Wallstreetjournal 20171124 TheWallStreetJournal
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* * * * * FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2017 ~ VOL. CCLXX NO. 123 WSJ.com HHHH $4.00
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U.S. NEWS
CAPITAL ACCOUNT | By Greg Ip
S
ford University ome 800 million radiol- Watson diagnosed the pres- jectionable requires a Face- their practices.
said their arti- ogy exams are con- ence of melanoma on images book member to report some- While some commercial AI
ficial-intelligence program had ducted annually in the of skin lesions with 76% accu- thing to the “community applications for medical imag-
diagnosed pneumonia on U.S. generating roughly 60 racy, higher than the 71% av- operations” team, which then ing exist, IBM Watson has yet
chest X-rays more accurately billion images, or one every erage of eight dermatologists. decides whether it should be to release any; a spokes-
than human radiologists. two seconds for every radiolo- The company hopes that some removed. Thereafter, AI woman says proposed appli-
“Should radiologists be gist, estimates Steve Tolle, day a doctor or nurse will be watches for similar content cations for breast and skin
worried about their jobs?” vice president of global strat- able to take a photo of a skin and prevents it from being cancer will depend on regula-
one of the scientists, Andrew egy at International Business lesion and upload it to an AI shared. Facebook is hiring tory timelines.
Ng, tweeted. Machines Corp.’s Watson application that can tell you thousands of humans to make
T
Probably not. In fact, they Health Imaging. “And we have how likely it is to be cancer. those calls. he panic over AI steal-
ought to be relieved: AI is an expectation they are get- Since AI learns from pat- In “many of the everyday ing jobs is reminiscent
more likely to make their jobs ting it right every time,” he terns identified by humans, it AI applications, the machine of the worry nearly two
easier than redundant. says. can’t know more than hu- predicts the most relevant op- decades ago over offshoring
Radiologists today face the The strain of all that data, mans, but it can be more con- tions and sorts them, but the of jobs of all types. Some
same problem of most profes- he says, is why some images sistent and less biased in ap- human makes the actual economists predicted interna-
sionals: too much data. Ma- in Britain go weeks without plying that knowledge. choice,” says Avi Goldfarb, an tional broadband connections
chine learning, the latest iter- being read, why many radiolo- Radiologists tend to look economist specializing in AI meant much of the reading of
ation of AI, can sift through gists are burned out, and why for things they have seen re- at the University of Toronto. medical images would be out-
that data and spot patterns radiologist shortages loom de- cently, says John Park of Anne An algorithm can be sourced to radiologists in In-
humans might miss. But ma- spite high pay. Arundel Medical Center in An- what an image shows. It “may trained to look for a specific dia earning a fraction of
chines don’t know what to do IBM thinks AI can relieve napolis, Md., who is working point out to me things I may condition, but “most of the American salaries. It never
with that information—at those strains. It is one of with IBM Watson. By con- have missed, but then I have time you don’t even know happened.
least not yet. Only humans do. many companies developing trast, he says, once AI has to ascertain whether that what you are looking for,” U.S. regulators didn’t want
In recent decades, the vol- AI applications for medical seen something, it never for- reading is accurate or not,” says Keith Dreyer, chief data unregulated doctors reading
ume of medical images has imaging. IBM scientists feed a gets, and brings that knowl- says Jaime Murillo of Sentara science officer for the Ameri- American patients’ images,
skyrocketed, reflecting grow- computer with thousands of edge to bear on every image. Healthcare, which serves Vir- can College of Radiology. and the requisite skills and
ing patient loads, more types images for which humans This could be of particular ginia and North Carolina. Maximum accuracy re- experience were too scarce in
of scans and the number of have already determined if tu- value in poor countries with This is what limits AI quires that the algorithm be emerging markets. The num-
images each exam produces. mors or some other condition too few trained radiologists. wherever it is applied. Face- trained separately for every ber of U.S. radiologists has
CT scans that once captured are present. The computer But AI can only assert book, like radiology, struggles condition and disease, a costly thus risen more than 40%
one dimension of the body generates a model that can probability, not certainty, of with too much information. and labor-intensive process. since 1995.
U.S. WATCH
Bye-Bye Buybacks The pace of buybacks among S&P 500 companies is expected to have slowed this year.
Average quarterly buybacks by year
Share repurchases, long a Wall Street $160 billion GLOBAL ECONOMY PUERTO RICO
favorite for their capacity to boost 140 U.S. Is an Exception Whitefish Sues Over
earnings per share, have tailed off 120 To Rising Tax Levels Rebuilding Contract
this year with stock indexes at
100 Taxes are going up around The company hired to rebuild
records, as companies show a
80 the world, but the U.S. is buck- Puerto Rico’s power grid has
renewed inclination to invest and ing that trend. The Organization filed a lawsuit blaming one of its
to seek mergers. 60 for Economic Cooperation and subcontractors for a work stop-
40
Development on Thursday said page that has slowed progress
the share of economic output on repairing one of the island’s
20 taken by governments in devel- major electrical arteries.
oped economies as taxes has A Whitefish Energy Holdings
0
risen to its highest level since LLC spokesman said Wednesday
2009 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17* records began 50 years ago. it had “no choice but to seek re-
A measure of expected CapEx over the next six months was recently at a three-decade high. But in the U.S., taxes as a lief in the courts” after the sub-
Future Capital Expenditures Diffusion Index†
share of gross domestic product contractor, Arc American Inc., al-
fell in 2016 to below the level legedly snarled payments from
$40 billion recorded in 2007, the year be- Puerto Rico’s public power com-
30
fore the financial crisis hit and pany under a contentious $300
briefly reduced tax revenues for million grid construction deal.
20 governments around the world. Arc American executives
According to the OECD, the didn’t respond to a request for
10
U.S. government raised the comment.
0 equivalent of 26.2% of GDP in —Andrew Scurria
taxes last year, placing it 31st
–10 out of the group’s 35 members. NAVY
–20 —Paul Hannon
Three Missing After
2009 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 GYMNASTICS Aircraft Crashes
Shareholder returns as a portion of sales this economic cycle have
been high, while capital expenditures have been low.
Shares of companies that repurchase their shares have
started to trail the S&P 500.
Olympic Ex-Doctor The U.S. Navy said it has
Pleads Guilty ended search-and-rescue opera-
Buybacks and dividends as a share of sales** 15% tions for three missing sailors,
Capex as a share of sales** A former sports doctor ac- after one of its cargo planes
8% RECESSION cused of molesting at least 125 crashed near Japan.
S&P 500
10 girls and young women while he A C2-A Greyhound aircraft
6
worked for USA Gymnastics and carrying 11 passengers and crew
4 Michigan State University from Japan crashed on Wednes-
5 pleaded guilty Wednesday to day en route to the aircraft car-
2 multiple charges of sexual as- rier USS Ronald Reagan, which
PowerShares Buyback
sault. is operating in the Philippine
Achievers ETF
0 0 Larry Nassar, 54, admitted to Sea.
