Baker Hughes reports U.S. rig count down 3 to 488 rigs
Baker Hughes (BKR) reports the U.S. rig count is down 3 from last week to 488, with oil rigs down 2 to 385, gas rigs down 1 to 103, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 0.
Rig Counts Decline- See Stockwinners.com Market Radar to read more
The U.S. rig count is up 237 rigs from last year’s count of 251, with oil rigs up 205 gas rigs up 34 and miscellaneous rigs down 2.
The U.S. offshore rig count is down 3 to 14, up 2 year-over-year.
The Baker Hughes rig counts are counts of the number of drilling rigs actively exploring for or developing oil or natural gas in the U.S., Canada and international markets.
The Company has issued the rig counts as a service to the petroleum industry since 1944, when Hughes Tool Company began weekly counts of the U.S. and Canadian drilling activity. The monthly international rig count was initiated in 1975.
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) is up 54 cents to $74.17 per barrel. Brent crude is up $0.51 to $75.61 per barrel. Gasoline last traded at $2.34 per gallon up 2 cents on the day.
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.
Aon plc, Willis Towers Watson mutually agree to terminate combination pact
Aon plc (AON) and Willis Towers Watson (WLTW) announced that the firms have agreed to terminate their business combination agreement and end litigation with the U.S. Department of Justice.
“Despite regulatory momentum around the world, including the recent approval of our combination by the European Commission, we reached an impasse with the U.S. Department of Justice,” said Aon CEO Greg Case.
“The DOJ position overlooks that our complementary businesses operate across broad, competitive areas of the economy. We are confident that the combination would have accelerated our shared ability to innovate on behalf of clients, but the inability to secure an expedited resolution of the litigation brought us to this point.”
In connection with the termination of the business combination agreement, Aon will pay the $1B termination fee to Willis Towers Watson, Willis Towers Watson’s proposed scheme of arrangement has now lapsed, and both organizations will move forward independently.
Aon CEO Greg Case gives up on the merger, pays $1B breakup fee
Both firms will provide further financial updates and outlooks on their respective Q2 2021 earnings calls, which take place on July 30 for Aon and August 3 for Willis Towers Watson.
Aon plc, a professional services firm, provides advice and solutions to clients focused on risk, retirement, and health worldwide. AON is based in Ireland.
Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company operates as an advisory, broking, and solutions company worldwide. Willis is headquartered in London.
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.
Magna to acquire Veoneer for $31.25 per share in cash
Magna (MGA) and Veoneer (VNE) announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Magna will acquire Veoneer.
The Swedish auto parts maker sold for $3.8B
Pursuant to the agreement, Magna will acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Veoneer for $31.25 per share in cash, representing a total value of $3.8B, and an enterprise value of $3.3B, inclusive of Veoneer’s cash, net of debt and other debt-like items as of March 31.
Magna expects to operate Veoneer’s Arriver sensor perception and drive policy software platform as an independent business unit, consistent with Veoneer’s current practice.
In addition, Magna will acquire Veoneer’s global position in restraint control systems.
Following the closing of the transaction, Veoneer will be combined with Magna’s existing ADAS business and integrated into Magna’s electronics operating unit.
The transaction has been unanimously approved by the Veoneer and Magna boards of directors, and Veoneer’s board of directors unanimously recommends that Veoneer stockholders approve the proposed merger and merger agreement.
In addition, Veoneer stockholders AMF, Cevian, AP4 and Alecta, which collectively represent approximately 40% of Veoneer’s outstanding shares of common stock, have either entered into support agreements with Magna or provided indications of support, pursuant to which they have agreed, among other things and subject to certain conditions, to vote their shares of Veoneer common stock in favor of the transaction.
A special meeting of Veoneer’s stockholders will be convened in connection with the transaction as soon as practicable after the mailing to Veoneer’s stockholders of the proxy statement in connection with the merger.
Magna is rumored to be making the Apple Car
The transaction is expected to close near the end of 2021, subject to the approval of Veoneer’s stockholders, certain regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. The transaction is not subject to any financing conditions.
Veoneer, Inc. engages in the design, development, manufacture, and sale of automotive safety electronics primarily in North America, Europe, and Asia. It offers automotive radars, mono-and stereo-vision cameras, night driving assist systems, advanced driver assist systems (ADAS), electronic control units, airbag control units, crash sensors, seat belt pre-tensioner electronic controllers, and ADAS software for highly automated driving (HAD) and autonomous driving (AD). Veoneer, Inc. is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden.
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.
The ECB said: “In its recent strategy review, the Governing Council agreed a symmetric inflation target of two per cent over the medium term.
The key ECB interest rates have been close to their lower bound for some time and the medium-term outlook for inflation is still well below the Governing Council’s target.
In these conditions, the Governing Council today revised its forward guidance on interest rates. It did so to underline its commitment to maintain a persistently accommodative monetary policy stance to meet its inflation target.
In support of its symmetric two per cent inflation target and in line with its monetary policy strategy, the Governing Council expects the key ECB interest rates to remain at their present or lower levels until it sees inflation reaching two per cent well ahead of the end of its projection horizon and durably for the rest of the projection horizon, and it judges that realized progress in underlying inflation is sufficiently advanced to be consistent with inflation stabilizing at two per cent over the medium term.
This may also imply a transitory period in which inflation is moderately above target.
Having confirmed its June assessment of financing conditions and the inflation outlook, the Governing Council continues to expect purchases under the pandemic emergency purchase program – PEPP – over the current quarter to be conducted at a significantly higher pace than during the first months of the year…
The interest rate on the main refinancing operations and the interest rates on the marginal lending facility and the deposit facility will remain unchanged at 0.00%, 0.25% and -0.50% respectively.”
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.
NY AG announces $1.1B agreement with big three drug distributors over opioids
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced an agreement with McKesson (MCK), Cardinal Health (CAH), and Amerisource Bergen (ABC) – three of the nation’s largest drug distributors – that will deliver up to $1.1B to New York state to combat the ongoing opioid epidemic.
“The $1.1B agreement is the largest monetary settlement ever negotiated by Attorney General James. The agreement resolves claims made by Attorney General James for the three companies’ role in helping to fuel the opioid epidemic and will remove the three distributors from New York’s ongoing opioid trial, currently underway in Suffolk County State Supreme Court…
Additionally, late last month, Attorney General James announced an agreement with Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) that removed the company from New York’s opioid trial in exchange for up to $230M for the state’s opioid prevention and treatment efforts, as well as it ending the sale of opioids nationwide.
The trial against the three remaining defendants – Endo Health Solutions (ENDP), Teva Pharmaceuticals USA (TEVA), and Allergan Finance (ABBV) – is currently underway and will continue in state court,” the AG stated.
As part of today’s agreement, McKesson, Cardinal Health, and Amerisource Bergen will pay New York state a total of up to $1,179,251,066.68, of which more than $1 billion will go towards abatement.
Payments will start in just two months and will continue over the course of the next 17 years, the AG said.
Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and pain relievers available legally by prescription, such as oxycodone (OxyContin®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), codeine, morphine, and many others.
Fentanyl and similar compounds like carfentanil are powerful synthetic opioids — 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. High doses of opioids, especially potent opioids such as fentanyl, can cause breathing to stop completely, which can lead to death.
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.
