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To add Benzinga News as your preferred source on Google, click here.
Friday . March 4, 2016
Macro
N. Korea makes nuclear threat (North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un commanded his military to be ready for nuclear strikes at any given moment.) Reuters
Crude prices climb after US oil output falls for 6th week Reuters
Small businesses report improving prospects, easier access to loans Washington Post
Employment gains seen accelerating in February Reuters
Friday: Employment Report, Trade Deficit (Hotel occupancy is for the most part following last years.) Calculated Risk
Companies
TUMi SMSOF Samsonite Confirms Deal to Buy Tumi (Samsonite International SA said Thursday it decided to purchase luxury luggage maker Tumi Holdings Inc. for around $1.8 billion.) WSJ
AMCX CKEC AMC Entertainment to buy Carmike in a deal valued at $1.1 bln
AMC's deal to buy Carmike would make it largest U.S. theater chain LA Times
IM Perseus Books Sells Distribution Unit to Ingram (The agreement comes a couple days after Perseus sold its publishing business to the Hachette Book Group.) NY Times
NHNCF Messaging app Line plans up to $3 bln dual IPO in NY and Tokyo -IFR Reuters
Pharmaceuticals - Healthcare - Biotech
Entertainment
Gaming
South Korea's largest mobile gaming company mandates 4 banks for IPO: IFR
Social Media - Unicorns - Virtual Reality
Travel - Hotel
Auto
Retail
Apple - Apple Pay
PCs - Mobile - Tablets
Internet of Things - Drones
Energy - Commodities
More Chinese farmers move out of poverty Xinhua
Coal-rich Chinese province eyes shale gas exploitation Xinhua
Europe
China
Asia
Asian shares head for best week in five months, US job data eyed Reuters
Japan halts US Okinawa base expansion BBC
International
Middle East - Africa
MQBKY ZURVY Macquarie sells insurance unit to Zurich Insurance (Macquarie Group Ltd. has decided to sell its life insurance business to the Australian branch of Zurich Insurance Group AG a move the Australian bank said mirrored the need for significant scale to fuel returns in the capital.) WSJ
BLK FNF Mutual Funds Sour on Startup Stakes (Fidelity and other giants are decreasing the value of their investments in young companies at a quickening speed and making less new investments.) WSJ
PANW FEYE CYBR iMPV LOCK (not mentioned) The security system that IRS provided to tax-fraud victims just got hacked (The IRS commissioner stated that the issue resulted in great "aggravation" for certain taxpayers but referred to it as a "relatively minor problem.”) Washington Post
HPE HP Enterprise's Results Reassure Investors on Tech Spending (Hewlett Packard Enterprise sent positive signals about corporate technology demand, however currency issues still bore down on its revenue.) WSJ
GOOG This Google program lets you buy things with little more than a smile (Google Hands Free is another payment program that allows you to pay with only your initials.) Washington Post
GOOG Google testing 100KW radio transmitter in New Mexico, possibly related to Project Skybender: Report Tech2
KBH DHi LEN PHM (not mentioned) Home Builders Slowed by Permit Delays (U.S. home costs and rents are increasing, however developers are having issues meeting demand due to understaffed city governments resulting in delays in receiving permits.) WSJ
HD LOW LL (not mentioned) Home 'flipping' exceeds peaks in some hot US housing markets Reuters
AMBA GPRO Ambarella Posts 71% Profit Drop (Ambarella Inc., a primary chip provider to recently faltering GoPro Inc., has documented a profit drop of 71% for the fourth quarter.) WSJ
WPPGY WPP Group profit rises despite currency headwinds (The world's biggest marketing company by revenue, net profit increased last year in spite of strong currency headwinds in the latter half of the year.) WSJ
BA AiR.PA Iran Invites Boeing for Talks, a Stride Toward Business Ties With the U.S. NY Times
DD New Teflon Toxin Causes Cancer in Lab Animals (shell game) The Intercept