1996 2000 ’05 ’10 ’15 2017 digitally penetrating seven girls, Eight people were rescued
*Preliminary †Through Oct. 31 **Excludes financial and commodity-sensitive sectors
mostly under the guise of treat- and are in good health, the Navy
Sources: INTL FCStone (buybacks); Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia (diffusion index); Morgan Stanley Wealth Management GIC via FactSet (share of sales); FactSet (S&P 500, PowerShares) ment, between 1998 and 2015. said.
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. —Associated Press —Alastair Gale
$2.6
be put to better use than re- time tax rate on such offshore way for more bank buybacks Readers can alert The Wall Street Journal to any errors in news articles by
tiring stocks,” said Vincent cash, an incentive to bring in the years ahead, analysts emailing [email protected] or by calling 888-410-2667.
Deluard, INTL FCStone’s head money back home. say.
of global macro strategy. It is not clear to what de- There are some signs that
Capital expenditures by Amount of stock, in billions, gree companies would use re- investors are no longer as THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
U.S. companies have been Microsoft bought in latest quarter. patriated cash to fund capital drawn to companies that buy (USPS 664-880) (Eastern Edition ISSN 0099-9660)
(Central Edition ISSN 1092-0935) (Western Edition ISSN 0193-2241)
muted for most of the postcri- expenditures and acquisitions, back shares in large quanti-
Editorial and publication headquarters: 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y. 10036
sis recovery. buy back shares or raise divi- ties. Published daily except Sundays and general legal holidays.
But a Federal Reserve Bank dends. The PowerShares BuyBack Periodicals postage paid at New York, N.Y., and other mailing offices.
of Philadelphia index that erated buyback, we’ve re- The decline in buybacks Achievers Portfolio, a $1.3 bil- Postmaster: Send address changes to The Wall Street Journal,
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which are available from the Advertising Services Department, Dow Jones & Co. Inc., 1211 Avenue of
over the next six months trends.” dividends, is prompting some decreased share counts over the Americas, New York, N.Y. 10036. The Journal reserves the right not to accept an advertiser’s order.
climbed to its highest level in Alphabet Inc., parent of analysts to predict that a tax- the past year, has had more Only publication of an advertisement shall constitute final acceptance of the advertiser’s order.
more than 30 years over the Google, didn’t repurchase any law change in this cycle could than $200 million in outflows Letters to the Editor: Fax: 212-416-2891; email: [email protected]
summer. of its shares last quarter. The play out differently than it did since the end of last year, ac-
Buyback activity among Mountain View, Calif., com- in 2004, when much of the cording to data provider XTF. NEED ASSISTANCE WITH YOUR SUBSCRIPTION?
top-rated nonfinancial debt pany had bought back $2.7 money that companies To be sure, many compa- By web: customercenter.wsj.com; By email: [email protected]
issuers, many of which have billion through September, brought back from overseas nies are still returning piles of By phone: 1-800-JOURNAL (1-800-568-7625); Or by live chat at wsj.com/livechat
regularly borrowed money to down by about a quarter from was funneled directly into cash to investors. Dividend
finance share repurchases, de- the same period a year earlier, share repurchases. payments by S&P 500 compa- REPRINTS & LICENSING
clined for the third straight according to company filings. Factors including high nies are poised to set a sixth By email: [email protected]; By phone: 1-800-843-0008
quarter in the July-to-Sep- A slowing pace of buybacks stock price, historically high consecutive record in 2017,
tember period, according to hasn’t hindered stock prices share valuations and uncer- according to S&P Dow Jones GOT A TIP FOR US? SUBMIT IT AT WSJ.COM/TIPS
Bank of America Merrill much, with major indexes tainty over the future shape Indices.
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THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. Friday, November 24, 2017 | A3
U.S. NEWS
©T&CO. 2017
A TIFFANY HOLIDAY
DAMIAN DOVARGANES/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Marchers in Hollywood this month protested sexual assault and harassment after a series of high-profile cases.
U.S. NEWS
quest to comment Thursday. son’s “intimate parts” or “en- “I’ve been a very harsh critic
Mr. Barton said he sent the gaged in sexual conduct” with- of this president....but the im-
photo to a woman with whom out that person’s consent. peachment message right now
he was engaged in a “consen- Mr. Barton has apologized is not helpful to the possibility
sual relationship.” to his constituents. of retaking the House,” said
“When I ended that relation- “While separated from my Rep. Jim Himes (D., Conn.),
ship, she threatened to publicly second wife, prior to the di- chairman of the fiscally moder-
share my private photographs vorce, I had sexual relation- ate New Democratic Coalition.
and intimate correspondence in ships with other mature adult Mr. Steyer says he doesn’t Tom Steyer, shown on Monday in Times Square, made his money as co-founder of a hedge fund.
retaliation,” he said. He called women,” he said. “Each was care. “I understand that there
the release of the photo “a po- consensual. Those relationships are people who think that from concludes each with a reference whether Mr. Trump’s firing of Commission reports. His expen-
tential crime against me.” have ended. I am sorry I did a tactical political standpoint to a website where people can James Comey as Federal Bu- ditures have been aimed at
A blurry photo of the politi- not use better judgment during it may not be clever,” said Mr. add their names and email ad- reau of Investigation director helping Democrats win elec-
cian and an image of a text mes- those days. I am sorry that I let Steyer, a top donor to Demo- dresses to an impeachment pe- obstructed justice. Mr. Mueller tions and raising environmental
sage of a sexual nature emerged my constituents down.” cratic political groups. “We’re tition. He also is promoting the and three congressional com- issues, such as defeating the
not trying to be clever.” petition in New York’s Times mittees are looking into U.S. Keystone XL pipeline.
WASHINGTON WIRE
White House spokeswoman Square and on Twitter. intelligence agencies’ findings In that time, Democrats
Sarah Huckabee Sanders re- More than 2.6 million peo- that Russia interfered in the have lost their hold on the
jected Mr. Steyer’s call for im- ple have signed in the month 2016 presidential election and Senate, the White House and
peachment as “a complete since the campaign began, ac- whether Mr. Trump’s presiden- state-level offices across the
ADMINISTRATION NSA waste of money.” cording to a signature counter tial campaign cooperated. Mr. country. The Keystone XL pipe-
“How sad, with all the real on the website. Mr. Steyer says Trump has denied any collu- line is now under construction.
Professor Considered Federal Judge Tosses problems in the world, he his goal is to build support so sion or wrongdoing, and Rus- Mr. Steyer said he is spend-
For Census Position Surveillance Suits can’t find a better way to that lawmakers become more sia has said it didn’t interfere. ing to build a lasting political
spend his money,” she said. aggressive in their approach to Mr. Steyer, who made his operation, which includes two
The Trump administration A federal judge threw out two Mr. Steyer stars in his two Mr. Trump, who he says “has money as co-founder of a hedge super PACs. “If it looks like
plans to pick Thomas Brunell, a long-running lawsuits challenging TV ads, which have run on CNN, obstructed justice at the FBI,’’ fund, has spent more than $170 there is something where I
Texas political science professor, the National Security Agency’s MSNBC and Fox News, in addi- among other actions. million on Democratic politics could actually make a differ-
as the deputy director of the U.S. collection of phone records under tion to local broadcast stations Special Counsel Robert over the past three years, ac- ence, then I would be willing
Census Bureau, according to two a surveillance program that Con- in California and elsewhere. He Mueller is investigating cording to Federal Election to try,” he said.
people familiar with the matter. gress curbed in 2015.
