Record Beef Prices Soaring By 28% Got You Down? Then Drown Your Sorrows In Cheaper Alcohol

The bad news in today’s PPI inflation report: pork prices surged yet again, rising 6.8% on the month, and up 24% from a year ago, while beef/veal costs rose by 2.1% on the month to a record indexed 251.8% (we dread to wade through the BLS “hedonic-adjustment” calculation for that particular food product) and are now up a sticky 27.4% from a year ago, which is just shy of the recent record Y/Y jump of 28.6% posted in August. So for all those who still see no inflation, could you please share you Delmonico’s expense account with the rest of us?

The good news: for the first time in years, booze prices declined from a year ago. So, with compliments of the hoapy president: don’t be moapy and start drinking cheap booze, preferably early and often, as you try to remember – in an alcoholic daze – what beef tastes like.




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Kissinger Warns “We Need A New World Order”; Ukraine Should Forget Crimea & NATO

Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger spoke about global threats, the secession of Crimea and Ukraine’s NATO accession

Mr. Kissinger said that there currently is an urgent need for a new world order, but its coming into being will be long and complicated.

“There are no universally accepted rules,” said Mr. Kissinger in an interview with the German magazine Der Spiegel. “There is the Chinese view, the Islamic view, the Western view and, to some extent, the Russian view. And they really are not always compatible.”

Speaking of Crimea’s accession to Russia, he noted that this is a special case, as Ukraine and Russia were one country for a long time. In his view, the West must recognize its mistakes.

“Europe and America did not understand the impact of these events, starting with the negotiations about Ukraine’s economic relations with the European Union and culminating in the demonstrations in Kiev,” said Mr. Kissinger. “All these, and their impact, should have been the subject of a dialogue with Russia.”

He is sure that Ukraine has always had a special significance for Russia. Failure to understand this was fatal, and the Ukrainian authorities can forget about the Crimean peninsula.

“Nobody in the West has offered a concrete program to restore Crimea,” said Mr. Kissinger. “Nobody is willing to fight over eastern Ukraine.”

In his opinion, introducing anti-Russian sanctions was a mistake.

We have to remember that Russia is an important part of the international system, and therefore useful in solving all sorts of other crises, for example in the agreement on nuclear proliferation with Iran or over Syria,” Mr. Kissinger said. “This has to have preference over a tactical escalation in a specific case.”

He added that Ukraine should not hope to become a member of NATO in the foreseeable future, as the alliance will never vote unanimously for the accession of Ukraine.

Source: Strategic Culture Foundation

*  *  *

Our advice to Mr Kissinger – don’t take any private jet flights out of Moscow anytime soon.




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Middle Schoolers Suspended for Pretending to Smoke Candy

SmartiesAt least three New Mexico middle
school students have been suspended for 10 days for inappropriately
consuming Smarties. No, that’s not code for some hip new drug; we
are talking about the sweet-and-sour candies sold in a roll and
given out to unlucky kids on Halloween. The Clovis Municipal School
District classifies them as drugs and says the kids were snorting
them.

The mom of one of the kids told KRQE
News 13
 that in fact the kids were fake-smoking them. That
is, they were crushing up the Smarties, putting the powder back in
the cellophane, rolling it up like a cigarette and puffing it out,
so it would look like smoke. “They were horseplaying,” said Kelly
Cook, mom of one of the candy-crazed miscreants. (You can find more
stories of Smarties suspensions here.)

Smoking or snorting, these kids were not taking drugs any more
than eating M&Ms is popping pills. But the school insists that
Smarties are extra scary and verboten:

News 13 asked the district Thursday what
policy they’re using in this case and if they have a specific rule
against Smarties at school. They say they couldn’t
comment and referred us to their student handbook. News 13
looked at it thoroughly and nowhere could we find Smarties
classified as a drug or even a mention of the candy.

So the school is the one that’s blowing smoke. It has advised
the kids’ parents that they may want to bring legal counsel to a
“fact finding” scheduled for Nov. 19. What’s more, the school
retains the right to actually expel the boys for their Smartie
party. It’s enough to drive you to the hard stuff.

free-range-kidsYou know, like Life
Savers.

