Buffett also said in his annual shareholder letter to “never bet against America.”
Warren Buffett Berkshire Hathaway’s (BRK.A, BRK.B) fourth quarter profits rose, with its net earnings rising to $38.5B, or $23,015 a Class A share equivalent, up almost 23% from the previous year’s profit of $29.2B, or $17,909 a share.
Operating earnings, which exclude some investment results, rose to $5 billion from $4.4 billion the year before.
Buffett also said in his annual shareholder letter to “never bet against America.”
“In its brief 232 years of existence… there has been no incubator for unleashing human potential like America,” he added.
“Despite some severe interruptions, our country’s economic progress has been breathtaking. Our unwavering conclusion: Never bet against America.” Buffett said the conglomerate owns the biggest amount of U.S. assets by value than any other company in the country.
Berkshire Hathaway also bought back a record amount of company stock last year. During the fourth quarter, the company bought back about $9B shares for a total 2020 repurchase of $24.7B.
Buffett said in his annual shareholder letter that repurchases have continued since year-end and “is likely to further reduce its share count in the future.”
“That action increased your ownership in all of Berkshire’s businesses by 5.2% without requiring you to so much as touch your wallet,” the letter reads.
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.
Citrix Systems (CTXS) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Wrike, a rapidly growing, recognized leader in the SaaS collaborative work management space, for $2.25B in cash.
Wrike ended calendar year 2020 with more than $140 million in unaudited SaaS ARR, reflecting more than 30 percent CAGR in SaaS ARR over the prior two years.
Citrix spends $2.55B to expand its offerings
The company is expected to have approximately 30 percent stand-alone growth to between $180M-$190M in SaaS ARR1 in 2021, with the opportunity to accelerate growth over time under Citrix’s ownership.
The addition of Wrike is highly complementary to Citrix’s existing customer base and is expected to accelerate Citrix’s SaaS ARR growth.
Wrike founders cash out
Financing and purchase accounting impacts to deferred revenue will affect 2021 non-GAAP earnings per share. Integration and other costs related to the acquisition are expected to be modestly dilutive to non-GAAP earnings per share in 2021.
The transaction is expected to be neutral to Citrix’s fiscal year 2022 non-GAAP earnings per share and free cash flow, and accretive thereafter.
Citrix expects to fund the transaction with a combination of new debt and existing cash and investments.
Citrix is committed to its investment grade credit ratings and plans to return to historical leverage levels within 24 months.
Citrix has obtained a commitment from JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. for a $1.45B senior unsecured 364-day bridge loan facility.
The transaction, which has been unanimously approved by the board of directors of both Citrix and Wrike, is expected to close in the first half of 2021, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.
SaaS is the new trend in software usage
Until close, the companies will continue to operate independently.
Upon closing, Andrew Filev, Wrike CEO will continue to lead the Wrike team and report to Arlen Shenkman, EVP and CFO, Citrix.
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.
Aytu, Neos Therapeutics enter all-stock merger agreement
Aytu BioScience (AYTU) and Neos Therapeutics (NEOS) announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which Neos will merge with a wholly owned subsidiary of Aytu in an all-stock transaction.
Upon the effectiveness of the merger, Neos stockholders will be entitled to receive 0.1088 shares of common stock of Aytu for each share of Neos common stock held, after taking into account the one-for-ten reverse split of Aytu’s common stock that was effected on December 8.
The transaction will result in Neos stockholders owning approximately 30% of the fully diluted common shares of Aytu.
The all-stock transaction is valued, on a fully diluted basis, at approximately $44.9M based on the 10-day volume weighted average price of Aytu stock for the period ended December 9.
The combined entity will have an increased footprint in the prescription pediatric market, an established multi-brand ADHD portfolio addressing the $8.5B ADHD market and combined revenue scale.
For the 12-month period ending September 30, Neos generated $57M in revenues. On a combined pro-forma basis for this same period, Aytu and Neos’ aggregate net revenue is over $100M.
In addition, this merger facilitates operational and commercial synergies that can be harnessed to accelerate the path to profitability for the combined entity, with estimated annualized cost synergies of approximately $15M beginning FY22.
The combined company will be led by Josh Disbrow, CEO of Aytu and will be headquartered in Englewood, Colorado.
