February 2019 – Stock Market Research, Option Picks, Stock Picks,Financial News,Option Research

February 26, 2019February 26, 2019

Fiat Chrysler to invest $4.5B in Michigan

Fiat Chrysler to invest $4.5B in five existing Michigan plants

FCA (FCAU) would invest $1.6 billion to convert the two plants that comprise the Mack Avenue Engine Complex into the future assembly site for the next-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee, as well as an all-new three-row full-size Jeep SUV and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models, adding 3,850 new jobs to support production.

The Company intends to start construction of the new Detroit facility by the end of Q2 2019 with the first three-row vehicles expected to roll off the line by the end of 2020, followed by the all-new Grand Cherokee in the first half of 2021.

Also as part of this announcement, the Jefferson North Assembly Plant would receive an investment of $900 million to retool and modernize the facility to build the Dodge Durango and next-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee.

FCA expects to create 1,100 new jobs at Jefferson North. The reborn Mack facility would be the first new assembly plant to be built in the city of Detroit in nearly three decades.

In 1991, Jefferson North was the last new assembly plant built in the city.

When complete, Mack would join Jefferson North as the only automotive assembly plants to be located completely within the city limits of Detroit. The Pentastar engines – the 3.6-, 3.2- and 3.0-liter – currently built at Mack would be relocated to the Dundee Engine Plant as part of a $119 million investment. Pentastar production at Mack I would end by Q3 2019.

Mack II has been idle since it ceased production of the 3.7-liter V-6 in September 2012.FCA also confirms the investment at Warren Truck to retool for production of the all-new Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, announced in 2017, along with their electrified counterparts, would increase to $1.5 billion.

The Pentastar Engines currently built at Mack would be relocated to the Dundee Engine Plant, Stockwinners

Production is expected to launch in early 2021. In addition to the new Jeep models, the plant would continue building the Ram 1500 Classic, which is being extended to meet market demand. It is expected that 1,400 new jobs would be added.

As a result of this investment announcement, production of the all-new Ram Heavy Duty will continue at its current location in Saltillo, Mexico.

To support the additional production, the Company’s Warren Stamping (Warren, Michigan) and Sterling Stamping (Sterling Heights, Michigan) plants would receive investments of $245 million and $160 million, respectively, with Sterling Stamping expected to add more than 80 new jobs.

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This article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility.

February 25, 2019February 25, 2019

Spark Therapeutics sold for $4.8 billion

Roche acquires Spark Therapeutics for $114.50 per share, a 122% premium

Spark tumbles on hemophilia study , Stockwinners — **Roche acquires Spark Therapeutics for $114.50 per share** , **Stockwinners**

Spark Therapeutics (ONCE) announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement for Roche (RHHBY) to fully acquire Spark Therapeutics at a price of $114.50 per share in an all-cash transaction.

This corresponds to a total equity value of approximately $4.8B on a fully diluted basis, inclusive of approximately $500M of projected net cash expected at close.

The per share price represents a premium of 122% to Spark’s closing price on Feb. 22, 2019. The merger agreement has been unanimously approved by the boards of both Spark and Roche.

Under the terms of the merger agreement, Roche will commence a tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of Spark’s common stock, and Spark will file a recommendation statement containing the unanimous recommendation of the Spark board that Spark shareholders tender their shares to Roche.

Spark Therapeutics will continue its operations in Philadelphia as an independent company within the Roche Group.

The closing of the transaction is expected to take place in Q2 of 2019.

Bernstein analyst Vincent #Chen notes that he has long seen Spark Therapeutics (ONCE) as a takeout candidate in gene therapy after the Wall Street Journal reported Roche (RHHBY) is near acquiring the company for close to $5B.

The analyst thinks the deal makes sense as adding hemophilia gene therapy to Hemlibra sets up Roche as a leader in next-gen non-factor hemophilia drugs, CNS gene therapy pipeline is a good fit for Roche’s growing neuroscience franchise, and as it serves as a cornerstone in establishing Roche as a gene therapy leader, to rival the likes of Novartis (NVS).

Credit Suisse analyst Martin Auster notes that the Wall Street Journal recently reported that Roche (RHHBY) is nearing a deal with Spark Therapeutics (ONCE) for $5B.

The analyst believes the transaction value implies the re-emergence of Spark’s hemophilia A gene therapy program with a competitive profile and substantial value assigned to additional pipeline programs, such as SPK-3006 for Pompe, and the technology platform.