Mr. Brunell, if selected, would The 2013 lawsuits, filed by
fill a role that has historically
been a career civil-service posi-
tion held by someone with sig-
nificant experience in the federal
conservative legal activist Larry
Klayman, alleged the government
violated the Constitution when it
gathered millions of Americans’
PHONE Holiday Shopping on the Move
Online commerce on Thanksgiving has soared in recent years, with mobile purchases
taking an increasing share of the total.
statistical system. The deputy di- phone records to search for pos- Continued from Page One
rector position has been filled by sible ties to terrorists. including L’Oréal SE, Adidas Share of e-commerce Share of e-commerce traffic on mobile, by hour (2016)
a temporary career civil servant U.S. District Judge Richard AG and PetSmart Inc. Mobile traffic on Thanksgiving
65%
since the former deputy director, Leon said this week that the devices have helped “equal the done on mobile
Nancy Potok, left in January. cases had run their course. playing field as technology Peak traffic
—Sarah Chaney —Joe Palazzolo caught up with demand.” 59% 60
More than half of Ama-
zon.com Inc.’s shoppers last 51% Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving used their mo- 55
Black Friday
bile, the company said. 40%
“Honestly, I think there’s a 50 Cyber-Monday
time during Thanksgiving fes-
Light up her tivities where you’re a little
burnt out on too many people, 45
season. too much conversation,“ said
Dorion Carroll, vice president
of mobile shopping at Amazon. 40
People sneak off to do a little
gift shopping. He admits, “I do 35
that.”
So did Rachel Guffey. After 2014 ’15 ’16 12 a.m. 6 noon 6 p.m. 12 a.m.
her Thanksgiving dinner and a Source: Salesforce.com THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
round of family trivia, the 33-
year-old dog treat baker from tifying sales associates of shop- most of her shopping on her limits the need to browse.
Lawrence, Kan., started shop- per preferences, pinging Samsung S7. “It’s infinitely eas- As retailers have improved
ping on her phone “right here customers with deals and using ier for me to check out deals on the mobile shopping experi-
in my pocket” for cheap video- in-store beacon technology to my phone,” she says. ence, payment options have
games and DVDs on Amazon direct shoppers to express The San Diego resident is in also caught up. Apple Pay, Pay-
and Target Corp. checkout lines. This helps se- the market this weekend for Pal, Amazon Pay and other mo-
“It’s just a lot more conve- cure purchases as customers bigger ticket items including a bile payment options have re-
nient,” she says. check prices on their phones. crib mattress and an elliptical moved the need to enter
Horizon Pendant Amazon is the largest bene- “Even if you go to the store, machine, as well as some payment and shipping informa-
with Lapis Inlay and Pavé Diamonds ficiary by far of the boom in you are still shopping on mo- smaller gifts from sites like tion, greasing the process.
in 14K Yellow or White Gold mobile e-commerce starting on bile,” adds Nitin Mangtani, Etsy Inc. and Sephora. It’s a Salesforce this holiday season
Thanksgiving. It has captured founder and chief executive of hassle to pull out the computer, expects as many as 10% of all
from $979 about 42 cents of every dollar mobile commerce platform Pre- but her phone is always there. orders placed on iPhones to use
Chain included spent online this year on aver- dictSpring and former head of That helps explain why on Apple Pay versus almost noth-
Matching Earrings available age, according to market re- Google Shopping. He works Thanksgiving last year, the mo- ing last year when the service
search firm Slice Intelligence, with retailers including Calvin bile share of online browsing was still new.
HAWAII: Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Big Island of Hawaii which tracks a panel of more Klein and Charlotte Russe. peaked at 62% at 6 p.m. in local Brandon Intelligator, a Los
BOSTON: Natick Mall, Northshore Mall than 5 million U.S. shoppers. As more people shop online time zones as shoppers finished Angeles-based attorney, expects
CHICAGO: Woodfield Mall, 600 N. Michigan Avenue Traditional retailers are hop- earlier in the holiday weekend, up their meals, according to to browse deals on his phone
DALLAS: NorthPark Center • DENVER: Cherry Creek Shopping Center ing to get in on some of the ac- stores are adapting. Some Salesforce. Purchases con- this weekend. He downloaded
LAS VEGAS: Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian
NEW YORK: Roosevelt Field • ORLANDO: Disney Springs
tion. Companies including Wal- stores, like outdoor retailer ducted on phones peaked in the Amazon’s app a year ago,
PHILADELPHIA: The Plaza at King of Prussia Mart Stores Inc. and Target are Recreational Equipment Inc., early morning on both Thurs- something that has fundamen-
PLEASANTON: Stoneridge Mall • PORTLAND: Washington Square spending heavily on e-com- are closed for Thanksgiving and day and Friday as shoppers tally changed the way he shops.
ROSEVILLE: Galleria • SAN DIEGO: Fashion Valley merce by improving shipping Black Friday, while others have woke up. “As soon as I downloaded
SAN FRANCISCO: PIER 39 • SAN JOSE: Valley Fair speeds or website infrastruc- cut back on or changed hours. Traditional and e-commerce the app, I was like: ‘I can do
SEATTLE: Bellevue Square • WASHINGTON, D.C.: Tysons Corner Center ture. But they haven’t given up Improved technology is driv- retailers alike are working to this from my phone,’” Mr. Intel-
on foot traffic. Lower prices ing the shift in spending behav- improve shopping by phone, ligator said. He estimates he
and different deals in store—as ior. Employees no longer wait making websites that better fit makes 80% of his purchases on
well as offers to pick up online to get back to the office on the smaller screen size and Amazon, excluding groceries.
orders—are among the tactics Monday for better computers apps that make it easier to see “My credit card information is
brick-and-mortar retailers are and faster internet access. items and purchase them. Many saved in there. My shipping in-
NaHoku.com • 1-866-296-9374 attempting this holiday season. Smartphones suffice. now employ artificial intelli- formation is saved in there. It
FREE FEDEX SHIPPING ON ALL ORDERS OF $200 OR MORE Physical stores are also add- Kat Furtado, a mother of gence technology that makes seems foolish not to do it that
ing mobile perks, including no- two young children, now does better product suggestions and way.”
