- Yellen Spending Recipe Lacking Key Ingredient: Bigger Wage Gains (BBG)
- Ukraine signs trade agreement with EU, draws Russian threat (Reuters)
- GM Documents Show Senior Executive Had Role in Switch (WSJ)
- Australian Report Postulates Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Lost Oxygen (WSJ)
- World’s Biggest Debt Load Lures Distressed Funds to China (BBG)
- GPIF Rushing Into Riskier Assets Before Ready, Okina Says (BBG)
- Japan Prices Rise Most Since ’82 on Tax, Utility Fees (BBG)
- Italian Debt Swells to Rival Germany as Bond Yields Slide (BBG)
- China’s Manhattan Project Marred by Ghost Buildings (BBG)
- BOE’s Carney Says Rates Won’t Rise to Levels Previously Considered Normal (WSJ)
- Bondholders paying BNP’s fine: BNP Plans to Slash Dividend, Sell Multibillion Euro Bond Next Week (WSJ)
- Looted Banks Fund Iraq Fighters Eyeing Wealth Al-Qaeda Never Had (BBG)
- Fastest-Growing Metro Area in U.S. Has No Crime or Kids (BBG)
Overnight Media Digest
WSJ
** The German government on Thursday said it would end a contract with Verizon Communications Inc because of concerns about network security, one of the most concrete signs yet that disclosures about U.S. spying were hurting American technology companies overseas. (http://on.wsj.com/TCYqov)
** Chinese Internet giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd said it would list its American depositary shares on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “BABA.” (http://on.wsj.com/1ltjbyj)
** GoPro Inc’s shares rose 31 percent in their stock-market debut, showing the promise of consumer-electronics companies. But skepticism remained about the video-camera maker’s longer-term prospects. (http://on.wsj.com/1m2HUKX)
** Federal prosecutors are issuing grand jury subpoenas in connection with General Motors Co’s years-long delay in responding to a deadly defect, as new documents raise questions about the auto maker’s assessment of which employees were at fault. (http://on.wsj.com/1mi5Jsc)
** Molson Coors Brewing Co Chief Executive Peter Swinburn said he wouldn’t rule out buying SABMiller Plc’s 58 percent stake in their U.S. joint venture MillerCoors if it becomes available. (http://on.wsj.com/1o8pRS9)
** Norfolk Southern Corp has become the first big American freight railroad to require its customers to give the railroad legal protection against damages from fires, explosions or the release of hazardous materials carried in tank cars that don’t meet the rail industry’s latest standards. (http://on.wsj.com/1iLQWLu)
** Foursquare Labs Inc said it would begin charging some businesses for access to its database of restaurants, shops and other local venues, as it tries to make money from information it has gathered from user “check-ins” in the five years since its founding. (http://on.wsj.com/1ltkxZE)
** Alcoa Inc said Thursday it would buy Firth Rixson Ltd from private-equity firm Oak Hill Capital Partners LP for $2.35 billion in cash and $500 million in common shares. Alcoa agreed to pay as much as an additional $150 million, depending on the Sheffield, England, manufacturer’s performance through 2020. (http://on.wsj.com/UObiJv)
** Google Inc on Thursday started removing results from its search engine under Europe’s new “right to be forgotten,” implementing a landmark May ruling by the European Union’s top court that gives individuals the right to request removal of results that turn up in Internet searches for their own names. (http://on.wsj.com/TzPNex)
FT
Investors have started pulling out of Barclays’ “dark pool” after New York’s top securities regulator sued the British bank.
Berlin ended a contract with Verizon over concerns about the security of its systems in the first sign of serious commercial repercussions in Europe from the Snowden revelations of mass U.S. government spying on its allies.
The Bank of England imposed limits on mortgage borrowing to try to prevent a new credit boom from derailing the economic recovery. The central bank predicted that surging house prices will rise further still.
The United States increased its role in the long-running and bloody civil conflict in Syria after the Obama administration proposed funding to provide U.S. military training and equipment for the Syrian opposition for the first time.
Wall Street banks, including Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase, are seeking to maintain their hold on the business of trading U.S. companies’ debt while boosting liquidity in the $10 trillion market by creating a new trading platform for U.S. corporate bonds.