Spark’s acquisition would further strengthen the company’s position in the hemophilia space, he contends. Further, Auster argues that the deal may increase M&A interest among other gene therapy names in his coverage universe, which include BioMarin (BMRN), Sarepta (SRPT), Ultragenyx (RARE), PTC (PTC) and Solid Biosciences (SLDB). He sees particularly strong read-through to Sarepta.

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February 25, 2019February 25, 2019

Multi-Color sold for $2.5 billion

Multi-Color to be acquired by Platinum Equity affiliate for $50 per share in cash

Multi-Color Corporation (LABL) announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement to be acquired by an affiliate of Platinum Equity LLC.

Under the terms of the agreement, which has been unanimously approved by Multi-Color Corporation’s Board of Directors, Multi-Color Corporation shareholders will receive $50.00 in cash for each share of common stock they own, in a transaction valued at $2.5B including the assumption of $1.5B of debt.

The cash purchase price represents a premium of approximately 32 percent over Multi-Color Corporation’s 30-day volume weighted average share price prior to January 22, 2019, the last trading day prior to media speculation regarding a potential transaction involving Multi-Color Corporation.

The transaction will be financed through a combination of committed equity financing provided by Platinum Capital Partners IV, L.P., as well as debt financing that has been committed to by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank AG New York Branch, Deutsche Bank AG Cayman Islands Branch and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.

The transaction is expected to be completed by Q3 FY 2019 and is subject to Multi-Color Corporation shareholder approval, regulatory clearances and other customary closing conditions.

Upon the completion of the transaction, Multi-Color Corporation will become a privately held company and shares of Multi-Color Corporation common stock will no longer be listed on any public market.

Constantia Flexibles Holding GmbH and affiliates of Diamond Castle Partners, who together currently own 5,889,093 shares of Multi-Color Corporation common stock, representing approximately 28.7 percent of Multi-Color Corporation’s outstanding shares, have each separately entered into a voting and support agreement to vote its shares in favor of the transaction as provided in each agreement.

The Multi-Color Corporation Board has unanimously recommended that all of Multi-Color Corporation’s shareholders vote to approve and adopt the merger agreement at an upcoming special meeting of Multi-Color Corporation’s shareholders.

LABL closed at $48.55.

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February 24, 2019February 24, 2019

Kraft Heinz shares tumble 28 percent

Kraft Heinz says SEC probing procurement accounting policies

The company (KHC) said in a filing it received a subpoena in October 2018 from the SEC associated with an investigation into the company’s procurement area, more specifically the company’s accounting policies, procedures, and internal controls related to its procurement function, including, but not limited to, agreements, side agreements, and changes or modifications to its agreements with its vendors.

Kraft Heinz shares tumble 28% on SEC investigation, Dividends cut, Stockwinners

Kraft Heinz confirms quarterly dividend cut to 40c from 62.5c per share

The Board of Directors of The Kraft Heinz Company declared a regular quarterly dividend of 40c per share of common stock payable on March 22 to stockholders of record as of March 8.

This represents a reduction of 22.5c from the company’s previous quarterly dividend of 62.5c.

“We believe this action will help us accelerate our deleveraging plan, provide us strategic advantage through a stronger balance sheet, support commercial investments and set a payout level that can both grow over time and accommodate additional divestitures.

By doing this we can improve our growth and returns over time,” said Kraft Heinz CEO Bernardo Hees.

Stockwinners offers real time news and information — Buffett loses $4.4billion on Friday, See Stockwinners

Warren’s Loss

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway owned 325,634,818 shares of Kraft Heinz as of Dec. 31, according to the latest 13-F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. That represented about 26.7% of the shares outstanding, while the value of the holding was just under 8% of Berkshire’s total equity holdings.

If Berkshire’s stake remained intact, it would be worth about $4.4 billion less than it was the day before. And you thought you had a bad day in the market?!?

Berkshire’s stake in Kraft Heinz has been the same since the third quarter of 2015, according to SEC filings.

Before that, filings showed ownership of just 192,666 shares of Kraft Foods Group Inc. and 578,000 shares of Mondelez.

Since Sept. 30, 2015, the stock has now plummeted 50.9%. That indicates Berkshire’s investment has lost $11.7 billion in principal value since then, including an $11.3 billion loss in 2018 alone.

