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Billionaire activist investor Nelson Peltz’s Trian Fund Management disclosed Friday in a regulatory filing a new 42.1 million share stake in foodservice company Sysco Corp. . That stake equates to 7.1% of the shares outstanding, which would now make Trian the largest shareholder, according to FactSet, ahead of Yacktman Asset Management which owned a 5.7% stake at the end of June. “The Trian Group acquired the shares because it believed that the shares, when purchased, were undervalued in the marketplace and represented an attractive investment opportunity,” Trian said in the filing. “The Trian Group communicated its view [to Sysco management] that despite having a number of competitive advantages, the issuer’s operating and financial performance has underperformed relative to its potential, and that it should adopt strategic and operating initiatives to improve operating margins, enhance working capital efficiency, consider the use of prudent amounts of incremental leverage to increase the amount of capital returned to shareholders, and take steps to better align management compensation with corporate performance.” Sysco’s stock climbed 7.4% in afternoon trade. It has now gained 4.5% year to date, while the S&P 500 has tacked on 1.3%.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

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From:: Stock Market News

Shares of food services company Sysco Corp. surged almost 6% Friday afternoon, after CNBC reported that Trian Partners has built a 7% stake in the company. Trian and its founder Nelson Peltz are activist investors, who often acquire stakes in companies and then push for change. Sysco shares are up 3.4% in the year so far, while the S&P 500 has gained 1.2%.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

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From:: Stock Market News

By Shannon Petrie

It’s officially the Dog Days of Summer, so this week we’re celebrating our furry friends — cats included — with design-savvy, pet-friendly spaces, DIY recipes and more.

Keeping your pets active year-round is important, but that can be tough during the summer months when it’s just So. Darn. Hot. To help your dogs cool down on a scorching day, try these DIY frozen dog treats. They’re easy to make with only three ingredients, and they’ll keep your pup busy for, well, maybe a few minutes. (My dogs, who typically gobble down their food in seconds, had to work on them for a little bit.)

I made these treats with peanut butter, strawberries and blueberries for a PB&J theme, but you could make them with lots of different ingredients depending on your dog’s tastes: bananas, sweet potatoes, plain yogurt, chicken broth or veggies. Just be sure to steer clear of foods that are poisonous or otherwise unhealthy for dogs. (Refer to this list from The Humane Society.)

What You’ll Need

1/4 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/3 cup natural, unsweetened peanut butter (Make sure your PB doesn’t contain a sugar substitute called xylitol, which is toxic to dogs.)
ice cube tray (For bonus cute points, use a silicone mold with paw print or dog bone-shaped cavities. Ingredient measurements may vary depending on the size of your tray.)
blender

Combine the strawberries and blueberries in a blender and blend to a smoothie-like consistency. (You may need to add a tablespoon or two of water to get it thin enough.) Spoon the berry mixture into your ice cube tray, filling each cavity about halfway.

Fill each ice cube cavity the rest of the way with peanut butter.

Freeze for at least two hours, pop the treats out of the tray and let your pup enjoy! You can store extra treats in freezer-safe food containers in layers separated by wax or parchment paper.

More Recipes, Products + DIY Projects for Your Pet:

• Peanut Butter Ice Cream for Your Pooch
• DIY Wood-Burned Dog Bowls
• 12 Stylish Home Decorations for Dog People + Cat People
• Fun Pet Products to Buy or DIY

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From:: HGTV

Kohl’s Corp. has been downgraded to neutral from buy at UBS due to concerns that the retailer’s efforts to grow the business won’t be enough for a turnaround. Kohl’s posted weak sales in earnings announced Thursday. “We think KSS dropped enough hints on its call that even the low end of the $4.40-$4.60 guide will be a stretch,” UBS said. The firm said a decline in the number of credit card purchases and rise in inventory led to its decision. UBS lowered its price target to $58 from $72 and its fiscal 2015 EPS estimate to $4.30 from $4.58. The current FactSet consensus for fiscal 2015 EPS is $4.35.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

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From:: Stock Market News

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index edged slightly lower to a reading of 92.9 in August from 93.1 in July. That’s about in line with the MarketWatch-compiled economist poll which called for a 92.8 reading. August’s preliminary reading is the second-lowest of 2015.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

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From:: Stock Market News

U.S. stocks opened barely changed and were swinging between small gains and losses Friday. The main indexes looked on track for another choppy day of trading with a weekly gain at stake. The S&P 500 opened little changed at 2,082, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average also barely moved 3 points, or less than 0.1%, higher at 17,413. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down marginally, less than a point, at 5,032. Before markets opened, investors shrugged off a readings of U.S. producer prices in July, which were up 0.2%, better than economists’ estimates, and a solid industrial production report, which showed industrial output climbed 0.6% in July.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

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From:: Stock Market News

Analysts at Raymond James bumped their Netflix Inc. price target to $140 from $120 on the heels of the firm’s recent survey of about 590 video consumers, which found 61% of respondents use Netflix. That is above competitors such as Amazon, at 37%, iTunes, at 19%, and Hulu, at 19%. Raymond James analyst Justin Patterson said in a note that while there’s nothing to suggest that Netflix is a substitute for TV, given the advantage in live content, the company’s growing and improving content library increases his confidence for the long-term. Patterson said Netflix has indicated plans to spend more than $6 billion on content in 2016, and he believes Netflix will be able to drive leverage against content expense over time and remain on track for more than $4.80 earnings per share by 2020. Netflix reported per share earnings of 6 cents during its second quarter of 2015. The company’s shares are up 155% in the year to date, while the S&P is only up 1%.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

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From:: Stock Market News

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — Thanks largely to increased production of autos, industrial production climbed 0.6% in July, the Federal Reserve said Friday. There were also upward revisions of 0.1% each in February, May and June. Excluding the 10.6% surge in autos, manufacturing production rose 0.1%, mining output rose 0.2% while utilities output fell 1%. Capacity utilization for the industrial sector increased 0.3 percentage point to 78%. Economists polled by MarketWatch expected a 0.4% rise in industrial production and a utilization rate of 78.1%.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

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From:: Stock Market News

Mark Wetjen, a commissioner on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, announced his resignation on Friday, effective Aug. 28. Wetjen was appointed by President Obama and unanimously confirmed by the Senate in Oct. 2011. He served as acting chairman of the commission from January 2014 to June 2014. Wetjen has not yet announced his future plans. In his letter of resignation, Wetjen talked in particular of his efforts to register swap dealers.

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From:: Stock Market News

Allegheny Technologies Inc. (ATI) has issued a lockout notice that will affect more than 2,000 workers, effective Saturday, August 15. The notice comes after failed contract negotiations between the company and the United Steelworkers union. Negotiations began in May; contracts expired on June 30. ATI says it “presented its last, best and final offer” on August 1. The union had until August 10 to accept it. The offer included $4,500 in lump-sum payments over four years and incentives for ATI Flat Rolled Products employees who averaged $94,000 in 2014 earnings. “[W]e intend to return to our local unions to meet with our fellow USW members so we can review with them the specifics of these proposals. After these discussions, we will be better prepared to determine our next step, including whether we will present this offer to the full membership for a vote,” said the USW in a statement. ATI will continue operations with non-union and temporary workers until a contract is finalized.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

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From:: Stock Market News