McDonald's investor renews push for antibiotic reduction in all meat

Dear Viewers,
McDonald's Corp (MCD.N) shareholder is redoubling efforts to convince the fast-food chain to stop all of its global restaurants from serving the meat of animals raised with antibiotics that are vital for fighting human infections.
More than 70 percent of medically important antibiotics in the United States are sold for livestock use. Scientists have warned that the routine use of antibiotics to promote growth and prevent illness in healthy farms animals contributes to the rise of dangerous, antibiotic-resistant "superbug" infections, which kill at least 23,000 Americans each year and pose a significant threat to global health.
The Congregation of Benedictine Sisters of Boerne, Texas, asked directors at McDonald's to prohibit the use of medically important antibiotics in its global poultry supply chain. McDonald's already has adopted that policy for the chicken served in its U.S. restaurants.
The group also asking the fast-food chain to set global targets and timelines for switching to pork and beef raised without the non-therapeutic use of medically important antibiotics.
Just over 20 percent of McDonald's shareholders voted in favor of a similar proposal at this year's annual meeting. The sisters pulled a prior resolution after McDonald's announced its plans to change its policies on chicken in the United States.
The sisters aim to have shareholders vote on the new proposal at McDonald's 2017 annual meeting.
McDonald's told Reuters it continues "to engage with key experts, including some who serve as advisors to the World Health Organization (WHO), to advance progress across the industry."
The company said its current policy "provides guidance to our suppliers in parts of the world where the industry does not yet have systems in place that would allow them to verify compliance throughout the supply chain."
Sister Susan Mika said the resolution is part of an ongoing process.
"I said we will be back," Mika said in a phone interview. "We want them to set goals and to be moving in a certain direction. We expect them to be a leader in taking on these questions of our time."

The sisters are part of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR), which along with ShareAction, Farm Animal Investment Risk & Return (FAIRR) Initiative and As You Sow, also are targeting companies such as Sanderson Farms (SAFM.O) and Yum Brands Inc (YUM.N) with similar campaigns aimed at preserving the efficacy of antibiotics. Thanks.

GLOBAL MARKETS-U.S. dollar, stocks climb as Yellen signals rate hike coming

Dear Viewers,

NEW YORK Global stock indexes rose along with the U.S. dollar on Thursday after U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said the central bank could raise interest rates "relatively soon."

Yellen, who testified on the economic outlook before the congressional Joint Economic Committee, indicated little had changed following the victory of Donald Trump in the Nov. 8 U.S. presidential election.

She said she intended to serve out her term, which ends in 2018, and indicated the Fed remained on track to raise rates at its meeting next month.

Expectations have been high among investors that the Fed will raise rates in December.

The dollar receded earlier in the day from a 13-1/2 year peak, though it turned higher after upbeat U.S. economic data stoked expectations of an acceleration in U.S. economic expansion in the fourth quarter.

The dollar index .DXY, tracking the greenback relative to a basket of six foreign currencies, extended gains in U.S. afternoon trading following Yellen's comments and was last up 0.5 percent.

U.S. stocks, which rallied after Republican Donald Trump's surprise White House win on the potential for economic stimulus, edged up, led by a 1.3 percent gain in financials .SPSY, which benefit from higher rates.

"A December rate hike is priced in. A number of Fed speakers have indicated that and they want the market to be prepared for when they do," said Erik Wytenus, global investment specialist at J.P. Morgan Private Bank.

"The Fed, though, is sensitive to the strength of the dollar and they don't want to hike too far too quickly."

The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI was up 1.78 points, or 0.01 percent, to 18,869.92, the S&P 500 .SPX had gained 7.22 points, or 0.33 percent, to 2,184.16 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC had added 27.73 points, or 0.52 percent, to 5,322.31.

MSCI's all-country world stock index .MIWD00000PUS was up 0.3 percent, while Europe's STOXX 600 rose 0.6 percent.

In the U.S. bond market, the yield curve steepened after the U.S. data suggested the labor market is tightening and inflation is beginning to gain traction.