KHC is down 28% to $34.75.

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February 22, 2019February 22, 2019

Achieve Life Sciences higher on smoking data

Achieve Life Sciences announces final data from cytisinicline study

Achieve Life Sciences (ACHV) announced final data from their Phase I/II multi-dose, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics, or PK/PD, clinical study of cytisinicline in smokers.

The study evaluated the repeat-dose PK and PD effects of 1.5 mg and 3 mg cytisinicline in 26 healthy volunteer smokers when administered over the standard 25-day course of treatment.

Smokers in the study had a mean age of 39 years, smoked on average 17.2 cigarettes a day, and were not required to quit smoking or have a predetermined quit date while on study.

All subjects had a significant and immediate reduction in cigarettes smoked within 2 days of initiating cytisinicline treatment.

By Day 26, subjects had an average 80% reduction in cigarettes smoked, 82% reduction in expired carbon monoxide, and 46% had stopped smoking.

The biochemically verified smoking cessation rates were 39% and 54% in the 1.5 mg and 3.0 mg cytisinicline treated groups, respectively.

The PK results indicated expected increases in plasma concentration between the standard 1.5 mg and higher 3.0 mg doses of cytisinicline with no evidence of drug accumulation.

Cytisinicline at either dose was well tolerated with only transient, mild-to-moderate headache as the most common adverse event, which was not treatment limiting. No adverse events were severe, serious, or led to withdrawal from the study.

Cindy Jacobs, CMO at Achieve commented, “Given the short 25-day treatment period, the abstinence rates observed are impressive, particularly since subjects were not required to commit to quitting and received minimal behavioral support during the study. These results continue to support our belief that cytisinicline could be a well-tolerated and effective potential treatment option for the millions of people who are battling nicotine addiction.”

ACHV closed at $1.81, it last traded at $2.88.

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February 21, 2019February 21, 2019

Zosano reports positive migraine data, Shares jump

Zosano says Qtrypta long-term study shows ‘well-tolerated safety profile’

Zosano says Qtrypta long-term study shows ‘well-tolerated safety profile’ , Stockwinners

Zosano Pharma (ZSAN) announced earlier today the completion of the second and final goal of the long-term safety study for Qtrypta, in which patients treated migraine attacks over a one year period.

“The long-term data generated in this trial reinforced the well-tolerated safety profile and strong efficacy results previously reported in the six-month dosing portion of this safety study and in the randomized Phase 2/3 ZOTRIP pivotal study,” the company said in a statement.

Throughout the clinical program, over 5,800 migraine attacks have been treated with Qtrypta to date, it added.

The Qtrypta long-term safety trial is an open-label study evaluating the safety of the 3.8 mg dose of intracutaneous zolmitriptan in adults with migraine who have historically experienced at least two migraine attacks per month.

The study evaluated over 150 adults with migraine disease for six months, and more than 50 patients for a year at 31 sites in the U.S.

Of more than 5,800 migraines treated, investigators reported 832 adverse events, of which 298 were reported as application site reactions and 161 were reported as triptan related adverse events.

Observational efficacy parameters continued to demonstrate a rate of pain freedom at two hours following patch application of approximately 44% and most bothersome symptom freedom of approximately 68%, while pain relief at two hours was reported at 81% of migraine attacks treated, said Zosano.

The company expects to file an New Drug Application for Qtrypta in the fourth quarter of 2019.

ZSAN is up 95% to $4.41.

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February 20, 2019February 20, 2019

Bristol-Myers comments on Celgene’s purchase

Bristol-Myers sees ‘meaningful financial benefits’ from Celgene transaction.

Bristol Meyers Comments on Celgene purchase, Stockwinners

Bristol-Myers treatment for colorectal cancer approved, Stockwinners — *Bristol Meyers Comments on Celgene purchase, Stockwinners*

Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) said an updated its investor presentation about the Celgene (CELG) transaction.

The company said, “The Celgene transaction is the natural next step in Bristol-Myers Squibb’s proven strategy that has consistently delivered results for over a decade.

Through a disciplined approach to driving innovation, focusing on high-value opportunities and sourcing innovation externally to complement its internal portfolio and pipeline, Bristol-Myers Squibb has generated consistently strong growth and increased its dividend for 10 consecutive years.

The combination with Celgene will create a leading biopharma with increased scale, while maintaining the same agility and a focus on delivering for patients in core disease areas of high-unmet medical need.

