(Reuters) – Wall Street’s main indexes gained on Tuesday as healthcare stocks rallied, oil prices surged and a number of countries and U.S. states eased coronavirus-induced restrictions in an attempt to revive their economies.
Stocks pulled back sharply late in the session after Federal Reserve Vice Chair Richard Clarida made downbeat comments about the depth of the economic contraction.
Some hard-hit countries, including Italy, as well some U.S. states including California are tentatively easing lockdown orders this week, raising hopes for a recovery in oil demand.
Healthcare shares led among S&P 500 sectors following developments in efforts to control the coronavirus from Pfizer (PFE.N) and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN.O).
“We are starting to see some states open up, we are starting to see some activity,” said Paul Nolte, portfolio manager at Kingsview Investment Management. “We are probably now in the midst of the worst period and things will be gradually improving from here.”
The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose 133.33 points, or 0.56%, to 23,883.09, the S&P 500 .SPX gained 25.7 points, or 0.90%, to 2,868.44 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC added 98.41 points, or 1.13%, to 8,809.12.
Shares of large tech and internet companies such as Microsoft (MSFT.O) and Apple (AAPL.O) also gained, giving lifts to the indexes.
Pfizer (PFE.N) shares rose 2.4% after the drugmaker said it and its German partner had begun delivering doses of an experimental coronavirus vaccines for human testing. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN.O) shares gained 6.0% after the company said its experimental antibody cocktail for COVID-19 may be available for use by the end of summer.
Stocks have rebounded sharply since late March from the coronavirus-fueled sell-off, helped by massive monetary and fiscal stimulus. Investors are now watching efforts by a number of states trying to spark their economies by easing restrictions put in place to fight the outbreak.
Clarida said during an interview with CNBC that the U.S. economy is likely to contract sharply during the second quarter as a result of intentional business shutdowns, but there is a chance the recovery could start in the second half of the year.
“Clarida threw a bit of a wet blanket on the market at the end of the session,” said Michael Antonelli, market strategist at Robert W. Baird in Milwaukee.
Data on Tuesday showed the vast U.S. services sector fell into contraction in April for the first time in nearly 10-1/2-years.
Investors are now bracing for data on the labor market through the week culminating with the employment report for the month of April due Friday.
“We have certainly gotten some negative data, but for the most part the market has learned to look through that,” said Kristina Hooper, chief global market strategist at Invesco.
In corporate news, shares of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd (NCLH.N) tumbled 22.6% as the world’s third-largest cruise operator raised doubts about its ability to keep running as a business.
FILE PHOTO: The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is seen in the financial district of lower Manhattan during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in New York City, U.S., April 26, 2020. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon
Advancing issues outnumbered declining ones on the NYSE by a 1.52-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 1.18-to-1 ratio favored advancers.
The S&P 500 posted 11 new 52-week highs and two new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 46 new highs and 12 new lows.
About 10.6 billion shares changed hands in U.S. exchanges, below the roughly 12 billion daily average over the last 20 sessions.
Additional reporting by April Joyner in New York, Medha Singh and Shreyashi Sanyal in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D’Silva, Saumyadeb Chakrabarty, Shounak Dasgupta and Cynthia Osterman
TORONTO – Canada Goose Holdings Inc. says it has signed a deal that will result in the creation of its first eyewear collection.
The deal announced on Thursday by the Toronto-based luxury apparel company comes in the form of an exclusive, long-term global licensing agreement with Marchon Eyewear Inc.
The terms and value of the agreement were not disclosed, but Marchon produces eyewear for brands including Lacoste, Nike, Calvin Klein, Ferragamo, Longchamp and Zeiss.
Marchon plans to roll out both sunglasses and optical wear under the Canada Goose name next spring, starting in North America.
Canada Goose says the eyewear will be sold through optical retailers, department stores, Canada Goose shops and its website.
