Valeant shares, bonds slump after it says it will seek to amend more of its debt covenants

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. shares slid 6% Tuesday, after the company said it is seeking to refinance and amend more of its debt, including removing covenants from Term B loans. The company said it will use the proceeds of the sale of its skincare assets to L’Oreal to pay down about $1.1 billion of senior secured term loans. The troubled drug company will seek to refinance and amend its existing credit agreement, issue new Term B loans that extend the maturity of current Term B loans due before 2022, issue new secured debt, and repay its remaining Term A loan due in April 2020. Valeant further plans to repay a portion of its 6.75% secured debt due in 2018, as well as relax maintenance covenants in the revolver and remove the covenants from Term B loans. “While the refinancing is not surprising, it reflects the cloudy outlook on future earnings, in our view,” said Mizuho analyst Irina Koffler. “Management previously indicated that it would consider refinancing and was more focused on its EBITDA than its EPS.” Valeant’s most active bonds, the 6.125% notes that mature in 2025, were last quoted at 79 cents on the dollar, according to MarketAxess. The stock has fallen 82% in the last 12 months, while the S&P 500 has gained 18%.

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.

…read more

From:: Stock Market News

Oil ends with a slight loss ahead of weekly data on U.S. crude supply

Oil prices settled with a slight loss on Tuesday, sticking to a tight trading range as traders awaited weekly U.S. petroleum inventory data. The Energy Information Administration will issue its report early Wednesday, after the American Petroleum Institute’s figures late Tuesday. Analysts surveyed by S&P Global Platts forecast a weekly rise of 1.6 million barrels for crude stockpiles. April West Texas Intermediate crude fell 6 cents, or 0.1%, to settle $53.14 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

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.

…read more

From:: Stock Market News

Price says House health bill ‘a work in progress’

Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price said Tuesday that the House Republican health-care bill is a “work in progress” when asked if the administration supports the entire bill. The bill was released late Monday and would replace the Affordable Care Act. Price said the Trump administration supports the bill as a step in “what we believe is the right direction.”

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.

…read more

From:: Stock Market News

Gold futures settle at a nearly 5-week low

Gold futures extended their decline to a sixth-straight session on Tuesday to mark their lowest settlement in nearly five weeks. Expectations for a U.S. interest-rate increase as early as next week dulled investment demand for the metal. April gold declined by $9.40, or 0.8%, to settle at $1,216.10 an ounce–the lowest settlement since Feb. 1, according to FactSet data.

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.

…read more

From:: Stock Market News

EIA raises U.S. crude-oil production outlooks

The U.S. Energy Information Administration raised its forecast on crude production for this year and next, according to the agency’s latest Short-term Energy Outlook report released Tuesday. The EIA forecast U.S. crude production at an average 9.21 million barrels per day in 2017, up from the previous forecast of 8.98 million. It sees 2018 output at 9.73 million barrels a day, higher than the previous forecast of 9.53 million. Its crude-price forecasts edged higher for this year, with West Texas Intermediate crude seen at an average $53.49 a barrel and Brent crude at $54.62. April West Texas Intermediate crude was trading at $53.33 a barrel, up 13 cents, or 0.2%.

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.

…read more

From:: Stock Market News

Cummings, Trump to discuss lowering prescription drug prices

The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee with meet President Donald Trump on Wednesday to discuss lowering prescription drug prices. Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland said in a statement he’s looking forward to discussing Trump’s campaign pledge to stem the rise of drug prices. Trump tweeted Tuesday morning that he is working on a “new system” for competition in the drug industry and that prices “will come way down!”

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.

…read more

From:: Stock Market News

London Bridge reopens after bomb scare found ‘not to be suspicious’

Police in London were Tuesday afternoon investigating a “security alert” around the key transportation hub London Bridge, but found the incident “not to be suspicious”. Earlier in the day, police had evacuated the area around the station, with hotels, coffee shops and office buildings in the area on lockdown. A bomb disposal robot was reportedly deployed to carry out a search on an abandoned suspicious vehicle close to the station in the U.K. capital. However, after a few hours the Metropolitan Police gave the all clear. “Thanks for bearing with us during the security alert on London Bridge St. Incident found not to be suspicious. Roads re-opening now,” the Metropolitan Police said in a post to Twitter. National Rail said the station had reopened after the suspension of all train services during the bomb scare. “Train services running to and from this station may be cancelled, delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until the end of the day,” it said.

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.

…read more

From:: Stock Market News

Liberty Media CEO says Pandora is too expensive to buy, sending shares down more than 5%

Shares of Pandora Media Inc. have slipped more than 5% in early trade on Tuesday, after Liberty Media Corp. Chief Executive Greg Maffei reportedly said it’s unlikely his company would buy the music streaming platform. Maffei reportedly told investors attending the Deutsche Bank Media, Internet and Telecom Conference on Monday that Pandora is overvalued. Maffei has floated the idea that Liberty would be interested in scooping up Pandora in the past, and said during the conference he would probably make a move on the company if it was selling for $10 a share. Liberty Media owns satellite radio provider SiriusXM. It would make sense for the company to add a business like Pandora to its ranks, which it informally tried to do last year, offering to pay $3.4 billion, or $15 a share for Pandora, according to Deadline Hollywood. Shares of Pandora have gained more than 6% in the last 12 months and Liberty Media shares are up almost 6%, while the S&P 500 index is up more than 18% and the Nasdaq Composite index is up more than 24% during the same period.

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.

…read more

From:: Stock Market News

London Bridge area in U.K. capital on lockdown due to bomb scare

Police in London are Tuesday afternoon investigating a “security alert” around the key transportation hub London Bridge, with hotels, coffee shops and office buildings in the area on lockdown. A bomb disposal robot was reportedly deployed to carry out a search on an abandoned suspicious vehicle close to the station in the U.K. capital. National Rail said all train services were suspended in and out of the station as “Metropolitan Police have requested that NO trains run through London Bridge until further notice, because of a security alert nearby.” The bus station was also evacuated.

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.

…read more

From:: Stock Market News

Craftsman portable table saws sold only at Sears recalled due to risk of injury

Craftsman portable table saws made by Rexon Industrial Corp. of Taiwan and sold exclusively at Sears Holdings Inc. have been recalled because of the danger of laceration and impact injuries, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Tuesday. About 46,000 saws are impacted, according to the CPSC. So far, there have been 11 reports of the table saw collapsing, including nine reports of injured fingers and hands. The injuries include broken bones, lacerations, shoulder strain and a partial fingernail amputation. The CPSC is urging consumers to stop using the saws and to contact Rexon for a free replacement. The saws were sold by Sears for about $200 a piece in the period stretching from April 2014 through October 2016. Shares of Sears, which announced the sale of Craftsman to Stanley Black & Decker Inc. in January, were down 1.7%, and have fallen 60% in the last 12 months, while the S&P 500 has gained 19%.

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.

…read more

From:: Stock Market News