Allergan agrees to acquire AqueSys for $300 million

Allergan PLC said late Thursday it agreed to acquire privately-held AqueSys Inc. for $300 million cash. AqueSys makes medical devices that are placed in the eye to reduce pressure associated with glaucoma. Allergan said that it will also pay milestone payments for regulatory approval and commercialization of AqueSys’s XEN45 device, which is expected to get U.S. approval in late 2016 or early 2017. Allergan plans to close the acquisition in the fourth quarter.

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From:: Stock Market News

September 3, 2015

The Votes Are In! See Our Fave Fixer Upper Finds

By Farima Alavi

Last week, we wanted to know which Fixer Upper vintage find is your favorite, and the antique-desk-turned-sideboard won with 78 percent of the votes. This dining room is filled with plenty of vintage inspiration, including the 10-foot farm table and fire engine red pendant lights. Keep reading to see more fun vintage finds we spotted during Fixer Upper episodes.

Vintage-Inspired Dining Room

Reclaimed Countertop

Repurposed Kitchen Island

The standout feature in the kitchen is the oversized island with a custom top made from reclaimed and resurfaced wood that was once the flooring in an old rail car.

Craft Station

Joanna repurposed a rustic candle holder as a centerpiece that serves as the perfect receptacle to hold crayons in this craft space.

Rustic Headboard

In this master bedroom, Joanna went with a soothing blue-gray and white palette, large plantation shutters and cabriole side tables. To bring a touch of rustic to the room, Joanna chose a headboard made from gabled vents.

Eclectic Art

Windmill Art Piece

A section of a windmill fan serves as a compelling piece of wall decor above a rustic wood console.

From:: HGTV

September 3, 2015

Gap Inc.’s Old Navy reports positive same-store sales for August as other brands falter

Gap Inc.’s same-store sales for August 2015 were down 2%, matching the decrease for one year prior. Net sales for the four-week period ending August 29 were $1.2 billion, a 3% decrease from the $1.23 billion for the four-week period ended August 30, 2014. Among the company’s three global brands, Old Navy was the bright spot in same-store sales, up 6% for the month versus a 2% increase for the prior year. Gap’s global same-store sales were down 8%, compared to a 6% decrease for the year prior. And Banana Republic reported an 11% drop for August 2015 compared to 6% last year. The stock fell 1.1% in after-hours trade Thursday. It has lost 14% over the past three months, while the S&P 500 has declined 7.7%.

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From:: Stock Market News

September 3, 2015

Infoblox shares climb on better-than-expected results

Shares of Infoblox Inc. rallied in Thursday’s extended trade after the network controls company reported better-than-expected quarterly results. Infoblox posted a fiscal fourth-quarter loss of $4.7 million, or 8 cents a share, narrowing from a loss of $9.5 million, or 17 cents a share, a year ago. On an adjusted basis, the company earned 12 cents a share, ahead of the 10 cents a share forecast by analysts in a FactSet survey. Revenue grew 34% to $87 million, which also beat expectations of $80.5 million. Infoblox shares were up 5.7% in the after-hours session.

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From:: Stock Market News

September 3, 2015

Royal Caribbean hikes dividend by 25%

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. said late Thursday its board approved a 25% increase in the cruise ship operator’s dividend. The company increased the quarterly dividend 7.5 cents to 37.5 cents a share. The dividend is payable Oct. 6 to shareholders of record as of Sept. 18. Shares of Royal Caribbean were flat at $89.29 after hours.

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From:: Stock Market News

September 3, 2015

Amazon to buy video software company, eyeing more video streaming options

Amazon.com Inc. said Thursday its cloud-services unit Amazon Web Services has agreed to buy Portland, Ore.-based video software company Elemental Technologies Inc. for an undisclosed sum. Elemental’s products and Amazon Web Services will provide media and entertainment companies with “solutions to efficiently and economically scale video infrastructures as the media industry increasingly moves to internet based delivery,” Amazon said. Software that helps deliver video over the Internet has been in demand as consumers switch to streaming options. Major League Baseball’s streaming unit has helped establish HBO’s new HBO Now offering and is headed toward a spinoff into its own company, and Turner Broadcasting recently acquired another company in the sector, iStreamPlanet.Amazon’s deal with Elemental is expected to close in the fourth quarter.

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From:: Stock Market News

September 3, 2015

Regulators allow Bank of America to use own calculations for capital

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) – The Federal Reserve Board and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency announced Thursday they will allow Bank of America and its subsidiary national banks to begin using the “advanced” approaches capital framework in the fourth quarter of 2015. Under this framework, banks can use their own risk weights instead of standardized weights when calculating their risk-based capital requirements. The framework applies only to banks with at least $250 billion in total assets or $10 billion in total on-balance sheet foreign exposure.

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From:: Stock Market News

September 3, 2015

Health care only S&P 500 sector in the red

Health care is the only S&P 500 sector trading lower, falling 0.2%, as the broader market struggled to extend its gains on Thursday. Biotechnology stocks were notable losers with Celgene Corp. and Gilead Sciences Inc. both down more than 1% while health-care providers Anthem Inc. Cigna Corp. and Aetna Inc. helped to offset some of the sector’s losses with strong gains. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% to 1,953, following a 1.8% rally on Wednesday.

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From:: Stock Market News

September 3, 2015

U.S. stocks slip into negative territory as oil rally fades

U.S. stocks gave up gains on the session and dipped into negative territory Thursday after a rally in oil sputtered, weighing upon energy stocks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 2 points to 16,349, after being up as many as 199 points earlier in the session. The S&P 500 Index fell 0.6 points to 1,948, after being up 26 points earlier. The Nasdaq Composite Index declined 18 points, or 0.4%, to 4,732, after being up about 50 points earlier.

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From:: Stock Market News

September 3, 2015

Trump says he’s signed pledge to Republican Party

Donald Trump said Thursday he’s signed a pledge to back the Republican Party’s 2016 presidential nominee. The pledge means the billionaire businessman will forgo a third party bid and run as a member of the GOP. Trump made the announcement after meeting with Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus at Trump Tower in New York.

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From:: Stock Market News