Canada
THE GLOBE AND MAIL
** Public broadcaster Canadian Broadcasting Corp (CBC) plans to cut up to 20 percent of its staff by 2020, including a sharp reduction over the next year as it transitions to a leaner, mobile-first strategy aimed at keeping costs under control. (bit.ly/1nOhicf)
** Elizabeth Dowdeswell, a former undersecretary-general of the United Nations with a long public service career, has been named Ontario’s new lieutenant-governor. (bit.ly/1o8FZTK)
Reports in the business section:
** An American proposal to hike the fees Canadian truckers pay for agricultural inspections when they cross the U.S. border violates the North American free trade agreement, the Canadian Trucking Alliance said. The industry group says the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s proposed fee increases would harm U.S.-Canada trade as well as the bottom lines of trucking businesses. (bit.ly/UODyM6)
NATIONAL POST
** Former cabinet minister MP Helena Guergis has resumed her long-running and so-far unsuccessful lawsuit against the Conservatives she blames for ending her political career in fallout from the so-called “busty hookers” scandal. (bit.ly/1m3BjzU)
** For the first time, the Supreme Court of Canada has recognized a First Nation’s title to a specific tract of land – a historic decision with major implications for contentious energy projects such as the Northern Gateway pipeline. Thursday’s 8-0 decision, which overturned an appeal court ruling, will essentially make it easier for First Nations to establish title over lands that were regularly used for hunting, fishing and other activities. (bit.ly/1sJBdkG)
FINANCIAL POST
** Zara retail banner founder Amancio Ortega Gaona is buying into Toronto’s upscale Yorkville commercial district, paying more than a quarter-billion dollars for a 270,000-square-foot mixed retailing and office building. (bit.ly/ToofZ3)
** The federal Justice department is taking steps to cut $52.2 million worth of legal services it provides government over the next three years with “two waves” of reforms that will eliminate jobs, change the working relationship with client departments and, it hopes, improve efficiency. The department, often called Canada’s largest law firm, is introducing several changes following a year-long review. (bit.ly/1lSOnXf)
China
CHINA SECURITIES JOURNAL
– Western Securities Co. Ltd said it plans to raise up to 5 billion yuan ($805.28 million) from private share placements to increase the company’s working capital for expansion.
– China Development Bank Corp will establish a housing finance department to support renovation of old and dilapidated housing. The plan was approved by China Banking Regulatory Commission.
SHANGHAI DAILY
– China Telecom plans to sell 100 million mid-and high-end 4G phones to consumers in 2014 after getting licenses for its FDD-LTE technology from the government, the country’s No. 3 telecom provider said. China Telecom has 180 million users.
CHINA DAILY
– Low-cost carriers are set to take off in China as more companies look to cash in on rising passenger numbers to offset rising costs and low profit margins. Budget airlines, which currently account for only 5 percent of the aviation market in China, are expected to post strong growth in the next few years, said an executive from Boeing commercial airplanes.
Britain
The Telegraph
BOE CRACKS DOWN ON MORTGAGES TO HEAD OFF HOUSING BUBBLE
Housebuilders, banks and markets were lifted on Thursday after the Bank of England decided against taking draconian steps to cool the housing market.
BARCLAYS SHARES HIT 19-MONTH-LOW ON DARK POOL CLAIMS
Barclays shares slumped to their lowest level for 19 months on Thursday after the bank was accused by U.S. authorities of defrauding investors.
The Guardian
TESCO HOARDING LAND THAT COULD BUILD 15,000 HOMES
Tesco, the UK’s largest supermarket chain, is hoarding land and buildings covering an area big enough to build 15,000 homes, a Guardian analysis has revealed.
STANDARD CHARTERED BANK ISSUES PROFIT WARNING
Standard Chartered warned that profits will fall this year and said the head of its worst-performing business had gone on a long-term break from the Asia-focused bank.
The Times
OIL STRIKE IN GRANITE CHANGES UK PROSPECTS
Hurricane Energy said it successfully drilled the first exploration well into granite rock beneath the Atlantic waters close to Britain. It said the gusher at its Lancaster field in the West of Shetlands proved that oil could be produced from “fractured basement reservoirs”, describing it as a “game-changer” for the UK.
GLENCORE GETS WITH THE TIMES WITH FIRST FEMALE BOARD MEMBER
Glencore has appointed Patrice Merrin, a Canadian mining veteran, as a non-executive director, becoming the last FTSE 100 company to appoint a woman on its board.
The Independent
YAHOO AND CHERNIN VIE FOR YOUTUBE PARTNER
The internet giant Yahoo is vying to win control of Fullscreen, a media group which creates content for thousands of YouTube channels, amid a land grab for key digital audiences.
FCA BOSSES DEFER BONUSES AMID INSURANCE PROBE
The chief executive of the City watchdog is to defer his annual bonus amid an ongoing probe into a briefing it organised which wiped billions of pounds from the value of UK insurers.
Fly On The Wall 7:00 AM Market Snapshot
ECONOMIC REPORTS
Domestic economic reports scheduled today include:
U of Mich. consumer sentiment index for June at 9:55–consensus 81.9
ANALYST RESEARCH
Upgrades
AmSurg (AMSG) upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at RW Baird
Brooks Automation (BRKS) upgraded to Buy from Hold at Stifel
H.B. Fuller (FUL) upgraded to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank
IPC The Hospitalist Co. (IPCM) upgraded to Outperform from Sector Perform at RBC Capital
Intel (INTC) upgraded to Market Perform from Underperform at Bernstein
Lukoil (LUKOY) upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Barclays
Manitowoc (MTW) upgraded to Hold from Underperform at Jefferies
Downgrades
HollyFrontier (HFC) downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Credit Suisse
LaSalle Hotel (LHO) downgraded to Hold from Buy at MLV & Co.