The pipeline of the combined company provides significant near-, medium- and long-term opportunities for value creation. Bristol-Myers Squibb is acquiring Celgene’s robust and complementary pipeline at an attractive price.

In addition to six expected near-term product launches representing more than $15B in revenue potential, the combination will greatly increase Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Phase I and II assets, which will provide the next set of registrational opportunities in core therapeutic areas.

With an expanded set of scientific platforms and research capabilities, Bristol-Myers Squibb will be well positioned to discover and develop highly innovative medicines and accelerate these new options to patients through one of the highest-performing commercial organizations in the industry.

Bristol-Myers Squibb is well positioned for 2025 and beyond with continued leadership across Oncology and a diversified portfolio of assets.

The combined company will have a broad, balanced and earlier life-cycle marketed portfolio with a significantly higher number of opportunities across multiple diseases to drive the growth of Bristol-Myers Squibb in the second half of the decade. These opportunities will support financial strength for continued investment and innovation.

The Celgene transaction is expected to generate meaningful financial benefits for all stockholders.

With more than $45B of expected free cash flow generation over the first three full years post-closing, the combination will enable rapid debt reduction to de-lever the balance sheet and strengthen Bristol-Myers Squibb’s credit profile.

Bristol-Myers Squibb expects to realize run-rate cost synergies of approximately $2.5B by 2022 from the combination, and the combined company is expected to grow revenue and EPS every year through 2025.”

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February 17, 2019February 17, 2019

Merck reports positive results of its renal cell carcinoma drug

Merck presents results from Phase 3 KEYNOTE-426 study

Merck (MRK) announced presentation of the full results from the pivotal Phase 3 KEYNOTE-426 trial investigating KEYTRUDA, Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy, in combination with Pfizer’s (PFE) Inlyta, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, for the first-line treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma at the 2019 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium.

Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy works in combination with Pfizer’s (PFE) Inlyta

This is the first combination regimen to significantly improve overall survival, progression-free survival and objective response rate compared to sunitinib.

Results were consistent across all IMDC subgroups, including favorable, intermediate and poor risk groups, and regardless of PD-L1 expression.

As previously announced, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted priority review for a supplemental Biologics License Application for #KEYTRUDA in combination with axitinib for the first-line treatment of patients with advanced RCC based on the results of KEYNOTE-426, and has set a Prescription Drug User Fee Act, or target action, date of June 20, 2019.

Findings from the first interim analysis showed KEYTRUDA in combination with axitinib reduced the risk of death by 47% – significantly improving OS compared to sunitinib.

For the dual primary endpoint of PFS, the KEYTRUDA combination showed a reduction in the risk of progression of disease or death of 31% compared to sunitinib.

In the study, the ORR was 59.3% for patients who received KEYTRUDA in combination with axitinib and 35.7% for those who received sunitinib, with a complete response rate of 5.8% and 1.9% and a partial response rate of 53.5% and 33.8%, for patients receiving the KEYTRUDA combination or sunitinib, respectively.

Median duration of response was not reached in the KEYTRUDA combination arm and was 15.2 months in the sunitinib arm. The results for OS, PFS and ORR were consistent across all IMDC risk groups and seen regardless of PD-L1 expression.

The observed adverse event profile was as expected based on the known profiles of KEYTRUDA and axitinib.

There was a higher incidence of grade 3 or 4 liver enzyme elevation with KEYTRUDA plus axitinib than previously observed with each agent as monotherapy.

Merck has filed these data with regulatory authorities worldwide.

Merck has an extensive clinical development program in RCC and is advancing multiple potential registration-enabling studies with KEYTRUDA, as monotherapy and in combination with other treatments, including KEYNOTE-564 and KEYNOTE-581.

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February 15, 2019February 15, 2019

Rig counts rise!

Baker Hughes reports U.S. rig count up 2 to 1,051 rigs

The international offshore rig count for April 2018 was 194. Stockwinners — The U.S. rig count rises to 1,051

Baker Hughes (BHGE) reports that the U.S. rig count is up 2 rigs from last week to 1,051 rigs, with oil rigs up 3 to 857 and gas rigs down 1 to 194.

The U.S. Rig Count is up 76 rigs from last year’s count of 975, with oil rigs up 59 and gas rigs up 17.

