RTR - Standard Chartered CEO says no plans to raise capital

(Reuters) - Standard Chartered plc Chief Executive Peter Sands said on Wednesday the bank has no plans to raise capital and is comfortable with its capital ratios.

"I am committed to leading the bank and returning us to a trajectory of sustainable growth," Sands told reporters at the opening of the Asia-focused bank's new wealth management center in Hong Kong.

The bank is under pressure to improve performance after three profit warnings this year and a 30-percent plunge in its shares. Grim earnings last month showed the tough task facing Sands as he tries to turn around the bank after 10 years of record earnings came to a halt last year.

"The board and I are confident in the strength of management team," Sands added, when asked if the bank needed to make changes.

Standard Chartered's London shares were flat in early trades, while the benchmark U.K. stock index was down 0.4 percent

>>> US Gapping down

Gapping down
In reaction to disappointing earnings/guidance: PLUG -14.4%, NOAH -5.9%, SEAS -5.9%, SJM -5.4%, YDLE -5%, FLO -4.6%, NLST -4.1%, AG -3.7%, M -3.4%, EZCH -2.2%, GOL -1%, LXFT -1%, CEL -0.8%

M&A news: BBT -3.7% (to acquire SUSQ for $13.50 per share), CTSH -0.5% (acquires Odecee)

Select EU financial related names showing weakness: NBG -4.5%, BCS -2.5%, ING -2.3%, SAN -2.1%, DB -2.1%, LYG -1.2%, HSBC -1.2%

Select oil/gas related names showing early weakness: RDS.A -2.8%, BP -1.6%, TOT -1.5%

Other news: MLNX -8.6% (files to delay Form 10Q), FCEL -4.4% (in symp with PLUG), FANG -3.7% (launches secondary common stock offering of 2 mln shares ), BLDP -3.2% (in symp with PLUG), PBR -1.6% (announced that its consolidated oil and gas production in Brazil and abroad reached 2.795 mln boe)

Analyst comments: JBLU -2.1% (downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at JP Morgan), DISCA -2% (downgraded to Mkt Perform from Outperform at Bernstein), CMCSA -1.6% (downgraded to Hold from Buy at Maxim Group), E -1.4% (downgraded to at ), AUY -1% (downgraded to Sector Perform at RBC Capital Mkts), VIAB -0.8% (downgraded to at ), CYH -0.8% (downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Wells Fargo), JPM -0.8% (downgraded to Mkt Perform from Outperform at Bernstein)

>>> US Gapping up

Gapping up
In reaction to strong earnings/guidance: GEVO +28.1%, FOSL +10.4%, (also Fossil and Michael Kors announced that they have renewed their global licensing agreement through 2024 ), ATRA +9.9%, EVDY +9.7%, CSIQ +7.6%, SUPN +6.8%, PAHC +5.8%, TAHO +5.7%, WUBA +5.6%, MTOR +5.4%, HPJ +5.3%, OPWR +4.9%, BZH +2.9%, LMNS +2.6%, SANW +2.6%, YY +2.4%,AEO +1.8%, SLW +1.7%, IPWR +1.1%, CYCC +1%, TEF +0.9%, ENR +0.6%

M&A news: SUSQ +34.8% (BBT to to acquire co valued at $13.50 per share), MATX +7.8% (Matson to acquire Horizon's Alaska operations; acquisition accretive to Matson's earnings and cash flow; transaction value of $0.72 per common share plus repayment of debt )

Select solar stocks trading higher in sympathy with CSIQ earnings: MY +6.9%, SOL +3.6%, JKS +3%, FSLR +1.2%

