Berry Global (BERY) Q4 Earnings & Revenues Top Estimates

Bloomberg
Sands to Sell Vegas Hotels to Apollo, Vici for $6.25 Billion
(Bloomberg) -- Las Vegas Sands Corp., the world’s largest casino operator by market value, agreed to sell its properties in Las Vegas to Apollo Global Management Inc. and Vici Properties Inc. for $6.25 billion, refocusing the company on its successful Asian resorts and other potential opportunities in the U.S.Apollo will run the properties, which will be owned by Vici, a real estate investment trust, the companies said in a statement Wednesday. The Venetian, Palazzo and related convention facilities in Vegas contributed less than 15% of the company’s revenue in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic hit.Sands rose as much as 2.8% to $66.77 in New York trading, while Apollo gained 2% to $50.90 and Vici was up 2.3% to $29.12. Sands China Ltd. shares were little changed as of 10 a.m. in Hong Kong.Sands signaled last year that it no longer viewed Las Vegas, its home turf, as a priority when it tapped advisers to solicit interest in the properties. The company has identified over $5 billion in capital spending plans at its resorts over the next five years, most of it focused on Macau and Singapore, which generated 85% of its revenue in 2019.“This company is focused on growth, and we see meaningful opportunities on a variety of fronts,” Sands Chief Executive Officer Robert Goldstein said in the statement. “Asia remains the backbone of this company and our developments in Macau and Singapore are the center of our attention.”The company is also weighing a role in the fast-growing field of online gaming, something its late founder, Sheldon Adelson, shunned on moral grounds. Adelson died in January.Apollo, a private equity giant, is betting on a fast comeback for America’s gambling mecca as the pandemic plays out. It’s planning to market the high-end resort more specifically to gamblers and offer consumer tie-ins through some of the other companies in its portfolio. Also, the resort could serve as a focal point for the fast-growing business of sports betting in the U.S.The investment “underscores our conviction in a strong recovery for Las Vegas as vaccines usher in a reopening of leisure and travel in the United States and across the world,” Apollo Partner Alex van Hoek said in a statement.Apollo has made a number of investments in gambling businesses recently, including Great Canadian Gaming Corp., one of that country’s largest casino companies, and European lottery operator Sazka Group.Apollo, along with TPG, was also the owner for a number of years of Caesars Entertainment Corp., which the firms took private in a $30.7 billion leveraged buyout at the top of the market in 2008. The company struggled for years under its debt load before the investors sold out. Vici was spun off to Caesars debt holders in a restructuring.Seller FinancingUnder the terms of the deal, funds affiliated with Apollo will acquire the operating assets and liabilities of the Las Vegas business for about $2.25 billion, including $1.2 billion in seller financing. Vici will purchase the real estate and related assets of the Venetian for about $4 billion in cash.The sale of the Vegas properties would mark Sands’ exit, for now, from the U.S. gambling industry. The Venetian, Palazzo and Sands Expo Convention Center are all connected along the city’s famous Strip. However, they were already a small and shrinking part of the company, and the Las Vegas convention business has been particularly hard hit by the coronavirus and related restrictions on large gatherings.The money from a sale could allow the company to fund other development opportunities. Sands dropped out of the competition to build a casino in Japan last year due to terms that executives described as unfavorable. But the company has expressed interest in building in New York, which may consider an increase in the number of casinos it allows. Texas is considered another potential growth market, although some prominent legislators there have repeatedly signaled their opposition to casino legalization.Sands is the only major U.S. operator without a nationally focused online or sports betting business. Goldstein, its CEO, has been holding talks with potential partners, something that could be more of a focus with the cash proceeds from the sale.Keeping HeadquartersSands intends to keep its corporate headquarters in Las Vegas. The Adelson family, now led by Sheldon’s widow, Miriam, will also maintain a presence through their ownership of the city’s largest newspaper, the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Miriam’s son-in-law, Patrick Dumont, is the president of Sands.The company may consider resuming its dividend, stock buybacks and debt retirements, particularly once its business in Asia picks up. Sands is financing $1.2 billion of Apollo’s purchase price with a six-year note that begins at 1.5% interest and rises to 4.25% after three years, according to people familiar with the terms.Goldman Sachs Group Inc. acted as financial adviser to Las Vegas Sands in the latest deal. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP served as legal adviser.Sheldon Adelson was a big believer in the concept of resorts that linked meeting space for business travelers with casinos. A lifelong entrepreneur who made his first serious fortune in the trade-show business, he built the Sands convention center and its connected hotels, later copying the formula overseas. But he was also capable of parting ways with his developments, as he did in the past with the Venetian’s Grand Canal Shoppes in Las Vegas and a casino in Pennsylvania.The current deal will “pay tribute to Mr. Adelson’s legacy while starting a new chapter in this company’s history,” Goldstein said.(Updates with China Sands shares in third paragraph.)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
2d ago
Bloomberg
Stocks Slump as Treasury Yields Top 1.5% on Powell: Markets Wrap
(Bloomberg) -- Stocks and bonds sold off after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell underwhelmed markets by refraining from pushing back more forcefully against the recent spike in Treasury yields.The S&P 500 briefly erased its 2021 gains, notching its lowest close in about five weeks. Benchmark 10-year bond rates topped 1.5% and the dollar climbed. The Nasdaq 100 extended losses from a February peak to almost 10%, and the Russell 2000 of small caps slid 2.8%. Reddit users appeared to rush back into GameStop Corp., with the video-game retailer soaring.Powell said in an online event Thursday that he’d be “concerned” by disorderly markets, but stopped short of offering steps to curb heightened volatility. The surge in Treasury yields has triggered fears about elevated stock valuations after a torrid equity rally from the depths of the pandemic. While bulls have decided to view the jump in rates as a sign of economic strength that could lift corporate profits, there’s been mounting concern over a potential inflation pickup. For Bleakley Advisory Group’s Peter Boockvar, the Fed has put itself in a “tough situation.”“We are again seeing a market that is taking control of monetary policy from the Fed,” said Boockvar, the firm’s chief investment officer. “Long rates are rising right now because Powell is again very dovish. The more dovish they get in the face of market expectations of higher inflation, the more financial tightening we’ll see.”Stock-Market Momentum Comeuppance Gets No Sympathy From the FedDespite the lingering uncertainties about the impacts of rising bond yields, such fears are “misplaced,” according to Candice Bangsund, portfolio manager of global asset allocation at Fiera Capital.“As long as the back-up in bond yields reflects stronger growth expectations (versus tighter monetary policy), then the long-term bull market will not be at risk,” she said. “The latest normalization in bond yields should be viewed as an encouraging sign that growth is healing, while the prospect for a hawkish turn from the Federal Reserve is clearly not in the cards today.”The U.S. Senate voted to take up a $1.9 trillion relief bill backed by President Joe Biden, setting off a debate expected to end this weekend with approval of the nation’s sixth stimulus since the pandemic-triggered lockdowns that began a year ago.Elsewhere, Bitcoin’s appeal as a hedge against inflation was put to the test, with the largest cryptocurrency joining a slump in other risk assets. Oil surged after the OPEC+ alliance surprised traders with its decision to keep output unchanged, signaling a tighter crude market in the months ahead.Some key events to watch this week:The February U.S. employment report on Friday will provide an update on the speed and direction of the nation’s labor market recovery.These are some of the main moves in markets:StocksThe S&P 500 sank 1.3% at 4 p.m. New York time.The Stoxx Europe 600 Index fell 0.4%.The MSCI Asia Pacific Index dipped 2.5%.The MSCI Emerging Market Index declined 2.6%.CurrenciesThe Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index rose 0.7%.The euro decreased 0.8% to $1.1971.The Japanese yen depreciated 0.8% to 107.92 per dollar.BondsThe yield on 10-year Treasuries rose six basis points to 1.54%.Germany’s 10-year yield fell two basis points to -0.31%.Britain’s 10-year yield decreased five basis points to 0.731%.CommoditiesWest Texas Intermediate crude jumped 4.8% to $64.24 a barrel.Gold fell 0.8% to $1,698.21 an ounce.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
20h ago
Bloomberg
U.S. Debt Set to Reach Double Economy’s Size by 2051, CBO Says