The U.S. Offshore Rig Count is up 2 rigs to 21 and up 3 rigs year-over-year.

The Canada Rig Count is down 16 rigs from last week to 224, with oil rigs down 6 to 152 and gas rigs down 10 to 72.

The Canada Rig Count is down 94 rigs from last year’s count of 318, with oil rigs down 66 and gas rigs down 28.

USO is up 12 cents to $11.60.

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February 15, 2019February 15, 2019

WalMart Earnings Outlook

Walmart (WMT) is scheduled to report results of its fourth quarter before the market open on Tuesday, February 19, with a conference call scheduled for 8:00 am EDT.

Wal-Mart reports next week. See Stockwinners.com for the report

What to watch for:

1. OUTLOOK: Walmart previously raised its fiscal 2019 EPS view to $4.90-$5.05 and narrowed its net sales view to up about 2%, but cut its EPS outlook at its investor meeting in October to $4.65-$4.80.

In its November earnings report, Walmart again raised its FY19 EPS outlook to $4.75-$4.85. The current Street forecast for FY19 EPS stands at $4.84 on revenue of $514.33B.

The company previously said it was moving to an annual guidance framework with its quarterly updates, and that while there may be fluctuations within the quarters, “we believe EPS growth will be relatively consistent across the year.”

Baird analyst Peter Benedict said he expects Walmart’s Q4 earnings to be solid, and expects guidance to remain intact, although he recognizes the uncertainty with Flipkart as the result of new regulations in India.

2. HOLIDAY SEASON:

Jet.com’s holiday weekend was “truly horrible,” with sales down 6% on Thanksgiving and Black Friday and a 39% plunge on Cyber Monday vs. last year, BuzzFeed News reported, citing data from market research firm Edison Trends.

According to the data, Target.com (TGT) sales increased 48% on Thanksgiving and Black Friday and 19% on Cyber Monday, Amazon (AMZN) increased by 25% on Black Friday and Thanksgiving and 17% on Cyber Monday, and Jet.com parent Walmart.com increased sales revenue by 23% on Thanksgiving and Black Friday and 32% on Cyber Monday.

In late December, Amazon said that it had a “record-breaking” holiday season with more items ordered worldwide than ever before. Amazon customers shopped at record levels from a wide selection of products across every department, it said.

3. COMPETITION:

Retailers like Walmart have been hurt by an increase in online shopping on sites like Amazon rather than at brick-and-mortar stores. Walmart is seeking to create a big ad business to rival that of Amazon, Bloomberg reported, adding that it has hired executives from NBC (CMCSA) and CBS (CBS) to help bolster its advertising business.

Walmart has also launched a private-label furniture brand, called MoDRN, which is “a direct hit to big furniture retailers” such as Wayfair (W) and Ikea and a challenge to rival Amazon, Erica Pandey wrote for Axios.

4. FLIPKART:

Bernstein analyst Brandon Fletcher said that India has been bandying about restrictive e-commerce regulations this past year, and finally pulled the trigger despite protestations from both Walmart and Amazon.

Walmart to pay about $16B for initial stake of about 77% in India's Flipkart, Stockwinners — Walmart to pay about $16B for initial stake of about 77% in India’s Flipkart, Stockwinners

The new rules put a damper on 1P selling models, pricing discounts, supplier exclusives, and supplier shares of sales above 25%, all of which are important to both companies’ planned models.

While not significant to Walmart’s total revenues, the analyst believes it does put a damper on its long-term growth potential in the market through Flipkart and raises the question of where Walmart will make up that growth.

Morgan Stanley analyst Simeon Gutman said Flipkart’s losses will likely rise due to new e-commerce regulations in India and Walmart investors “can’t ignore Flipkart” as it once again becomes a bigger part of the retailer’s investment narrative.

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February 14, 2019February 14, 2019

Caladrius Biosciences tumbles on disappointing results

Caladrius says no improvement in primary endpoint in T-Rex study results

Caladrius tumbles on results, Stockwinners

Caladrius (CLBS) announced top-line results from the Sanford Project: T-Rex study, a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind Phase 2a clinical trial of 110 subjects to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the company’s CLBS03 as a treatment for recent-onset type 1 diabetes, or T1D, in adolescents.

The initial analysis of the one-year follow-up data for all subjects shows that CLBS03 was well tolerated at the doses tested in the study, however, no improvement in the primary endpoint of preservation of C-peptide levels vs. placebo at one year was observed at the group level.

