The White House and The PBR1000: Strange Bedfellows

The White House has a big impact on the economy, which affects The PBR1000 and businesses of all sizes, especially as a contentious election year approaches.

By Larry C. Paxton

The October 2019 breaking news items of interest for The PBR1000 follow with the most current date first.

***Thursday, October 31

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for October 2019 ending 10/31/19:

DJIA ends October 2019 at 27,046.23, +0.33% from last Friday, +0.48% MTD/QTD, +15.94% YTD, -1.14% from record 27,359.16 set 07/15/19.

NASDAQ ends October 2019 at 8,292.36, +0.60% from last Friday, +3.66% MTD/QTD, +24.97% YTD, -0.45% from record 8,330.21 set 07/26/19.

SPX ends October 2019 at 3,037.56, +0.50% from last Friday, +2.04% MTD/QTD, +21.17% YTD, -0.30% from record 3,046.77 set 10/30/19.

The October and 10th Month 2019 News Summary: The US/China trade negotiations continued to be in flux as news was mixed throughout the month. At the end a Phase One deal appears to have been agreed upon that will be signed soon. The UK Brexit from the European Union has been extended past the 10/31/19 date, and the UK has set 12/12/19 for general elections. Canada‘s Justin Trudeau gets re-elected, but will have to find some coalition partners to be an effective leader. In a controversial decision President Trump says US troops will be withdrawn from Syria, Turkey invades Syria, in cooperation between Turkey and the Kurds the US kills the notorious leader of ISIS, and the Middle East conflict continues to be a difficult puzzle for finding peace. Hong Kong protests continue over concerns about its future as a democracy while being a part of China. US economic news was more pleasant as summarized by the Federal Open Market Committee after its late October meeting, saying that the US economy continues to grow at a moderate rate, employment and wages are in a good spot, and a recession is not eminent. The United Auto Workers strike with General Motors ends and sets the stage for negotiations with other auto manufacturers. The Stock Market Bear took the first week of October, but the rest of the month was dominated by The Stock Market Bull who won 3-0, the S&P500 broke records at the end of the month with the DJIA and NASDAQ closing in on new highs as well.

The October 2019 tally YTD is:
The Stock Market Bull: 8 months
The Stock Market Bear: 2 months
Mixed Results: 0 months

Marathon Petroleum(PBR31) to separate its Speedway unit into an independent, publicly traded company, will consist of MPC’s company-owned retail store operations, will have a potential enterprise value of $15 billion to $18 billion. $MPC PR link.

Altria(PBR113) records a3Q19 non-cash pre-tax impairment charge of $4.5 billion related to its investment in smokeless tobacco company Juul. $MO PR link.

Amgen(PBR124) enters into a strategic collaboration with BeiGene that will significantly accelerate Amgen’s plans to expand its oncology presence in China, to acquire 20.5% stake in BeiGene for around $2.7 billion in cash. $AMGN PR link.

Henry Schein(PBR240) authorizes an up to $400 million share repurchase program, is in addition to current program which has $75 million available. $HSIC PR link.

LKQ(PBR254) authorizes an additional $500 million for its share repurchase program, total authorization is now $1 billion, expires 10/25/22, has used around $352 million. $LKQ PR link.

Assurant(PBR370) has acquired MMI-CPR LLC, which operates as Cell Phone Repair, one of the largest global franchisors of mobile device repair stores with more than 700 locations, provides a wide variety of same-day electronic device repairs and offers consumers the ability to sell and buy devices at their local CPR store, terms not disclosed. $AIZ PR link.

Spirit AeroSystems(PBR403) to acquire select assets of Bombardier aerostructures and aftermarket services businesses in Belfast, Northern Ireland; Casablanca, Morocco; and Dallas, US for $500 million cash, will also assume around $300 million in net pension liabilities, and approximately $290 million of government grant repayment obligations, for a total enterprise valuation of $1.090 billion. $SPR PR link.

Ametek(PBR536) completes $925 million cash acquisition of Pleasanton, CA based $180 million in annual sales instrumentation and software used to enhance and extend the operation and performance of electron microscopes manufacturer Gatan from Roper Technologies(PBR517). $AME PR link.

Albemarle(PBR678) completes $1.3 billion acquisition of 60% ownership of Mineral Resources Limited(ASX: MIN) Wodgina hard rock lithium mine in Western Australia and forms a 60-40 joint venture with MRL to operate the mine and battery grade lithium hydroxide production facilities. $ALB PR link.

Global Payments(PBR679) to acquire 40,000 merchant accounts from Canada’s cooperative financial group Desjardins Group, to close in early 2020, terms not disclosed. $GPN PR link.

Qorvo(PBR717) authorizes new up to $1 billion share repurchase program, includes approximately $117 million authorized under a prior program. $QRVO PR link.

Marathon Petroleum(PBR31) Chairman/CEO Gary Heminger to retire sometime in 2020, new CEO search starts. $MPC PR link.

Magellan Health(PBR399) hires Kenneth J. Fasola as CEO, effective 11/14/19, will succeed Barry Smith. $MGLN PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the US Initial Unemployment Insurance Claims 4 Week Average for the Week Ending 10/26/19 is 214,750, 09/21/19 was 212,000, 08/24/19 214,500, 10/20/18 216,000, the Insured Unemployment Rate is at 1.2%. DOL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the US 3Q19 All Civilian Workers Employment Cost Index(12/2005=100) is at 138.0, 2Q19 was at 137.0, 1Q19 136.2, 3Q18 134.3. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/BEA says the US Preliminary September 2019 Personal Income Annual Rate is at $18.835 trillion, +0.3% from August 2019, +6.4% from September 2018. USDOC PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago says the 7th District Preliminary September 2019 Midwest Economy Index is at -0.43, August 2019 was at -0.36. ChiFed PR link.

The MNI Chicago Business Barometer(<50 is declining) for October 2019 is at 43.2, September 2019 was at 47.1, August 2019 50.4, October 2018 58.4. MNI/ISM PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR40) says the US Average 30 Year Fixed Home Mortgage on 10/31/19 is at 3.78% with 0.5 points/fees, 09/30/19 was at 3.64%, 08/29/19 3.58%, 10/25/19 4.86%. $FMCC PR link.

***Wednesday, October 30

The PBR1000 Welcomes SS&C Technologies Holdings!

Date Added: 10/21/19
Services: Software technologies for the financial services industry
Ticker: NASDAQ: SSNC
Current The PBR1000 Rankings:
672 By Revenues: $3.4 billion
384 By Market Capitalization: $12.9 billion
166 By Total Yield: 12.18%
329 By Assets: $16.1 billion
335 By Employees: 22,600
63 By Analyst Recommendations: Buy, 4.67/5.00, 15 estimates

To get the complete profile for SS&C Technologies and for all 1,000 of The PBR1000 click here!

Facebook(PBR57 $FB) to pay a $643,000 fine leveled by Britain’s Information Commissioner Office in a privacy case stemming from the Cambridge Analytica scandal, agreeing to accept the fine without admitting any liability. MarketWatch PR link.

Biogen(PBR235) and Alkermes plc (Nasdaq: ALKS) get US FDA approval for VUMERITY™ (diroximel fumarate), an oral fumarate with a distinct chemical structure, for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis. $BIIB PR link.

Molson Coors(PBR285) announces revitalization plan, includes moving from a corporate center and four business units (MillerCoors in the U.S., Molson Coors Canada, Molson Coors Europe and Molson Coors International) to two streamlined business units – North America and Europe. $TAP PR link.

Anixter(PBR356) agrees to be acquired by private investment firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice for $81.00/share, around $3.8 billion in cash, to close by end of 1Q20. $AXE PR link.

Activision Blizzard(PBR391)’s Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® had more than $600 million in sell-through worldwide in its first three days of release, a record for Call of Duty, is the top-selling new premium game release of 2019. $ATVI PR link.

Ascena Retail(PBR494)’s The Dress Barn unit says store closings sales at remaining balance of 544 brick and mortar locations to start 11/01/19, has sold the intellectual property assets of Dressbarn and has begun the process of transitioning its ecommerce business to a subsidiary of Retail Ecommerce Ventures LLC who plans to launch a new platform and look of dressbarn.com around 01/01/20. $ASNA PR link.

Digital Realty(PBR725) to acquire a leading provider of carrier- and cloud-neutral colocation data centre services in Europe Interxion (NYSE: INXN), will create a leading global provider of data center, colocation and interconnection solutions, in a $93.48/share, $8.4 billion all stock deal, to close in 2020. $DLR PR link.