The board of the combined company will consist of six members designated by Aytu and two members designated by Neos, including Neos CEO and director Jerry McLaughlin and Neos director Beth Hecht.
The merger is currently expected to close by Q2 of 2021, subject to certain approvals by both Aytu and Neos stockholders and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.
As part of the transaction, Aytu has agreed to provide Neos with access to up to $5M cash for working capital needs for the period prior to the closing of the merger.
In addition, upon closing of the merger, $15M in principal of Neos’s existing senior secured debt facility with affiliates of Deerfield Management will be repaid, and Deerfield has agreed to allow the remaining debt under the facility to remain outstanding with the combined company following the merger.
Indebtedness under Neos’s existing ABL agreement with Encina Business Credit will also remain outstanding.
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.
GigCapital2 to combine with UpHealth, Cloudbreak Health in $1.35B merger
GigCapital2 (GIX) announced that it has entered into two separate definitive business combination agreements with each of UpHealth and Cloudbreak Health to form a combined entity that will create a publicly traded, global digital healthcare company.
Digital healthcare has become more prevalent during the pandemic
Upon the closing of the transaction, the combined company will be named UpHealth and will continue to be listed on the NYSE under the new ticker symbol (UPH).
Following the combination, UpHealth will be a global digital healthcare company serving an entire spectrum of healthcare needs and will be established in fast growing sectors of the digital health industry.
With its combinations, Upon closing the pending mergers and the combination with Cloudbreak, UpHealth will be organized across four capabilities at the intersection of population health management and telehealth: Integrated Care Management, Global Telehealth, Digital Pharmacy, and Tech-enabled Behavioral Health.
Following the consummation of the transactions, UpHealth will have agreements to deliver digital healthcare in more than 10 countries globally.
These various companies are expected to generate approximately $115M in revenue and over $13M of EBITDA in 2020 and following the combination, UpHealth expects to generate over $190M in revenue and $24M in EBITDA in 2021.
The business combinations were unanimously approved by the boards of directors of all parties, valuing the combined company at a combined pro forma enterprise value of approximately $1.35B.
The proposed business combinations are expected to be completed in Q1 2021, subject to, among other things, the approval by GigCapital2 stockholders, regulatory approvals, and the satisfaction or waiver of other customary closing conditions.
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.
Spotify (SPOT) is scheduled to report third quarter results before market open on Thursday, October 29, with a conference call scheduled for 8:00 am ET. What to watch:
Spotify reports results on October 29th
1. USER METRICS: Spotify’s monthly active users, or MAUs, are a measure of its popularity and growth potential. In the second quarter, Spotify reported 299M MAUs, up 29% year-over-year and 5% quarter-over-quarter.
The company also reported 170M ad-supported MAUs, up 31% year-over-year and 4% quarter-over-quarter. In addition, the company reported that Premium Subscribers grew to 138M, up 27% year-over-year and 6% quarter-over-quarter.
Along with the report, the company said, “Early in the quarter, we observed some COVID related softness in several countries across our emerging regions. Parts of Latin America and Rest of World saw slower than expected growth in April and May as we saw lower intake, an increase in churn, and increases in payment failures from our Premium users.
Spotify is now available in Russia and most of Eastern Europe
Encouragingly, things rebounded significantly in June as we saw increased reactivations and a step down in churn. While we finished below forecast in aggregate across these regions, our strength in North America and other areas more than offset the slow start to the quarter.”
2. GUIDANCE: With its last report, Spotify guided to Q3 revenue of EUR1.85B-EUR2.05B. The company also forecast Q3 total MAUs of 312M-317M and total Premium Subscribers of 140M-144M.
3. INITIATIVES, PARTNERSHIPS: In July, Spotify launched in 13 new markets across Europe, including Russia and the Ukraine. The company also announced in July a podcast with former first lady Michelle Obama and the launch of video podcasts with select creators.
Special Podcasts have helped Spotify
Additionally in July, Spotify signed a multi-year global license agreement with Universal Music Group, a Vivendi (VIVHY) company. In August, the company announced a multi-year deal with Riot Games, a subsidiary of Tencent (TCEHY), as its exclusive audio streaming partner for League of Legends events.
Spotify uses partnerships to expand its footprint
In September, the company launched virtual event listings on artist profiles and in the Concerts hub and also announced it was testing a new Polls feature for podcasts. Additionally in September, Spotify announced a multi-year first look partnership with Chernin Entertainment.