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Why Not Books?: “Sweden Mulls ‘Sexist’ Video Game Labels”

So Sweden’s video game trade association
and the country’s “government-funded innovation agency, Vinnova”
(god help us all) are talking about rating video games on the
grounds of “sexism.” Reports the English-language site The
Local:

Project manager Anton Albiin said it was unclear at this stage
if all games produced in Sweden would be given a label, or if
companies developing games that promoted equality would be given
some kind of certification to use for their own marketing
purposes….

“I do not know of any other project in the world asking
this question and of course we want Sweden to be a beacon in this
area”.

He said that as well as analysing the content of the
games, Dataspelsbranchen would also look at the processes used by
different developers to promote gender equality and diversity, with
a view to “helping others to learn from their
innovation”….

“…games can be about fantasy but they can be so much
more than this. They can also be a form of cultural expression –
reflecting society or the society we are hoping for. Games can help
us to create more diverse workplaces and can even change the way we
think about things”.

Given the questions about sexism in the gaming world
raised by #gamergate, I think it’s kind of interesting to think
about why video games (or comic books, say, or pop music) get
singled out for such state-supported or state-mandated re-education
processes rather than, say, opera or novels. How many folks would
feel good about reading this?:

Project manager Anton Albiin
said it was unclear at this stage if all novels
produced in Sweden would be given a label, or if
publishers developing novels that
promoted equality would be given some kind of certification to use
for their own marketing purposes….

“I do not know of any other project in the world asking this
question and of course we want Sweden to be a beacon in this
area”.

He said that as well as analysing the content of the
novels, Dataspelsbranchen would also look at the
processes used by different developers to promote gender equality
and diversity, with a view to “helping others to learn from their
innovation”….

“…novels can be about fantasy but they can be
so much more than this. They can also be a form of cultural
expression – reflecting society or the society we are hoping for.
Novels can help us to create more diverse
workplaces and can even change the way we think about things”.

More
here.

Of course, you can see the glimmerings of such semi-official
sanctions for works of “art” in the movement toward so-called
trigger warnings at U.S. colleges. But I’m guessing that the
bluebloods at Hachette and other publishing houses would flip their
wigs if a government agency doled out a grant to study the sagacity
of putting warning labels or “some kind of certification” on books
based on their accordance with a politically correct vision of
cultural commisars. The difference, of course, is that video games
are “just” entertainment, right, whereas novels (now, anyway) are
“art.” And you don’t fuck with art because only educated people,
smart people, wealthy people – people like us! – consume
art.


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A.M. Links: U.S. to Review How It Negotiates With Terrorists, Net Neutrality Could Be Back Door for Internet Tax, Charles Manson Getting Married

  • Charles MansonThe
    FBI is warning that the grand jury decision in
    Ferguson
     over whether to indict Officer Darren Wilson for
    the killing of Michael Brown will likely lead to violence.
  • Three Americans were among four worshippers killed in an an
    attack on a Jerusalem synagogue.
  • President Obama ordered a review of how the
    United States
    negotiates with terrorists.
  • A member of the
    Federal Communications Commission
    warned net neutrality would
    be a back door for an Internet tax.
  • Republican campaigns and outside groups may have used
    Twitter
    to communicate polling data without running afoul of
    laws prohibiting campaign coordination.  
  • The latest potential candidate for president in 2016 is Gov.

    Jerry Brown
    (D-Ca.), who tried to run for president in the
    1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.
  • Charles Manson and his 26-year-old fiancée
    Afton Burton
    received a marriage license.

Follow Reason on Twitter, and
like us on Facebook. You
can also get the top stories mailed to you—sign up
here
.

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Wholesale Inflation Heats Up Due To Jump In Car, Food Costs, New Calculation Method

Janet Yellen will be pleased, or maybe not. Producer Price Inflation printed hotter than expected across all its various incarnations (good news, no deflation; bad news, no deflation excuse for The Fed). Ex Food-and-Energy prices rose 1.8% YoY (4-month highs), considerably more than the 1.5% expectations and surged 0.4% MoM – the most in 16 months. PPI Final Demand rose 1.5% YoY (1.3% exp).

The rise in PPI appears driven by Food prices which are up 1.0% (the most since April), car prices (up 1.0%) and pharmaceuticals, but mostly thanks to a new calculation change because as the BLS reports, “In October, a 26.1-percent jump in margins for fuels and lubricants retailing accounted for nearly 40 percent of the increase in the index for final demand services.”  In other words, of the 0.5% jump in PPI services, 40% was due to a new calculation for in margins for fuels and lubricants retailing.

