Mattis orders review of F-35 program in bid to save costs

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — New Defense Secretary James Mattis has ordered a review into the F-35 program that President Donald Trump has criticized. Mattis said the review will “determine opportunities to significantly reduce the cost of the F-35 program while meeting requirements.” The review also will look into the extent that an advanced Super Hornet can be made to provide a competitive, cost effective fighter aircraft alternatives. Lockheed is the lead contractor on the F-35, and Boeing is the lead on the F-18.

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From:: Stock Market News

Trump had phone call with Mexican president, AP reports

The Associated Press reports that President Donald Trump and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto held an hour-long phone call on Friday. Nieto canceled a visit with Trump over the latter’s insistence that Mexico will pay for an increased barrier on the southern border.

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From:: Stock Market News

Redfin gets into the mortgage business

There’s about to be a new player in the mortgage space, one that boasts it can be a true digital “one-stop shop” for homebuyers, taking them all the way from finding a real estate agent to finding a house and getting a mortgage. And while others claim they can do the same thing, this one brings a well-known name and built-in digital experience. Meet Redfin Mortgage. That’s right; Redfin is getting into the mortgage lending business. …read more

From:: Real Estate Wire

Shares of Permian play Jagged Peak tumble more than 6% in trading debut

Shares of Jagged Peak Energy Inc. fell sharply on their first day of trading Friday, after the Permian Basin crude producer priced its initial public offering below its range. Jagged Peak sold 31.6 million shares at $15 a pop late Thursday to raise $474 million. The expected price range was $16 to $18 a share. Shares are trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “JAG”. The company is planning to use the proceeds of the IPO to repay debt and fund part of its 2017 capital program. Citigroup, Credit Suisse, J.P. Morgan, Goldman, Sachs & Co., RBC Capital Markets and Wells Fargo Securities were joint book-runners for the deal. Shares were last trading down 6.4% at $14.04.

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From:: Stock Market News

Sotheby’s annual Americana Week auction generates most sales since 2007

Sotheby’s said Friday that its annual Americana Week auction generated $19.4 million in sales, the most since 2007 when it set a record of $29.1 million. The more than 1,000 lots included in this year’s auction had an 80.4% sell-through rate. Sotheby’s shares are down 1.8% in Friday trading, but up 77.5% for the last year. The S&P 500 index is up 21.8% for the past 12 months.

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From:: Stock Market News

Crocs and Steven Madden would be victims of ‘Wall Tax,’ analysts say

Two footwear companies, Crocs Inc. and Steven Madden Ltd. , would be victims of the “Wall Tax,” according to Buckingham Research Group analysts. On Thursday, President Trump suggested a 20% tax on Mexican imports to pay for a border wall, but the White House has said it’s only one option. Buckingham analysts reviewed the latest Crocs 10-K, which shows about 11% of its goods are manufactured in factories in Mexico and Italy. They conclude that about 5% of the Mexico-produced goods come to the U.S., which would impact earnings per share by 5 cents before offsets. Steven Madden sources leather boots from third-party manufacturers in Mexico, about 8% to 10% of its total production volume. About 6% of these goods are likely imported to the U.S. Analysts estimate that about 70% of the company’s cost of goods sold are product costs. So the “Wall Tax” would total about $7.4 million and hurt EPS by 12 cents before offsets. Buckingham rates both Crocs and Steven Madden shares neutral. Crocs has a price target of $8.50 while Steven Madden has a price target of $34. Crocs shares are down 17.6% for the past year, and Steven Madden shares are up 10.5% for the period. The S&P 500 index is up 22% for the last 12 months.

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From:: Stock Market News