confirmed cases and 391,098 deaths, an increase from last Friday of 22,329, which is 1,425 less than last Friday. The Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccinations continue with mixed success because of logistical issues and states struggling to have a priority plan. President-Elect Joe Biden has pledged that 100 million people will be vaccinated in the first 100 days of his taking office.

US Presidential Transition: President-Elect Joe Biden and his transition team continue to make preparations for the January 20th inaugural, which is becoming a bit toned down because of the insurrection attempt at the Capital Building last week. High level officials continue to be nominated and will be presented to the US Senate when it reconvenes next Tuesday. However, another critical item on the US Senate agenda will be the impeachment trial of President Trump after the vote to impeach in the US House was completed this week, making President Trump the only US president to be impeached twice. The US Senate will be split with 50 Republicans, 48 Democrats, 2 Independents who caucus with the Democrats. With the split, Vice-President Elect Kamala Harris will break tie votes. An impeachment of the US president requires a two-thirds votes to the affirmative.

US Economy: The number of weekly initial unemployment insurance claims increased due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Retail sales were disappointingly down slightly. Average employee earnings are up, the Consumer Price Index was up a little bit, the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book indicated modest growth, Import and Export taxes were up, the Producer Price Index was up slightly. President-Elect Biden is proposing a $1.9 trillion relief and stimulus plan that includes a $1,400 individual benefit payment.

International News: . The Coronavirus Pandemic numbers continue to increase in the Europe amid more lockdowns and restrictions. The UK and European Union are starting to readjust their economies as a result of the year end completion of Brexit. The N Korea leader has indicated his country did not achieve economic goals, is making new plans, and also says they will increase their nuclear arms capabilities.

US Stock Exchanges: After a big first week of records for The Stock Market Bull, The Stock Market Bear wanted to make sure he got some attention as well and has an agenda as well. With the aftermath of the insurrection attempt the previous week, the impeachment vote in the US House, the continued Coronavirus pandemic issues and concerns for jobs and the economy, and some uncertainties of a new US president, he had some news to back him up and easily took Week 2 of 2021. Next week starts with the US stock exchanges closed in remembrance of Martin Luther King, Jr, the subdued inauguration of a new US president on Wednesday, and a light week of scheduled economic news. Welcome to a New Year of confusing starts!

The Week 2 of 2021 tally YTD is:
The Stock Market Bull: 1 week
The Stock Market Bear: 1 week
Mixed Results: 0 weeks

GE(PBR33 $GE) sues Siemens Energy for using stolen trade secrets to rig contract bids in Virginia. Reuters PR link.

Thermo Fisher Scientific(PBR113 $TMO) has completed the acquisition of Henogen S.A., Novasep’s viral vector manufacturing business in Belgium, for approximately $810 million in cash. PR link.

Tesla(PBR118 $TSLA)’s Model Y, its mid-size Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), earns a 5-star safety rating in every category from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). PR link.

US Steel(PBR239 $X) completes the $774 million cash acquisition of the remaining equity of Big River Steel located in northeast Arkansas it did not previously own. PR link.

Frontier Communications(PBR372 $FTRCQ) gets US Federal Communications Commission approval for its Chapter 11 Bankruptcy restructring plan, also has approval of 13 states, plans to emerge from Chapter 11 in early 2021. PR link.

Huntsman(PBR429 $HUN) completes $250 million acquisition of around $106 million of revenues in 2019 Gabriel Performance Products, a N American specialty chemical manufacturer of specialty additives and epoxy curing agents for the coatings, adhesives, sealants and composite end-markets, from Audax Private Equity. PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the Preliminary December 2020 US Totally Monthly Final Demand Producer Price Index is at +0.3%, November 2020 was at +0.1%, October 2020 +0.3%, December 2019 +0.3%. PR link.

The US Federal Reserve says the Preliminary December 2020 US Industrial Production % of Capacity is at 74.5%, November 2020 was at 73.4%, October 2020 73.0%, December 2019 77.2%. PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says the Preliminary November 2020 US Sales-Manufacturers is at $492.9 billion, Retailers $491.1 billion, Wholesalers $496.7 billion, making Preliminary November 2020 US Total Sales at $1,480.8 billion, October 2020 was at $1,482.1 billion, September 2020 $1,468.5 billion, November 2019 $1,458.4 billion. PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says the Advance December 2020 US Retail Sales-Retailers is at $489.7 billion, Food Services & Drinking Places $51.2 billion, making Advance December 2020 US Total Retail Sales at $540.9 billion, November 2020 was at $544.6 billion, October 2020 $552.2 billion, December 2019 $525.7 billion. PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Bank of New York says the January 2021 Empire State Manufacturing General Business Conditions Index is at 3.5, December 2020 was at 4.9, November 2020 6.3, January 2020 4.8. “… firms remained optimistic that conditions would improve over the next six months.” PR link.