Away from calculation-fudged services, the story was much different: prices for final demand goods moved down 0.4 percent, the worst monthly tumble in over a year.

So on one hand running hot.

 

Except for actual goods, which were dragged down by a whopping 3.0% plunge in energy prices, mostly thanks to gasoline.

The breakdown:

Some more details on what caused the move:

  • Final demand services: The index for final demand services moved up 0.5 percent in October, the largest increase since a 0.5-percent rise in July 2013. The October advance can be traced to a 1.5-percent increase in margins for final demand trade services. (Trade indexes measure changes in margins received by wholesalers and retailers.) Prices for final demand services less trade, transportation, and warehousing inched up 0.1 percent. Conversely, the index for final demand transportation and warehousing services edged down 0.1 percent.
  • Product detail: In October, a 26.1-percent jump in margins for fuels and lubricants retailing accounted for nearly 40 percent of the increase in the index for final demand services. The indexes for machinery, equipment, parts, and supplies wholesaling; food and alcohol retailing; food and alcohol wholesaling; inpatient care; and traveler accommodation services also moved higher. In contrast, prices for airline passenger services declined 0.7 percent. The indexes for loan services (partial) and for chemicals and allied products wholesaling also decreased
  • Final demand goods: The index for final demand goods moved down 0.4 percent in October, the fourth consecutive decrease. The October decline was led by prices for final demand energy, which fell 3.0 percent. The index for final demand goods less foods and energy edged down 0.1 percent. Conversely, prices for final demand foods moved up 1.0 percent.
  • Product detail: Over 80 percent of the October decline in prices for final demand goods can be attributed to the index for gasoline, which dropped 5.8 percent. Prices for liquefied petroleum gas, prepared animal feeds, home heating oil, diesel fuel, and ethanol also moved lower. In contrast, the index for meats increased 5.3 percent. Prices for electric power, pharmaceutical preparations, and passenger cars also advanced.
  • The index for finished consumer foods rose 1.4 percent, and prices for finished goods less foods and energy edged up 0.1 percent.

The best news: prices of alcoholic beverages dropped both from September (-0.4%), and a year ago (-0.3%).




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US Equity-Credit Divergence: A Warning

Authored by RCube Global Asset Management, orginally posted at Marconomy blog,

"One thorn of experience is worth a whole wilderness of warning." – James Russell Lowell, American poet.

Please find below a great guest post from our good friends at Rcube Global Asset Management. In this post our friends go through the growing divergence in the US between credit and equities:

Major equity / Credit divergences should always be taken very seriously.

They were among the best forward looking indicators at almost every major turning point for equities over the last 20 years.

To recap:

In 1998, equities were rallying hard, but US HY spreads failed to print new lows. Instead, they started widening in late 1997. Credit was telling us back then that Asia and Russia were severely slowing down while corporate balance sheet health was deteriorating. It preceded the 1998 crash.
In 1999/2000, the divergence was even more pronounced. The S&P500 not only recovered from the Asian crisis but rallied strongly during the Tech bubble. US HY spreads had bottomed 3 years earlier! Corporate balance sheet were at the time very stretched. As a result, banks were tightening lending standards. The equity market eventually crashed, tracking the signal sent by widening credit spreads.

During 2007/2008, credit spreads bottomed in May 2007 and started widening immediately after, while equities kept moving higher for another 5 months (October 2007). Spreads were telling us just like in 2000 that private sector leverage had reach such an elevated level that banks were starting to close the credit flows. Again, the divergence timed the bear market that followed.
 
 
In 2008/2009, spreads topped out in December while equities made new lows that were not confirmed by a new high on HY spreads. At that time, corporate balance sheet had started to adjust violently to the crisis. Capex had been cut to zero, the corporate sector was issuing equity (net positive liquidity impact) and cash flows had already bottomed and were starting to rise. Balance sheet health was improving, as evidenced by tightening credit spreads. The bullish divergence timed the end of the bear market.
 
 
In 2011, spreads bottomed in February while equities made a new high in April, as spreads widened further due to the European sovereign crisis. Equities reversed shortly after.
 