(Bloomberg) -- The U.S. federal debt will grow to more than double the size of the economy in three decades, increasing the risk of a fiscal crisis even though dangers appear low in the near term, the Congressional Budget Office said.Debt will be equivalent to 202% of gross domestic product by 2051 from 102% this year, the nonpartisan arm of the legislature said Thursday in its long-term budget outlook. Its projection for 195% in 2050 was unchanged from the prior report, whose forecasts ran through that year.Net interest payments on the debt are expected to remain relatively low for the next decade, then rise rapidly over the following 20 years, the CBO said. The agency projects 10-year Treasury yield, after inflation, at 2.6% in 2050. The nominal yield was at 1.54%, near the highest in more than a year, on Thursday.The CBO also said that the two Social Security trust funds, for seniors and people with disabilities, will be exhausted later than the agency projected last year.The report -- which doesn’t reflect the $1.9 trillion stimulus plan currently working its way through Congress -- follows the selloff in Treasuries over the past week that sent yields spiking. Investors are gaining more confidence that rates will move up, with U.S. growth and the labor market set for a stronger-than-expected uptick as vaccines roll out and states lift restrictions.The CBO outlook’s debt projections will likely underpin already-firm opposition by Republicans to the relief plan, and could also concern some Democratic lawmakers as President Joe Biden prepares a followup multitrillion-dollar plan to build infrastructure and boost the economy in other ways.“The risk of a fiscal crisis appears to be low in the short run despite the higher deficits and debt stemming from the pandemic,” the CBO said in the report. “Nonetheless, the much higher debt over time would raise the risk of a fiscal crisis in the years ahead.”Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Thursday that the U.S. economy still has a long way to go before the central bank considers tightening, and underscored that the low-inflation world of the past several decades is unlikely to change.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
23h ago
Bloomberg
Oil Sands Give OPEC a Boost With Half-Million-Barrel Output Cut
(Bloomberg) -- Major oil sands producers in Western Canada will idle almost half a million barrels a day of production next month, helping tighten global supplies as oil prices surge.Canadian Natural Resources Ltd.’s plans to conduct 30 days of maintenance at its Horizon oil sands upgrader in April will curtail roughly 250,000 barrels a day of light synthetic crude output, company President Tim McKay said in an interview Thursday. Work on the Horizon upgrader coincides with maintenance at other cites.Suncor Energy Inc. plans a major overhaul of its U2 crude upgrader, cutting output by 130,000 barrels a day over the entire second quarter. Syncrude Canada Ltd. will curb 70,000 barrels a day during the quarter because of maintenance in a unit.The supply cuts out of Northern Alberta, following a surprise OPEC+ decision to not increase output next month, could add more support to the recent rally in crude prices. OPEC+ had been debating whether to restore as much as 1.5 million barrels a day of output in April but decided to wait.The Saudi-led alliance closely monitors other major oil producers as it seeks to manage the entire global market, and surging production in North America was its biggest headache in recent years -- especially from U.S. shale but also from Canada.“The U.S., Saudi Arabia, Russia, Canada, Brazil and other well endowed countries with hydrocarbon reserves -- we need to work with each other, collaboratively,” Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said after the group’s meeting on Thursday.Read More: Saudis Bet ‘Drill, Baby, Drill’ Is Over in Push for Pricier OilCanada’s contribution to balancing the market with less production, much like slowing output in the U.S., is not a deliberate market-management strategy but significant nonetheless.Even though the output cuts are short-term, the battered oil-sands industry shouldn’t be a concern for the Saudis in the long run either, judging from McKay’s outlook for the industry.“I can’t see much growth in the oil sands happening because there is going to be less demand in the future,” he said. “The first step is we have to get our carbon footprint down.”After years of rising output turned Canada into the world’s fourth-largest crude producer, expansion projects have nearly halted on the heels of two market crashes since 2014.Adding to its struggles, Canada’s oil industry is being shunned by some investors such as Norway’s $1.3 trillion wealth fund amid concern that the higher carbon emissions associated with oil sands extraction will worsen climate change. These forces help make future growth in the oil sands unlikely, said McKay, whose company is among the largest producers in the country.Oil sands upgraders turn the heavy bitumen produced in oil sands mines into light synthetic crude that’s similar to benchmarks West Texas Intermediate and Brent. Syncrude Sweet Premium for April gained 60 cents on Thursday to $1.50 a barrel premium to WTI, the strongest price since May, NE2 Group data show.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
7h ago
MoneyWise
How stimulus checks can give you a $14,000 windfall this year
Some households are collecting a big pile of federal money in 2021.
17h ago
MoneyWise
Joe Biden's stimulus check changes: Do you still qualify for $1,400?
The president has agreed to a compromise making millions ineligible for the third checks.