That prompted investors to sell government debt with longer-dated maturities.

U.S. consumer prices posted their biggest increase in six months in October, while housing starts surged to a 9-year high and jobless claims fell to the lowest since November 1973.

The 10-year note US10YT=RR fell 15/32 in price to yield 2.275 percent.

Overseas, the Bank of Japan offered to buy unlimited bonds for the first time under a revamped policy framework as domestic debt yields surged in the wake of Trump's election victory.

More broadly, Japan's efforts will raise questions about how far central banks such as the European Central Bank and others will be willing to tolerate steep and sudden rises in government borrowing costs.

Oil prices were higher as expectations of an OPEC deal to limit production outweighed global oversupply concerns. Brent crude oil LCOc1 was up 11 cents a barrel at $46.74, while U.S. crude CLc1 was up 6 cents at $45.63.  Viewers,

NEW YORK Global stock indexes rose along with the U.S. dollar on Thursday after U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said the central bank could raise interest rates "relatively soon."

Yellen, who testified on the economic outlook before the congressional Joint Economic Committee, indicated little had changed following the victory of Donald Trump in the Nov. 8 U.S. presidential election.

She said she intended to serve out her term, which ends in 2018, and indicated the Fed remained on track to raise rates at its meeting next month.

Expectations have been high among investors that the Fed will raise rates in December.

The dollar receded earlier in the day from a 13-1/2 year peak, though it turned higher after upbeat U.S. economic data stoked expectations of an acceleration in U.S. economic expansion in the fourth quarter.

The dollar index .DXY, tracking the greenback relative to a basket of six foreign currencies, extended gains in U.S. afternoon trading following Yellen's comments and was last up 0.5 percent.

U.S. stocks, which rallied after Republican Donald Trump's surprise White House win on the potential for economic stimulus, edged up, led by a 1.3 percent gain in financials .SPSY, which benefit from higher rates.

"A December rate hike is priced in. A number of Fed speakers have indicated that and they want the market to be prepared for when they do," said Erik Wytenus, global investment specialist at J.P. Morgan Private Bank.

"The Fed, though, is sensitive to the strength of the dollar and they don't want to hike too far too quickly."

The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI was up 1.78 points, or 0.01 percent, to 18,869.92, the S&P 500 .SPX had gained 7.22 points, or 0.33 percent, to 2,184.16 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC had added 27.73 points, or 0.52 percent, to 5,322.31.

MSCI's all-country world stock index .MIWD00000PUS was up 0.3 percent, while Europe's STOXX 600 rose 0.6 percent.

In the U.S. bond market, the yield curve steepened after the U.S. data suggested the labor market is tightening and inflation is beginning to gain traction.

That prompted investors to sell government debt with longer-dated maturities.

U.S. consumer prices posted their biggest increase in six months in October, while housing starts surged to a 9-year high and jobless claims fell to the lowest since November 1973.

The 10-year note US10YT=RR fell 15/32 in price to yield 2.275 percent.

Overseas, the Bank of Japan offered to buy unlimited bonds for the first time under a revamped policy framework as domestic debt yields surged in the wake of Trump's election victory.

More broadly, Japan's efforts will raise questions about how far central banks such as the European Central Bank and others will be willing to tolerate steep and sudden rises in government borrowing costs.

Oil prices were higher as expectations of an OPEC deal to limit production outweighed global oversupply concerns. Brent crude oil LCOc1 was up 11 cents a barrel at $46.74, while U.S. crude CLc1 was up 6 cents at $45.63. Thanks.

Fears over global populist revolt push up Italy's debt costs

Hello Dear Viewers,

MILAN Concerns that Italy could become the next nation to be hit by a global populist revolt, which could sink Matteo Renzi's premiership in a referendum next month, drove its borrowing costs to their highest for over a year on Friday.

Growing anger at the political mainstream in 2016 has seen Americans elect Donald Trump to the White House this week and Britons vote in June to leave the European Union.