 
Today, the divergence is visible again. US High Yield spreads bottomed in June and have widened substantially since then. Equities are still printing new highs. Are US HY spreads telling us that global growth is weaker than expected, a message also sent by flattening yield curves, depressed bond yields, defensive massive outperformance relative to cyclicals. Is it Europe? Russia? Emerging Markets?
 
 
The fact that all this is happening while bullish sentiment in the US is at record highs is of particular worry. Everyone is expecting higher equities due to lower yields and depressed food and energy prices. But when everyone is thinking alike, no one is really thinking….
 
 
 
 
The expanding wedge pattern, has a target for US equities below the October low.
 
 
 
Investors should at least start hedging risk. The most aggressive can simply trade the downside. Volatility has crashed, especially on the very short expiries, as no one is expecting any hiccups before early 2015. This makes short dated puts quite attractive.
"History is a vast early warning system." – Norman Cousins, American author




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Realized Vol Tumbles To 9 Year Low: “Hallmark Qualities Of A Healthy Market”

A few weeks after VIX, aka market implied vol, soared from the mid teens to 30 following the Trasury flash crash and the subsequent near correction in the market before the much publicized James Bullard stick save of the “wealth effect”, VIX has since tumbled and at last check was once again trading in the 13/14 range, above the recent all time lows hit over the summer, even as the market continues to levitate on zero volume to ever higher record highs. Yet something is off: as those who have been following the S&P500 in the past 6 days, where the S&P closed at the following prints; 2038, 2039, 2038, 2039, 2039, 2041, this is the narrowest 6 day market range in well… ever.

So what does this mean for that other volatility, actual realized? As Newedge’s Brad Wishak points out, “30 days ago 5 day realized was printing 2yr highs (28%) vs 1% y’day.” He also notes that the only lower realized vol print in the past decade was in September 2005.

His conclusion: “hallmark qualities of a healthy market indeed.

He is being sarcastic.




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Frontrunning: November 18

  • Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Calls Snap Election (WSJ) – as repeatedly priced in…
  • Flash Boys Raising Volatility in Wild New Treasury Market (BBG)
  • Not Greece again: Greek Bailout Review Stalls as Troika Demands Final Steps (BBG)
  • Iran uses China bank to transfer funds to Quds-linked companies (Reuters)
  • Porn Mags With Free Madrid Theater Tickets in Tax Protest (BBG)
  • Hong Kong, China stocks ease on profit-taking after stock connect launch (Reuters) – Hang Seng down 500 points in past 2 days
  • Halliburton Mega-Deal Sealed by CEOs Over Coke and Coffee (BBG)
  • Wall Street to Reap $316 Million From Day of Mega Deals (BBG)
  • Mass murderer Charles Manson gets marriage license, state says (Reuters)
  • RBA’s Stevens Says Economy Needs Low Rates for Some Time Yet (BBG)
  • Small Towns Go to Bat for Wall Street Banks (WSJ)
  • German Investor Confidence Rebounds as Recession Averted (BBG)
  • NATO leader sees ‘serious military buildup’ in Ukraine, urges Russia to pull back troops (Reuters)
  • Youngest Oil Tycoon Finds Fortune After Washout as Trader (BBG)
  • U.K. Annual Inflation Accelerates in October, Remains Below BOE Target (WSJ)

 

Overnight Media Digest

WSJ

* The Obama administration is undertaking a review of how it handles cases of U.S. citizens held captive by extremists abroad, according to a letter from a top Pentagon official made public Monday. (http://on.wsj.com/1uokSjl)

* Hong Kong officials began clearing the fringe of the main location of a two-month-long pro-democracy demonstration, in the start of the city’s effort to dislodge the encampments and ease the political standoff. (http://on.wsj.com/11fbm86)

* A Federal Reserve plan that could stop big banks from owning oil pipelines, metals warehouses and other physical-commodity assets is sounding alarm bells hundreds of miles from Wall Street. (http://on.wsj.com/1t6IpSe)

* The federal government’s safety-net program for private pensions is running a near $62 billion long-term deficit, largely due to long-standing problems in a type of pension plan that is common in transportation, construction and some other industries. The problems are likely to bankrupt the federal safety-net program for so-called multiemployer pension plans within the next decade. (http://on.wsj.com/1uI8R9M)