19h ago
Bloomberg
Portnoy-Backed ETF Sees Third-Highest Volume Ever in a Debut
(Bloomberg) -- A new exchange-traded fund seeking to ride the companies most loved by investors online has found plenty of its own positive sentiment in its first day of trading.About $438 million worth of shares in the VanEck Vectors Social Sentiment ETF (ticker BUZZ) changed hands on Thursday, making it the third best ETF debut on record, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.“Normally, this kind of blow-the-roof-off volume for the first day is for ETFs that open up a new asset class like gold or Bitcoin,” said Eric Balchunas, ETF analyst for Bloomberg Intelligence.The fund, which has been promoted by Barstool Sports Inc. founder Dave Portnoy, follows an index that uses AI to scan online sources like blogs and social media to identify the 75 most favorably mentioned equities.Because of its criteria for inclusion, the hottest names among the day-trading crowd like GameStop Corp. and AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. don’t actually make it into the gauge. Its top holdings currently are Ford Motor Co., Twitter Inc. and DraftKings Inc.Nonetheless, the rapid uptake suggests VanEck has succeeded in tapping into the increasingly powerful retail investing cohort.“Given the explosion of individual, younger retail traders, it makes sense to see a pile of volume,” said Dave Lutz, macro strategist at JonesTrading. “Whether it is the WSB crowd embracing Dave Portnoy’s marketing of the ETF, or institutions playing it to bet on the direction of the trend (or hedge) -- we won’t know for a bit. I suspect it’s a bit of both.”The fund opened at $24.40. It was down 1% at $24.15 at 12:02 p.m.(Updates with latest figures, analyst comments.)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
20h ago
Investor's Business Daily
Getting A Third Covid-19 Stimulus Check Just Got Tougher — But You Might Still Influence How Big Yours Is
Congress is nearing passage of the third economic stimulus check it will send out to you and other taxpayers as part of its Covid-19 relief bill.
2h ago
MarketWatch
Virgin Galactic chairman sold off more than $210 million worth of stock as prices plunged
Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc. Chairman Chamath Palihapitiya sold off a chunk of his shares this week, and played a part of the plunge in prices.
3h ago
LA Times
Texas watchdog says grid operator made $16-billion error
A firm hired to monitor Texas' power markets says the region's grid manager overpriced electricity over two days during last month's energy crisis, resulting in $16 billion in overcharges.
15h ago
Quartz
Saks is turning its back on department stores
Saks Fifth Avenue's e-commerce business is spinning off into its own company, separate from its department stores.
32m ago
MarketWatch
Investors may have a ‘buy’ signal, as these big tech stocks have dropped up to 32% in only three weeks
Now might be "a golden opportunity" to own the "secular tech winners" for the next 12 to 18 months, according to Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives.
4h ago
FX Empire
Stocks Tumble, Gold Dumps , Dollar Jumps Amid Treasury Yield Spike as Powell Signals Inflation is Ahead
Powell and his policymakers have until March 17 to regain control of monetary policy or they could face a creditability issue.
20h ago
MarketWatch
Buy these 3 battery stocks to play the electric-vehicle party, but stay away from this company, says UBS
Despite the recent selloff in electric-vehicle stocks like Tesla and Nio, there is still intense investor interest in the sector, with demand for electric-vehicles expected to climb dramatically over the next decades.
31m ago
Barrons.com
Mortgage Rates Are Back Above 3%. Here’s Where They’re Headed Next.
Mortgage rates have risen past a psychological benchmark for the first time since they fell to historic lows during the pandemic. The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage increased to 3.02% this past week, according to Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey—the first time since July that the rate has risen above 3%. “Since reaching a low point in January, mortgage rates have risen by more than 30 basis points,” wrote Freddie Mac’s chief economist, in a release.
1d ago
Reuters
GameStop spikes as investors eye cryptic tweet by shareholder
GameStop shares closed up 6.4% at $131.93 after earlier hitting $147.87, their highest since a surge in the heavily shorted stock late last month. One analyst and some Twitter users pointed to a cryptic tweet by Ryan Cohen, a major shareholder of GameStop and founder of e-commerce firm Chewy.com, as a plausible reason for the move, although Reuters could not independently determine causation. The late afternoon rally in GameStop began roughly around the time that Cohen tweeted what appeared to be a screenshot with the puppet dog advertising mascot of Pets.com, a famous casualty of the dotcom bubble two decades ago.