The U of Michigan Preliminary January 2021 Consumer Sentiment Index is at 79.2, December 2020 was at 80.7, November 2020 76.9, January 2020 99.8. “Consumer sentiment posted trivial declines in early January despite the horrendous rise in covid-19 deaths, the insurrection, and the impeachment of Trump.” PR link.

***Thursday, January 14

Alphabet(PBR12 $GOOG)’s Google unit completes $2.1 billion cash acquisition of Fitbit(PBR971 $FIT). PR link.

FannieMae(PBR23) and FreddieMac(PBR41) get US Federal Housing Finance Agency and the Dept of the US Treasury approval to continue to retain earnings, says retained earnings alone are insufficient to adequately capitalize the companies, can raise private capital and exit conservatorship once certain conditions are met. FHFA PR link.

Pfizer(PBR63 $PFE) gets US FDA approval for supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for XALKORI® (crizotinib) for the treatment of pediatric patients 1 year of age and older and young adults with relapsed or refractory, systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) that is anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive. PR link.

Cisco(PBR66 $CSCO) to acquire designer and manufacturer of high-speed, optical interconnect technologies Acacia Communications for $115.00/share(original offer was $70.00/share), around $4.3 billion cash(original was around $2.6 billion), to close in 1Q21. PR link.

Leidos(PBR280 $LDOS) completes $215 million cash acquisition of Reston, VA based 1901 Group, a leading provider for managed IT services and cloud solutions in the private and public market with 26 locations across the US. PR link.

Newmont Goldcorp(PBR318 $NEM) approves up to $1.0 billion share repurchase program to be completed over next 18 months. PR link.

WW(PBR972) and Serta in partnership to offer holistic wellness solutions for the new year, in exclusive through 03/31/21 with Sam’s Club Serta mattress purchasers to receive 3 free months of WW’s Digital subscription service, service to include other mattress retailers later. PR link.

Monster Beverage(PBR611 $MNST) appoints CFO Hilton H. Schlosberg as Co-CEO with Chairman/CEO Rodney C. Sacks, EVP/Finance Thomas J. Kelly becomes CFO. PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the Preliminary December 2020 US Import Price Index is at +0.9%, November 2020 was at +0.2%, October 2020 -0.1%, December 2019 +0.2%; the Preliminary December 2020 US Export Price Index is at +1.1%, November 2020 was at +0.7%, October 2020 +0.2%, December 2019 -0.2%; Year-to-Year Import Price Index is at -0.3%, Export Price Index +0.2%. PR link.

***Wednesday, January 13

T-Mobile US(PBR71) signs five-year, multi-billion-dollar agreements with both Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) and Nokia (NYSE: NOK) to continue advancing and expanding the nation’s largest 5G network. PR link.

Qualcomm(PBR126 $QCOM) to acquire Santa Clara, CA based CPU and technology design team, with industry-leading expertise in high performance processors, Systems on a Chip (SoC) and power management for compute-intensive devices and applications, NUVIA, for $1.4 billion. PR link.

MasterCard(PBR184 $MA) credit cards to be issued by Synchrony Financial(PBR162 $SYF) for co-branded Mastercard credit and prepaid debit cards for Walgreens(PBR18 $WBA), will closely connect with Walgreens new customer loyalty program, myWalgreens, launched in 11/20. PR link.

Molson Coors(PBR294 $TAP) and HEXO Corp joint venture Truss CBD USA launches Veryvell™ Sparkling CBD Water in Colorado. PR link.

Dropbox(PBR943 $DBX) in letter from CEO to employees says it is reducting its global workforce by 315 people, around 11% of the workforce, new strategies being implemented to remain competitive. PR link.

Veeva Systems(PBR996) gets shareholders vote to become the first publicly held company to become a public benefit company, will remain a for-profit corporation but will be legally responsible to balance the interests of multiple stakeholders, including customers, employees, partners, and shareholders, to be effective 02/01/21. PR link.

Intel(PBR45 $INTC) appoints former employee and current VMWare CEO since 2012 Pat Gelsinger as its new CEO and member of the Board, effective 02/15/21, will succeed Bob Swan. PR link.

The US Dept of the Treasury says the December 2020 US Federal Government Receipts is at $346.1 billion, Outlays $489.7 billion, for a December 2020 Deficit of $143.6 billion, November 2020 Deficit was at $145.3 billion, October 2020 $284.1 billion, December 2019 $13.3 billion; December 2020 YTD(3 months) Deficit is $572.9 billion, December 2019 YTD Deficit was at $356.6 billion. PR link.