* Actavis PLC agreed to pay $66 billion in cash and stock for Allergan Inc in a deal that appears to have prevented a hostile takeover of the Botox maker by Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. (http://on.wsj.com/1xhdb0F)

* A 2013 recall of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV’s 1.6 million Jeeps over fuel-tank fires is becoming increasingly fraught as customers report a lack of parts and other problems preventing repairs to the vehicles. The challenges were highlighted last week when a Michigan woman died 15 miles from Chrysler Group’s headquarters in a Jeep that had been recalled nearly 16 months earlier. (http://on.wsj.com/1uogwZx)

* Samsung Electronics said it would reduce the number of smartphone models it offers next year, part of a move to cut costs to combat declining profit. It would cut the number of models by about 25 percent to 30 percent, Robert Yi, head of investor relations, said during a presentation in New York. (http://on.wsj.com/1wR87ML)

* Sub-Saharan Africa has long lagged the West in corporate-governance practices, but a growing number of African companies have adopted International Financial Reporting Standards to attract global investors. (http://on.wsj.com/1qQK0LS)

* Sprint Corp’s new Chief Executive Marcelo Claure is shuffling top executives as he tries to turn around the nation’s struggling, third-place wireless carrier. In the memo, Claure named more than two dozen executives who are part of his core leadership team and announced two new positions of chief experience officer and chief procurement officer. (http://on.wsj.com/1Hc2sJt)

* Merck & Co’s drug Zetia proved effective at reducing risk of heart attacks, strokes and other heart problems in a long-awaited trial, marking a milestone in the 40-year-old battle to fight cardiovascular disease by lowering cholesterol. (http://on.wsj.com/11fd8WK)

* SunEdison Inc and clean-power plant subsidiary TerraForm Power Inc are buying Boston-based renewable-energy company First Wind for $2.4 billion, a deal that would make SunEdison the world’s largest renewable-energy-development company. (http://on.wsj.com/1xyQzdE)

* Shipping freight rates from Asia to Europe, the world’s busiest trade route, logged their biggest-ever weekly drop, as European growth is stagnating and Japan just fell back into recession. Analysts said they expected further shipping-rate weakness because the peak demand season for Asian exports ahead of the end-of-year holidays is already over. (http://on.wsj.com/1u4hPcB)

* Honda Motor Co is pushing back the mass-market introduction of its fuel-cell car as it deals with the fallout from a series of safety recalls. Honda now plans to start selling its first mass-market fuel-cell car, which runs on hydrogen and emits only water vapor and heat, in Japan by the end of March 2016 instead of during 2015, Chief Executive Takanobu Ito said. (http://on.wsj.com/11kCiCT)

* The most active mergers-and-acquisitions market in years sped into an even higher gear, as companies took advantage of rising stock prices to announce more than $100 billion in takeover deals. (http://on.wsj.com/1u4a4mV)

 

FT

Former BP PLC chief Lord Browne will step down as the UK government’s most senior business person in Whitehall, halfway through his second term.

British soldiers will be able to use their own smartphones in the line of duty for the first time, while pilots will be carrying iPads as part of a overhaul of digital security measures by defence chiefs.

Insurance claims processor Quindell PLC has responded to months of turmoil by ejecting Rob Terry, its founder and chairman, in a dramatic attempt to revive investor confidence.

Marshall Bailey, president of the ACI Financial Markets Association, has admitted that a shift to regulated, exchange-based trading may be advantageous after the recent rate-rigging scandal

 

NYT

* Federal prosecutors are wrestling with whether to file a civil fraud lawsuit against Angelo Mozilo, the former chief executive of Countrywide Financial, which was at the center of the subprime mortgage boom and bust, people briefed on the matter say. (http://nyti.ms/1xK5wXK)

* Allergan Inc agreed on Monday to be acquired for $66 billion by Actavis Plc in a deal worth $219 a share in cash and stock. It would be the third-largest healthcare deal ever in the United States, according to Standard & Poor’s Capital IQ. (http://nyti.ms/1AaMrRS)

* SunEdison Inc and its publicly traded power plant subsidiary, TerraForm, said on Monday that they would buy First Wind, a leading developer and operator of wind farms, for $2.4 billion. (http://nyti.ms/1xyT4MM)