4. ANALYST VIEW: On Tuesday, Deutsche Bank analyst Lloyd Walmsley raised the firm’s price target on Spotify to $250 from $240 and kept a Hold rating on the shares. The analyst said he expects “solid” Q3 results for Spotify with strong monthly active user growth driven by new markets and podcast launches as well as improving churn.
Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley analyst Benjamin Swinburne raised the firm’s price target on Spotify to $300 from $275 and kept an Overweight rating on the shares.
Results from U.S. digital audio competitor Pandora last week were “encouraging” and suggest his current 5%-6% growth estimate for Spotify’s ad revenue could be conservative, Swinburne said. He also pointed to recent data that suggest Spotify is taking market share and evaluating price increases.
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.
Acorn International enters merger agreement for going private transaction
Acorn International (ATV) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement and plan of merger with First Ostia Port, a Cayman Islands exempted company and its wholly owned subsidiary Second Actium Coin, a Cayman Islands exempted company, pursuant to which, the merger sub will merge with and into the company thereby becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of the controlling shareholder.
Acorn taken private
Acorn International, Inc. develops, promotes, and sells a portfolio of proprietary-branded products in the People’s Republic of China. The company operates through two segments, Direct Sales and Distribution Sales.
The company will be acquired in an all-cash transaction by the controlling shareholder.
Pursuant to the terms of the merger agreement, each ordinary share, par value 1c per share, of the company, including shares represented by American Depositary Shares, each representing twenty shares, issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time, other than the excluded shares shall be cancelled in exchange for the right to receive $1.05 in cash per share without interest.
As each ADS represents twenty shares, each ADS issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time, other than ADSs representing excluded shares, shall represent the right to receive $21.00 in cash without interest pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in the merger agreement.
The per share merger consideration represents a premium of 44.1% over the company’s closing price of $14.57 per ADS as quoted on the New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE, on August 17, the last trading day prior to the day when the company received a non-binding “going private” proposal from the controlling shareholder.
The merger consideration also represents an increase of approximately 38.0% over the $15.22 per ADS offered by the controlling shareholder in its revised going-private proposal on August 18 and a premium of approximately 39.4% over the company’s closing price of $15.07 per ADS on October 9, the last trading day prior to issuance of this press release.
The controlling shareholder intends to fund a substantial portion of the consideration for the merger in the form of debt funding from a third-party lender and has delivered to the company duly executed copies of the loan and security agreement.
The board, acting upon the unanimous recommendation of a committee of independent directors established by the board, approved the merger agreement and the merger.
The special committee negotiated the terms of the merger agreement with the assistance of its independent financial and legal advisors.
The merger, which is currently expected to close during the last quarter of 2020, is subject to customary closing conditions, including the approval of the merger agreement by a requisite company vote of shares representing at least two-thirds of the voting power of the shares present and voting in person or by proxy at a meeting of the company’s shareholders which will be convened to consider the approval of the merger agreement and the merger.
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.
Sun Communities to acquire Safe Harbor Marinas for $2.1B
Sun Communities (SUI) announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire Safe Harbor Marinas. Safe Harbor’s full operating team, led by Baxter Underwood, will run Safe Harbor as a subsidiary of the Company independently from Sun’s manufactured home and recreational vehicle community business.
Safe Harbor is the largest and most diversified marina owner and operator in the United States.
It owns and operates 101 marinas, manages five marinas on behalf of third parties and has an approximate 40,000-member network of boat owners across 22 states.
Safe Harbor’s portfolio of high quality, prime coastal market marinas generates recurring rental income from annual and seasonal leases and further diversifies Sun’s geographic and demographic footprint.
Safe Harbor has a proven ability to generate organic and external growth. The acquisition, which is expected to be accretive to 2021 Core FFO per share, will comprise approximately 15% of the Company’s pro forma total annual rental revenue.
Safe Harbor marinas located throughout the Nation
Subject to closing adjustments, the aggregate purchase price for Safe Harbor is approximately $2.11B.
At the closing, the Company will assume debt in the estimated amount of approximately $808M, issue the sellers REIT operating partnership common and preferred OP units in the estimated amount of approximately $130M, and pay the balance of the purchase price in cash.
