Russia banned from 2018 Winter Olympics for doping: International Olympic Committee

The International Olympic Committee said Tuesday it is banning Russia from the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, after uncovering a long history of doping. The IOC said no Russian officials will be accredited for the event, including the minister for sport and his deputy, and individual athletes will only be allowed under strict conditions wearing a neutral uniform under the Olympic flag. The decision comes after a report confirmed “the systematic manipulation of the anti-doping rules and system in Russia, through the Disappearing Positive Methodology and during the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014, as well as the various levels of administrative, legal and contractual responsibility, resulting from the failure to respect the respective obligations of the various entities involved,” said the IOC statement. The Russian Olympic Committee has been suspended with immediate effect, it said.

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From:: Stock Market News

CIT Settles With Ocwen

The banking subsidiary of CIT Group Inc. has agreed to settle claims by the servicing subsidiary of Ocwen Financial Corp. that it should have been reimbursed for servicing errors.

Back in June 2013, CIT Bank, N.A., sold mortgage servicing rights to Ocwen Loan Servicing LLC. The deal called for CIT to indemnify Ocwen for losses from servicing errors.

But Ocwen claims that CIT Bank, formerly known as OneWest Bank FSB, failed to meet its contractual obligations to indemnify it for losses from servicing errors prior to the sale.


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From:: Financing

Nationstar Settles Alleged Interest Overcharges

Nationstar Mortgage LLC has agreed to a more than $9 million settlement that resolves allegations it overcharged borrowers for interest and collected illegal fees.

California law requires that residential lenders do not charge interest on a new mortgage prior to the day that loan proceeds are disbursed.

But Dallas-based Nationstar, which does business as Mr. Cooper, is accused of violating the law on 48,000 mortgage transactions.


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From:: Financing

Flood Insurance Program Set to Expire Friday

The real estate industry is concerned that a possible lapse in the National Flood Insurance Program could roil real estate markets in flood-prone areas.

On Friday, the program is set to expire unless Congress takes action before then. Lenders couldn’t approve mortgages on home in flood zones.

Lawmakers are eyeing a brief, two-week extension of the program to buy time for negotiations on a longer deal aimed at overhauling the federally run program.


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From:: Financing

Facebook unveils new Instagram features with ability to save Stories

Facebook Inc. came out with new Instagram features on Tuesday, a day after announcing a messaging service for kids. The social-networking giant announced that users of Instagram Stories will now have their posts automatically saved to a private archive after 24 hours. Previously, messages posted to Stories disappeared forever after a day. Users will also be able to pin “Stories” content to the top of their profiles for an extended period of time, through a new feature called Stories Highlights. Facebook is looking for new ways to compete with Snap Inc.’s Snapchat. Shares of Facebook are up 1.5% in Tuesday afternoon trading, compared with a 0.1% gain for the S&P 500 Index .

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From:: Stock Market News

Adtalem’s stock soars after deal to transfer DeVry Univ. ownership to Cogswell for ‘no consideration’

Shares of Adtalem Global Education Inc. , formerly known as DeVry Education Group Inc., soared 9% in midday trade Tuesday toward the highest close since February 2015, after the for-profit education company essentially gave DeVry University and Keller Graduate School to Cogswell Education LLC. Adtalem said late Monday that “no consideration” will be paid at the deal’s closing, which is expected in 2018. The deal includes, however, an earn-out for Adtalem based on DeVry University’s performance over a multi-year period, but also a commitment from Adtalem to provide DeVry with a minimum working capital balance. Adtalem changed its name from DeVry in May 2017. The “transfer of ownership” deal of DeVry University comes about about 14 months after a settlement was reached with the Obama administration over claims that it ran misleading advertisements. Adtalem’s stock has rallied 42% year to date, while the S&P 500 has gained 18%.