The US Federal Reserve releases the Beige Book for data through 01/04/21, says, “… economic activity increased modestly… Although the prospect of COVID-19 vaccines has bolstered business optimism for 2021 growth, this has been tempered by concern over the recent virus resurgence and the implications for near-term business conditions.” PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the Preliminary December 2020 US Current Average Earnings/Hour is at $29.81, Average Hours Worked/Week at 34.7, for Current Average Weekly Earnings of $1,034.41, November 2020 was at $1,029.38, October 2020 $1,026.25, December 2019 $973.09. PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the December 2020 US Consumer Price Index-Urban is at +0.4%, November 2020 was at +0.2%, October 2020 +0.0%, December 2019 +0.2%, Last 12 Months(Unadjusted) is at +1.2%. PR link.

***Tuesday, January 12

Walmart(PBR1 $WMT) creating a new fintech service as majority owner in a partnership with global investment firm Ribbit Capital. PR link.

General Motors(PBR19 $GM) launches BrightDrop, will offer an ecosystem of electric first-to-last-mile products, software and services to empower delivery and logistics companies to move goods more efficiently; electric pallet, the EP1, will be available in early 2021, and its electric light commercial vehicle, the EV600, will be on roads in late 2021. PR link.

VISA(PBR142 $V) $5.3 billion acquisition of financial apps developer Plaid terminated by mutual agreement after lawsuit by US Dept of Justice. PR link.

Ally Financial(PBR262 $ALLY) authorizes an up to $1.6 billion share repurchase program for 2021, based on results of stress test by US Federal Reserve in 12/20. PR link.

Royal Caribbean(PBR285 $RCL) is suspending almost all sailings through 04/30/21. PR link.

Pioneer Natural Resources(PBR328 $PXD) completes $7.6 billion acquisition of Parsley Energy(PBR904 $PE). PR link.

Regeneron(PBR383 $REGN) gets US government order of up to 1.25 million doses of all finished doses of the casirivimab and imdevimab COVID-19 antibody cocktail, to be delivered by 06/30/21. PR link.

Steris(PBR739 $STE) to acquire $1 billion in 2020 sales global provider of infection prevention products and services primarily to endoscopy and dental customers Cantel Medical Corp (NYSE:CMD) for $200.46/share stock & cash, equity value of around $3.6 billion, to close by 06/30/21. PR link.

Synhrony Financial(PBR162 $SYF) CEO Margaret Keane to become Executive Chairman, President Brian Doubles to become President/CEO in leadership transition scheduled for 04/01/21. PR link.

Las Vegas Sands(PBR226 $LVS) Founder/Chairman/CEO Sheldon Adelson dies at age 87 of non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the Preliminary November 2020 US Job Openings-Private is at 5,858,000, Government 669,000, for November 2020 US Total Job Openings of 6,527,000, October 2020 was at 6,632,000, September 2020 6,494,000, November 2019 6,793,000. PR link.

CoreLogic says the October 2020 US Housing Mortgages 30 Days or More Delinquent are at 6.1%, September 2020 was at 6.3%, August 2020 6.6%, October 2019 3.7%. “After a financially challenging year, the healthy housing market and new stimulus measures are helping borrowers get back on their feet. Given these variables, we should begin to see a reduced flow of homes in delinquency in the coming months.” PR link.

***Monday, January 11

Ford(PBR13 $F) to serve customers in the South America region with a portfolio of connected and increasingly electrified SUVs, pickups and commercial vehicles sourced from Argentina, Uruguay and other markets, as Ford Brazil ceases production operations in 2021. https://bit.ly/3qeSv8PPR link.

Bristol-Myers Squibb(PBR109 $BMY) authorizes an additional $2 billion for share repurchases, program balance is now around $6.4 billion. http://bit.ly/39qQTSOPR link.

Baxter(PBR273 $BAX)’s BioPharma Solutions unit gets an agreement to provide sterile manufacturing services for NVX-CoV2373, Novavax’ COVID-19 recombinant nanoparticle vaccine candidate with Matrix-M™ adjuvant, for production and distribution in the UK and European markets, vaccine currently in Phase 3 study. http://bit.ly/39vbzJ8PR link.

Office Depot(PBR293 $ODP) confirms it has received a proposal to be acquired by parent of Staples and a portfolio company of Sycamore Partners, Board review is underway. http://bit.ly/3qltYzfPR link.

Molson Coors(PBR294 $TAP) signs exclusive distribution deal with a team including Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Dany Garcia, Dave Rienzi and John Shulman, to launch ZOA, a non-alcohol energy drink made with better-for-you, natural ingredients. http://bit.ly/3i8TZyEPR link.