The mix of consideration will depend on the amount of common and preferred OP units the sellers elect to receive and other factors. The actual amounts of each component of the merger consideration may be materially higher or lower than the foregoing estimates.
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the fourth quarter 2020.
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.
Walmart backs TikTok U.S. partnership with Microsoft
Walmart (WMT), which was previously said to have been working with SoftBank (SFTBY) on a potential acquisition of TikTok’s U.S. business, has now confirmed its involvement in a potential TikTok deal in partnership with Microsoft (MSFT), according to CNBC’s Alex Sherman.
“The way TikTok has integrated e-commerce and advertising capabilities in other markets is a clear benefit to creators and users in those markets.
We believe a potential relationship with TikTok U.S. in partnership with Microsoft could add this key functionality and provide Walmart with an important way for us to reach and serve omnichannel customers as well as grow our third-party marketplace and advertising businesses.
We are confident that a Walmart and Microsoft partnership would meet both the expectations of U.S. TikTok users while satisfying the concerns of US government regulators,” a Walmart spokesperson told CNBC.
TikTok is nearing an agreement to sell its U.S., Canadian, Australian and New Zealand operations in a deal that could be announced as soon as next week, sources say. The deal is likely to be in the $25 billion to $30 billion range, sources say.
Earlier this week, TikTok filed a lawsuit against Trump Administration claiming that the Executive Order issued by the Administration on August 6, 2020 has the potential to strip the rights of that community without any evidence to justify such an extreme action, and without any due process.
WMT shares are up 5% on the news while MSFT is better by 3.5%.
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.
Beginning July 15, AMC will resume operations of 450 U.S. theatres as part of a phased plan that is expected to bring the 600-plus U.S. theatre circuit to nearly full operation leading into the opening of MULAN on July 24 and TENET on July 31.
Adam Aron, CEO & President, AMC Theatres, said, “After a painful almost four-month hiatus due to the coronavirus, we are delighted to announce that movies are coming back to the big screen at AMC.
Our next 100 years of making smiles happen officially begin at approximately 450 theatres across the United States on July 15. I cannot emphasize enough how much care and attention to detail we have taken in developing AMC Safe & Clean, our absolute commitment to optimizing the health and safety of our theatres for our guests and associates.
Remember that there is a rumor that Amazon may buy AMC
Developed along with The Clorox Company, and current and former faculty of Harvard University’s School of Public Health, AMC Safe & Clean represents a comprehensive commitment with a broad array of tools being used in sanitizing our theatres.
Social distancing, reduced seat capacity, greatly intensified cleaning regimens, new employee health protocols, contactless ticketing and mobile food & beverage ordering are all part of AMC Safe & Clean.
So too is a new multimillion-dollar commitment to implementing high tech solutions in making AMC theatres safe, including deploying electrostatic sprayers, HEPA vacuums and upgraded MERV 13 ventilation filters.
All this is being put into motion because at AMC our single highest priority is the health and safety of our guests and associates. Both personally and professionally, I couldn’t be more excited for what this means for movie lovers.”
Disney’s Mulan to open July 24th
In the coming weeks, theatre teams will begin returning to their theatres for training on AMC’s new, enhanced cleaning and safety procedures.
AMC expects that almost all its 600-plus U.S. locations will be open and in operation for the launch of MULAN on July 24 and TENET on July 31.
The resumption of AMC operations may be adjusted if there are changes to the current theatrical release schedule, or as needed in response to local or regional conditions.
To facilitate proper social distancing within theatre auditoriums, AMC will approach seat capacity limitations in four distinct phases. But AMC will always follow all federal, state and local directives, including those that mandate a maximum capacity if lower than those envisioned in AMC’s four phases as now planned.
Tenet is scheduled for July 31 opening
The reopening schedule for specific theatres will be communicated in early July. During the weeks leading up to new major theatrical releases, AMC will be showing popular repertory titles made available from its studio partners. Those titles and ticket price information will be announced prior to reopening.
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 Department of Justice has released a set of reform proposals to update the outdated immunity for online platforms under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996.
Responding to bipartisan concerns about the scope of 230 immunity, the department identified a set of concrete reform proposals to provide stronger incentives for online platforms to address illicit material on their services while continuing to foster innovation and free speech.
The department’s review of Section 230 over the last ten months arose in the context of its broader review of market-leading online platforms and their practices, which were announced in July 2019.