DD DOW Dow Chemical head in line for $52m payout (Andrew Liveris is prepared to walk out in 2017 after merger with DuPont.) Financial Times
SF PJC BAC (not mentioned) Brokers Brace for Tighter Standard on Retirement Accounts (A change they say will increase compliance costs and could make them drop middle-class clients.) WSJ
BKS Why Barnes & Noble Isn't Going Away Yet (sales decline may have levelled off) NY Times
PHG CREE (not mentioned) LED makers step into automotive lighting Digitimes
TSM QCOM SSNLF Smartphone AP suppliers to team up with TSMC to compete with Qualcomm-Samsung in 10nm chip market Digitimes
Norway's Bulk Invest Files for Bankruptcy (latest dry bulk shipper) WSJ
Delta Lloyd in Rights Issue Dispute With Highfields (Dutch insurer Delta Lloyd is caught in a public argument with Highfields Capital Management.) WSJ
SWHC Smith & Wesson just reported a blockbuster quarter and says demand for guns is through the roof Business Insider
Obama: 20 million people gain coverage under 2010 health law Washington Post
WBMD (not mentioned) Verily Is Building A Google For Medical Information Fast Company
MYGN (not mentioned) University College, London Immune cell breakthrough in cancer fight (A landmark revelation into the genetic makeup of tumours has the possibility to open a new front in the battle with cancer.) Financial Times
SIX SSNLF Six Flags Magic Mountain to add virtual reality to a coaster LA Times
NFLX GOOG Censored movie parts will now be barred on the internet, including YouTube and Netflix Tech2
AMZN Amazon pushes Prime to extend its reach (Online retailer attaches hopes to broadening services to lift sales outside North America.) Financial Times
LEO The mobile gaming company LeoVegas publishes prospectus for listing on Nasdaq First North Premier Press Release
WYNN LVS (not mentioned) Economy secretary cautious about gaming revenue Macau Business
UBSFY Learning from Destiny, Ubisoft details a year of content for The Division Venture Beat
MSFT TCEHY Epic Games: Microsoft can't be allowed to control PC gaming engadget
FB Facebook will pay 'millions' more in UK tax The Verge
FB Virtual-Reality Movies: Get Ready for the Revolution (VR headsets, similar to the Oculus Rift, can pull you in the action like never before.) WSJ
FB GOOG SNE Virtual Reality Trailblazer (VR has been the go to word in entertainment gatherings for a long time now, however it has increased saturation in the past year with Hollywood studios.) Film Ink
FB SNE Is 2016 The Year For Virtual Reality? KMUW
TWTR AAPL Apple launches support page on Twitter, instantly gets 50k followers Reuters
APPL TWTR Apple Will Now Field Your Questions At Its Customer Service Twitter Account Fast Company
SNAP FNF Snapchat Raises $175 Million From Fidelity at Flat $16 Billion Valuation (Snapchat Inc. has gathered $175 million in new funding from Fidelity Investments.) WSJ
DB “Hugely Bullish” On Virtual Reality But Challenges Remain (Virtual reality is becoming more tangible, as demand is going over expectations.) Value News
DIS Pixar Alums Focus on the Feelings on Virtual Reality (Before we can go into the rich, immersive worlds promised by today's prophets of virtual reality, someone has to know how to make them.) Inverse
Session Preview: Your Brain on Virtual Reality (Get the SXSW GO mobile app; Start constructing your Online Schedule.) SxSW
SSNLF APPL GOOG MSFT (not mentioned) Flipkart Money Digital Wallet Launched, Limited to Android App for Now NDTV
OMX: REZT HNA Group, Accor mulling $2b Carlson Rezidor takeover People’s Daily
MTN (not mentioned) Strong winter storm to bring several feet of snow to Sierra Nevada, Lake Tahoe LA Times
CTRP QUNR (not mentioned) Air China to Start Chongqing-Dubai Service Press Release
TRiP (not mentioned) Seattle startup Jrrny launches user-generated online travel magazine Geekwire
CTTAY APPL Continental Buys Sensor Technology for Self-Driving Cars (German auto-parts creator Continental purchased a section of Advanced Scientific Concepts that produces a solid-state laser imaging sensor utilized in autonomous-driving vehicles.) WSJ