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THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. Friday, November 24, 2017 | A5
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A6 | Friday, November 24, 2017 THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
WORLD NEWS
Deal Opens Rohingya Return to Myanmar
Bangladesh agreement
Pushed Out
paves way for Muslim There are now more Rohingya in
minority to come back, relief camps in neighboring
Bangladesh than in Myanmar.
but hurdles remain
900,000
BY BEN OTTO Nov. 21
AND MYO MYO 834,000
The Last p u r c h a s e
ADVERTISEMENT
WORLD NEWS
WORLD WATCH
WEST BANK AND GAZA nounced in a statement in Cairo PAKISTAN that targets India, had been put NORTH KOREA called the U.S. decision “a violent
by 13 Palestinian political fac- under house detention in Janu- infringement” of North Korea’s
Palestinian Parties tions, including Hamas and Fa- India Attack Suspect ary, as Pakistan came under in- Terror Listing by U.S. dignity and “tantamount to an-
Agree to Elections tah. It said Palestinian Authority Is Given His Liberty ternational pressure to do more Elicits Official Scorn other declaration of war.”
President Mahmoud Abbas to combat militants operating North Korea’s response came
Palestinian political parties would ultimately need to sign A Pakistani court Wednesday from its soil. Pyongyang lashed out at the two days after President Donald
agreed to hold presidential and off on elections—the first major lifted the house arrest of Hafiz Three high court judges de- U.S.’s decision to redesignate it Trump on Monday announced
parliamentary elections before contests in the West Bank and Saeed, the man accused by India cided to end Mr. Saeed’s house as a state sponsor of terrorism, the long-expected move to re-
the end of next year, as reconcil- Gaza Strip since 2006 when and the U.S. of masterminding a arrest as “nothing tangible was calling the move an “impudent turn North Korea—which he
iation talks between major fac- Hamas won the most seats in a 2008 terror attack in Mumbai produced” in evidence against provocation” that undermines called a “murderous regime”—to
tions Hamas and Fatah make parliamentary vote—and set a that killed 166 people. him, according to his lawyer, A.K. Washington’s stated desire for the U.S. roster of state sponsors
slow but steady progress. date for polling. Mr. Saeed, head of the Isla- Dogar. diplomacy. of terror.
The elections were an- —Abu Bakr Bashir mist group Jamaat-ud-Dawa —Saeed Shah A Foreign Ministry statement —Jonathan Cheng
customers and drivers were im- Clear ID Inc., a firm that helps tify consumers as soon as pos- mation at the time was prelimi-
pacted, one of the people said. corporations respond to data sible after a breach but doesn’t nary and incomplete,” Uber said
The company disclosed the breaches. Even companies that specify a time period. The Cali- in a statement Wednesday. “We
breach to the public only after meet this standard can suffer fornia Department of Justice also made clear that our foren-
it could put a firm number on tarnished reputations because declined to comment, citing its sic investigation was ongoing.
how many accounts were af- consumers and investors ex- policy of not commenting on However, once our internal in-
fected and cut ties with two ex- pect a speedier response, Mr. possible investigations. quiry concluded and we had a
ecutives who it said mishandled Holland said in an email. Uber said its investigation, more complete understanding
the response, this person said. Because there are no federal which included outside foren- of the facts, we disclosed to
Uber disclosed on Tuesday Dara Khosrowshahi, left, became Uber CEO in September. laws on breach notification, in- sics experts, found no evidence regulators and our customers in
that it had paid hackers cidents such as the Uber hack that consumers’ financial infor- a very public way.”
$100,000 to destroy the stolen took Uber more than a year to that allowed employees to are covered by a patchwork of mation was taken or that the Uber has been trying to
data and decided not to inform disclose the breach. Uber says track customers’ movements. 48 state laws, the strongest of personal information obtained shore up its investment deal
consumers or authorities. Those it is cooperating with various Other companies have been which require companies to no- was used to commit fraud, such with SoftBank, worth as much
actions occurred under its for- government offices to discuss criticized for the time they tify consumers directly as soon as identity theft. as $10 billion. The process has
mer chief executive, Travis Ka- the matter. It isn’t clear what took to disclose data breaches. as possible after personally After being contacted by the been slowed by talks over the
lanick, who resigned as CEO in penalties, if any, Uber may face. Equifax Inc., for example, was identifiable information is com- hackers, Uber convinced them price at which SoftBank would
June. He learned of the attack Mr. Khosrowshahi was faulted by lawmakers last promised. Uber, which is based to join the company’s “bug offer to buy shares from exist-
in November 2016 and autho- brought in to put a new face on month for taking almost six in San Francisco, is subject to bounty” program, which pays ing stakeholders, according to
rized the payment, according to the company after a year of weeks to go public after learn- these laws in states where it people for information about people familiar with the matter.
people familiar with the matter. scandals and legal setbacks. ing of a breach affecting more does business. Non-compliance flaws in company software, ac- Uber needed to disclose the
Several states, along with Uber has in the past faced criti- than 145 million consumers. Ya- exposes Uber to a range of cording to people familiar with data breach before that tender
the Federal Trade Commission cism for putting its business in- hoo Inc. faced similar criticism state penalties and to con- the matter. Uber said it was as- offer because it could be con-
and at least three European terests ahead of its customers, for revealing it didn’t promptly sumer lawsuits. sured by the hackers the stolen sidered material to investors,
government agencies, opened including by using a since-dis- investigate a 2014 incident in- “The provisions that allow data was destroyed. people familiar with the matter
inquiries this week into why it continued software program volving 500 million accounts. for delay are not about getting The company didn’t disclose said.
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THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. Friday, November 24, 2017 | A9
WORLD NEWS
I
Russian President Vladimir diers and Russia providing air the kingdom had allowed a de- ing hundreds of the kingdom’s n the most visible struc- Saud as a reason to keep ev-
Putin pressed his efforts to power to support the forces of gree of political openness. Un- elite, few Saudis these days tural change pushed erything static.
shape a postwar political set- Syrian President Bashar al- til this year, dissidents, liberal dare to criticize the new re- through by Prince Moham- In a recent night, a park
tlement in Syria at a summit Assad. In contrast, Ankara has and conservative, felt rela- gime, even in private. med, the kingdom has decided was buzzing with young Sau-
Wednesday with the leaders of supported rebel groups seeking tively free to speak to foreign “The detentions have cre- to allow women to drive. The dis browsing food trucks and
Turkey and Iran in Sochi. to oust Mr. Assad, as well as journalists, sometimes criti- ated a climate of fear, so as to powers of the religious police knickknack stalls. Women
Russian state television deploying forces inside Syria. cizing important government prevent people from discuss- have been curbed, the segre- walked with their heads un-
showed Mr. Putin greeting Ira- The three have found com- policies. Senior clerics made ing what is going on in the gation of sexes is not enforced covered as techno music
nian President Hassan Rouhani mon ground in recent months, their often-controversial opin- country,” said Saudi academic as rigidly as before, and the blared from a tent offering
and Turkish President Recep backing negotiations and ions public on social media, as Madawi al-Rasheed, a visiting government is staging con- mobile-phone plans.