The department held a large public workshop and expert roundtable in February 2020, as well as dozens of listening sessions with industry, thought leaders, and policy makers, to gain a better understanding of the uses and problems surrounding Section 230.
The first category of recommendations is aimed at incentivizing platforms to address the growing amount of illicit content online, while preserving the core of Section 230’s immunity for defamation claims.
These reforms include a carve-out for bad actors who purposefully facilitate or solicit content that violates federal criminal law or are willfully blind to criminal content on their own services.
Additionally, the department recommends a case-specific carve out where a platform has actual knowledge that content violated federal criminal law and does not act on it within a reasonable time, or where a platform was provided with a court judgment that the content is unlawful, and does not take appropriate action.
A second category of proposed reforms is intended to clarify the text and revive the original purpose of the statute in order to promote free and open discourse online and encourage greater transparency between platforms and users.
One of these recommended reforms is to provide a statutory definition of “good faith” to clarify its original purpose.
The new statutory definition would limit immunity for content moderation decisions to those done in accordance with plain and particular terms of service and consistent with public representations. These measures would encourage platforms to be more transparent and accountable to their users.
The third category of recommendations would increase the ability of the government to protect citizens from unlawful conduct, by making it clear that Section 230 does not apply to civil enforcement actions brought by the federal government.
A fourth category of reform is to make clear that federal antitrust claims are not, and were never intended to be, covered by Section 230 immunity.
Over time, the avenues for engaging in both online commerce and speech have concentrated in the hands of a few key players.
It makes little sense to enable large online platforms (particularly dominant ones) to invoke Section 230 immunity in antitrust cases, where liability is based on harm to competition, not on third-party speech.
The action follows President Trump’s executive order seeking to weaken broad immunity enjoyed by Facebook (FB), Twitter (TWTR) and Google (GOOGL).
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.
Bitauto enters definitive agreement for going-private transaction
Bitauto (BITA) announced that it has entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger with Yiche Holding and Yiche Mergersub Limited, a wholly owned Subsidiary of Parent, pursuant to which the company will be acquired by an investor consortium led by Morespark Limited, an affiliate of Tencent Holdings (TCEHY) and Hammer Capital Opportunities Fund L.P. in an all-cash transaction that values the company’s equity at approximately $1.1B.
BitAuto taken private
Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, at the effective time of the Merger, each ordinary share of the company issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time will be cancelled and cease to exist in exchange for the right to receive $16 in cash without interest, and each outstanding American depositary share of the company will be cancelled in exchange for the right to receive $16 in cash without interest, except for
(a) certain Shares owned by affiliates of Tencent, an affiliate of JD.com (JD), and Bin Li, chairman of the board of directors of the company, which will be rolled over in the transaction ,
(b) Shares owned by Parent, Merger Sub, the company or any of their respective subsidiaries,
(c) Shares held by the ADS depositary and reserved for issuance, settlement and allocation upon exercise or vesting of company’s options and/or restricted share unit awards, and
(d) Shares held by shareholders who have validly exercised and not effectively withdrawn or lost their rights to dissent from the merger pursuant to Section 238 of the Companies Law of the Cayman Islands.
The Merger is currently expected to close in the second half of 2020 and is subject to customary closing conditions including the approval of the Merger Agreement by an affirmative vote of holders of Shares representing at least two-thirds of the voting power of the Shares present and voting in person or by proxy at a meeting of the company’s shareholders. those dissenting shares in accordance with Section 238 of the Companies Law of the Cayman Islands.
Bitauto Holdings Limited provides internet content and marketing services, and transaction services for the automobile industry in the People’s Republic of China.
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.
As JC Penney’s files for bankruptcy, others line up to do the same
Retailers have long been suffering from a tough retail environment due to competition from online retailers such as Amazon, Etsy and eBay; it seems like COVID-19 fired the kill shot.
J.C. Penney
J.C. Penney announced that it has received approvals from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, in Corpus Christi, TX for the “First Day” motions related to the company’s voluntary Chapter 11 petitions filed on May 15, 2020, including approval for the company to access and use its approximately $500M in cash collateral.
The 118 year old retailer files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Stockwinners
J.C. Penney entered into a restructuring support agreement with lenders holding approximately 70% of J.C. Penney’s first lien debt to reduce the company’s outstanding indebtedness and strengthen its financial position. J.C. Penney has approximately $500M in cash on hand as of the Chapter 11 filing date.