Twitter(PBR727) CEO Jack Dorsey tweets that a decision has been made to stop all political advertising on Twitter globally. $TWTR PR link.

HCP(PBR916) changes name to Healthpeak Properties, Inc, to begin trading under its new name and ticker symbol NYSE: PEAK on 11/05/19. $HCP PR link.

Western Digital(PBR183) CEO Steve Milligan to retire upon selection of a successor, then serve in advisory role until 09/20. $WDC PR link.

Trimble(PBR713) President/CEO Steven W. Berglund to become Executive Chairman on 01/04/20, CFO Robert G. Painter elected to become President/CEO and member of the Board. $TRMB PR link.

The Federal Open Market Committee issues statement from its 10/29-30/19 meeting, lowers federal short term interest rates by 0.25% to 1.50%-1.75% on an 8-2 vote, says labor market remains strong and that economic activity has been rising at a moderate rate, survey-based measures of longer-term inflation expectations are little changed. FOMC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/BEA says the US Advance 3Q19 Real GDP Annual Growth Rate is at +1.9%, +0.9% from 2Q19, +3.7% from 3Q18. USDOC PR link.

ADP(PBR221) says the US Preliminary October 2019 Change In Employment was +125,000 jobs, 17,000 from Small Businesses(1-49 employees), 64,000 from Mid-Sized Businesses(50-499), 44,000 for Large Businesses(500 or more); -13,000 were from the Goods Producing Sector, +138,000 from the Services Providing Sector. $ADP PR link.

The US Energy Information Administration says the US 10/25/19 Crude Oil Stocks were at 438.9 million barrels of oil, +4.6% from 09/20/19, +3.0% from 10/26/19. EIA PR link.

***Tuesday, October 29

Congratulations to Microsoft(PBR19 $MSFT) for winning the $10 billion 10 year JEDI Pentagon contract last week! Microsoft is also #18 on The PBR25 Top Buy Stocks List of 10/04/19, has a YTD Return of 62.5%, a Weighted Average Recommendation of 4.66/5.00, and an Average Target Price of $161.03 based on 33 Analyst Recommendations. To get all 25 of the Buy recommendations go to The PBR25 Top Buy Stocks PR link.

Walmart(PBR1) says Green Dot will continue to serve as the issuing bank and program manager for the Walmart MoneyCard program for an additional period of 7 years starting 01/01/20; also they will jointly establish a new fintech accelerator under the name “TailFin Labs, LLC,” to develop products, services and technologies that sit at the intersection of retail shopping and consumer financial services, with Walmart as the majority owner. $WMT PR link.

Amazon(PBR5) Fresh grocery delivery is now free for Amazon Prime members, was $14.99/mo, includes one and two-hour options in most Amazon Fresh cities. $AMZN PR link.

AT&T(PBR9)’s WarnerMedia unit to launch HBO Max in 05/20, will include over 10,000 hours of premium content for $14.99/mo, targeting 50 million domestic subscribers and 75 – 90 million premium subscribers by year-end in 2025 across the US, Latin America and Europe. $T PR link.

Johnson & Johnson(PBR36) reports that 15 new tests from the same bottle of Johnson’s Baby Powder previously tested by the US FDA found no asbestos, and an additional 48 new laboratory tests of samples from the single lot of Johnson’s Baby Powder that the Company voluntarily recalled on 10/18/19 (Lot #22318RB) also confirm that the product does not contain asbestos. $JNJ PR link.

Nike(PBR80) to sell its Costa Mesa, CA based design, development, manufacturing, worldwide marketing and selling of surf apparel and accessories subsidiary Hurley International to branding and licensing company Bluestar Alliance LLC, to close in 12/19, terms not disclosed. $NKE PR link.

Parker Hannifin(PBR216) completes $3.625 billion cash acquisition of privately-held Cary, NC-based $1.1 billion in annual sales, 3,100 employees broad array of advanced adhesives, coatings and specialty materials as well as vibration and motion control technologies global provider LORD Corporation. $PH PR link.

MGM Resorts(PBR257) and Roar Digital form an exclusive partnership with Verizon(PBR18) Media unit’s Yahoo Sports as its Digital Media Sports Partner to power BetMGM sports betting for Yahoo Sports and create collaborative content experiences and live events. $MGM PR link.

Xerox(PBR310) in 3Q19 report says it completed its evaluation of its customer financing business, decided it is in the best interest of shareholders to keep the business, will not pursue a sale at this time. $XRX PR link.

Meredith Corp(PBR704) has acquired Santa Monica, CA based Stop, Breathe & Think (SBT), a mobile mindfulness app with more than 17 million emotional check-ins to date, terms not disclosed. $MDP PR link.

Herbalife(PBR534) announces Co-President and Chief Health and Nutrition Officer Dr. John Agwunobi will become CEO 0n 03/30/20, will succeed Chairman/Interim CEO Michael Johnson who will remain Chairman. $HLF PR link.

The US Congressional Budget Office(CBO) current 10 year budget and economic projections forecast a GDP of over 2% for 2019, to average 1.8% per year starting in 2020, annual budget deficit to average $1.2 trillion/year in 2020-2029, public debt to reach 95% of GDP. USCBO PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says the US 3Q19 Total Housing Units were at 139,785,000, +1,152,000 from 3Q18, 79,492,000 Owner Occupied, 43,243,000 Renter Occupied, 17,050,000 Vacant, Homeownership Rate is 64.8%, 3Q18 was 64.4%. USDOC PR link.

The Conference Board says the US Preliminary October 2019 Consumer Confidence Index(1985=100) is at 125.9, September 2019 was at 126.3. “… confidence levels remain high and there are no indications that consumers will curtail their holiday spending.” TCB PR link.

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller US National August 2019 Home Price NSA Index(01/2000=100) is at 212.06, July 2019 was at 211.63, June 2019 210.87, August 2018 205.55. Case-Shiller PR link.

***Monday, October 28

The PBR25, the Top 25 Buy Stocks according to nearly 15,000 analyst recommendations of The PBR1000, had a cumulative return of 157.40% since 12/31/14, the DJIA was at 51.02%, NASDAQ 68.90%, S&P500 44.58%(As of 09/30/19). To find out more go to The PBR25 Top Buy Stocks PR link.

AT&T(PBR9) reveals 3 year financial guidance and capital allocation plan, developed in conjunction with conversations with activist investor Elliott Management. $T PR link.

AT&T(PBR9) to sell its Central European Media Enterprises unit to an affiliate of Czech investment firm PPF Group NV for $1.1 billion cash, will also be relieved of a $575 million debt guarantee, to close in 2Q20. $T PR link.

T-Mobile US(PBR70) 3Q19 report shows 1.7 million total net additions, record 26th consecutive quarter of more than 1 million total net additions, total of 84,183,000 subscribers. $TMUS PR link.

Allergan(PBR197) Forest subsidiaries will pay $750 million to plaintiff class of direct purchasers of Namenda, subject to finalization of the settlement agreement and court approval. $AGN PR link.

Uber(PBR272) introduces financial services unit Uber Money, lets drivers and couriers have real-time access to their earnings after every trip through the Uber Debit account, other enhancements announced. $UBER PR link.

Navistar(PBR298) launches new business unit, NEXT eMobility Solutions, to deliver customized electrification solutions in the truck and school bus markets, plans to have IC Bus® electric school buses available at the end of 2020, while International® medium-duty electric trucks will be introduced in early 2021. $NAVI PR link.

Tiffany(PBR572) receives an unsolicited, non-binding proposal from LVMH Moet Hennessy – Louis Vuitton to acquire Tiffany for $120/share cash, around $14.5 billion. $TIF PR link.

PolyOne(PBR658) completes $775 million sale of its global provider of formulated PVC and polypropylene based solutions with around $700 million in annual sales Performance Products and Solutions (PP&S) business to SK Capital Partners. $POL PR link.

Prologis(PBR768) to acquire US logistics REIT Liberty Property Trust (NYSE: LPT) for $12.6 billion in all stock deal, includes debt, to close in 1Q20. $PLD PR link.

Apollo Global Mgmt(PBR995) to acquire an additional 18% stake in retirement services company Athene Holding Ltd(NYSE: ATH), for $1.55 billion, will consolidate share classes, to up stake to 35%, has right to nominate 5 of 15 directors. $APO PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago says the US Preliminary September 2019 National Activity Index is at -0.45, August 2019 was at +0.15, July 2019 -0.41, September 2018 +0.08. ChiFed PR link.