Tayyip Erdogan. agreeing on “de-escalation did senior members of the professor at the London certs and performances that “What is happening now is
Mr. Putin said Syria was zones” in Syria. Moscow has House of Saud. Nothing of the School of Economics. would have been unthinkable very tangible changes, ones
entering a “postconflict period” taken on a dominant role in kind was possible in the Prince Mohammed’s sup- a few years ago. that affect your day-to-day
that would require a long-term mediating, overshadowing U.N. U.A.E., Qatar or Oman. porters argue that such a All that is popular among life,” said Omar Hussein, a 31-
reconstruction effort. talks. That era has ended now, forceful approach is needed to Saudi Arabia’s youth, the ma- year-old Saudi YouTube celeb-
Russia, Iran and Turkey —Nathan Hodge with Prince Mohammed’s re- break up the power of reli- jority of the kingdom’s popu- rity who now stars in a Saudi
cent moves to consolidate gious conservatives, and to lation. Few ordinary young TV show.
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A10 | Friday, November 24, 2017 THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
© 2017 Dow Jones & Co., Inc. All rights reserved. 6DJ6068
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THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. NY Friday, November 24, 2017 | A11
WORLD NEWS
U.K. Prime Minister Theresa even if they say in December discussions were rudimentary. talks are likely to be. possible about what happens
May appears ready to offer that enough progress has been The EU27 held three semi- On the transition, EU offi- after March 2019—preferably
politically painful concessions made on the major divorce is- nars looking at future ties, cials and diplomats say the by the spring, officials say.
to the European Union in com- sues. diplomats said, but that work bloc has limited room for flex- That suggests largely sticking
ing days to advance Brexit ne- At the last EU summit in has now been frozen. The ibility to relax the obligations to current rules.
gotiations, but October, leaders of Britain’s 27 seminars were essentially an Britain currently has as an EU In a speech in Brussels on
ANALYSIS the eventual re- EU counterparts ordered offi- exercise taking a look at member, including respecting Monday, chief EU negotiator
ward for doing cials to start “internal prepa- agreements the EU already has decisions of the European Michel Barnier fleshed out his
so—moving talks ratory discussions.” The idea with other third countries that Court of Justice, paying its thinking of what a future trade
onto the future trade relation- was that the bloc would be are nonmembers, such as Nor- membership fee and allowing deal would—and wouldn’t—al-
ship and a post-Brexit transi- ready in the new year to start way, Canada and Switzerland. free movement of people. The low.
tion—may prove meager. negotiations on future ties if European officials say it U.K. will be a rule-taker after He said Britain “will lose
EU officials are setting out sufficient progress was made isn’t clear if EU leaders will its March 2019 exit, losing its the benefits of the single mar-
tough principles for shaping a on divorce issues. These in- adopt formal guidelines for vote on EU decisions. ket” of goods and services
future trade relationship, sig- clude citizens’ rights, the EU’s the talks in December. The There may be some carve- once a transition is over, say-
naling Britain may have to ap- financial settlement demands chances they will do so are U.K. Prime Minister May is out allowing Britain not to ap- ing that is the “legal reality”
ply broad swaths of European and the Irish border issue. better if Britain offers conces- trying to advance Brexit talks. ply new post-Brexit EU laws, once Britain decides to curtail
rules and standards to gain However, with Britain and sions on the financial settle- “but only if those bits of legis- free movement of people and
privileged access to the single the EU still bogged down in ment and Ireland well ahead tions, since the EU27 are still lation have no material im- disregard EU court rulings.
market. There appears to be talks on how much of its past of the Dec 14-15 summit. But waiting for London to spell pact” on the key rules of the He suggested there was lit-
little flexibility for Britain to spending promises Britain is even so, it isn’t guaranteed. out what it wants as part of a EU single market, said Simon tle willingness to agree to
escape the full force of EU prepared to stand by after Even if they do agree on deep and special future rela- Tilford, deputy director of the Mrs. May’s appeal for a deal
rules during a transition pe- leaving and how to assuage guidelines, these may offer tionship. Center for European Reform. on financial services, saying
riod after it leaves the EU, and Irish demands for greater clar- only a set of fleshed-out prin- EU officials have been It isn’t just a question of that in this sector, too, “Brexit
it isn’t clear that EU leaders ity on avoiding the return of a ciples, not detailed prescrip- sketching out ideas on what willingness. British and Euro- means Brexit.”
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A12 | Friday, November 24, 2017 * * THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
WORLD NEWS
AND BERNARD MPOFU ticket won’t be one of their own, Asia, Africa and South Amer-
but Emmerson Mnangagwa, Mr. ica. Also, the radiance of
KUTAMA, Zimbabwe—Far Mugabe’s former vice president, night-time lighting in the
from the streets of Harare, who was set to be sworn in on world’s most well-lit regions,
where thousands loudly wel- Friday to serve out the rest of including the U.S., Italy, the
comed their incoming president his term. The president stepped Netherlands and Spain, has
on Wednesday, Robert Mugabe’s down after a military takeover become even more blinding.
home village clung to its silence. of his government and impeach- Only in countries racked by
The wild celebrations that ment proceedings initiated by armed conflicts, such as Syria
rocked Zimbabwe’s cities and his own party. and Yemen, did the night
spontaneous outbursts of an- On Thursday, an official lighting dim.
ger against Mr. Mugabe, who from Mr. Mugabe’s ruling Until recently, it was mostly
resigned on Tuesday after 37 ZANU-PF party said the presi- astronomers and naturalists
years in power, haven’t Some Kutama residents hope Robert Mugabe will return to his hometown after leaving the presidency. dent was assured he wouldn’t who complained about the
reached Kutama, a small col- be prosecuted if he resigned, vanishing night sky. For much
lection of homesteads about an meager gains relied entirely on pital and police station. But lieve this is where the 93-year- the Associated Press reported. of the world, it no longer gets
hour’s drive from the capital. the patronage of its most unemployment is high and old will soon come to retire. Within hours of tanks rolling dark enough for the human
While many Zimbabweans prominent resident. most of its inhabitants poor, Across the road, a small row into the capital last week, Zim- eye to adjust to night vision,
declared Tuesday their new In- “We have no problem with surviving on subsistence farm- of shops marks Kutama’s main babwe’s state media switched experts said.
dependence Day, proudly giv- the president. What for? We ing or money sent back by rel- market square, where shared from defending Mr. Mugabe to But now public-health ex-
ing their names to reporters are very grateful for our presi- atives in the city. taxi buses await their passen- hailing Mr. Mnangagwa, his perts worry that overexposure
when attacking Mr. Mugabe’s dent,” a graying man on a bicy- For years, Mr. Mugabe has gers and police in a large cam- military-backed successor. to nighttime lighting can ad-
legacy, people here still weigh cle said. “We are even planning visited most weekends; con- ouflage tent register voters for Broadcaster ZBC carried a versely affect human health
their words carefully—a legacy a party to welcome him home.” crete walls and iron fences next year’s elections. story on Zvishavane—the vil- and well-being, with studies
of years lived in fear of the se- Unlike other villages of its block the view of his private For the first time since lage where Mr. Mnangagwa linking it to the risk of depres-
cret police in a village whose size, Kutama has its own hos- compound. Some villagers be- white-minority rule ended in was born. sion, obesity and cancer.