NCR(PBR422 $NCR) confirms it has submitted an offer to acquire Cardtronics (Nasdaq: CATM) for $39.00/share cash. http://bit.ly/3nDLBs4PR link.

GameStop(PBR449 $GME) enters into agreement with one of its largest stockholders, RC Ventures, appoints 3 new directors to the Board, Board now has 13 directors, will be reduced to 9 at next annual meeting in 06/21. http://bit.ly/2Ll9xDIPR link.

Chipotle(PBR489 $CMG) to have its first national hiring event of 2021, called ‘Coast To Coast Career Day’ on Thursday, 01/14/21, has a goal of employing 15,000 new team members for its restaurants across the US. http://chip.tl/35AiTCuPR link.

KKR(PBR610 $KKR) to acquire a majority stake of the music catalog of three-time Grammy winner Ryan Tedder and OneRepublic, includes nearly 500 songs written, recorded or produced by Tedder for OneRepublic. http://bit.ly/3oHkZI1PR link.

Hillenbrand(PBR813 $HI) to sell its Abel Pumps unit to IDEX(PBR817) for $103.5 million cash. http://bit.ly/38BUhuHPR link.

***Friday, January 8

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for Week 1 of 2021 ending 01/08/21:

DJIA ends Week 1 at record 31,097.97, +1.61% from last Friday and MTD/QTD/YTD, +0.00% from record 31,097.97 set 01/08/21.

NASDAQ ends Week 1 at record 13,201.98, +2.43% from last Friday and MTD/QTD/YTD, +0.00% from record 13,201.98 set 01/08/21.

SPX ends Week 1 at record 3,824.68, +1.83% from last Friday and MTD/QTD/YTD, +0.00% from record 3,824.68 set 01/08/21.

The Week 1 of 2021 News Summary:

Coronavirus Pandemic: As of Friday, 01/08/21, at 21:21PM Eastern US, the John Hopkins University CSSE unit says there are now 88,845,495 confirmed cases globally with 1,913,379 deaths, an increase from last Friday of 97,822, which is 33,265 more than last Friday. For the US it is 21,862,771 confirmed cases and 368,769 deaths, an increase from last Friday of 23,754, which is 8,985 more than last Friday. The Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccinations are taking place at a slower pace than expected as states grapple with priorities and logistics.

US Presidential Transition: The apparently unexpected attempted insurrection with a violent and destructive attack on the Capital Building on Wednesday, January 6th, was unprecedented and an historic event. After the Capital Building was cleared the Congress resumed its traditional count and certification of the Electoral College. As expected, it was confirmed that Joe Biden is President-Elect and Kamala Harris Vice President-Elect. Additional nominees for high level posts are being named and the transition continues with an additional focus on security issues in Washington DC.

US Economy: Overall economic data was positive, especially for manufacturing and services industries. However, the ADP private sector employee count took a bigger than expected drop, weekly initial job claims increased as well, and the US governments civilian labor force reports showed a decline in employment as well, all the result of an increase in COVID-19 related concerns. The Federal Open Market Committee minutes from its last meeting indicated a concensus that the US economy is growing modestly at best, resulting in ongoing actions and policies being implemented to help mitigate economic fragility concerns.

International News: . The UK and European Union continue to gently walk through the first week of Brexit, which is also more complicated because of a new more contagious variant of COVID-19 virus resulting in more lockdowns and restrictions.

US Stock Exchanges: On Monday The Stock Market Bear viciously clawed and loudly growled to start the new year and week. But The Stock Market Bull responded with courage and with conviction charged focused and determined through the rest of Week 1 with the result of ending at record levels for all 3 major US stock indices, for a 3-0 Week 1 victory, a pretty amazing accomplishment considering the historic midweek attack on the Capital Building. An unpredictable first week for 2021 is in the books. Does it set the tone for the rest of the year as we continue to grapple with a pandemic, the economic fallout, and with a new administration taking over very soon?

The Week 1 of 2021 tally YTD is:
The Stock Market Bull: 1 week
The Stock Market Bear: 0 weeks
Mixed Results: 0 weeks

Domtar(PBR521 $UFS) to sell its Personal Care business to American Industrial Partners for $920 million, is reinforcing its focus on building an industry-leading Paper, Pulp and Packaging company, to close by end of 1Q21. PR link.

Roku(PBR992 $ROKU) says its Roku TV™ is the number one selling smart TV operating system in 2020 with 38% of market share in the US and 31% in Canada. PR link.