James Cash Penney started the company in 1902
JCP Gets Delisted
The New York Stock Exchange announced that the staff of NYSE Regulation has determined to commence proceedings to delist the common stock of J.C. Penney Company – ticker symbol JCP – from the NYSE. NYSE Regulation reached its decision that the company is no longer suitable for listing after the company’s May 15, 2020 disclosure that the company filed voluntary petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.
Recent Retail Bankruptcies
On May 4th, J.Crew Group announced it has reached an agreement with its lenders holding approximately 71% of its Term Loan and approximately 78% of its IPCo Notes, as well as with its financial sponsors, under which the company will restructure its debt and deleverage its balance sheet, positioning J.Crew and Madewell for long-term success.
Houston-based Stage Stores Inc. filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in Texas last week.
GNC Holdings (GNC), the nutritional supplement retailer, avoided bankruptcy by reaching a last-minute deal with creditors that allows it to avoid bankruptcy for at least 30 days but no more than 90 days under a deal announced Friday.
GNC avoids bankruptcy for 90 days
True Religion
Even before COVID-19 forced True Religion to close its 87 stores, the denim specialist’s sales were in decline and its profits were negative. After shuttering its footprint in response to the pandemic, 80% of its sales disappeared, according to the company.
Others on the list
According to Law.com, both Macy’s (M) and Neiman Marcus have hired bankruptcy law firm Kirkland, and Wachtell. Neiman filed for Chapter 11 last week. Macy’s should be forthcoming.
Pier 1 Imports (PIR) filed for bankruptcy protection this month. It would only make sense if it’s competitors follow the same path.
Nashville-based retailer, Kirkland’s, Inc. operates as a specialty retailer of home décor in the United States. The company’s stores provide various merchandise, including holiday décor, furniture, ornamental wall décor, decorative accessories, art, textiles, mirrors, fragrance and accessories, lamps, artificial floral products, housewares, outdoor living items,
Kirkland’s has avoided Chapter 11, Stockwinners
In 2019, seventeen major retailers filed for bankruptcy. For some of them it was their second trip to the alter including Payless, Gymboree, and Charming Charlie.
Some of the retailers that filed for bankruptcy in the past 18 months. Stockwinners
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.
Uber made all-stock offer to acquire GrubHub, WSJ reports
Shares of food delivery company GrubHub are sharply higher after the Wall Street Journal reported that Uber Technologies (UBER) approached GrubHub (GRUB) earlier this year with a takeover offer and the parent company of Uber Eats and its rival service operator continue to discuss a possible combination.
Uber may buy GrubHub, Stockwinners
Uber is seeking to acquire GrubHub in an all-stock deal that would reshape the meal-delivery business, but “it’s far from guaranteed the talks will produce a deal,” according to the report.
UberEats has 25% of the food delivery market, Stockwinners
Bloomberg’s Ed Hammond has separately reported this morning that Uber has made an offer to acquire GrubHub.
The companies are in talks about a deal and could reach an agreement as soon as this month, sources told Bloomberg.
“While our Rides business has been hit hard by the ongoing pandemic, we have taken quick action to preserve the strength of our balance sheet, focus additional resources on Uber Eats, and prepare us for any recovery scenario,” said Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi.
Uber has a market cap of $57B
Uber Eats is a direct competitor to Grubhub, with Grubhub controlling 26.7% of the market while Uber holds a 25.2% market share.
Grubhub has a market cap of more than $5.3 billion. Uber has a market cap of $57 billion.
GrubHub (GRUB) is seeking 2.15 Uber (UBER) share in exchange for each of its own shares in a potential takeover and Uber’s board is expected to review the latest GrubHub counter proposal, according to The Wall Street Journal, citing sources.
NEEDHAM
After Bloomberg reported that Uber (UBER) has approached GrubHub (GRUB) with a takeover offer, Needham analyst Brad Erickson said such a deal would be consistent with his bullish thesis that Uber Eats could eliminate as much as $500M of its roughly $1.2B in losses last year through such a GrubHub acquisition.
With Uber having exited India and seven other unprofitable markets, Erickson thinks investors would “further recognize a dramatically clearer picture towards food delivery profitability” if a GrubHub deal were to occur, he added. Erickson reiterates a Buy rating and $42 target on Uber shares.