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forces unit, Maksim Shapoval, president at the time, Mikheil interview that Moscow often and she wore a traditional
who was blown up in his car Saakashvili. tried to disrupt rebels by sow- head scarf. But soon he
at an intersection in down- ing phony reports of turncoats trimmed his beard and moved
town Kiev in June, and a for- July 10, 2006—Mr. Basayev is in their midst. But he added to Ukraine, where he found
mer Russian prosecutor and killed when a truckload of Timur Makhauri is placed under arrest in Kiev. that many defeated rebels work with a volunteer battal-
parliament member, Denis weapons blows up. Because Mr. needed work and the money ion fighting Russian-backed
Voronenkov, who had recently Makhauri was coordinating lo- killing in Turkey. Syria and a compass. for paid hits overtook consid- rebels in the east of the coun-
fled to Kiev for protection and gistics, some Chechens believe erations of loyalty or friend- try.
was shot dead on a chestnut he was behind the death. 2012—Mr. Makhauri leaves 2016—Mr. Makhauri is acquitted ship. Mr. Makhauri said he spent
tree-lined boulevard in March. Georgia and meets an agent in Turkey. He moves to Ukraine, They may have become sol- little time on the actual battle
There have also been mys- 2009—A bomb packed with from Russia’s Federal Security where the former Georgian diers for patriotic reasons, but front. Instead he stayed
terious attacks in rebel-held nuts and bolts explodes outside Service in Istanbul, bartering president, Mr. Saakashvili, is in- “soon they start going down mostly in Kiev on the lookout
areas, where a mix of civilians Mr. Makhauri’s apartment build- over the price of killing three in- volved in politics. this spiral of what had been for agents sent by Moscow. In
and pro-Russian soldiers in- ing. Miraculously, he survives dividuals. Mr. Makhauri later legitimate special operations January, he said, he noticed
habit the shelled-out remains the blast with a few scrapes. said he taped the meeting in a February 2017—Mr. Makhauri into wet work that they never that he himself was being fol-
of the country’s industrial Georgians blame Russia. ruse to glean information from is arrested in Kiev and charged thought they would have been lowed, and in February he was
heartland. One rebel com- Moscow. with illegal possession of weap- involved in earlier,” Mr. arrested by police in the cen-
mander, Mikhail Tolstykh, was 2009—Chechen rebel envoy Ali ons. Schaefer said. tral market for possession of
killed by a rocket fired into Osaev is killed outside his 2012—While passing through Many former Chechen reb- his handguns, a Glock and a
his office in the provincial city home in Istanbul. Mr. Makhauri, passport control at Istanbul’s Sept. 8, 2017—Mr. Makhauri is els ultimately left Georgia, de- Stechkin automatic pistol.
of Donetsk in February. An- who said he was friends with Ataturk Airport, Mr. Makhauri is killed by a bomb hidden in the camping to Turkey with their In the interview, Mr.
other, Arsen Pavlov, was killed Mr. Osaev, is later tried for the detained carrying a map of armrest of a friend’s car. families, while others went to Makhauri said he suspected
last year by a bomb planted in Syria to join jihadist groups that Russian agents were
his elevator. fighting the Russian-backed looking for him in Ukraine,
The conflict in eastern government of Bashar al- but that there was no other
Ukraine erupted in 2014 after Assad. Mr. Makhauri said in country for him to go to. “Ev-
protesters in Kiev toppled a his interview in Kiev that he erywhere is dangerous,” he
Russia-friendly president and also began spending time in said.
established a pro-Western Turkey, and in 2012 also vis- When he was released from
government. Moscow invaded ited Syria for three months jail in April after he pleaded
and annexed the country’s Cri- “just to see the situation.” guilty to illegal firearms pos-
mea peninsula. At the height In Turkey, Mr. Makhauri’s session, he told friends that
of fighting, the country’s in- name was tied to mysterious he sensed he was still being
dustrial east was awash with killings that made it hard to followed—by whom he wasn’t
fighters of all stripes, from shake suspicions that he was a sure.
SERGEY DOLZHENKO/EPA/SHUTTERSTOCK
Ukrainian nationalists to pro- double agent. The victims, all Early in September, Mr.
Kremlin soldiers of fortune to former Chechen fighters, were Makhauri had coffee at a cafe
bored men and women from gunned down either on the
post-Soviet backwaters look- street or near their homes be-
ing for adventure. tween 2008 and 2011.
In Kiev, many of the trig- In 2012, Mr. Makhauri was
Moscow and Kiev
germen appear to be freelanc- passing through passport con- appear to have turned
ers, moonlighting from their trol in the airport in Istanbul
jobs in the Ukrainian armed when Turkish police arrested
to contract killings to
forces or police, say law-en- him, later charging him with settle scores.
forcement officials and West- A bomb in the arm rest of this car set off by remote control killed Timur Makhauri in Kiev. murder. At trial, prosecutors
ern diplomats. cast him as a possible double
Valentyn Nalyvaichenko, agent, and presented lurid ev-
former head of the Ukraine in- cials in Georgia, where he he never had the chance be- cused Georgia of funding idence of Mr. Makhauri’s in the center of Kiev and ac-
telligence services, said in an worked for several years with cause he, like others his age, Chechen rebels in their fight meetings with agents from cepted a ride from a friend
interview the mix has been the state security service, con- was caught up in the region’s against Russia—something the Russia’s Federal Security Ser- who was driving her daughter
made more murderous by for- firmed parts of his story, as two wars for independence Georgian government offi- vice, or FSB. home, according to police. The
eign mercenaries who recog- did Ukrainian government of- from Moscow. He said he cially denies. A key piece of evidence was car pulled out of an under-
nize Ukraine as a new place to ficials who investigated his joined rebellion full-time in But Zurab Maisuradze, who a videotape, shot by Mr. ground garage and stood in
ply their trade. past. 1999. ran Georgia’s antiterrorism Makhauri himself through a rush-hour traffic. Police say
Earlier this year, a man Mr. Makhauri came to Most of his classmates center, acknowledged in an in- camera concealed in the but- Mr. Makhauri was riding in
posing as a French journalist Ukraine, he said, to hunt down were wiped out early in the terview that he took Mr. ton of his shirt, of one meet- the passenger seat, likely
in Kiev invited a battalion the agents Moscow sent to war when Russian troops Makhauri under his wing. He ing in which he bargained leaning toward the center of
commander to an interview, eliminate opponents abroad. stormed the Chechen capital, said he arranged for the with a Russian agent over the the vehicle when a bomb det-
then allegedly shot him. The “I know who to look for he said. For several years, he young Chechen to receive two price of killing three men who onated in the arm rest, rip-
attempted hit went awry and to stop them before they said, he fought in the moun- Georgian passports—one in had fallen out of favor with ping off his arm and part of
when the victim’s wife pulled do anything,” he said from un- tains in the southern reaches the name of Ruslan Papaskiri Moscow. Speaking over a his torso and killing him in-
a gun of her own out of her der a mop of long black hair, of the province, staging hit- and another made out to lunch in Istanbul, Mr. stantly.