***Friday, October 25

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for Week 43 ending 10/25/19:

DJIA ends Week 43 at 26,958.06, +0.70% from last Friday, +0.15% MTD/QTD, +15.56% YTD, -1.47% from record 27,359.16 set 07/15/19.

NASDAQ ends Week 43 at 8,243.12, +1.90% from last Friday, +3.05% MTD/QTD, +24.23% YTD, -1.05% from record 8,330.21 set 07/26/19.

SPX ends Week 43 at 3,022.55, +1.22% from last Friday, +1.54% MTD/QTD, +20.57% YTD, -0.11% from record 3,025.86 set 07/26/19.

The Week 43 News Summary: There seemed to be renewed US/China trade negotiations optimism, but no details were provided. UK’s Brexit from the European Union appears to be a done deal, but timing is still uncertain, and the UK has set a time for a new general election. The Turkey/Kurds/Russians/US actions in Syria implications are not yet clear. Hong Kong continues to see protesters in the streets fighting over personal rights and democracy. Canada’s Justin Trudeau wins re-election, but does not have a majority party, will have to form a coalition. The Democrats controlled US House Impeachment Inquiry of President Trump continues, but concerns are being expressed over it not being a transparent process. US economic data continues to show growth, but at a slower pace, mostly because of international trade issues. The week ended with the US Treasury department showing the federal deficit at just under $1 trillion for FY2019. A deluge of 3rd quarter corporate earnings were generally mixed. US consumers remain mostly optimistic because of wage growth and jobs availability. Overall, it was a good week for The Stock Market Bull as he oversaw a fertile pasture, even though The Stock Market Bear did make a rather meek appearance on Tuesday. The Stock Market Bull wins Week 43 3-0.

The Week 43 of 2019 tally YTD is:
The Stock Market Bull: 21 weeks
The Stock Market Bear: 14 weeks
Mixed Results: 8 weeks

AT&T(PBR9) to sell its remaining domestic company-owned wireless towers, includes 1,000+ AT&T towers, to Peppertree Capital Management, for up to $680 million, AT&T will lease back capacity on the towers from Peppertree. $T PR link.

General Motors(PBR13) agreement with United Auto Workers(UAW) team members is ratified, ends strike, 4 year agreement includes 3% wage increases or 4% lump sum payment in each year, preserves 3% healthcare employee cost, $11,000 contract signing bonus for fulltime and $4,500 for parttime employees, no cap on profit sharing, temporary employee transition to permanent employment after 3 years, GM to invest $7.7 billion in the US. $GM PR link.

Microsoft(PBR19 $MSFT) wins Pentagon’s $10 billion over 10 years JEDI cloud contract, beating Amazon(PBR5), article includes link to Pentagon notice. MarketWatch PR link.

Boeing(PBR28) releases statement on final investigation report of Lion Air Flight 610 by Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT). $BA PR link.

Facebook(PBR57) starting to test Facebook News app, a dedicated place for news on Facebook, to a subset of people in the US. $FB PR link.

Western Union(PBR486) launches WU.com in India, in association with India’s YES BANK, enabling customers in India to send money globally 24/7. $WU PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says the US September 2019 Federal Government Receipts were $374.0 billion, Outlays $291.3 billion, for a Surplus of $82.8 billion; Total FY2019 Receipts were $3.462 trillion, Outlays $4.447 trillion, for a Deficit of $984 billion, the FY2018 Deficit was $779 billion. USTreasury PR link.

The University of Michigan US Final October 2019 Consumer Sentiment Index is at 95.5, September 2019 was at 93.2, August 2019 89.8, October 2018 98.6. “The overall level of consumer confidence has remained quite favorable and largely unchanged during the past few years. The October level was nearly identical to the 2019 average (95.6) and only a few Index-points below the average since the start of 2017 (97.0).” UMichigan PR link.

***Thursday, October 24

Sprint(PBR90 $S), AT&T(PBR9 $T), T-Mobile US(PBR70 $TMUS), and Verizon(PBR18 $VZ) create a joint venture – the Cross Carrier Messaging Initiative (CCMI) – to deliver the next generation of messaging to consumers and businesses, to develop and deploy the standards-based, interoperable messaging service starting with Android and expected in 2020. $S PR link.

Amgen(PBR124) announces that Repatha® (evolocumab), a treatment for patients with high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease proven to reduce heart attacks and strokes, will be distributed exclusively at the 60% lower list price of $5,850/year, will no longer be available at its original list price, effective 12/31/19. $AMGN PR link.

Nordstrom(PBR194) opens 320,000 sf 7 levels first flagship store for women and children at the base of Central Park Tower, the tallest residential building in the world, in New York City. $JWN PR link.

Baxter(PBR280) informs the US SEC that it recently began an investigation into certain intra-Company transactions undertaken for the purpose of generating foreign exchange gains or losses, and may have been misstated. $BAX PR link.

Wyndham Destinations(PBR615) Super 8 is rolling out to select hotels its new ROOM8 concept, a shareable suite with arcade games, foosball table, and sleeping for up to 8 people. $WYND PR link.

Square(PBR690) rolling out instant, free and fractional stock trades via its CashApp mobile app per tweets by CEO/Founder Jack Dorsey. $SQ PR link.

First Solar(PBR860) starts production at its new photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturing facility in Lake Township, OH, its second factory in the US, total annualized production capacity in the US is now 1.9-gigawatts (GW)DC, the largest in the US and the Western Hemisphere. $FSLR PR link.

Minerals Tech(PBR923) authorizes new $75 million share repurchase program, replaces previous program which has expired. $MTX PR link.

Six Flags(PBR962) hires Mike Spanos as President/CEO, effective 11/18/19, will succeed retiring Chairman/President/CEO Jim Reid-Anderson, Board member Richard Roedel will become Non-Executive Chairman. $SIX PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/HUD says the US Preliminary September 2019 New Family Homes Sold Annual Rate is at 701,000, -0.7% from August 2019, +15.5% from September 2018; Median New Family Home Price was at $299,400, -7.9% from August 2019, -8.8% from September 2018; New Homes Available at 321,000, a 5.5 Months Supply. $USDOC PR link.

***Wednesday, October 23

Amazon(PBR5) increases its Amazon Counter service, a network of staffed pickup points that gives customers the option to pick up their Amazon packages in-store at a partner location, by thousands with Amazon’s new store partners GNC(PBR841), Health Mart and Stage Stores(PBR953). $AMZN PR link.

Boeing(PBR28) in 3Q19 report says it has assumed that regulatory approval of the 737 MAX return to service begins in 4Q19 and that it will gradually increase the 737 production rate from 42 per month to 57 per month by late 2020. $BA PR link.

Best Buy(PBR71) says about 99% of its customers now get Free Next-Day Delivery on thousands of items, excludes some bigger and heavier things like big-screen TVs and refrigerators, also offering 1 hour Store Pickup service. $BBY PR link.

Tesla(PBR141) releases 3Q19 report, returns to profitability, confident it will exceed 360,000 vehicles delivered in 2019, trial production of Model 3 in Shanghai has begun, is ahead of schedule, also ahead of schedule to produce Model Y, now expects to launch by summer 2020, is planning to produce limited volumes of Tesla Semi in 2020 and is hoping to announce soon the location of its European Gigafactory for production in 2021. $TSLA PR link.

Dominion Energy(PBR237) and Smithfield Foods invest $500 million to become largest renewable natural gas(RNG) supplier in the US, to convert methane gas from Smithfield’s hog operations, to produce enough RNG to power 70,000 homes and businesses. $D PR link.

Navient(PBR485) approves new share repurchase program for up to $1 billion of common stock, is in addition to the around $77 million remaining from previous authorization. $NAVI PR link.

Wyndham Destinations(PBR615) completes $162 million sale of its Wyndham Vacations Rentals business to Vacasa, N America’s largest vacation rental management platform. $WYND PR link.

ADP(PBR221) says the US 3Q19 Average Yearly Wage Growth was at +3.2%, 2Q19 was at +4.0%, 1Q19 +3.8%, 3Q18 +3.5%; Average Hourly Wage Level is at $28.71, 2Q19 was at $28.54, 1Q19 $28.40, 3Q18 $27.81. “Though wage growth remains healthy, the tight labor market continues to pressure wages and fuel growth across nearly all industries, but employers may be losing the capacity to raise paychecks any further.” $ADP PR link.