Roku(PBR992 $ROKU) has acquired the exclusive global distribution rights to Quibi‘s shows, The Roku Channel will become the exclusive place to stream more than 75 premium shows and documentaries that Quibi created in conjunction with Hollywood’s leading studios and production companies, will make the content available for free on an ad-supported basis in 2021 to all Roku users. PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the December 2020 US Civilians Employed is at 149,830,000, Unemployed is 10,737,000, for an Unemployment Rate of 6.7%, November 2020 was at 6.7%, October 2020 6.9%, December 2019 3.6%. PR link.

The US Federal Reserve says the Preliminary November 2020 US Consumer Credit Outstanding-Revolving is at $978.8 billion, Non-Revolving $3,198.0 billion, for November 2020 Total US Consumer Credit Outstanding of $4,176.8 billion, October 2020 was at $4,161.5 billion, September 2020 $4,157.0 billion, November 2019 $4,170.5 billion. PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says Preliminary November 2020 US Wholesale Sales-Durables is at $243.1 billion, Non-Durables $253.6 billion, for November 2020 US Total Wholesale Sales of $496.7 billion, October 2020 was at $496.0 billion, September 2020 $487.7 billion, November 2019 $497.9 billion. PR link.

FannieMae says the December 2020 Home Purchase Sentiment Index is at 74.0, November 2020 was at 80.0, October 2020 81.7, December 2019 91.7. “Both the ‘Good Time to Sell’ and ‘Good Time to Buy’ components fell significantly, with respondents overwhelmingly noting the unfavourability of economic conditions.” PR link.

***Thursday, January 7

Boeing(PBR40 $BA) reaches agreement with the US Dept of Justice, resolves investigation relating to the evaluation of the Boeing 737 MAX airplane by the US Federal Aviation Administration, provides for $2.5 billion in payments for fines, compensation to affected families of 2 crashes, and customer financial losses. PR link.

Albertsons(PBR55 $ACI) says it is the first American grocer to pilot an automated and contactless grocery PickUp kiosk, located at one of its Jewel-Osco stores in Chicago, features an automated, temperature-controlled kiosk, provides a contactless pickup experience, for customers who select the “Kiosk PickUp” option who will then have 2-hr time slots during which to pick up their groceries. PR link.

DXC Technology(PBR161 $DXC) confirms it has received an unsolicited, preliminary and non-binding proposal from France based public company Atos SE to acquire all DXC Technology shares, Board is evaluating proposal. PR link.

Wayfair(PBR336 $W) says that all US employees will now make at least $15/hour, took effect 01/03/21, applies to full-time, part-time and seasonal employees, will result in an increase for 40% of its employees. PR link.

Constellation Brands(PBR337 $STZ) in 3Q21 report says it has authorized a new $2 billion share repurchase program, has $1.9 billion available from previous authorization. PR link.

Devon Energy(PBR458 $DVN) completes all stock merger of equals with WPX Energy(NYSE: WPX), creates a $12 billion enterprise value company, builds a dominant Delaware Basin acreage position totaling 400,000 net acres. PR link.

Tiffany(PBR592 $TIF) $135/share $16.2 billion acquisition by LVMH is completed. PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says the Preliminary November 2020 US Exports-Goods is at $127.7 billion, Services $56.4 billion, for November 2020 Total US Exports of $184.1 billion; Preliminary November 2020 US Imports-Goods is at $214.1 billion, Services $38.2 billion, for November 2020 Total US Imports of $252.3 billion; November 2020 Total US Deficit is at $68.2 billion, November 2020 Total US Deficit YTD(11 months) is at $604.9 billion, November 2019 Total US Deficit YTD was at $530.7 billion. PR link.

The Institute for Supply Management December 2020 US Services PMI Index(>50 economy is growing) is at 57.2%, November 2020 was at 55.9%, October 2020 56.6%, December 2019 55.0%. “Most respondents are cautiously optimistic about business conditions with the recent approval and impending distribution of vaccines…” PR link.

***Wednesday, January 6

Amazon(PBR2 $AMZN) announces the Housing Equity Fund, a more than $2 billion commitment to preserve and create over 20,000 affordable housing units in Washington State’s Puget Sound region; Arlington, VA; and Nashville, TN. PR link.

CVS Health(PBR5 $CVS) provides update on on COVID-19 vaccinations in long-term care facilities per partnership with the US federal and state governments, will be providing services to nearly 31,000 assisted living facilites. PR link.

UnitedHealth(PBR7 $UNH)’s OptumInsight unit to acquire Change Healthcare (NASDAQ: CHNG) for $25.75/share cash, will create a health care technology leader to provide software and data analytics, technology-enabled services and research, advisory and revenue cycle management offerings. PR link.