* The United States Marshals Service announced on Monday that it would auction 50,000 Bitcoins, worth around $19 million, seized in connection with the now-defunct online bazaar Silk Road. (http://nyti.ms/1xhoqq5)

* Goldman Sachs Group Inc executives will again come in for a grilling at a congressional hearing this Thursday. Two of the bank’s executives, along with executives from JPMorgan Chase & Co and Morgan Stanley, will appear at a hearing that will examine the role that Wall Street banks play in the commodities markets. (http://nyti.ms/1uowpzh)

 

Canada

THE GLOBE AND MAIL

** Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative Party have retained a pair of seats in by-elections on Monday evening, despite a surge by the Liberal Party in the riding formerly held by Jim Flaherty, Canada’s finance minister. (http://bit.ly/1qjrt08)

** The chair of Canada’s largest school board is calling on Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne’s government to intervene with the board’s highest ranking staffer, alleging that director of education Donna Quan has blocked trustees from probing controversial payments and partnerships. (http://bit.ly/14DBsDG)

** The Competition Bureau is investigating Loblaw Cos Ltd pricing strategies in a probe that is demanding that some of the chain’s key suppliers hand over secret records about their dealings with the grocery giant. (http://bit.ly/1xiBzz2)

NATIONAL POST

** Calvin Nicol, a 31-year-old piercer and tattoo artist was walking home from work along Rideau Street at about 7 p.m. on Nov. 1 when he was attacked by at least four males who Nicol believes singled him out because of his unique look. (http://bit.ly/1yhDodR)

** After release from a U.S. prison, Canada’s embattled Mafia boss Vito Rizzuto summoned top henchmen to secret meetings in Cuba and the Dominican Republic to plot revenge on rivals, a court in Italy has heard. (http://bit.ly/14DLNPR)

** Activist investor Sandell Asset Management Corp is urging pipeline and power giant TransCanada Corp to make big changes to its corporate structure in order to boost its share price. (http://bit.ly/1xLk8pW)

 

China

– Shanghai’s prestigious Fudan University estimated China’s economic growth will reach 7.37 percent this year, it said in its monthly survey of economic and financial data on Monday.

SECURITIES TIMES

 
– China’s financial institutions purchased a net 66 billion yuan ($10.79 billion) foreign exchange in October, the highest in five months, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) said on Monday.

SHANGHAI SECURITIES NEWS

– Chinese bourses will release an alcohol index in December which will include 25 firms involved in making fiery liquor baijiu, beer and wine, according to the China Securities Index Co Ltd.

CHINA DAILY

– China plans to accelerate the creation of laws covering activities in space, Tian Yulong, secretary-general of the China National Space Administration said on Monday. China landed a probe, the “Jade Rabbit”, on the moon last year.

21st CENTURY BUSINESS HERALD

– China will push forward with price reforms given the current low readings for the consumer price index (CPI) and the producer price index (PPI), Chinese premier Li Keqiang said at a State Council meeting on Saturday.

PEOPLE’S DAILY

– China’s economic development will be driven by continued reforms and innovation, the paper which acts as a mouthpiece for the ruling Communist Party, said in a commentary.

Britain

The Times Christmas turkeys in bird-flu zone as 6,000 ducks are culled

Farms rearing turkeys for Christmas have been restricted from moving their poultry after the first serious outbreak of bird flu in six years. (http://thetim.es/1ETwjSN)

Church of England to allow women bishops After the general synod voted to permit their consecration, the Archbishop of Canterbury has said half of the most senior bishoprics in the Church of England could be held by women in 10 years’ time. (http://thetim.es/1A8CULb)

The Guardian MPs’ report on tax compliance finds HMRC to be slow to take action HM Revenue and Customs is “unacceptably slow” at taking action against tax avoiders, which in turn is reducing the government’s ability to raise revenue, MPs have concluded. (http://bit.ly/1wQwKJd)

Higher Education Commission challenges funding sustainability The long-term consequences of the government’s changes to funding of England’s universities have been called into question by an influential think tank. A report by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) out on Tuesday said measures taken by the coalition had put the sector on a long-term footing that was “far from clear” and criticised politicians for failing to address how to safeguard higher education amid “significant and uncertain future liabilities”. (http://bit.ly/11m8Axp)