It has also boosted support for anti-establishment parties in other countries in Europe and beyond, and could aid Italy's own 5-Star Movement as it seeks to wreck Renzi's attempts to win backing for constitutional reforms in the Dec. 4 referendum.

The prime minister has staked his political future on the vote over his plans, which would reduce the role of the Senate and take back power from the regions. At the start of his campaign he repeatedly pledged to quit if he lost, but in recent months has refused to confirm this.

Investors see an increasing chance of voters rejecting his measures, which could lead to a period of political upheaval.

Government bond yields jumped to their highest levels since mid-2015 at an auction that failed to reach its planned maximum size as demand for riskier longer-dated bonds wavered.

With one of the world's largest public debt piles, Italy's borrowing costs are closely watched as a potential flashpoint for market instability in the wider euro zone.

They risked spiraling out of control during the sovereign debt crisis until European Central Bank President Mario Draghi pledged in July 2012 to do whatever it took to save the euro.

As well as investor concerns over the referendum, Italian bonds - like others around the world - have also been hit by expectations that Trump's plans to cut taxes and spend on infrastructure would boost global inflation.

French bonds also fell victim to rising political risks this week as the country nears presidential elections next year when the far-right Front National is hoping to benefit from populist discontent.

"A victory for Front National leader (Marine) Le Pen would certainly put the EU's future in question," Credit Suisse said in a note, adding the chances of this happening were very low.

'DEMOLITION MAN'

Opinion polls suggest Italian voters will reject Renzi's reforms. Pollsters, however, got it badly wrong in both the U.S. presidential election and the Brexit vote.

Ironically Renzi himself has appealed to anti-establishment anger, earning the nickname "Demolition Man" when he took power in 2014 for pledges to destroy old political structures. But critics say he has not delivered on his promises.

The 41-year-old prime minister is trying to present the constitutional reform as a break with the past and entrenched powers.

"The referendum is a chance for Italians to choose change and a simpler system that costs less, or to keep the current one, bringing back to power the old guard that has already failed," he said in a broadcast on Facebook this week.

Carlo Galli, a deputy who left Renzi's Democratic Party (PD) for a small left-wing group last year, said the premier was "desperately" trying to show he was not part of an elite.

"It's bizarre to maintain that someone who has sat in Palazzo Chigi (the prime minister's office) for three years is not one of the elite," Galli told La Repubblica newspaper.

'RISING TENSIONS'

In Friday's bond sale, the Treasury sold 6.9 billion euros ($7.5 billion) of bonds, drawing demand for 1.5 times that amount but missing its upper target.

Weak appetite for the bonds due in 2040 and 2047 marked a shift in market mood just over a month after Rome attracted strong demand with its first-ever sale of a 50-year bond.

"Today's auction, with weaker demand at the longer end of the yield curve, is probably one of the first signs of rising tensions on Italy's debt ahead of the referendum," IG strategist Vincenzo Longo said.

Standard & Poor's on Friday confirmed its BBB- rating on Italy with a stable outlook, while cutting its growth forecasts for its chronically sluggish economy to 0.9 percent from 1.1 percent this year and to 0.8 percent from 1.3 percent for 2017.

S&P said the constitutional reform could help political stability and effectiveness, but a rejection of the referendum would not be significant for Italy's creditworthiness unless it led to a reversal of structural reforms.

Rival ratings agency Fitch last month downgraded Italy's outlook to negative from stable, citing its weak growth and high debt as well as the political uncertainty.

Rome has already covered 96 percent of its funding needs for this year but debt management chief Maria Cannata has warned large redemptions next year will make refinancing tough. Thanks.

U.S. drillers add oil rigs for 21st week in 24 -Baker Hughes

Dear Viewers,

U.S. oil drillers increased rigs this week for a 21th week in the last 24, as energy firms follow through on plans to add rigs made months ago when crude was still trading over the key $50 a barrel level analysts said should lead to more drilling.

Drillers added two oil rigs in the week to Nov. 11, bringing the total count up to 452, the most since February, but still below the 574 rigs seen a year ago, energy services firm Baker Hughes Inc said on Friday.