***Tuesday, October 22

Verizon(PBR18) in agreement with Walt Disney(PBR54) to give wireless unlimited customers, new Fios Home Internet and 5G Home Internet customers 12 months of Disney+ streaming services, launches 11/12/19. $VZ PR link.

Proctor & Gamble(PBR46) in 1Q20 report says it expects to pay over $7.5 billion in dividends and repurchase $6 billion to $8 billion of common shares in fiscal 2020. $PG PR link.

Facebook(PBR57 $FB) discloses that it spent $4.8 million to influence US lawmakers and regulators in 3Q19, lifting its year-to-date spending on Washington lobbying to $12.3 million, 2018’s full-year total was $12.6 million. MarketWatch PR link.

Starbucks(PBR116) expands Starbucks Delivers to five new US markets, Atlanta, Denver, Phoenix, Philadelphia, and New Jersey, as well as further expansion in the New York Metro, in partnership with Uber(PBR272)’s Uber Eats, will reach national availability in early 2020. $SBUX PR link.

PVH(PBR315)‘s wholly owned subsidiary Calvin Klein and Swatch Group have agreed to end their 22 year watch and jewelry license relationship, Calvin Klein currently evaluating new partners for the category. $PVH PR link.

Meredith Corp(PBR704) has sold its MONEY brand to Ad Practitioners LLC, a portfolio of digital brands, includes 4 million monthly unique visitors MONEY.com, terms not disclosed. $MDP PR link.

Snap(PBR988) in 3Q19 report says Daily Active Users were 210 million in Q3 2019, compared to 203 million in Q2 2019 and 186 million in Q3 2018, 3Q19 revenues were $466 million, net loss was $227 million. $SNAP PR link.

Boeing(PBR28) appoints Stan Deal to succeed Kevin McAllister as President/CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes and Ted Colbert to succeed Deal as President/CEO of Boeing Global Services, effective immediately. $BA PR link.

Nike(PBR80) Chairman/President/CEO Mark Parker to become Executive Chairman on 01/13/20, Board member John Donahoe to become President/CEO. $NKE PR link.

Michaels Cos(PBR510) appoints Interim CEO Mark Cosby as permanent CEO, effective immediately. $MIK PR link.

Under Armour(PBR515) Chairman/CEO/Founder Kevin Plank to become Executive Chairman and Brand Chief on 01/01/20, President/COO Patrik Frisk to become President/CEO reporting to Plank. $UA PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond says the US 5th District October 2019 Annualized Manufacturing Index is at +8%, September 2019 was at -9%, August 2019 +1%, October 2018 +17%. “Respondents were optimistic that conditions would continue to improve in the next six months.” RichmondFed PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond says the US 5th District October 2019 Annualized Service Sector Revenue Index is at +24%, September 2019 was at +6%, August 2019 +6%, October 2018 +4%. “Firms … reported increased spending and improved local business conditions, and they were optimistic that conditions would continue to improve in the coming months.” RichmondFed PR link.

The Natl Assn or Realtors says the US Preliminary September 2019 Existing Home Sales Annual Rate is at 5,380,000, -2.0% from August 2019, +3.9% from September 2018; Median Home Price is at $272,100, -2.2% from August 2019, +5.9% from September 2018; Existing Inventory is at 1,830,000, -1.6% from August 2019, -2.7% from September 2019; Supply is at 4.1 Months; Median Time on Market is at 32 Days. NAR PR link.

***Monday, October 21

AmerisourceBergen(PBR10 $ABC), Cardinal Health(PBR14 $CAH) and McKesson(PBR7 $MCK) agree to a $215 million settlement with two Ohio counties, Cuyahoga and Summit, in the first track of the multi-district opioid litigation. Joint PR link.

Bank of America(PBR25)’s Merrill Edge Self-Directed unit will expand its zero-dollar online trade benefits, offering unlimited commission-free stock, exchange-traded fund (ETF) and option trading to clients in all tiers of its Preferred Rewards program. $BAC PR link.

Boeing(PBR28) releases letter with more details about an 11/15/16 instant message regarding comments reflecting a reaction to a 737 MAX simulator program that was not functioning properly, and that was still undergoing testing. $BA PR link.

Johnson & Johnson(PBR36)’s Janssen unit gets US FDA approval of STELARA® (ustekinumab) for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis. $JNJ PR link.

Facebook(PBR57) announces several new measures to help protect the democratic process and providing an update on initiatives already underway for the US 2020 election. $FB PR link.

Macy’s(PBR115) to stop selling fur by the end of fiscal 2020, includes all Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s private brands, as well as items sold from brand partners, will also be closing its Fur Vaults and salons. $M PR link.

Danaher(PBR157) to sell its label-free biomolecular characterization, chromatography hardware and resins, and microcarriers and particle validation standards businesses, which generated $140 million in revenues in 2018, to Sartorius AG for approximately $750 million, to close in 1Q20. $DHR PR link.

Netflix(PBR195) to offer around $2.0 billion in senior unsecured notes in two series to institutional investors. $NFLX PR link.

Stryker Corp(PBR231) completes around $370 million cash upfront and up to $130 million of contingent payments based on milestone achievements acquisition of point-of-care imaging technology provider Mobius Imaging, and its sister company, GYS Tech, (DBA Cardan Robotics). $SYK PR link.

Dominion Energy(PBR237) to transfer a 25% non-controlling equity interest in Cove Point, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import, export and storage facility located on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay in Lusby, MD, to Brookfield Asset Management for $2+ billion cash. $D PR link.

Coty(PBR340) to focus more intently on its fragrance, cosmetics and skin care businesses, to explore strategic alternatives for its Professional Beauty business and associated hair brands, as well as the company’s Brazilian operations, including a divesture. $COTY PR link.

Post Holdings(PBR460) completes $14.00/share IPO of its Active Nutrition business, which markets and distributes ready-to-drink protein and other beverages, protein powders, nutrition bars and other nutritional supplements under the Premier Protein, Dymatize, PowerBar, Supreme Protein and Joint Juice brands, called BellRing Brands(NYSE: BRBR), Post owns around 71% of BellRing. $POST PR link.

Carlisle Cos(PBR567) to acquire 1,000+ employees San Diego, CA based Providien LLC, a provider of manufacturing solutions for global medical device OEMs, including thermoforming, medical device contract manufacturing, precision machining & metals, and medical injection molding, to close in 4Q19, terms not disclosed. $CSL PR link.

Range Resources(PBR691) announces some asset sales for $150 million, initiates a $100 million share repurchase program. $RRC PR link.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals(PBR724) gets US FDA approval of Trikafta (elexacaftor/ivacaftor/tezacaftor), the first triple combination therapy available to treat patients with the most common cystic fibrosis mutation. $VRTX PR link.

Adtalem Education(PBR983) to sell its Brazilian portfolio, Adtalem Educacional do Brasil, to YDUQS, the second largest education company in Brazil, for $465 million, to be completed by 12/31/20. $ATGE PR link.

***Friday, October 18

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for Week 42 ending 10/18/19:

DJIA ends Week 42 at 26,770.20, -0.17% from last Friday, -0.54% MTD/QTD, +14.76% YTD, -2.15% from record 27,359.16 set 07/15/19.

NASDAQ ends Week 42 at 8,089.54, +0.40% from last Friday, +1.13% MTD/QTD, +21.92% YTD, -2.89% from record 8,330.21 set 07/26/19.

SPX ends Week 42 at 2,986.20, +0.54% from last Friday, +0.32% MTD/QTD, +19.12% YTD, -1.31% from record 3,025.86 set 07/26/19.

The Week 42 News Summary: Rumors and vitriol continued with the US House Impeachment Inquiry of President Trump, which was tampered somewhat by the death of longtime Democrat leader Elijah Cummings; it appears a Brexit deal has been reached between the UK and EU, a lot of jockeying is taking place to try to get UK’s parliament to pass it this weekend. Economic growth worldwide and in the US continued to be positive, but slowing, with some of the drag being placed on the US/China trade negotiations, which appear to be making progress. General Motors and the United Auto Workers have come to an agreement after a few weeks of strikes with the UAW membership to vote on the new contract this weekend. US 3Q corporate earnings seem to be doing better than anticipated. It looked like The Stock Market Bull was going to prevail for Week 42, but The Stock Market Bear got in the ring on Friday when Boeing and Johnson & Johnson issued some bad news sending Week 42 into the books as a mixed result, 2-1 for The Stock Market Bull.