As with many Phase 2a trials, the database from this study is large and the analysis and interpretation of all the information will require several months of intensive evaluation and will be critical to the decision regarding the next steps in development of CLBS03.

In addition, the data from the 2-year follow-up, once complete, will afford supplemental information and are necessary to complete the evaluation of this therapy.

Type 1 diabetes, once known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin. Insulin is a hormone needed to allow sugar (glucose) to enter cells to produce energy.

Different factors, including genetics and some viruses, may contribute to type 1 diabetes. Although type 1 diabetes usually appears during childhood or adolescence, it can develop in adults.

Despite active research, type 1 diabetes has no cure. Treatment focuses on managing blood sugar levels with insulin, diet and lifestyle to prevent complications.

CLBS is down $1.26 to $4.08.

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February 14, 2019February 14, 2019

Retail Sales Plunged in December

U.S. retail sales dropped 1.2% in December with ex-autos plunging 1.8%.

Retail sales plunge in December, Stockwinners

November’s 0.2% headline gain was revised down to 0.1%, while the 0.2% ex-auto figure was unrevised after strong gains in October of 1.0% (revised from 1.1%) and 0.8% (revised from 1.0%), respectively.

Sales excluding autos, gas, and building materials tumbled 1.6% versus the prior 0.7% jump (revised from 0.6%). Motor vehicle sales climbed 1.0% after a 0.7% prior gain (revised from 0.2%).

Gas station sales declined 5.1% from -4.4% (revised from -2.3%). Food, beverage prices were down 0.4% compared to 0.1% previously (revised from 0.4%).

Building materials edged up 0.3% from -1.5% (revised from -0.3%). Furniture sales dropped 1.3% from 0.5% (revised from 1.2%).

Clothing sales fell 0.7% from 0.4% (revised from -0.2%). Nonstore retailers were down 3.9% from 2.8% (revised from 2.3%).

Miscellaneous sales crashed down 4.1% from 4.0% (revised from 0.4%). This is a very disappointing result and should knock yields and equities lower.

Some analysts blame the drop on the government shutdown while others are seeing a worrying consumers above the situation in Washington as the main reason.

Retailer Stocks to Watch: FIVE, OLLI, ULTA, and BOOT.

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February 13, 2019February 14, 2019

Levi’s coming to NYSE

Levi Strauss & Co. said in a regulatory filing that it intends to seek listing on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “LEVI” via an initial public offering.

“Today we design, market and sell products that include jeans, casual and dress pants, tops, shorts, skirts, jackets, footwear and related accessories for men, women and children around the world under our Levi’s, Dockers, Signature by Levi Strauss & Co. and Denizen brands.

With $5.6 billion in net revenues and sales in more than 110 countries in fiscal year 2018, we are one of the world’s leading apparel companies, with the Levi’s brand having the highest brand awareness in the denim bottoms category globally,” the company disclosed.

The underwriters on the deal include Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Evercore, BNP Paribas, Citigroup, Guggenheim, HSBC, Drexel Hamilton, Telsey Advisory and The Williams Capital Group.

Levi Strauss was founded in May 1853 when German immigrant Levi Strauss came from Bavaria, to San Francisco, California to open a west coast branch of his brothers’ New York dry goods business.

Levi Strauss & Co. introduces its first bicycle pants in 1895. It took another 116 years for the company to come out with Levi’s® Commuter, a multi-functional performance product designed for the modern cyclist. When Levi Strauss passes away in September, his four nephews take over the business and carry out his numerous bequests to Bay Area charities serving children and the poor. On April 18, The San Francisco earthquake and fire destroy the headquarters and two factories of Levi Strauss & Co.

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Month: February 2019

Fiat Chrysler to invest $4.5B in Michigan

Spark Therapeutics sold for $4.8 billion

Multi-Color sold for $2.5 billion

Top Stories for weekend of February 22

Kraft Heinz shares tumble 28 percent

Achieve Life Sciences higher on smoking data

Zosano reports positive migraine data, Shares jump

Bristol-Myers comments on Celgene’s purchase

Merck reports positive results of its renal cell carcinoma drug

Rig counts rise!

WalMart Earnings Outlook

Caladrius Biosciences tumbles on disappointing results

Retail Sales Plunged in December

STOCKWINNERS

Levi’s coming to NYSE

STOCKWINNERS