Since crude topped $50 a barrel in May, June and October, drillers have added 136 oil rigs, its biggest recovery in over two years since prices collapsed due to a global oil glut.

The Baker Hughes oil rig count plunged from a record 1,609 in October 2014 to a six-year low of 316 in May as U.S. crude collapsed from over $107 a barrel in June 2014 to near $26 in February 2016.

U.S. crude futures were trading above $43 a barrel on Friday, on track to fall for a third week in a row after OPEC said its output in October reached a record high, casting doubt on whether its plans to limit production would ease persistent oversupply in the market. [O/R]

But with oil prices still expected to rise in 2017 and 2018 with a projected tightening of the supply-demand balance, analysts continued to expect energy firms to follow through on previously announced plans to boost spending on new drilling in coming years.

Futures were trading near $47 a barrel for calendar 2017 and near $50 for calendar 2018.

Analysts at U.S. financial services firm Cowen & Co said this week in a note that its capital expenditure tracking showed 17 exploration and production (E&P) companies, including ConocoPhillips and Concho Resources Inc, planned to increase spending by an average of 33 percent in 2017 over 2016.

Cowen said that forecast 2017 increase followed an estimated 48 percent decline in 2016 and a 35 percent decline in 2015 for the 65 E&P companies it tracks.

Analysts at Simmons & Co, energy specialists at U.S. investment bank Piper Jaffray, this week forecast the total oil and natural gas rig count would average 504 in 2016, 685 in 2017 and 896 in 2018. Most wells produce both oil and gas.

That compares with an average of 978 oil and gas rigs active in 2015, according to Baker Hughes data. Thanks.

Canadian casino says it was hacked, data was stolen

Dear Viewers,

TORONTO A major Canadian casino has been hit by a cyber attack in which sensitive customer, employee and vendor data was stolen, its management said on Thursday, warning there is a risk the information will be published.

The Casino Rama Resort in Ontario said the hacker claimed to have stolen financial reports, patron credit inquiries, collection and debt information, payroll and other data in an intrusion it first became aware of on Friday.

It said the hacker claims the employee data included social insurance numbers and dated back to 2004, with some other stolen data dating back to 2007.

The casino sits on the Rama First Nation about two-hours drive north of Toronto and has about 3 million visitors a year. Its day-to-day operations are run by CHC Casinos Canada Limited, an indirect subsidiary of Penn National Gaming Inc, under license from the province's gaming operator.

Penn National did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The breach is at least the second time this year that a casino that sits on aboriginal land has fallen victim to a hack, following a breach at the River Cree Resort and Casino in Alberta in March.

Casino Rama has more 2,500 slot machines, more than 110 gaming tables, 8 restaurants and a 5,000 seat entertainment venue and an attached 300-room hotel.

The casino had gross gaming revenue of C$348.3 million ($259.3 million) in the fiscal year to end-March 2015, Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation spokesman Tony Bitonti said. Casino resorts in Ontario brought in a total of C$1.16 billion in revenue in that period, he said.

Casino Rama said there was no evidence that the hacker was still inside its computer systems, and that it was working with provincial and federal police and private cyber security experts to investigate the breach. Thanks.

Volatility shorts cash in despite shock U.S. election

Dear Viewers,

NEW YORK Nov 10 Options traders who had bet that stock market volatility would plummet after the election made outsized gains even if Donald Trump's win seemed to take financial markets by surprise.

The CBOE Volatility Index, the most widely followed gauge of near-term investor anxiety, collapsed on Wednesday, in the largest one-day decline in more than five years.

While a drop in expectations for stock market volatility after a big news event is not unusual, the intensity of this pullback was.

"That's a truly remarkable turnaround in less than one full trading day," said Ophir Gottlieb, chief executive of Los Angeles-based Capital Market Laboratories.

VIX November futures contracts roared to a four-month high of 23.46 on Tuesday night as the results of the election began to favor Trump, counter to earlier expectations that the victor would be Democrat Hillary Clinton.