The Week 42 of 2019 tally YTD is:
The Stock Market Bull: 20 weeks
The Stock Market Bear: 14 weeks
Mixed Results: 8 weeks

Walmart(PBR1) to take a $2.2 billion charge to earnings for its UK based ASDA Group Pension Plan buyout. $WMT PR link.

Boeing(PBR28 $BA) alerted the US Dept of Transportation to the existence of instant messages between two Boeing employees, characterizing certain communications with the FAA during the original certification of the 737 MAX in 2016. FAA PR link.

. Boeing(PBR28) President/CEO responds with a letter saying Boeing is cooperating with various departments on the 737 MAX issues. $BA PR link.

Johnson & Johnson(PBR35) initiates a voluntary recall in the United States of a single lot of its Johnson’s Baby Powder in response to a US FDA test indicating the presence of subtrace levels of chrysotile asbestos contamination (no greater than 0.00002%) in
samples from a single bottle purchased from an online retailer. $JNJ PR link.

Facebook(PBR56 $FB), Wall Street Journal publisher News Corp(PBR305 $NWSA) and others reach deal for news section, FB to pay license fees to some publishers. MarketWatch PR link.

Marriott Intl(PBR147) to acquire the Elegant Hotels Group for an enterprise value of $199 million, owns and operates seven hotels with 588 rooms and a beachfront restaurant on the island of Barbados. $MAR PR link.

DTE Energy(PBR217) Midstream unit to acquire a gathering system and gathering pipeline in the Haynesville shale formation of Louisiana for $2.25 billion cash, plus a $400 million milestone payment upon completion of the gathering pipeline in 2H20. $DTE PR link.

Oracle(PBR78) letter from Executive Chairman/Founder Larry Ellison announces death of co-CEO Mark Hurd, had been on leave of absence for health related reasons. $ORCL PR link.

The Conference Board says the US Preliminary September 2019 Leading Economic Index(2016=100) is at 111.9, August 2019 was at 111.2, July 2019 112.2. TCB PR link.

***Thursday, October 17

Ford(PBR12) is implementing a plan to make available 12,000+ charging stations, including fast-charging, with 35,000 plugs for electric vehicles, Amazon(PBR5) Home Services to install home based charging stations. $F PR link.

Facebook(PBR56) Chairman/CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks at Georgetown University about the importance of protecting free expression, will not be fact checking political ads, believes people should decide what is credible, not tech companies. $T PR link.

Tyson(PBR75) to prohibit the use of feed ingredient ractopamine in the market hogs it buys from farmers beginning in 02/20, will help with global market where several key countries like China have forbidden the use of ractopamine. $T PR link.

Marriott Intl(PBR147) has purchased the 270-room W New York – Union Square in the heart of Manhattan’s Union Square neighborhood for $206 million, planning significant renovation. $T PR link.

Kohl’s(PBR152) launches several new brands in time for the holidays, The Beauty Checkout started in 10/19 to be supported by Facebook starting in 2020. $T PR link.

PayPal(PBR201) and Synchrony Financial(PBR167) expand relationship to launch in 2H20 Venmo‘s first-ever credit card. $T PR link.

Skechers(PBR549) wins in lawsuit filed by Nike(PBR79)’s Converse unit, judge says Skechers’ did not violate Converse’s Chuck Taylor trademark. $T PR link.

Hasbro(PBR552) $4.0 billion cash acquisition of Canada based global independent studio that specialises in the development, acquisition, production, financing, distribution and sales of entertainment content, including popular pre-teen characters Peppa Pig and PJ Masks, Entertainment One Ltd(LSE: ETO) is approved by ETO shareholders, still to close in 4Q19. $T PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says the US Preliminary September 2019 New Residential Permits Issued Annual Rate is at 1,387,000, -2.7% from August 2019, +7.7% from September 2018. USDOC PR link.

The US Federal Reserve says US Preliminary September 2019 Industrial Production % of Capacity is at 77.5%, August 2019 was at 77.9%, July 2019 77.4%, September 2018 78.5%, Capacity Growth since September 2018 is at +2.2%. USFed PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia says the 3rd District October 2019 Manufacturing General Activity Indicator is at +5.6, September 2019 was at +12.0, August 2019 +16.8, October 2018 +19.7. “Responses … suggest growth in manufacturing activity this month …. The survey’s future indexes indicate that respondents continue to expect growth over the next six months.” PhillyFed PR link.

***Wednesday, October 16

Johnson & Johnson(PBR35 $JNJ) offers $4 billion opioid litigation settlement, would resolve more than 2,000 lawsuits by state and local governments. Wall Street Journal PR link.

T-Mobile US(PBR70) $59 billion all stock acquisition of Sprint(PBR90) gets US Federal Communications Commission approval on a 3-2 party line vote, still needs additional regulatory approvals and settlement of litigation. MarketWatch PR link.

Eli Lilly(PBR117) says top-line results from its Phase 3 SEQUOIA trial evaluating pegilodecakin plus FOLFOX (folinic acid, 5-FU, oxaliplatin) compared to FOLFOX alone in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer whose disease had progressed during or following a first-line gemcitabine-containing regimen did not meet its primary endpoint of overall survival, still being evaluated as a therapy for non-small cell lung cancer. $LLY PR link.

Henry Schein(PBR240) gets dismissal of claims by a US Federal Trade Commission judge alleging that Henry Schein conspired with competitors to avoid providing discounts to, or to otherwise serve, buying groups representing dental practitioners. $HSIC PR link.

Alexion Pharmaceuticals(PBR601) to acquire clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company Achillion Pharmaceuticals(NASDAQ: ACHN) for an initial $6.30/share, $930 million cash, plus an additional $2.00/share, around $295 million, based an milestone achievements, to close in 1H20. $ALXN PR link.

American Eagle Outfitters(PBR607) to hire nearly 10,000 part-time seasonal brand ambassadors for its American Eagle and Aerie store teams, hiring event set for 10/20/19 in stores. $AEO PR link.

Sabre Corp(PBR621) acquires Orlando, FL based $20 million in revenues in 2019 airline retailing software provider in the low cost carrier space Radixx for around $110 million. $SABR PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says the US Preliminary August 2019 Sales-Manufacturers is at $503.0 billion, Retailers $461.9 billion, Wholesalers $499.1 billion, Total Sales $1.464 trillion, +0.2% from July 2019, +1.1% from August 2018. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says the US Preliminary September 2019 Retail Sales are at $460.4 billion, Food Services & Drinking Places $65.2 billion, Total $525.6 billion, -0.3% from August 2019, +4.1% from September 2018. USDOC PR link.

The US Federal Reserve System releases its Beige Book for economic data through 10/07/19. “The U.S. economy expanded at a slight to modest pace since the prior report as business activity varied across the country.” USFed PR link.

The Natl Assn of Home Builders/Wells Fargo US Preliminary October 2019 Housing Market Composite Index(>50=builders say conditions are good) is at 71, September 2019 was at 68, August 2019 67, October 2018 68. “The housing rebound that began in the spring continues, supported by low mortgage rates, solid job growth and a reduction in new home inventory …” NAHB PR link.

***Tuesday, October 15

Abbott(PBR100) authorizes new up to $3 billion share repurchase program, is in addition to $795 million unused portion of previous authorization. $ABT PR link.

MGM Resorts(PBR257) to form a joint venture with Blackstone(PBR423) Real Estate Income Trust that values the real estate of Bellagio at $4.25 billion, will acquire the Bellagio real estate and lease it back to a subsidiary of MGM Resorts to operate the property for initial annual rent of $245 million, MGM Resorts will receive a 5% equity interest in the joint venture and cash of approximately $4.2 billion, to close in 4Q19. $MGM PR link.

MGM Resorts(PBR257) to sell 2,300 employees Circus Circus Las Vegas for $825 million to an affiliate of Treasure Island owner Phil Ruffin, to close in 4Q19. $MGM PR link.

AMC Entertainment(PBR497) launches AMC Theatres On Demand, a digital movie service with around 2,000 movies, available to AMC Stubs members. $AMC PR link.

***Monday, October 14

UPS(PBR41) launches Storage on Demand, customers request delivery of empty storage bins to their home or business, fill and seal the bins, request pickup and delivery to a secure UPS storage site, then request retrieval delivery when needed, pricing starts at $5/month per bin, available in metro Atlanta, GA area, to expand nationwide. $UPS PR link.