purse and fired back, dis- speaking politely in a vernacu- and-run attacks on Russian Timur Makhauri. Makhauri poked at a plate of The bomb, which police say
abling him with two shots. lar Russian that earned him forces and ambushing supply Mr. Maisuradze called Mr. fish as he asked for $1 million likely weighed about two kilo-
She herself was gunned down the nickname “Zone,” refer- convoys. Makhauri “a great Georgian per head, but then settled for grams and was set off by re-
and killed four months later. ring to someone from a penal He gained the trust of patriot” always willing to un- half that for the first hit. mote control, was fashioned
Even amid this mayhem, colony. “There is a small num- Chechen field commander dertake a mission against the “This work is something to direct its blast against the
Mr. Makhauri’s career stands ber who do this kind of thing.” Shamil Basayev, who was no- Russians, whom they saw as a I’ve always dreamed of,” he passenger, although it maimed
out. In a monotone, Mr. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry torious inside Russia for plan- common enemy. In 2006, Mr. said in a reedy monotone. the driver. Her daughter
Makhauri described his path Peskov denied Mr. Makhauri’s ning grisly hostage-taking op- Makhauri proved his loyalty, “Like films about hunters and wasn’t seriously hurt.
from Chechnya, where he al- accusations that Moscow erations, according to a fellow he said, when the Chechen the hunted.” Ukraine’s Interior Ministry
lied himself with rebels for in- sends hired guns to Kiev to do Chechen fighter interviewed agreed to meet a Russian In the jailhouse in Kiev, Mr. spokesman, Artem
dependence from Russia; to away with opponents. “This is by phone. agent who was sent to Tbilisi Makhauri said that the trial Shevchenko, issued a state-
Georgia, whose side he fought the first time we hear that,” As rebel losses mounted, to kill him. The Georgians against him and the videotape ment after the blast that a
on during its brief war with he said. Mr. Basayev decided Mr. eventually flipped the agent to were all a farce. He held the motive for the killing hasn’t
Moscow in 2008; to Syria, Mr. Makhauri said he was Makhauri was too valuable to work for their side, he said. meeting, he said, on behalf of been determined. But he
where Russian-speaking jihad- dealt his career by accident. lose and ordered him back to But in the fog of spy in- the Georgian security services noted that Mr. Makhauri was
ists flocked to fight against He said he was born in Georgia to ferry supplies for trigue, rumors began to circu- to lure the Russian agent into “known quite well in the crim-
Russia’s interests, many under Grozny, Chechnya, in 1978 and the fight inside Chechnya, the late that Mr. Makhauri was an embarrassing situation and inal world.”
the flag of Islamic State. For- although he had wanted to fighter said. working for the Russians, too. perhaps recruit him. Former —Natalie Gryvnyak in Kiev
mer Chechen rebels and offi- study piano as a young man The Kremlin has long ac- In 2006, the Chechen rebel Georgian authorities corrobo- contributed to this article.
sugar cube on a slotted spoon players, but they acknowledge ents, which include grand thujone than any normal ab-
on the rim. Ice water is then overall sales are indeed likely to wormwood, green anise and sinthe,” the Wormwood Soci-
dripped through the sugar from be lower than a decade ago. fennel, may be part of the prob- ety’s Mr. Robinson said.
a specially made decanter Brian Robinson of the lem. William Elliott, bar direc- Mr. Breaux said the resur-
called a “fountain” to dilute the Wormwood Society, a nonprofit tor at Maison Premiere in Wil- gence of classic cocktails has
drink—most absinthes are focused on dispelling myths liamsburg, Brooklyn, said anise helped the sales of absinthe. He
about 120 proof. about the spirit, said bars are isn’t a flavor many Americans said the Savoy Cocktail Book, a
“The guests weren’t always mostly to blame for lagging are familiar with. “All over the 1930 publication that serves as
super into it,” said Dave Kaplan, sales. The Virginia financial ad- world, it’s a major component many bartenders’ bible, fea-
one of the founders of the bar viser said that out of the 200- in baking, confections and alco- tures dozens of drinks that call
Death & Co in New York’s East plus places where he has tried hol,” he said. “Only America has for absinthe.
Village, who said the excitement absinthe, “maybe three or four this big childhood problem of Bartender Hali Barnett serves absinthe at Lovecraft in New York. Mr. Elliott, the bar director
only lasted about six months. A of them served it properly. disliking the flavor.” at Maison Premiere, said he is
big turnoff was absinthe’s Maybe you only dilute it one to In France, while the flavor is Ohio, said he first wanted to try drunk,” he said. introducing absinthe to patrons
strong anise taste, which is sim- one, or you serve it straight, or popular, drinkers have mostly absinthe after watching “Eu- Absinthe was originally be- by using it in a broad range of
ilar to black licorice. “Most of you set it on fire—nobody likes moved on to a similar-tasting roTrip,” a 2004 comedy featur- lieved to be psychedelic, and cocktails where it is the domi-
the time,” Mr. Kaplan said, “the that because it doesn’t taste spirit—pastis. Even though ab- ing a group of American teen- toxic, because of thujone, a nant ingredient.
drinks would go unfinished.” good.” sinthe is for sale again in agers crisscrossing Europe. compound found in grand “We have an absinthe piña
Bartender Tyson Buhler said The fire-setting ritual origi- France, few there are switching Shortly after downing shots of wormwood—or Artemisia ab- colada on the menu,” he said.
instead of a fountain service, nated in the Czech Republic. back. “It’s easy to lose a taste absinthe in a Bratislava night- sinthium, after which the spirit When the drink was introduced
Death & Co now offers a jug of Many Americans had their first for something that hasn’t been club, some characters see a is named—but also in many about five years ago, “I was
sweetened water for customers experience with absinthe in around for a century,” said green fairy—as the spirit is of- other herbs, including sage and sort of rolling my eyes,” he
to pour as they please. Even so, Prague bars in the 1990s. Marc Thuillier, a Frenchman ten called—flying around them. oregano. said. Today, it is one of Maison
he said most customers first try Hali Barnett, a bartender at who runs two websites about “It wasn’t the same,” Mr. It is a myth that thujone is Premiere’s most popular. “You
the extremely high-proof drink Lovecraft in the East Village, absinthe. King said, after he bought a hallucinogenic, said Ted Breaux, have to tempt people to enjoy
neat. “It’s a jarring experience said her bar offers the fire rit- Jeremy King, a 30-year-old bottle and tried it at home. All an absinthe distiller and something that they haven’t
for a lot of people,” he said. “I ual mostly due to popular de- firefighter from Lakewood, absinthe did was “get you really founder of Jade Liqueurs. The historically enjoyed,” he said.