22h ago
Benzinga
Tesla Should Sell Its Bitcoin and Buy Back Shares To Create 'Positive Momentum,' Says Analyst
Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) could create a “positive momentum” if its sold its Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) holdings and initiated a buyback of its stock, according to Gary Black, a private investor and former CEO of Aegon Asset Management. What Happened: Black aired his views on social media Thursday in a series of tweets. “Imagine the positive momentum [Tesla] would create if they announced the sale of their [Bitcoin] position, and authorized a [Tesla] stock buyback instead.” wrote Black. See also: How to Invest in Tesla Stock The investor acknowledged that the prospect was “unlikely” but shareholders would support such a move. Investors who say #btc has less risk than govt bonds or gold haven’t done their research. Govt bonds have ~2% risk, defined as monthly volatility of returns. Gold ~3% risk. US equities ~6% risk. #btc has ~20% risk, further out on the risk curve than almost any other asset class. pic.twitter.com/OjMyWYU0Oa — Gary Black (@garyblack00) March 4, 2021 According to Black, if you asked 100 institutional investors in the Elon Musk-led company if they would prefer to invest $1.5 billion of excess cash in BTC or in Tesla stock, 95/100 would choose the stock. Why It Matters: Black isn’t the only analyst crying foul over Tesla’s investment in BTC. Last month, GLJ Research analyst Gordon Johnson said the automaker had “run out of viable internal uses” of its capital. “We see this as a sign of desperation from a CEO whose company is facing real competition for the first time ever,” wrote Johnson. Tesla had purchased .5 billion worth of BTC in February, amid increased institutional support for the cryptocurrency. Jack Dorsey-led Square Inc (NASDAQ: SQ) and Tesla combined have spent over billion to buy 151,919 BTC. Those coins are worth almost $7.19 billion as of press time when BTC traded 6.99% lower at $47,347.62. MicroStrategy Incorporated (NASDAQ: MSTR) meanwhile holds 90,531 BTC, purchased at an average price of $2.171 billion, as of late February now worth about almost $4.286 billion. Price Action: Tesla shares fell 3.43% in after-hours trading on Thursday to $600.10 after closing 4.86% lower at $621.44. Click here to check out Benzinga’s EV Hub for the latest electric vehicles news. Latest Ratings for TSLA DateFirmActionFromTo Feb 2021Morgan StanleyMaintainsOverweight Feb 2021Piper SandlerMaintainsOverweight Jan 2021Deutsche BankMaintainsBuy View More Analyst Ratings for TSLA View the Latest Analyst Ratings See more from BenzingaClick here for options trades from BenzingaAnalyst Who Predicted ,000 Bitcoin Sees Key Metric Indicating 'March To 0,000'How Square's Purchase of Jay Z's Tidal Could Popularize Blockchain© 2021 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
13h ago
Bloomberg
Bitcoin Could Reach $1 Million or More, Kraken CEO Says
(Bloomberg) -- As the leader of crypto exchange Kraken, Jesse Powell is bound to be bullish on Bitcoin. Yet he’s projecting a disruptive future that would stretch the imagination of even the most ardent crypto fans.In a Bloomberg Television interview, Powell said Bitcoin could reach $1 million in the next decade, adding that supporters say it could eventually replace all of the major fiat currencies.“We can only speculate, but when you measure it in terms of dollars, you have to think it’s going to infinity,” he said. “The true believers will tell you that it’s going all the way to the moon, to Mars and eventually, will be the world’s currency.”The CEO also said San Francisco-based Kraken is considering going public, possibly next year.Extreme predictions are nothing new in the world of Bitcoin, where adherents stand to profit from convincing a wider audience that crypto is a legitimate asset class, rather than a speculative fad. The dollar remains the world’s reserve currency and is the benchmark for global trade, though its value has softened in the past year.Powell said Bitcoin bulls see it one day exceeding the combined market cap of the dollar, euro and other currencies.The dollar “is only 50 years old and it’s already showing extreme signs of weakness, and I think people will start measuring the price of things in terms of Bitcoin,” he said.The digital currency slipped 3% in early U.S. trading on Thursday, hovering around $49,000. Prices have surged almost 600% since the start of 2020 on the back of wider mainstream adoption, with bulls seeing it as both an inflation hedge and speculative asset.Critics argue that Bitcoin is in a giant, stimulus-fueled bubble destined to burst like the 2017 boom and bust cycle.Kraken benefits from higher prices as it reaps fees from increased trading. Bloomberg reported last month that the exchange was in talks to raise new funding, which would double the company’s valuation to more than $10 billion.“Personally, I think $10 billion is a low valuation,” Powell said. “I wouldn’t be interested in selling shares at that price.”The CEO did acknowledge the potential for wild market swings, saying prices can “move up or down 50% on any given day.” That kind of volatility has long been one of the negatives of Bitcoin, relegating the market to one of speculation, rather than a means of doing business.“If you are buying into Bitcoin out of speculation, you should be committed to holding for five years,” Powell said. “You have to have strong convictions to hold.”For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
1d ago
MarketWatch
The Nasdaq may be close to the end of its correction, according to market-timers’ views
Stock-market timers, who as recently as two weeks ago were irrationally exuberant, have reacted to the market’s recent correction by beating a hasty retreat. Consider how quickly the Nasdaq-focused stock-market timers that my firm monitors have jumped on the bearish bandwagon. As recently as Feb. 12, their average recommended exposure level stood at 88.9%, which was higher than 97.9% of all daily readings since 2000.
4h ago
FX Empire
Tesla Stock Update: Meltdown in Tesla Beginning as Forecasted
It appears the breakdown is underway, and this could turn into an outright collapse into mid-March.
23h ago

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