Allergan(PBR197) shareholders approve $188.24/share cash/stock, a 45% premium from the 06/24/19 closing price, equity value of around $63 billion acquisition by AbbVie(PBR91), to close in early 2020. $AGN PR link.

Ross Stores(PBR207) opens 30 Ross Dress for Less® and 12 dd’s DISCOUNTS® stores across 19 different states in September and October, completes store growth plans for fiscal 2019 with the addition of 98 new stores. $ROST PR link.

Sempra Energy(PBR260) to sell its equity interests in its Chilean businesses, including its 100% stake in Chilquinta Energía SA, to State Grid International Development Limited for $2.23 billion cash, part of strategy to focus on N America business. $SRE PR link.

Asbury Automotive(PBR420) acquires its first Colorado and first Subaru dealership, Denver area 120 employees Mike Shaw Subaru in Thornton. $ABG PR link.

Harley-Davidson(PBR480) halts production of its LiveWire electric motorcycles after discovering a problem related to the vehicle’s charging equipment. $HOG PR link.

KKR(PBR831) acquires majority stake in Hyperoptic Ltd, the UK’s largest residential gigabit broadband provider, includes a full fibre network covering 43 towns and cities across the UK, with gigabit broadband services passing almost 400,000 homes and businesses, with plans to have over 5 million by 2024, terms not disclosed. $KKR PR link.

Hershey(PBR381) President/CEO Michele Buck elected to also be Chairman, succeeds Chairman Chuck Davis who will reassume the role of Lead Independent Director. $HSY PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Bank of New York says the US October 2019 Empire State Manufacturers General Business Conditions Index is at +4.o, September 2019 was at +2.0%, August 2019 +24.3. Indexes assessing the six-month outlook indicated that optimism about future conditions improved somewhat but remained subdued. NYFed PR link.

***Friday, October 11

Amazon(PBR5) to open a 1,000,000+ sf fulfillment center in Channahon, Illinois, creating 500+ new, full-time jobs starting at $15/hr. $AMZN PR link.

Cisco(PBR62) completes acquisition of Salt Lake City, UT privately-held contact center predictive analytics developer and provider CloudCherry, terms not disclosed. $CSCO PR link.

3M(PBR92) completes $6.7 billion, includes debt, acquisition of global medical technology company focused on advanced wound care and specialty surgical applications marketed under the KCI brand $1.5 billion in sales in 2018 Acelity from a consortium of Apax Partners. $MMM PR link.

Uber(PBR272) to acquire majority ownership of Cornershop, a leading online grocery provider in Chile, Mexico, and more recently in Peru and Toronto, to close in early 2020, terms not disclosed. $UBER PR link.

Boeing(PBR28) separates Chairman & CEO roles, Dennis Muilenburg continues as President/CEO, Lead Director David Calhoun elected Non-Executive Chairman. $BA PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the Preliminary September 2019 Import Prices Growth is at +0.2%, August 2019 was at -0.2%, July 2019 +0.0%, September 2018 +0.1%, Last 12 Months -1.6%; September 2019 Export Prices Growth is at -0.2%, August 2019 was at -0.6%, July 2019 +0.2%, September 2018 +0.0%, Last 12 Months -1.6%. USDOL PR link.

The U of Michigan says the US Preliminary October 2019 Consumer Sentiment Index is at 96.0, September 2019 was at 93.2, August 2019 89.8, October 2018 98.6. “Sentiment rebounded in early October as consumers anticipated larger income gains and lower inflation during the year ahead.” UMichigan PR link.

***Thursday, October 10

Amazon(PBR5) increases its Amazon Counter service, a network of staffed pickup points that gives customers the option to pick up their Amazon packages in-store at a partner location, by thousands with Amazon’s new store partners GNC, Health Mart and Stage Stores. $AMZN PR link.

Prudential Financial(PBR50) completes $2.35 billion plus up to an additional $1.15 billion based on achieving milestones consumer solutions platform for health and financial wellness needs provider Assurance IQ. $PRU PR link.

ADP(PBR221) opens new office in Downtown Allentown, PA, 243,241 sf, 10 floors, for 1,000 employees in a Class A office tower. $ADP PR link.

Electronic Arts(PBR531) EA SPORTS™ FIFA 20 passes 10 million users, 450 million matches playes, 1.2 billion goals scored. $EA PR link.

Triumph Group(PBR680) to sell its Nashville, TN based around $125 million in revenues for year ending 03/31/19 assembly operations to an affiliate of TECT Aerospace, a manufacturer of complex aerostructure components, parts and assemblies, to close by 12/31/19, terms not disclosed. $TGI PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the US Preliminary September 2019 Employee Current Average Earnings/Hour are at $28.09 with Average Weekly Hours at 34.4 for Average Weekly Earnings of $966.30, August 2019 was at 966.64, July 2019 $960.06, September 2018 $941.85. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the US September 2019 Consumer Price Index grew at +0.0%, August 2019 was at +0.1%, July 2019 +0.3%, September 2018 +0.1%, Last 12 Months +1.7%. USDOL PR link.

***Wednesday, October 9

AT&T(PBR9) to sell its wireless and wireline operations in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands to Liberty Latin America for $1.95 billion cash, to close in 6-9 months. $T PR link.

UPS(PBR40) to purchase 6,000+ natural gas-powered trucks beginning in 2020 and running through 2022, represents a $450 million investment in expanding the company’s alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicle fleet as well as supporting infrastructure. $UPS PR link.

Dollar Tree(PBR129) to hire 25,000+ associates in its fourth annual Nationwide Hiring Event hosted at Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores across the US on Wednesday, 10/16/19. $DLTR PR link.

PG&E(PBR177) begins to proactively turn off power for safety to nearly 800,000 customers across Northern and Central California, in response to a widespread, severe wind event, to prevent wildfires caused by electrical lines. $PCG PR link.

Fitbit(PBR958) to shift its manufacturing operations outside of China for effectively all of its trackers and smartwatches to avoid tariffs, starting in 01/20. $FIT PR link.

Bed Bath & Beyond(PBR251) hires Mark J. Tritton as President/CEO and member of its Board, effective 11/04/19, succeeds interim CEO Mary A. Winston. $BBBY PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Open Market Committee releases its Minutes from the 09/17-18/19 meeting, “Participants generally had become more concerned about risks associated with trade tensions and adverse developments in the geopolitical and global economic spheres. In addition, inflation pressures continued to be muted. Many participants expected that real GDP growth would moderate to around its potential rate in the second half of the year.” FOMC PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the US Preliminary August 2019 Job Openings-Private were at 6,320,000, Government 731,000, Total 7,051,000, July 2019 was at 7,174,000, June 2019 7,248,000, August 2018 7,341,000. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says the US Preliminary August 2019 Wholesales Sales-Durables is at $239.2 billion, Non-Durables $259.9, Total $499.1, July 2019 was at $499.0 billion, June 2019 $498.2 billion, August 2018 $499.1 billion. USDOC PR link.

***Tuesday, October 8

Johnson & Johnson(PBR35 $JNJ) must pay $8 billion over antipsychotic drug Risperdal says Philadelphia, PA jury, one of 13,000 lawsuits, appeal planned. MarketWatch PR link.

Oracle(PBR78) to hire nearly 2,000 employees worldwide to work on its growing Oracle Cloud Infrastructure business. $ORCL PR link.

Bristol-Myers Squibb(PBR132) extends expiration date of the offers to exchange the Celgene(PBR204) notes for up to $19,850,000,000 from 10/15/19 to 10/25/19, 5:00PM NYC time. $BMY PR link.

AutoZone(PBR275) authorizes additional $1.25 billion for its share repurchase program, has authorizes $23.2 billion in share repurchases since 1998. $AZO PR link.

Domino’s Pizza(PBR671) authorizes new up to $1 billion share repurchase program. $DPZ PR link.

Ashland(PBR639) Chairman/CEO William A. Wulfsohn to retire, effective 12/31/19, Board elects Guillermo Novo as Chairman/CEO successor. $ASH PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the US Preliminary September 2019 Producer Price Index Total Monthly Final Demand-Goods is -0.4%, Services -0.2%, Total -0.3%, Last 12 Months +1.4%, August 2019 was at +1.8%, July 2019 +1.7%, September 2018 +2.7%. USDOL PR link.

CoreLogic says the US July 2019 Percent of Home Mortgages 30 or more Days Delinquent was at 3.8%, June 2019 was at 4.0%, May 2019 3.6%, July 2018 4.1%; the July 2019 Foreclosure Inventory Rate was at 0.4%, which tied the prior eight months as the lowest for any month since at least January 1999. CoreLogic PR link.