The Telegraph

Vodafone in talks with Sky to sell Now TV with broadband Vodafone is in talks to join forces with Sky by basing its forthcoming television service on Now TV, the broadcaster’s Internet streaming set-top box. (http://bit.ly/1vl77Vq) Supermarket groups must close one in five stores, says Goldman Sachs Britain’s biggest supermarket groups must close one in five shops in order to turn around their performance, analysts at Goldman Sachs have warned. (http://bit.ly/1ycM4lT)

Sky News

Controversial Quindell Boss Quits In Clearout Rob Terry, the controversial chairman of Quindell PLC, the listed insurance claims processor, is to step down following a turbulent few months during which billions of pounds have been wiped off its value. (http://bit.ly/1uG9JvC)

M&S Hires John Lewis’s Helen Weir As CFO Marks & Spencer has poached a top executive from the John Lewis Partnership to be its new chief financial officer as the rival retailers enter the crucial Christmas trading period. (http://bit.ly/11wUsm4) The Independent

Bank of England’s Mark Carney says crooked bankers should have pay and bonuses slashed to avoid wrongdoing Mark Carney has claimed bankers’ fixed pay as well as their bonuses should be cut if they behave badly in an effort to reinforce accountability in the City. (http://ind.pn/1t5VqLO)

David Cameron warns of new global economic crisis David Cameron has said the world is on the brink of a second global economic disaster, six years after the crash that “brought the world to its knees”. (http://ind.pn/1xyqBGY)

 

Fly On The Wall Pre-Market Buzz

ECONOMIC REPORTS
Domestic economic reports scheduled for today include:
Producer Price Index final demand for October at 8:30–consensus down 0.1%
NAHB housing market index for November at 10:00–consensus 55.0

ANALYST RESEARCH

Upgrades

Discovery (DISCA) upgraded to Neutral from Sell at Citigroup
Manitowoc (MTW) upgraded to Buy from Hold at Jefferies
Prestige Brands (PBH) upgraded to Hold from Underperform at Jefferies
Sony (SNE) upgraded to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank
Terex (TEX) upgraded to Buy from Hold at Jefferies
Thoratec (THOR) upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse
Trinseo (TSE) upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Citigroup
Wright Medical (WMGI) upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Barclays

Downgrades

Allergan (AGN) downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at William Blair
Allergan (AGN) downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Guggenheim
Allergan (AGN) downgraded to Neutral from Buy at SunTrust
Associated Estates (aec) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Cantor
Basic Energy (BAS) downgraded to Neutral from Buy at SunTrust
CBS (CBS) downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at Atlantic Equities
Himax (HIMX) downgraded to Perform from Outperform at Oppenheimer
Key Energy (KEG) downgraded to Neutral from Buy at SunTrust
Macy’s (M) downgraded to Neutral from Buy at BofA/Merrill
Statoil (STO) downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at JPMorgan
Urban Outfitters (URBN) downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Telsey Advisory
Urban Outfitters (URBN) downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at William Blair
Urban Outfitters (URBN) downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at Atlantic Equities
Walter Investment (WAC) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Evercore ISI
Wells Fargo (WFC) downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at BMO Capital

Initiations

AK Steel (AKS) initiated with a Market Perform at BMO Capital
Alcoa (AA) initiated with a Market Perform at BMO Capital
Alpha Natural (ANR) initiated with an Underperform at BMO Capital
Arch Coal (ACI) initiated with an Underperform at BMO Capital
CGI Group (GIB) initiated with an Overweight at Barclays
CONSOL (CNX) initiated with an Outperform at BMO Capital
Century Aluminum (CENX) initiated with an Outperform at BMO Capital
Core Laboratories (CLB) initiated with a Buy at SunTrust
Dril-Quip (DRQ) initiated with a Buy at SunTrust
Eagle Point Credit (ECC) initiated with a Buy at Deutsche Bank
Electronic Arts (EA) initiated with an Overweight at Barclays
Forum Energy (FET) initiated with a Buy at SunTrust
Helix Energy (HLX) initiated with a Buy at SunTrust
Intersil (ISIL) initiated with an Outperform at Northland
New Senior (SNR) initiated with a Buy at Compass Point
Noranda Aluminum (NOR) initiated with an Outperform at BMO Capital
OM Asset Management  (OMAM) initiated with a Market Perform at Wells Fargo
OM Asset Management  (OMAM) initiated with a Neutral at Citigroup
OM Asset Management  (OMAM) initiated with an Outperform at Keefe Bruyette
OM Asset Management  (OMAM) initiated with an Outperform at RBC Capital
Open Text (OTEX) initiated with an Overweight at Barclays
Steel Dynamics (STLD) initiated with an Outperform at BMO Capital
Stillwater Mining (SWC) initiated with an Outperform at BMO Capital
Superior Energy (SPN) initiated with a Buy at SunTrust
Tesoro (TSO) coverage resumed with a Conviction Buy at Goldman
U.S. Silica (SLCA) initiated with a Buy at SunTrust