HYMPY Hyundai Motor's China sales plunged in Feb. The Korea Herald
AN KMX (not mentioned) Report: More new cars leased than ever USA Today
VLKAY (not mentioned) Audi ordered to pay $124 million in collision suit Washington Post
TSLA MBLY (not mentioned) Faraday Future promises to put up millions of dollars to calm Nevada's fears over its billion-dollar electric-car factory (Faraday Future says its Nevada factory will open up 4,500 jobs.) Bi
Jeep eyes new sales record in 2016 thanks to China and India People’s Daily
MCD Prosecutor opens probe of McDonald's practices in Brazil USA Today
GRUB (not mentioned) Delivery Hero to Divest Itself of Chinese Unit (Online food-delivery competition was too great) WSJ
Mobile and Digital Rewards Programs Are Most Used In-Store Technologies (Retailers are utilizing in-store digital technologies more and more to better the customer experience, and ultimately, increase purchases of items.) eMarketer
PM RAI MO (not mentioned) California Lawmakers Vote to Raise Tobacco-Purchase Age to 21 WSJ
MO (PM RAI not mentioned) An old tobacco state (Virginia) moves to ban smoking in cars with kids on board ($100 fines) Washington Post
HSY Taste test: M&M's three new flavors USA Today
GPS Gap Core Sales Fell 2% in February (Gap Inc. said its core sales dropped 2% in February, affected by another double-digit decrease at its Banana Republic chain.) WSJ
MELi (not mentioned) Digital Buyers in Brazil Spending More (eMarketer predicts that in 2016, 41.1 million people in Brazil will buy at least one thing via an internet-connected device.) eMarketer
APPL Employees Get Apple Watch for $25 (But There's a Catch) (Employees at a group of companies will receive an Apple Watch for only $25...) WSJ
BBRY (not mentioned) Delhi High Court directs telcos to compensate for call drops ZDNet
AMZN Amazon extends its smart home push with two new gadgets and support for Nest Washington Post
Unsecure wearables are invading your office iT Pro Portal
OGZPY Gazprom signs €2 bn loan agreement with Bank of China Pan Armenian
OMVZY OMV says head of supervisory board Oswald to step down Reuters
SUNE SunEdison identifies buyer for Colo. solar project (SunEdison is thinking over various transactions in which an institutional investor would get a contracted utility-scale solar project in Colorado.) SparkSpread
MON (not mentioned) Panel proposes 70% reduction in royalty on GM cotton seeds Livemint
Irish Water Crisis Irish Water plans €5.5bn spend in next five years Irish Independent
ANZ probed over rate rigging claims (Most recent in a string of global interest manipulation.) Financial Times
EiRL Suspected Northern Ireland car bomb injures one man Reuters
LMT NOC RTN BA (not mentioned) China to boost military spending by about 7 to 8 percent (China stated Friday it will increase military spending by 7% to 8% in 2016, the least increase in half a dozen years.) Washington Post
China takes aim at banks’ bad debt burden (Programme a piece of most recent ploy to address debt increase that is 230%of GDP.) Financial Times
BoJ board pick shows Abe set on stimulus Financial Times
EWJ BOJ Kuroda: No plan to cut rates further now Reuters
North Korean cargo ship inspected at port in Philippines (one of the first since additional sanctions) Washington Post
S. Korea mulls 'various' sanctions on N. Korea (South Korea is thinking including a ban on vessels going into its ports after going to the North.) Yonhap News
VNM Vietnam's ambitious growth target might be out of reach (fastest asian company behind China and India) Bi
AiPUY (not mentioned) Chinese-Thai joint venture launches condo scheme Bangkok Post
EWW Legal marijuana is finally doing what the drug war couldn't (decline in border seizures) Washington Post
Indiana set to divest from companies that boycott Israel (Indiana Public Retirement System would have to identify and divest from companies that boycott Israel) USA Today