***Monday, October 7

Walmart(PBR1 $WMT) sells ModCloth amid e-commerce ‘evolution.’ MarketWatch PR link.

Amazon(PBR5) expands Amazon FreeTime and FreeTime Unlimited to more devices, including the new Kindle Kids Edition($109.99), Fire HD 10 Kids Edition, and on select Fire TV devices. $AMZN PR link.

Amazon(PBR5) introduces its all-new Fire HD 10, its largest tablet, with a full HD 10.1” display and 2.0 GHz octa-core processor, includes up to 12 hours of battery life, 32 GB of internal storage with up to 512 GB more via microSD, fast and easy charging with USB-C, Alexa hands-free, and picture-in-picture capability, for $149.99. $AMZN PR link.

GE(PBR20) is freezing the US GE Pension Plan for approximately 20,000 employees with salaried benefits, and US Supplementary Pension benefits for approximately 700 employees, both effective 01/01/21; also offering a limited time lump-sum payment option to around 100,000 eligible former employees who have not started their monthly US GE Pension Plan payments, to reduce GE’s pension deficit by approximately $5-8 billion and Industrial net debt by approximately $4-6 billion. $GE PR link.

Kroger(PBR21) is discontinuing the sale of electronic nicotine delivery products, or e-cigarettes, at all store and fuel center locations due to the mounting questions and increasingly-complex regulatory environment associated with these products, will exit this category after selling through its current inventory. $KR PR link.

Sears(PBR179 $SHLDQ) gets court approval for liquidation plan. MarketWatch PR link.

Dick’s Sporting Goods(PBR352) to host its second-annual “National Signing Day” on 10/16/19, hiring up to 8,000 seasonal teammates. $DKS PR link.

Michaels Cos(PBR511) and UPS(PBR40) complete rollout of UPS Access Point® pickup and delivery locations to 1,100+ Michaels Cos stores nationwide. $MIK PR link.

Square(PBR690) now providing service for CBD products vendors to be able to accept payments. $SQ PR link.

Aramark(PBR195) hires its former President of Global Food & Support Services John J. Zillmer as CEO and member of the Board, effective immediately. $ARMK PR link.

Red Robin(PBR977) Chair Pattye Moore to retire effective 11/01/19, Board member David A. Pace appointed as successor. $RRGB PR link.

The US Federal Reserve System says the US Preliminary August 2019 Consumer Credit Outstanding-Revolving is at $1.079 trillion, Non-Revolving $3.062 trillion, Total $4.141 trillion, +$17.9 billion from July 2019, +$130.7 billion YTD(8 months), +$201.4 billion from August 2018. USFed PR link.

FannieMae(PBR22) says the US September 2019 Housing Market Sentiment Index is at 91.5, August 2019 was at 93.8, July 2019 93.7, September 2018 87.7. “Consumer sentiment remains relatively strong overall, though uncertainty about the economy and individual financial circumstances appear to be weighing on housing market attitudes a bit more than a month ago…” $FNMA PR link.

***Friday, October 4

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for Week 40 ending 10/04/19:

DJIA ends Week 40 at 26,573.72, -0.92% from last Friday, -1.27% MTD/QTD, +13.92% YTD, -2.87% from record 27,359.16 set 07/15/19.

NASDAQ ends Week 40 at 7,982.47, +0.54% from last Friday, -0.21% MTD/QTD, +20.3% YTD, -4.17% from record 8,330.21 set 07/26/19.

SPX ends Week 40 at 2,952.01, -0.33% from last Friday, -0.83% MTD/QTD, +17.76% YTD, -2.44% from record 3,025.86 set 07/26/19.

The Week 40 News Summary: Most of the news for the week revolved around the US House’s Impeachment Inquiry of President Trump and his alleged arm twisting of Ukraine to investigate presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Economic news about the US manufacturing sector was not very encouraging, but at the end of the week the ADP and US jobs reports came out, showing continued hiring and a 3.5% unemployment rate, the lowest since December 1969, and took away some recession fears talk. US/China trade negotiations are still on and talks with N Korea about its nuclear weapons are said to be set as well. The Stock Market Bear aggressively gashed out big holes in the stock exchanges on Tuesday and Wednesday, but The Stock Market Bull came back to unexpectedly take the NASDAQ for the week. Week 40 ends with a mixed result, the first mixed result since Week 18, with The Stock Market Bear taking a 2-1 win.

The Week 40 of 2019 tally YTD is:
The Stock Market Bull: 19 weeks
The Stock Market Bear: 14 weeks
Mixed Results: 7 weeks

Phillips 66(PBR24) approves new up to $3 billion share repurchase program, for an aggregate of $15 billion authorized since 2012. $PSX PR link.

Johnson & Johnson(PBR35) gets US FDA approval for DARZALEX® (daratumumab) in combination with bortezomib, thalidomide and dexamethasone (VTd) for newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma who are eligible for autologous stem cell transplant. $JNJ PR link.

Ally Financial(PBR294)’s Ally Invest online brokerage and wealth management unit to offer $0 commissions on US stock, ETF, and option trades starting 10/09/19. $ALLY PR link.

Activision Blizzard(PBR390)’s Call of Duty®: Mobile has surpassed 35 million downloads, faster than any other mobile First Person or Third Person Action games on App Store and Google Play. $ATVI PR link.

Hess(PBR444) to receive $275 million plus 115 million newly issued units in Hess Midstream Partners LP (NYSE: HESM) upon HESM’s acquisition of Hess Infrastructure Partners, which is a 50/50 joint venture between Hess and Global Infrastructure Partners. $HES PR link.

Equinix(PBR525) to acquire three data centers that serve the Mexico City and Monterrey metro areas of Mexico from Axtel S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: AXTELCPO) for $175 million in an all-cash transaction, to close in 1Q20. $EQIX PR link.

Take-Two Interactive(PBR789)’s Rockstar Games® unit to release Red Dead Redemption 2 for PC on 11/05/19, with special bonuses available to players who pre-purchase through the Rockstar Games Launcher starting 10/09/19. $TTWO PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the US September 2019 Civilian Labor Force Employed was at 164,039,000, +391,000 from August 2019, +2,200,000 from September 2018; Unemployed at 5,770,000, -274,000 from August 2019, -194,000 from September 2018; Unemployment Rate is at 3.5%, lowest since December 1969. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says the US August 2019 Exports-Goods was at $138.6 billion, Services $69.3 billion, Total $207.9 billion, YTD Total $1,655 billion; Imports-Goods were at $213.0 billion, Services $49.8 billiion, Total $262.8 billion; Total August 2019 Deficit was $54.9 billion, Total August 2018 Deficit was $54.9 billion; Total Deficit YTD 2019(8 months) was $428.7 billion, Total Deficit YTD 2018 was $401.1 billion. USDOL PR link.

***Thursday, October 3

Alphabet(PBR16)’s Google unit launches redesigned Google Shopping in the US. $GOOG PR link.

HP Inc(PBR54) to complete reduction of gross global headcount by 7,000-9,000 in fiscal 2022, authorizes additional $5 billion for share repurchase program, balance available is now around $6.7 billion. $HPQ PR link.

Macy’s(PBR114) to hire approximately 80,000 seasonal colleagues for its Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s stores, call centers and distribution and fulfillment centers for the 2019 holiday season, sets national hiring event on Thursday, 10/24/19, from 11am– 7pm, in local time zones. $M PR link.

Eli Lilly(PBR116) has requested the delisting of its shares (ISIN US5324571083) (“Lilly Shares”) from Euronext Paris due to the very low trading volume, costs and administrative requirements related to its secondary listing on Euronext Paris. $LLY PR link.

MGM Resorts(PBR256) reaches settlement agreement with plaintiffs over 10/01/17 shooting, settlement amount to be $735 million to $800 million, entire process to be completed by end of 2020. $MGM PR link.

Domtar(PBR499) to close its Ashdown, AR pulp and paper mill, and the Port Huron, MI paper mill, workforce to be reduced by around 100, will reduce the Company’s annual uncoated freesheet paper capacity by approximately 204,000 short tons. $UFS PR link.