Manitowoc (MTW) downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at BMO Capital
QLT Inc. (QLTI) downgraded to Sector Perform from Outperform at RBC Capital
Sasol (SSL) downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at Barclays
VeriSign (VRSN) downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Wells Fargo
Initiations
Actavis (ACT) initiated with a Buy at Canaccord
Aetna (AET) initiated with a Neutral at Sterne Agee
Allscripts (MDRX) initiated with a Hold at Topeka
Ampio (AMPE) initiated with a Buy at Jefferies
Analog Devices (ADI) initiated with a Buy at Sterne Agee
Aviv REIT (AVIV) initiated with a Hold at MLV & Co.
BioMed Realty (BMR) initiated with a Hold at MLV & Co.
Centene (CNC) initiated with a Buy at Sterne Agee
Cerner (CERN) initiated with a Buy at Topeka
Cigna (CI) initiated with a Buy at Sterne Agee
Colfax (CFX) initiated with a Buy at Goldman
Computer Programs (CPSI) initiated with a Buy at Topeka
Datawatch (DWCH) initiated with an Outperform at Imperial Capital
Ecopetrol (EC) initiated with an Underweight at Barclays
Endo (ENDP) initiated with a Buy at Canaccord
Flowserve (FLS) initiated with a Sell at Goldman
Health Net (HNT) initiated with a Buy at Sterne Agee
Humana (HUM) initiated with a Neutral at Sterne Agee
ITT Corp. (ITT) initiated with a Neutral at Goldman
InterXion (INXN) initiated with an Outperform at Raymond James
LTC Properties (LTC) initiated with a Buy at MLV & Co.
Molina Healthcare (MOH) initiated with a Buy at Sterne Agee
Pacira Pharmaceuticals (PCRX) initiated with a Buy at Canaccord
Pentair (PNR) initiated with a Neutral at Goldman
Physicians Realty Trust (DOC) initiated with a Buy at MLV & Co.
Sabra Health Care (SBRA) initiated with a Buy at MLV & Co.
Salix (SLXP) initiated with a Buy at Canaccord
Teva (TEVA) initiated with a Hold at Canaccord
UnitedHealth (UNH) initiated with an Underperform at Sterne Agee
WellCare (WCG) initiated with an Underperform at Sterne Agee
COMPANY NEWS
BP (BP), Rosneft signed a $1.5B oil deal. The terms of transaction provide for export deliveries of oil products with possible substitution with oil of up to 12 million tons within 5 years in bulk on a pre-paid basis
Citrix (CTXS) said President and CEO Mark Templeton will not retire as planned
Relational reported an 8.52% stake in Manitowoc (MTW), urges spin-off of food business
Aware (AWRE) announced a $1.75 per share special cash dividend
Nike (NKE) said it is on track to returning China to double digit revenue growth
Bob Evans (BOBE) says Sandell ‘spurned’ efforts to settle proxy fight
EARNINGS
Companies that beat consensus earnings expectations last night and today include:
AZZ Inc. (AZZ), Progress Software (PRGS), Nike (NKE)
Companies that missed consensus earnings expectations include:
Franklin Covey (FC)
DuPont (DD) sees Q2 EPS ‘moderately below’ $1.28, consensus $1.46
DuPont (DD) lowers FY14 EPS outlook to $4.00-$4.10, consensus $4.30
Nike (NKE) sees FY15 revenue growth at high single digit rate, consensus $30.09B
Progress Software (PRGS) sees FY14 EPS $1.38-$1.45, consensus $1.38
Progress Software (PRGS) sees Q3 EPS 32c-35c, consensus 33c
NEWSPAPERS/WEBSITES
GM (GM) documents show senior executive had role in ignition switch, WSJ reports (DLPH)
General Motors (GM) recalling 29K 2013-2014 Chevrolet Cruze vehicles due to airbag issue, CNBC reports
BNP Paribas (BNPQY) expected to plead guilty, pay $8.9B fine, NY Times reports
eBay’s (EBAY) Magneto killing Go product, Re/code reports
Alcoa (AA) acquisition should push stock higher, Barron’s says
A Seeking Alpha contributor, who is short ISIS Pharmaceuticals (ISIS), said that the poor long-term safety and tolerability of Kynamro may also effect the company’s entire second generation antisense pipeline
SYNDICATE
AmSurg (AMSG) 8.5M share Secondary priced at $45.00
Descartes Systems (DSGX) 9.5M share Secondary priced at $13.50
Karyopharm (KPTI) 2.65M share Secondary priced at $42.50
MOKO Social Media (MOKO) 1.1M share IPO priced at $7.50
Michaels Stores (MIK) 27.8M share IPO priced at $17.00
Silvercrest Asset (SAMG) files to sell 6.72M shares for holders
Teekay Offshore Partners (TOO) files to sell $500M of common units
via Zero Hedge http://ift.tt/1wF3x66 Tyler Durden