AmerisourceBergen(PBR9 $ABC) to acquire the majority of Walgreens Boots Alliance(PBR18 $WBA)’s Alliance Healthcare businesses for approximately $6.5 billion, to close by 09/30/21. PR link.

Walgreens Boots Alliance(PBR18 $WBA) has accelerated its investment in VillageMD to support the opening of 600 to 700 Village Medical at Walgreens primary care clinics in more than 30 US markets within the next four years, with the intent to build hundreds more thereafter. PR link.

T-Mobile(PBR71 $TMUS) in preliminary 4Q20 report says it had 5.5 million postpaid net new adds in 2020, 5G network now reaching 280 million people and covering 106 million people with Ultra Capacity 5G’s super-fast speeds. PR link.

Carnival Corp(PBR153 $CCL)’s Princess Cruises extends pause on all cruises through at least through 05/14/21. PR link.

Carnival Corp(PBR153 $CCL)’s Holland America extends pause on all cruises through at least 04/30/21. PR link.

Truist Financial(PBR211 $TFC) sold its $10 billion in plan assets institutional 401(k) investment advisory services business to OneDigital Investment Advisors on 12/31/20, will sell its institutional 401(k) recordkeeping businesses to Ascensus and Empower Retirement in 1Q21, each with $5 billion in plan assets, terms not disclosed. PR link.

Vistra Energy(PBR258 $VST)’s Moss Landing Power Plant in Monterey County, CA, 300 megawatts/1,200 megawatt-hours, lithium-ion battery storage system came online 12/11/20, largest such facility in the world, to add 100 MW/ 09/200 MWh in August, 2021. PR link.

NVIDIA(PBR285 $NVDA)‘s $40 billion cash and stock acquisition of AI development Cambridge, UK based company Arm Limited from SoftBank to be investigated by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority starting later this year, says it will work closely with other competition authorities around the world to carefully consider the impact of the deal and ensure that it doesn’t ultimately result in consumers facing more expensive or lower quality products. PR link.

Wyndham Destinations(PBR615 $WYND) has acquired the Travel + Leisure brand and all related assets from Meredith Corp(PBR773 $MDP), will change its name to Travel + Leisure Co in early 2021, start trading as NYSE: TNL in mid February 2021, Meredith will continue to operate and monetize Travel + Leisure’s media across multiple channels, including its advertising and marketing activities, under a 30-year royalty-free, renewable licensing relationship. PR link.

Roku(PBR992 $ROKU) says its Roku TV™ is the number one selling smart TV operating system in 2020 with 38% of market share in the US and 31% in Canada. PR link.

New York Community Bank(PBR912 $NYCB) appoints Michael J. Levine as Non-Executive Chairman, succeeds Dominick Ciampa who remains on the Board. PR link.

The Federal Open Marked Committee releases the minutes from its December 15-16, 2020 meeting. “… Overall financial conditions remained accommodative, in part reflecting policy measures to support the economy and the flow of credit to U.S. households and businesses. Members agreed that the Federal Reserve was committed to using its full range of tools to support the U.S. economy in this challenging time, thereby promoting its maximum employment and price stability goals. Members also stated that the path of the economy would depend significantly on the course of the virus. In addition, members agreed that the ongoing public health crisis would continue to weigh on economic activity, employment, and inflation in the near term and was posing considerable risks to the economic outlook over the medium term.” PR link.

ADP says the Preliminary December 2020 US Change in Non-Farm Private Employment is -123,000, -13,000 from Small Businesses(1-49 employees), +37,000 from Mid-Size Businesses(50-499 employees), and -147,000 from Large Businesses(500 or more employees); there were -18,000 jobs from the Goods Producing Sector, -105,000 from the Service Providing Sector. PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says the Preliminary November 2020 US Manufacturers New Orders-Durables is at $244.4 billion, Non-Durables $242.8 billion, Total $487.2 billion, October 2020 was at $482.2 billion, September 2020 $475.9 billion, November 2019 $490.7 billion. PR link.

IHS Markit says the December 2020 US Composite PMI Output Index is at 55.3, November 2020 was at 58.6, October 2020 56.3, December 2019 52.7. “… businesses remain much more confident about the outlook in a year’s time than before the successful vaccine developments, reflecting greater optimism for prospects of life returning to normal in the second half of 2021.” PR link.

***Tuesday, January 5

Amazon(PBR2 $AMZN) is making its first-ever purchase of eleven Boeing 767-300 aircraft, includes seven aircraft from Delta and four aircraft from WestJet, which will join the network by 2022. PR link.