On Wednesday, the VIX closed down 23 percent at 14.38 and the November futures contracts fell 37 percent from their session peak.

The collapse in volatility was good news for options traders who went against the grain and bet on a decline in stock market volatility even as the options market grew more jittery as Election Day approached.

Even before Election Night, some traders were already betting that volatility would return to pre-election levels, strategists at BNP Paribas said in a note on Thursday.

On November 4, a record 769,214 VIX puts were traded, according to the Chicago Board Options Exchange. Since the VIX usually moves inversely to the stock market and puts offer the opportunity to profit from a decline in the VIX, owning a VIX put is a bet on lower volatility.

The collapse in the VIX makes the value of these puts jump.

For instance, November VIX puts with a strike price of 17 traded as low as $1.05 on Friday. On Thursday, these contracts traded for as much as $3.

On Wednesday, these puts traded in heavy volume, including a large trade were a trader appeared to be selling 26,500 of the contracts for $2.25. While it is not clear when these contracts were bought, they traded for an average price of $1.66 in the two weeks before the election on November 8. Thanks.

Mexico cenbank, govt hold off new measures after Trump victory

Dear Viewers,

Nov 9 Mexico's central bank governor and finance minister held off announcing any new measures to protect the country's tumbling peso on Wednesday, after Donald Trump's victory sent it down by as much as ten percent.

Finance Minister Jose Antonio Meade said in a news conference that uncertainty and volatility had increased since Trump's win, but that there was no immediate impact on trade rules between the two countries.

The central bank will hold a planned monetary policy meeting next week, Governor Agustin Carstens said. Thanks.

GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks, Mexican peso advance ahead of U.S. election results

Dear Viewers,

NEW YORK Global equity markets climbed and the Mexican peso rallied on Tuesday as investors leaned toward the potential victory of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the U.S. presidential election.

Markets turned higher after treading water for the early portion of the session, although U.S. equities retreated from their session highs.

While the dollar strengthened slightly against a basket of currencies, the Mexican peso shot to a two-month high versus the greenback.

The Mexican currency has been a market proxy for sentiment over the U.S. election and has performed in inverse correlation with Republican candidate Donald Trump's perceived chances of winning the White House. The iShares MSCI Mexico ETF, touched its highest level since mid-August and was last up 2.2 percent.

Mexico is considered most vulnerable to Trump's planned trade policies as 80 percent of its exports go to the United States.

Market participants cited projections from data firm Votecastr, which showed Clinton in the lead in several battleground states.

"The Votecastr thing is absolutely helping the market move higher," said Kim Forrest, senior equity research analyst at Fort Pitt Capital Group. "Investors will take whatever data they can get, although I really don’t know how accurate the data is."

The market has been pricing in a win for Clinton, including a 2 percent jump in the S&P 500 on Monday after the FBI maintained its view that no criminal charges were warranted in a probe over her email practices.

The Dow Jones industrial average was up 70.29 points, or 0.38 percent, to 18,329.89, the S&P 500 gained 6.1 points, or 0.29 percent, to 2,137.62 and the Nasdaq Composite added 20.03 points, or 0.39 percent, to 5,186.20.

Safety play gold weakened, down 0.3 percent to $1,276.65 an ounce and yields on U.S. Treasuries touched a one-week high.

At the end of a bruising election campaign, the Reuters/Ipsos States of the Nation poll gave Clinton a 90 percent chance of defeating Trump and said she was on track to win 303 Electoral College votes out of 270 needed, to Trump's 235.

Europe's index of 300 leading shares, which posted its biggest gain in two months on Monday, closed 0.3 percent higher. MSCI's all-country world index was up 0.4 percent after notching its best day since late June on Monday.

Clinton, generally seen as a known quantity, has been the preferred candidate for investors over political wild card Trump. But markets remained wary, noting Britain's shock vote in June to leave the European Union had caught investors and pollsters off guard.

"I’d be a little hesitant to waive the all clear signal at this point," said Randy Frederick, vice president of trading and derivatives for Charles Schwab in Austin, Texas.

Benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury notes fell 11/32 in price to yield 1.8672 percent after touching a high of 1.876 percent, up from Monday's 1.828 percent. Thanks.

US STOCKS-Wall Street climbs as investors bet on Clinton victory

Dear Viewers,

U.S. stocks rose for a second straight session on Tuesday, helped by early voter turnout estimates favoring Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton in the U.S. presidential election.

Wall Street sees the former secretary of state as lending greater clarity and stability to the markets, while Republican candidate Donald Trump's stance on foreign policy, trade and immigration is less certain.

Data company VoteCastr, which is providing real-time election information through news outlets, including Slate, showed Clinton with an early lead among voters in Florida, a must-win state for Trump.

Several investors said VoteCastr's data had pushed stock prices higher, although they were cautious about its accuracy.

"We were dramatically oversold. People were nervous Trump would win," said Michael James, managing director of equity trading at Wedbush Securities in Los Angeles. "There's likely to be additional volatility in both directions between now and the end of the day."

Shortly after 2:30 pm ET, the Dow Jones industrial average .DJI was up 73.24 points, or 0.4 percent, to 18,332.84, the S&P 500 .SPX had gained 6.46 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,137.98 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC had added 20.96 points, or 0.41 percent, to 5,187.13.

The CBOE Volatility index .VIX, dubbed Wall Street's "fear gauge," reversed an early increase and dipped 0.75 after having notched its biggest one-day drop since late June on Monday.

The iShares MSCI Mexico Capped ETF (EWW.P), known of late as the "Trump ETF," rose 1.75 percent. The ETF is viewed as a barometer of Trump's chances of winning the election since his policies are considered negative for Mexico.

U.S. stocks opened slightly lower, then turned positive and extended the morning's gains.

Clinton has a 90 percent chance of defeating Trump, according to the final Reuters/Ipsos States of the Nation poll released on Monday.

She was on track to win 303 votes in the electoral college to Trump's 235, clearing the 270 needed for victory. She also leads Trump by about 44 percent to 39 percent in the popular vote, according to the poll.

The S&P 500 has surged 2.7 percent since the FBI said on Sunday it would not press criminal charges against Clinton over her use of a private email server, an announcement seen as improving her chances at the polls.

Shares of Smith & Wesson Holding (SWHC.O) and Sturm Ruger & Co (RGR.N) both rose over 1.5 percent. Their sales have benefited in the past from fears among gun owners of increased gun control.

Aetna (AET.N) and Anthem (ANTM.N) jumped more than 2 percent. Both health insurers have gained from the Affordable Care Act, which Clinton has vowed to extend.

Advancing issues outnumbered declining ones on the NYSE by a 1.48-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 1.35-to-1 ratio favored advancers.

The S&P 500 posted 22 new 52-week highs and 3 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 56 new highs and 66 new lows. Thanks.

UPDATE 1-U.S. SEC probing banks over possible mismanagement of ADRs - WSJ

Dear Viewers,

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating whether big banks have been mishandling securities in the American Depositary Receipt (ADR) market, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.

The SEC has sent subpoenas to four banks over the issue - Bank of New York Mellon Corp (BK.N), Citigroup Inc (C.N), Deutsche Bank AG (DBKGn.DE) (DB.N) and JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N), the Journal reported, citing people close to the matter. (on.wsj.com/2eFTBJ4)

The probe, which is looking at whether the banks have broken controls designed to prevent market abuse and tax fraud, will not necessarily result in enforcement action, the report said.

A major focus of the SEC inquiry is the "pre-release" of ADRs, where banks issue depositary receipts to investors without first having the underlying shares in their custody, the Journal reported.

That means the shares could be sold short without actually having them - a practice known as "naked short selling", which is illegal.

ADRs represent shares of foreign companies that are held in custody by U.S. banks. Trading in ADRs rather than the underlying shares reduces administration and trading costs, both for companies and for investors.

Deutsche Bank and Citigroup declined to comment on the report, while the other two banks did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Thanks.