Other news: DRRX +4.2% ( provides update on POSIDUR program: FDA finds it acceptable to conduct only one additional soft tissue clinical trial to generate the data required for product approval for indication of soft tissue post-surgical analgesia ), CLNE +3.8% (Ryder (R) signs alliance with mansfield CLNE to provide natural gas vehicle solutions ), LITB +3.2% (confirming Singles Day sales), MNDL +1.7% (announced that Digital Turbine Ignite is currently available on a number of Verizon Wireless smartphones and will be added to more over the next several quarters), DOW +1.2% (announced that its Board has declared a $0.42 per share in the Q4, a 14% increase), ARCP +1% (comments on litigation it filed against RCS Capital Corporation (RCAP)), SWKS +0.9% (authorized the repurchase of up to $300 mln of the company's common stock), AOL +0.6% (Some Investors want AOL and Yahoo (YHOO) merger, according to reports)

Analyst comments: QLTY +2.2% (upgraded to Buy at Stifel), HMY +1.9% (upgraded to Neutral from Sell at UBS)

>>> Rockwell Automation beats by $0.04, reports revs in-line; guides FY15 EPS in

Rockwell Automation beats by $0.04, reports revs in-line; guides FY15 EPS in-line

Reports Q4 (Sep) earnings of $1.86 per share, excluding non-recurring items, $0.04 better than the Capital IQ Consensus Estimate of $1.82; revenues rose 3.8% year/year to $1.78 bln vs the $1.8 bln consensus.
  • Organic sales growth was 4.4 percent, and currency translation reduced sales by 0.7 percent. Fiscal 2014 fourth quarter sales were up 8.0 percent compared to the third quarter of fiscal 2014, despite nearly a full point of currency headwind.
Co issues in-line guidance for FY15, sees EPS of $6.55-6.95, excluding non-recurring items, vs. $6.81 Capital IQ Consensus.

"Despite heightened uncertainty in some regions, the U.S. economy remains strong, and forecasts call for continued moderate global economic growth. Based on these factors, along with underlying demand trends, we are projecting fiscal 2015 organic sales growth of 2.5-6.5%"

WSJ : Heineken Seeks to Grow Global Brand Portfolio

Heineken Seeks to Grow Global Brand Portfolio
Heineken Rolls Out More Brands Globally in Bid to Boost Growth and Profits

AMSTERDAM—For Heineken NV, the 150 year-old Dutch beer maker, one global brand isn't enough.

Building on its experience in turning Heineken into a global brand, the company is now trying to do the same with drinks such as Desperados, a tequila flavored beer, and Affligem, a Belgian abbey beer. It is also using Radler, a mix of lemonade and beer, to give existing local brands a boost and tap a new audience.

With traditional lager sales under pressure in Europe and the U.S., the company, which is still controlled by the Heineken family, is rolling out some of its brands around the globe and launching new varieties in local markets to boost growth and profits. It also sees an opportunity to serve customers at times when they don’t drink beer, as well as those that don’t drink it at all.

“Heineken is and will always be the priority, but going forward our global offering will be a lot broader,” Alexis Nasard, Heineken’s chief marketing officer who is also responsible for the company’s business in Western Europe, said in an interview.

Heineken’s decision to push these brands isn’t just a shot in the dark. Flavored beers, craft and specialty beers as well as non- or low-alcohol beer alternatives offer higher margins and are outperforming the market for traditional lager in mature markets, analysts say.

“Brewers are positioning products as not just beer, because consumers are just bored by drinking the same old beer,” said Amin Alkhatib, an alcoholic drinks analyst at Euromonitor International. On top, traditional beer markets have become saturated over the past 10 years, causing brewers to target people that drink wine or spirits as well as younger people and women. “They are going after the nontraditional beer drinker,” he added.

The Dutch brewer isn’t the only one trying to benefit from these trends. Anheuser-Busch InBev NV said last week it is launching a tequila-flavored beer called Oculto in the U.S. next year, while it also announced it was buying a U.S.-based craft beer maker.

Heineken ranked third in global beer volume last year, with a market share of 9.2%, according to Euromonitor. The research firm estimates that Anheuser-Busch InBev held the first spot with 19.7% of the market, followed by SABMiller PLC at 9.6%.