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.
As AMC considers bankruptcy, Amazon may snap up the company
Amazon.com (AMZN) has held talks to acquire the troubled movie chain AMC Entertainment Holdings (AMC), but it is unclear if the discussions are still active, Jamie Nimmo of Daily Mail reports, citing sources.
The companies are thought to have held talks about a potential takeover of AMC by Amazon, the sources said.
Amazon may buy AMC
Buying a cinema chain would enable Amazon to control the screening of films, giving it greater dominance of the industry. Amazon’s interest in cinemas is not new.
In 2018, Amazon looked at buying American arthouse cinema chain Landmark Theatres, but lost out to the eventual buyer, Cohen Media Group. Netflix was also reportedly in the running to buy Landmark.
Amazon.com is in talks to buy AMC, Stockwinners
However, a takeover of AMC would be on a different scale as Landmark only had about 250 screens in the US, while AMC has about 1,000 around the world.
Amazon certainly has the means to buy AMC, whose stock market value has collapsed in recent years to just $420million.
In a sign of bad times in the movie business, earlier this month AMC Theatres (AMC) sent a letter to Universal Studios (CMCSA) chairman Donna Langley, saying that, going forward, AMC will not license any Universal films in any of its 1,000 globally effective immediately.
Amazon bought supermarket chain Whole Foods Market in 2017 in a sign that the company was willing to spend money buying non-web-based companies.
Amazon bought Wholefoods in 2017
AMC was bought by Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda for $2.6 billion in 2012, but it bought back $600 million worth of shares in 2018 after Beijing cracked down on overseas investments by Chinese companies.
Under Wanda, AMC launched a major expansion plan, and in 2016 bought Odeon in the UK for £920 million from British financier Guy Hands’ private equity firm, Terra Firma, and US group Carmike Cinemas for $1.1 billion.
The deals turned AMC into the world’s largest cinema company, with 1,000 outlets and 10,000 screens around the world.
However, the expansion plan backfired and left AMC saddled with debts that are now close to $ 5billion. Last month, AMC raised $500 million from bond investors in an effort to stay afloat during the crisis.
However, investors still questioned whether AMC could avoid bankruptcy, given its parlous financial state.
A group of AMC’s lenders reportedly hired lawyers to advise on restructuring options last month, underlining AMC’s financial strife.
In Monday’s pre-market trading, AMC shares are up 70% to $7.00. AMZN closed at $2379.61.
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.
SmileDirectClub granted patent for SmileShop retail concept
SmileDirectClub (SDC) announced it has been issued a patent for its SmileShop intellectual property from the United States Patent & Trademark Office.
SmileDirect receives patent for its concept, Stockwinners
The patent, U.S. Patent No. 10,636,522, further strengthens the telehealth dentistry pioneer’s efforts to bring affordable, accessible oral care to more people through its unique and innovative teledentistry platform and direct-to-consumer business model.
The patent ensures no clear aligner competitor will be able to duplicate SmileDirectClub’s unique model for 18 years.
The patent encompasses the unique SmileShop concept and process, including scheduling of an appointment at a SmileShop, sending the scheduling confirmation to the customer, conducting the intraoral scan, generating a treatment plan, receiving approval of the treatment plan by a licensed dentist or orthodontist, producing aligners in accordance with the treatment plan, and sending those aligners to the customer.
Smile Direct eliminates the middle man, Stockwinners
SmileDirectClub’s clear aligner therapy platform has helped more than 1,000,000 customers achieve a straighter and brighter smile.
Furthermore, the company announced it is making plans to slowly reopen its SmileShops beginning in May in the U.S., Canada, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Ireland as local governments begin to lift business restrictions.
After its shops temporarily closed in March, SmileDirectClub, one of North America’s largest 3D printing manufacturers, dedicated some of its capacity to producing 3D printed personal protective equipment to help in the fight against COVID-19.
Smile Direct has an alliance with WalMart, Stockwinners
The company has shipped more than 40,000 face shields to medical organizations, elder care facilities, dentists and orthodontists during this time, and will supply all of its SmileShop team members with face shields and other PPE along with staggered appointment times, temperature scans and other social distancing measures to ensure a safe, sanitary experience upon reopening.
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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.