Mondelez(PBR111 $MDLZ) has acquired Hu (as in “Human”) Master Holdings, the parent company of Hu Products, a fast-growing US-based snacking company offering high-quality snacks made from simple ingredients, terms not disclosed. PR link.

Constellation Brands(PBR337 $STZ) completes divestiture of a portion of Constellation’s wine and spirits portfolio to E. & J. Gallo Winery for around $810 million, in a separate transaction divests the Nobilo wine brand to E. & J. Gallo for around $130 million. PR link.

Coty(PBR563 $COTY) completes $200 million acquisition for 20% ownership in Kardashian West’s business to further develop it globally, skincare line remains on track for an expected launch in fiscal year 2022. PR link.

Hologic(PBR648 $HOLX) to acquire Biotheranostics, a privately held, commercial-stage company that provides molecular diagnostic tests for breast and metastatic cancers, for approximately $230 million, to close in 02/21. PR link.

Illumina(PBR666 $ILMN) and Helix partner and with support from the CDC to augment national surveillance infrastructure in the US to track the emergence and prevalence of novel strains of SARS-CoV-2 . PR link.

WW(PBR972 $WW) gets partnership with The Vitamin Shoppe, launches co-branded nutritional supplements, introduces select member-favorite WW snacks and protein boosters to The Vitamin Shoppe, as well as the opportunity to purchase WW memberships through The Vitamin Shoppe’s 715+ retail locations and online. PR link.

Qualcomm(PBR126 $QCOM) elects President Cristiano Amon to become CEO, to succeed to succeed Steve Mollenkopf who is retiring after 26 years with the company, to be effective 06/30/21. PR link.

Public Storage(PBR774 $PSA) reaches agreement with major stockholder Elliott Management, adds two new independent directors to the Board. PR link.

The Institute for Supply Management December 2020 US Manufacturing PMI Index(>50 is economy expanding) is at 60.7%, November 2020 was at 57.5%, October 2020 59.3%, December 2019 47.8%. “Manufacturing performed well for the seventh straight month, with demand, consumption and inputs registering strong growth compared to November. Labor market difficulties at panelists’ companies and their suppliers will continue to restrict the manufacturing economy expansion until the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis ends…” PR link.

The PurdueU/CME Group December 2020 US Ag Economy Barometer Composite Index is at 174, November 2020 was at 167, October 2020 183, December 2019 150. “Farmer sentiment rises as income prospects improve, concerns about key policy issues remain.” PR link.

***Monday, January 4

Amazon(PBR2 $AMZN), Berkshire Hathaway(PBR6 $BRK.B) and JPMorgan Chase(PBR24 $JPM) healthcare joint venture to make healthcare more efficient and cost effective, Haven Healthcare, is disbanding after 3 years. CNBC PR link.

Alphabet(PBR12 $GOOG)’s Google unit has 400 workers signing on to form the Alphabet Workers Union, is supported by the Communications Workers of America, and is open to full-time and contract employees. CNET PR link.

Centene(PBR42 $CNC) to acquire Magellan Health(PBR411 $MGLN) for $95/share, enterprise value of around $2.2 billion, brings together the companies’ complementary capabilities in behavioral health, specialty healthcare and pharmacy management, will establish one of the nation’s largest behavioral health platforms across 41 million unique members, to close in 2H21. PR link.

Albertsons(PBR55 $ACI) grocery store units in S California turning to a third-party delivery service using independent contractors by the end of 02/21. KNOCK PR link.

ViacomCBS(PBR103 $VIAC) gets new multi-year distribution agreement that adds more content from ViacomCBS’ leading portfolio of news, entertainment and sports networks to Hulu’s live TV subscription streaming service, Hulu + Live TV, terms not disclosed. PR link.

Tesla(PBR118 $TSLA) reports it delivered 180,570 vehicles in 4Q20, 499,550 vehicles for all of 2020, Model Y production in Shanghai has begun, with deliveries expected to begin shortly. PR link.

MGM Resorts(PBR241 $MGM) confirms it has made an offer to buy Entain plc, its partner in the US sports betting and iGaming market, Entain has said offer undervalues it, asks for more details. PR link.

MGM Resorts(PBR241 $MGM) launches its BetMGM sports betting mobile app in Iowa. PR link.

AES Corp(PBR302 $AES) to sell its entire 51% equity interest in the 1,242 MW Mong Duong 2 coal-fired power plant in Vietnam to a consortium led by a US-based investor, to close late 2021/early 2022. PR link.

Apache Corp(PBR450 $APA) to create a holding company structure, to be called APA Corporation, will replace Apache Corporation as the public company trading name, will continue to use ticker NASDAQ: APA, to be completed in 1H21. PR link.