But it isn’t all about scale. Heineken tries to segment in order to have as many offerings as possible. “The art of that exercise is providing as much diversity as possible without letting cost and complexity get out of hand,” Mr. Nasard said.

With Radler, each region chooses one of three recipes that best fits with the taste of the local beer that is used to mix the lemonade with. The same goes for advertising, which follows the same storyboard everywhere but is tailored to the positioning of the local brand.

Through Radler, which has a lower alcohol content, Heineken is targeting non-beer drinkers as well as those that do, but at occasions when they don’t normally consume alcohol. “I drink Amstel in the evening before I go to the restaurant with my friends, but when I’m on the beach or doing sports, I’ll have a Radler,” Mr. Nasard explains, adding that 75% of people buying Radler don’t usually drink beer.

Heineken sees three trends that will drive demand going forward. It expects people will consume more drinks with lower or no alcohol; flavored beers, such as Desperado; or craft and specialty beers, such as Affligem.

“Belgium abbey beer carries a lot of heritage and credibility, that’s why we felt it had a lot of global potential,” Mr. Nasard said.

Depending on the characteristics of a market, Heineken decides how many varieties of Affligem are launched.

“For example, in France where Affligem has existed for 10 years, we can afford several line extensions,” Mr. Nasard said, adding that in a market where it was just launched this year resources need to be spend on making people familiar with what the brand is about. “And then use the line extension to renew their interest in the brand or to widen their repertoire.”

The efforts are part of Heineken’s innovation strategy, which was launched in 2010 and aimed to grow sales of products on the market for under three years from 2.6% of sales to 6% by 2020. New products and brands that are perceived as premium also allow the company to charge higher prices, resulting in higher margins, Mr. Nasard said.

The company has already surpassed its target with 7.5% of sales coming from innovations, but that is no reason to sit back and relax.

“As long as you innovate, you will perpetually see a reappraisal, which keeps the category dynamic and avoids commoditization,” Mr. Nasard said. “If you don’t innovate, you’re dead.”

>>> Family Dollar files solicitation/recommendation statement; reaffirmed its re

Family Dollar files solicitation/recommendation statement; reaffirmed its recommendation of the Dollar Tree (DLTR) merger

After careful consideration, including a thorough review of the terms and conditions of the Offer with Family Dollar's financial and outside legal advisors, and consistent with its fiduciary duties under applicable law, the Board, by unanimous vote of all of its directors at meetings held on September 15, 2014, October 13, 2014 and November 10, 2014, reaffirmed its recommendation of, and declaration of advisability with respect to, the Dollar Tree merger, concluded that the Offer does not constitute and is not reasonably expected to lead to a "Company Superior Proposal" as defined in the Dollar Tree merger agreement and is not in the best interests of Family Dollar, and recommended that Family Dollar's stockholders reject the Offer and not tender their Shares pursuant to the Offer.

>>> US Early pre-market gappers

Early pre-market gappers
Gapping up: OXGN +16%, CSIQ +9.6%, FOSL +8.6%, FXEN +6.6%, WUBA +4.8%, TSL +4.8%, PT +4.7%, SOL +3.6%, JCP +3.2%, YY +3.1%, ZTS +2.3%, CZR +1.4%, HMY +1.4%, BABA +1.2%, BZH +1.1%

Gapping down: NBG -4.5%, FANG -3.7%, OCLR -3.0%, FLO -2.6%, HAL -2.3%, ZNGA -2.2%, GOL -1.9%, BCS -1.8%, DB -1.6%, MT -1.5%, BP -1.4%, DDD -1.4%, RDS.A -1.4%, ING -1.3%, VALE -1.0%, SLV -0.9%

>>> BPTY LN : Confirms entry into preliminary discussions with interested partie

BPTY LN : Confirms entry into preliminary discussions with interested parties regarding potential business combinations With a view to creating additional value for bwin.party shareholders. Such discussions may or may not result in an offer being made for the Company. However, as all such discussions remain at a preliminary stage, there can be no certainty as to whether or not they will result in any form of transaction with any party