COMPANY NEWS

IBM (IBM) signed EUR 1B contract with Lufthansa (DLAKY)
Sony (SNE) targeting FY17 Pictures sales $10B-$11B, Music sales $4.8B-$5.2B
Disney Movies Anywhere (DIS) now available through Walmart (WMT) VUDU service
SunEdison (SUNE), TerraForm Power (TERP) to acquire First Wind for $2.4B
Xilinx (XLNX) announced an $800M share repurchase plan
Forest Oil (FST) to sell Arkoma Basin natural gas properties for after-tax cash proceeds of approximately $185M
NeoStem (NBS) announced initial positive data from Phase 2 PreSERVE AMI clinical trial

EARNINGS

Companies that beat consensus earnings expectations last night and today include:
Home Depot (HD), Corium (CORI)

Companies that missed consensus earnings expectations include:
Jacobs Engineering (JEC), Agilent (A), Urban Outfitters (URBN)

Home Depot (HD) backs FY14 EPS view of about $4.54, consensus $4.50
Jacobs Engineering (JEC) sees FY15 EPS $3.35-$3.85, consensus $3.76
AirMedia (AMCN) reports Q3 EPS (10c) vs.(6c) in Q313
EarthLink (ELNK) sees FY14 adjusted EBITDA $206M-$213M
Inter Parfums (IPAR) sees FY15 EPS 95c-98c, consensus $1.14

NEWSPAPERS/WEBSITES

Sprint’s (S) Chief Marketing Officer to leave company, WSJ reports
Blackstone (BX) to sell 1095 Ave. of the Americas for $2.25B, WSJ reports
Sony (SNE) looking to boost movie entertainment revenue, Reuters reports
AstraZeneca (AZN): ‘Hard to comment’ on whether Pfizer (PFE) will come back, Reuters reports
Nokia (NOK) to launch Android tablet, FT reports (GOOG)
Amtrak files complaint against CSX (CSX), Norfolk Southern (NSC), RailwayAge reports
Halliburton (HAL) could bring ‘substantial gains,’ Barron’s says

SYNDICATE

Advanced Drainage (WMS) files to sell 10M shares for holders
Amicus Therapeutics (FOLD) files to sell $75M in common stock
Continental Building (CBPX) files to sell 7M shares for holders
CorEnergy (CORR) files to sell 13M shares of common stock
Essent Group (ESNT) files to sell 13.8M shares of common stock
GoPro (GPRO) files to sell 9.07M shares for holders
La Quinta (LQ) files to sell 20M shares for holders
Moelis (MC) commences public offering of 5.5M shares of Class A common stock
Pinnacle Foods (PF) announces offering of 20M shares for holders
Receptos (RCPT) files to sell common stock
Rockwell Medical (RMTI) proposes $55M common stock offering
Transgenomic Inc (TBIO) files to sell 1.1M shares for holders

 

 




via Zero Hedge http://ift.tt/1uDlwv5 Tyler Durden

Heather Schlegel: The Future of Money

BitcoinThe
dizzying rise of Bitcoin demonstrates that money can be more than
just pieces of paper issued by central governments. As
decentralized computerized networks proliferate, we have entered an
era where middlemen are getting squeezed and consumer choice is
multiplying. Governments have always wanted to maintain a strong
grip on money-for tax purposes, if nothing else-but the way money
is made, distributed, and valued could soon change drastically.
Here are four (not mutually exclusive) ways money might mutate as
we move into a future where convenience and choice are more
powerful than government command.

View this article.

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