Herbalife(PBR544 $HLF) repurchases $600 million in shares at $48.05/share from Icahn Enterprises(PBR319 $IEP), Icahn will then own around 8 million shares, represents around 6% of all common shares. PR link.

Dentsply Sirona(PBR627 $XRAY) has acquired Byte, a rapidly growing direct-to-consumer, doctor-directed clear aligner company with expected revenues of $200 million in 2021, for $1.04 billion cash, closed on 12/31/20. PR link.

Teledyne(PBR719 $TDY) to acquire Oregon based FLIR Systems(NASDAQ:FLIR​​​​​), a global industrial technology company focused on intelligent sensing solutions for defense and industrial applications with nearly $2 billion in annual revenues, for $56/share, around $8.0 billion cash and stock, to close in mid 2021. PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says the Preliminary November 2020 US Construction Spending Annual Rate-Residential is at $667.0 billion, Non-Residential $792.5 billion, for November 2020 US Total Construction Spending Annual Rate of $1,459.4 billion, October 2020 was at $1,446.9 billion, September 2020 $1,424.0 billion, November 2019 $1,342.5 billion. PR link.

IHS Markit says the December 2020 US Manufacturing PMI Index is at 57.1, November 2020 was at 56.7, October 2020 53.4, December 2019 52.4. “Firms … remain highly positive about the outlook for the year ahead, anticipating that vaccine roll-outs will help drive a further recovery in 2021, although some of November’s post-election exuberance has been tamed by the recent rise in virus case numbers, suggesting the near-term outlook will remain challenging.” PR link.

***Thursday, December 31

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for Week 53 of 2020 and year ending 12/31/20:

DJIA ends Week 53 and 2020 at record 30,606.48, +1.35% from last Friday, +3.27% MTD, +10.17% QTD, +7.25% YTD, +0.00% from record 30,606.48 set 12/31/20.

NASDAQ ends Week 53 and 2020 at 12,888.28, +0.65% from last Friday, +5.65% MTD, +15.41% QTD, +43.64% YTD, -0.09% from record 12,899.42 set 12/28/20.

SPX ends Week 53 and 2020 at record 3,756.07, +1.43% from last Friday, +3.71% MTD, +11.69% QTD, +16.26% YTD, +0.00% from record 3,756.07 set 12/31/20.

The Week 53 of 2020 News Summary:

Coronavirus Pandemic: The year 2020 has ended and the final tallies are in. As of Thursday, 12/31/20, at 15:23PM Eastern US, the John Hopkins University CSSE unit says there are now 83,316,999 confirmed cases globally with 1,815,557 deaths, an increase from last Friday of 64,557, which is -14,671 from last Friday. For the US it is 19,923,169 confirmed cases and 345,015 deaths, an increase from last Friday of 14,769, which is -2,442 from last Friday. The Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccinations started a week ago to mixed success because of logistical issues.

US Presidential Transition: President-Elect Joe Biden continues to nominate high level officials. The Republicans are running out of time to contest allegations of voter fraud as courts continue to rule lawsuits as not valid. President Trump has still not conceded the race. The US House will continue to have a Democrat majority. The control of the US Senate will be decided by two US Senate runoff elections to be held on January 5 in Georgia.

US Economy: The number of weekly initial unemployment insurance claims fell again. Other indicators show a modestly growing economy. While the US House passed a bill authorizing a $2,000 benefit per qualified person, it appears the US Senate will not be approving the measure. The $600 benefit is already being sent out.

International News: The UK approves the Brexit deal. The Coronavirus Pandemic worsens in the European Union, more lockdowns and restrictions are being put in place.

US Stock Exchanges: It was a shortened trading week of 4 days, trading volumes were low, and it was a non-volatile week, with The Stock Market Bull having a nice day on Monday. The Stock Market Bear made a half-hearted appearance on Tuesday, and then The Stock Market Bull closed out Week 53 and 2020 with records for all 3 major US stock exchanges during the week, including 2 of them on the last day. It was a strange and dramatic year that started strong, then took a huge dip because of the Coronavirus Pandemic, and then had a strong recovery, The Stock Market Bull came out a clear and convincing victor in 2020. Now 2021 awaits, expert prognosticators are all over the place from doomsday to bright clear shiny days forecasts. Enjoy the long weekend to start the New Year, get a good rest, and then get ready to ride the 2021 rollercoaster!

The Week 53 of 2020 tally YTD is:
The Stock Market Bull: 26 weeks
The Stock Market Bear: 19 weeks
Mixed Results: 8 weeks

The December of 2020 tally YTD is:
The Stock Market Bull: 7 months
The Stock Market Bear: 4 months
Mixed Results: 1 month

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