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From:: Stock Market News

UPDATE: Revance stock surges and Allergan drops on positive results for wrinkle injection

Revance Therapeutics Inc. shares surged nearly 38% in extremely heavy morning trade Tuesday after the company reported positive results for its wrinkle-relaxing injection in two late-stage clinical trials. If approved, the product, DaxibotulinumtoxinA for Injection (RT002), would be the first of its kind to last six months. Products currently on the market, including Allergan’s market-leading Botox, last three to four months. Allergan shares dropped 3.2% in extremely heavy morning trade on Tuesday. In two trials, Revance’s product showed highly statistically significant improvement relative to the placebo in reducing frown lines or wrinkles between eyebrows. The product is also being tested in a long-term safety trial, with results expected in the second half of next year; if the trial is successfully completed, Revance expects to file for approval in the first half of 2019 and, if it’s approved, launch the product in the U.S. in 2020. Botox has been a wildly profitable product for Allergan, since patients largely pay out-of-pocket for it, and analysts have noted that new rivals could pose a long-term risk for the company. Revance’s latest data are “better than their Ph 2 on several metrics,” said EvercoreISI analyst Umer Raffat. But, with regard to being able to claim six months of effectiveness, Raffat said, “I think there’s a case to be made for that, but that’s not a layup.” Raffat also noted that the product would likely be priced higher than Botox. In a statement to MarketWatch, Allergan called the Revance results “underwhelming.” “Allergan does not expect Revance’s toxin to enter the market until mid-2020, and we do not believe this data will support a longer duration claim,” a company spokesperson said, adding that “based on the profile demonstrated in this data, Allergan does not view this toxin as being differentiated from Botox.” Revance shares have surged 45.5% over the last three months to $35.80, compared with a 7.4% rise in the S&P 500 and a 11.7% rise in the Dow Jones Industrial Average .

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From:: Stock Market News

Goldman goes bullish on handbags, adds Coach parent Tapestry to Conviction List

Goldman Sachs is taking a bullish view of handbags, according to its latest note on the sector, adding Coach parent Tapestry Inc. to its conviction list and upgrading Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. to a buy rating from neutral. “After a multi-quarter period of sluggish trends, we see a bottom forming in trends, and expect a mean reversion towards a mid-single digit long-term category run rate,” the note said. “Sequential improvement in handbag sales trends as well as strong momentum at the luxury end of the spectrum leave us especially encouraged.” Analysts led by Lindsay Drucker Mann believe the price point in the $100 to $750 range, which Goldman calls “accessible,” is a “healthy” sector. And barriers to entry are high with the top five brands, Coach, Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Tory Burch and Marc Jacobs, accounting for half of market share. Tapestry is Goldman’s “top idea” based on its same-store sales outlook and the “idiosyncratic earnings accretion” from Kate Spade. Goldman’s price target for Tapestry is $53. And Michael Kors was reinstated to buy status after the Jimmy Choo acquisition completed. Its price target is $70. Tapestry shares are up nearly 19% for the year so far, Michael Kors stock is up 39.5% for 2017 to date, and the S&P 500 index is up 18% for the period.

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From:: Stock Market News

Consumer Bankruptcies Rise From Year Earlier

While the number of consumers who sought relief from their liabilities improved on a month-over-month basis, consumer bankruptcies turned higher from a year ago.

Including commercial and non-commercial filings, there were 60,287 new cases filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court during the month of November.

Bankruptcies declined from the preceding month’s upwardly revised 64,601. But an ascension was recorded from an upwardly revised 59,349 the same month in 2016.


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From:: Financing

Ann Taylor parent Ascena shares drop 21% after ‘fashion missteps’ sink earnings

Ascena Retail Group Inc. shares are down 21% in Tuesday trading after the apparel company said “fashion missteps” derailed its first-quarter earnings. Ascena’s portfolio of brands includes Ann Taylor, Maurices and Dressbarn. “We were unable to capitalize on the improving macro traffic trends due to fashion missteps that we cannot afford in today’s environment,” said Chief Executive David Jaffe on the earnings call, according to a FactSet transcript. Still, KeyBanc Capital Markets analysts led by Edward Yruma are optimistic. “Management is showing a sense of urgency regarding execution and sequentially improving traffic could provide a more favorable backdrop,” analysts wrote in a note. Analysts highlight cost reduction opportunities and internal restructuring. “We maintain that intense focus on cost savings is prudent in a difficult environment,” the note said. Ascena shares are down more than 71% for the past year while the S&P 500 index is up 20.1% for the period.

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From:: Stock Market News