Zoetis(PBR476) CEO Juan Ramón Alaix to retire effective 12/31/19, EVP & Group President Kristin Peck to be successor on 01/01/20. $ZTS PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says the US Preliminary August 2019 Manufacturers’ New Orders-Durable Goods was at $250.7 billion, Non-Durable Goods $249.0 billion, Total $499.7 billion, -0.1% from July 2019, -2.4% from August 2018. USDOC PR link.

The Institute for Supply Management says the US September 2019 Non-Manufacturing Index(>50%=economy expanding) is at 52.6%, August 2019 was at 56.4%, July 2019 53.7%, September 2018 60.8%. ISM PR link.

IHS Markit says the US September 2019 Composite PMI Index is at 51.0, August 2019 was at 50.7, July 2019 52.6, September 2018 53.9. IHS Markit PR link.

***Wednesday, October 2

General Motors(PBR13 $GM) latest proposal to United Auto Workers met with counterproposal as strike by 49,000 continues into16th day. UAW PR link.

Alphjabet(PBR16)’s Google unit expands security options with Incognito Mode for Maps and Auto-Delete to YouTube. $GOOG PR link.

Microsoft(PBR19) announces 5 new Surface computer products and 2 dual-screen devices for its Holiday 2020 campaign. $MSFT PR link.

Johnson & Johnson(PBR35) Janssen unit does settlement agreement with the Ohio counties of Cuyahoga and Summit that resolves all of the counties’ claims with no admission of liability and removes the Company from the federal trial scheduled to begin 10/21/19, will pay $10 million plus $5 million to reimburse counties’ legal and other expenses, as well as $5.4 million of its charitable contributions to non-profit organizations in connection with opioid-related programs in these two counties. $JNJ PR link.

Tesla(PBR140) delivers 17,400 Model S/X and 79,600 Model 3s, a record total of 97,000, in 3Q19, achieved record net orders in 3Q19 and are entering 4Q19 with an increase in its order backlog, financial results to be released later. $TSLA PR link.

Charles Schwab(PBR304) is first major US stock broker to eliminate US & Canada stock, ETF and options commissions, effective 10/07/19, was $4.95 per trade, no minimum balance required. $SCHW PR link.

Blackstone(PBR424) to acquire 65% controlling interest in Great Wolf Resorts, the owner and operator of 18 family-oriented entertainment resorts around the US, transaction includes Blackstone and Centerbridge forming a new $2.9 billion joint venture to own the Company. $BX PR link.

Rockwell Automation(PBR436) and Schlumberger(PBR90) completes forming of 53/47 joint venture Sensia, the oil and gas industry’s first fully integrated digital oilfield automation solutions provider, will have 1,000 employees, anticipates $400 million in annual revenues, Rockwell made a $250 million cash payment to Schlumberger at closing. $ROK PR link.

TD Ameritrade(PBR500) becomes 2nd major US stock broker to eliminate commission fees for US & Canada online stock, ETF, and option trades, was $6.95 per trade, to be effective 10/03/19. $AMTD PR link.

E*Trade(PBR750) to eliminate retail commissions for online US listed stock, ETF, and options trades, effective 10/07/19. $ETFC PR link.

The Cheesecake Factory(PBR840) completes $308 million cash plus an additional $45 million due over the next four years acquisition of Phoenix, AZ based Fox Restaurant Concepts and the remaining interest in North Italia. $CAKE PR link.

Splunk(PBR922) completes $1.05 billion 60% cash and 40% stock acquisition of SignalFx, an SaaS provider in real-time monitoring and metrics for cloud infrastructure, microservices and applications. $SPLK PR link.

GoPro(PBR992) announces $399 HERO8 Black and its performance-expanding $49.99-$79.99 Mods, along with $499 MAX, the company’s new dual-lens camera. $GPRO PR link.

ADP(PBR220) says the US Preliminary September 2019 Change in NonFarm Private Employment was at +135,000, August 2019 was +157,000, July 2019 +143,000, September 2018 +199,000; the Goods Producing Sector was +8,000, Services Sector +127,000. $ADP PR link.

Automotive News reports US September 2019 New Light Vehicle Sales were at 1,268,871, -12.0% from September 2018, Average Transaction Price is $34,709, +2.0% from September 2018, Average Loan Rate at 5.7%, September 2018 was at 5.8%. Automotive News PR link.

Salesforce(PBR237) forecasts record $136 billion in US online sales, a 13% increase over 2018, and $768 billion globally despite shortened holiday season. $CRM PR link.

***Tuesday, October 1

Ford(PBR12) forms a joint venture with Mahindra & Mahindra that will develop, market and distribute Ford brand vehicles in India and Ford brand and Mahindra brand vehicles in high-growth emerging markets around the world. $F PR link.

Ford(PBR12) to take a material impairment charge of $800 million to $900 million related to fixed assets in its India Automotive operations, will be reflected in 3Q19 statements, will not result in any cash expenditures. $F PR link.

GE(PBR20) Chairman/CEO Larry Culp does a Q&A reviewing his 1st year at GE. $GE PR link.

CBRE(PBR142)’s Trammell Crow unit completes $4.41/share, $336.9 million cash acquisition of London, UK based multifamily residential properties developer with $1.66 billion in projects in the pipeline Telford Homes Plc (AIM:TEF). $CBRE PR link.

Ameriprise(PBR244) completes sale of De Pere, WI-based Ameriprise Auto & Home to Madison, WI-based American Family Insurance for approximately $1.135 billion in cash. $AMP PR link.

Bausch Health(PBR359) has filed a lawsuit against Sandoz Inc., a Novartis division, alleging patent infringement of 14 patents by Sandoz’s filing of its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for XIFAXAN® (rifaximin) 550 mg tablets. $BHC PR link.

Mattel(PBR562) in partnership with the Natl Federation of the Blind introduces card game UNO Braille, enables blind and sighted to play together, retails for $9.99. $MAT PR link.

Boston Properties(PBR777) to own 55% and joint venture partner Canada Pension Plan Investment Board 45% for development of Platform 16, a 1.1 million sf Class A urban office campus on 5.4 acres near Diridon Station in downtown San Jose, CA. $BXP PR link.

Superior Energy(PBR873) authorizes up to $15 million share repurchase program, expires 03/31/20. $SPNV PR link.

SL Green Realty(PBR984) to sell 220 East 42nd Street, a 37 story art-deco building also known as The News Building, in Midtown Manhattan for $815.0 million, or approximately $715 per square foot, to close in 1Q20. $SLG PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says the US Preliminary August 2019 Annual Rate for Construction-Residential is at $513.5 billion, Non-Residential $773.8 billion, Total $1.287 trillion, +0.1% from July 2019, -1.9% from August 2018. USDOC PR link.

The Institute for Supply Management says the US September 2019 Manufacturing PMI Index(<50=economy contracting) is at 47.8%, August 2019 was at 49.1%, July 2019 51.2%, September 2018 59.8%. “Overall, inputs indicate (1) supply chains are meeting demand and (2) companies are continuing to closely match inventories to new orders. Prices decreased for the fourth consecutive month, but at a slower rate.” ISM PR link.

IHS Markit says the US September 2019 US Manufacturing PMI is at 51.1, August 2019 was at 50.3, July 2019 50.4, September 2018 55.6. “September PMI data indicated a marginally faster rate of improvement in the health of U.S manufacturing, though the overall picture remained one of a stuggling goods producing sector that has suffered its worst quarter since 2009. ” IHS Markit PR link.

The PurdueU/CME Group US September 2019 Ag Barometer Composite Index is at 121, August 2019 was at 124, July 2019 153, September 2018 114. “Although the barometer’s decline was small, there was a relatively large sentiment shift among ag producers as they were noticeably more pessimistic about current conditions on their farms and in the U.S. ag economy , but somewhat more optimistic about future economic conditions, both compared to one month earlier.” PurdueU PR link.

***Monday, September 30

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for September ending 09/30/19:

DJIA ends September 2019 at 26,916.83, +0.36% from last Friday, +1.95% MTD, +1.19% QTD, +15.39% YTD, -1.62% from record 27,359.16 set 07/15/19.

NASDAQ ends September at 7,999.34, +0.75% from last Friday, +0.46% MTD, -0.09% QTD, +20.56% YTD, -3.97% from record 8,330.21 set 07/26/19.

SPX ends September at 2,976.74, +0.50% from last Friday, +1.72% MTD, +1.19% QTD, +18.74% YTD, -1.62% from record 3,025.86 set 07/26/19.

The Month 9 of 2019 tally YTD is:
The Stock Market Bull: 7 months
The Stock Market Bear: 2 months
Mixed Results: 0 months

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