Canada Goose CEO Dani Reiss told The Canadian Press in August that he envisioned his company eventually expanding into eyewear and luggage.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Almost seven years since news broke of an alleged conspiracy to fix the price of packaged bread across Canada, the saga isn’t over: the Competition Bureau continues to investigate the companies that may have been involved, and two class-action lawsuits continue to work their way through the courts.
Here’s a timeline of key events in the bread price-fixing case.
Oct. 31, 2017: The Competition Bureau says it’s investigating allegations of bread price-fixing and that it was granted search warrants in the case. Several grocers confirm they are co-operating in the probe.
Dec. 19, 2017: Loblaw and George Weston say they participated in an “industry-wide price-fixing arrangement” to raise the price of packaged bread. The companies say they have been co-operating in the Competition Bureau’s investigation since March 2015, when they self-reported to the bureau upon discovering anti-competitive behaviour, and are receiving immunity from prosecution. They announce they are offering $25 gift cards to customers amid the ongoing investigation into alleged bread price-fixing.
Jan. 31, 2018: In court documents, the Competition Bureau says at least $1.50 was added to the price of a loaf of bread between about 2001 and 2016.
Dec. 20, 2019: A class-action lawsuit in a Quebec court against multiple grocers and food companies is certified against a number of companies allegedly involved in bread price-fixing, including Loblaw, George Weston, Metro, Sobeys, Walmart Canada, Canada Bread and Giant Tiger (which have all denied involvement, except for Loblaw and George Weston, which later settled with the plaintiffs).
Dec. 31, 2021: A class-action lawsuit in an Ontario court covering all Canadian residents except those in Quebec who bought packaged bread from a company named in the suit is certified against roughly the same group of companies.
June 21, 2023: Bakery giant Canada Bread Co. is fined $50 million after pleading guilty to four counts of price-fixing under the Competition Act as part of the Competition Bureau’s ongoing investigation.
Oct. 25 2023: Canada Bread files a statement of defence in the Ontario class action denying participating in the alleged conspiracy and saying any anti-competitive behaviour it participated in was at the direction and to the benefit of its then-majority owner Maple Leaf Foods, which is not a defendant in the case (neither is its current owner Grupo Bimbo). Maple Leaf calls Canada Bread’s accusations “baseless.”
Dec. 20, 2023: Metro files new documents in the Ontario class action accusing Loblaw and its parent company George Weston of conspiring to implicate it in the alleged scheme, denying involvement. Sobeys has made a similar claim. The two companies deny the allegations.
July 25, 2024: Loblaw and George Weston say they agreed to pay a combined $500 million to settle both the Ontario and Quebec class-action lawsuits. Loblaw’s share of the settlement includes a $96-million credit for the gift cards it gave out years earlier.
Sept. 12, 2024: Canada Bread files new documents in Ontario court as part of the class action, claiming Maple Leaf used it as a “shield” to avoid liability in the alleged scheme. Maple Leaf was a majority shareholder of Canada Bread until 2014, and the company claims it’s liable for any price-fixing activity. Maple Leaf refutes the claims.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Companies in this story: (TSX:L, TSX:MFI, TSX:MRU, TSX:EMP.A, TSX:WN)
TORONTO – TD Bank Group, which is mired in a money laundering scandal in the U.S., says chief executive Bharat Masrani will retire next year.
Masrani, who will retire officially on April 10, 2025, says the bank’s, “anti-money laundering challenges,” took place on his watch and he takes full responsibility.
The bank named Raymond Chun, TD’s group head, Canadian personal banking, as his successor.
As part of a transition plan, Chun will become chief operating officer on Nov. 1 before taking over the top job when Masrani steps down at the bank’s annual meeting next year.
TD also announced that Riaz Ahmed, group head, wholesale banking and president and CEO of TD Securities, will retire at the end of January 2025.
TD has taken billions in charges related to ongoing U.S. investigations into the failure of its anti-money laundering program.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