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A13A | Friday, November 24, 2017 NY * **** THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
Moniker
Day extravaganza
BY JOSH BARBANEL
BY CHRIS KIRKHAM
Beneath a thick blanket of
security, the Macy’s Thanksgiv- The Trump name will no
ing Day Parade stepped off on longer adorn a lower Manhat-
Thursday morning in Manhat- tan hotel once considered a
tan in an annual ritual of inno- jewel in the family’s interna-
cence and commercial branding. tional real-estate portfolio.
At a time of national political The Trump Organization
and social squabbles and rising said it is ending its manage-
fears of terrorist attacks, the ment and licensing agreement
parade marched to its own tra- with the owners of the Trump
ditional drumbeat, with its SoHo Hotel by the end of the
bands, clowns, floats, glitter, year. A statement released
PETER FOLEY FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL (3)
Penn Station’s Glory Days Inspire Campaign for Its Future ecutive, said that “under the
seasoned management of the
Trump Organization, the hotel
has been established as one of
BY PAUL BERGER the current station. the finest in New York City,
In June, The Empire State with recognition among top
Campaigners are stepping Development Corporation critics.”
up their fight to restore New opened a $300 million con- Some Trump hotel proper-
York Penn Station to its former course for Long Island Rail ties have done well since Mr.
grandeur. Road commuters under Eighth Trump, a Republican, was
Armed with an artist’s ren- Avenue. The concourse is the elected in 2016. The Trump In-
derings of soaring Corinthian first phase of a $1.9 billion ternational Hotel in Washing-
columns and platforms bathed project to transform the James ton, D.C., a favorite among vis-
in natural light, the National A. Farley Post Office Building iting diplomats, outperformed
JEFF STIKEMAN FOR REBUILD PENN STATION
Civic Art Society has launched into a skylit train hall for Am- expectations this year on prof-
an advertising campaign across trak and Long Island Rail Road its and daily rates, according
NJ Transit trains and stations. passengers. It is expected to to federal documents.
The Washington, D.C.-based open in 2020. But there are signs that the
society, which promotes art New York state also plans to Trump name hasn’t been good
and architecture, is calling for overhaul Penn Station’s main for business elsewhere. The
construction of an improved Long Island Rail Road con- Trump International Hotel and
version of the early 20th cen- course and to redesign its two Tower in Toronto dropped the
tury station that was knocked subway stations on the Eighth Trump name earlier this year.
down in 1963 to make way for Avenue and Broadway—Sev- Koi, the flagship restaurant
Madison Square Garden and enth Avenue lines. at the Trump SoHo, closed
the subterranean station that Advocates say it would cost up to $3.5 billion to build a version of the early 20th century station. Mr. Shubow said those proj- earlier this year, though a new
commuters tolerate today. ects don’t go far enough. restaurant, Spring & Varick,
Volunteers at Penn Station “We think that something cause it requires relocating Each weekday, the station Neither Stephen Gardner, opened in its place earlier this
are also handing out leaflets to has to happen with Penn Sta- Madison Square Garden, but handles about 600,000 passen- Amtrak’s executive vice presi- month. The hotel had been
New Jersey, Amtrak and Long tion,” said Justin Shubow, the also because the station is gers. dent for public affairs, nor a popular among professional
Island Rail Road passengers. executive director of Rebuild owned by Amtrak and operated A massive renovation of the spokeswoman for NJ Transit athletes, but some, including
The campaign estimates the Penn Station. in different sections by Am- Penn Station complex is al- commented on the idea of re- Cleveland Cavaliers star Le-
project would cost up to $3.5 Redeveloping Penn Station trak, the Long Island Rail Road ready under way, but it is building the original Penn Sta- Bron James, have said they
billion. is complicated not only be- and NJ Transit. mostly taking place outside of tion. won’t stay in the hotel.
For personal non-commercial use only. Do not edit or alter. Reproductions not permitted.
To reprint or license content, please contact our reprints and licensing department at +1 800-843-0008 or www.djreprints.com
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. * * NY Friday, November 24, 2017 | A13B
A scene from Company XIV’s ‘Nutcracker Rouge,’ which features some performers in a state of undress.
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theater in Brooklyn’s Bush- sea townhome starting Nov.
wick neighborhood, is prov- 30.
ing to be a success story.
The tweaking of
T
Tickets are already 75% sold tradition is moving he show, produced by
for the current run, which the Origin Theatre
ends in mid-January.
into the realm of the Company, uses a little-
“It’s become the sexy, performing arts. known script that was devel-
date-night” holiday experi- oped by Dickens as a perfor-
ence, said Mr. McCormick. mance vehicle for himself. It
Company XIV isn’t alone calls for one person to play
in pushing the envelope “The Christmas season all the characters in the
when it comes to seasonal isn’t just let’s sing ‘O Holy story, from Ebenezer
fare. A number of presenters Night,’” she said. Scrooge to Bob Cratchit.
and producers are putting Of course, the idea of So while the production
their own spins on tradition making fun of the holidays may be a somewhat unfa-
as well. isn’t entirely new. It has miliar take on the holiday Join The Wall Street Journal’s editors at our
The Midtown Manhattan been a part of popular cul- story, it is just as Dickens
cabaret venue Feinstein’s/54 ture for decades, be it in the envisioned it, says Elmore breakfast series to discuss the future with
Below has a variety of holi- form of movies like “Home James, the actor who will the leaders who are shaping it.
day shows slated for Decem- Alone” or songs like be behind the new staging.
ber, including several with “Grandma Got Run Over by a No updating or other
an off-center sensibility. Reindeer.” tweaking is necessary, he
Offerings include “A Well- But now, this tweaking of adds.
Strung Christmas,” with a tradition is moving into the After all, said, Mr. James,
string quartet playing holi- realm of the performing arts. “It’s one of the most beauti-
day songs, or “Bitch Carols,” Consider “The Hip Hop ful stories ever written.”
Future Of: Education
GREATER NEW T U E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 1 2 / N E W YO R K , N Y
—Associated Press
For personal non-commercial use only. Do not edit or alter. Reproductions not permitted.
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A14 | Friday, November 24, 2017 NY THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
Gary Oldman,
GLO
BAL
SPO center, stars
NSO
R
as Winston
Churchill.
FOCUS FEATURES
ECCENTRIC, MAGNETIC
LEADERSHIP
THE FIRST GLIMPSE we get of Winston grungy offices, narrow corridors and under-
Churchill in “Darkest Hour” doesn’t flatter ground bunkers. That’s where policy is be-
him, and isn’t meant to. He’s an unkempt ing devised, and where Churchill’s uncer-
old man in pajamas and a pink bathrobe, sit- tainties and doubts are exposed to the dim
ting in bed, cigar in mouth, with a breakfast light of night. Should Britain fight to the
tray that includes wine and a newspaper bitter end, as he believes with all his heart
whose pages have been ironed flat by a du- and most of his soul, or should the govern-
tiful servant. “He’s a man, like any other,” ment explore peace talks with the devouring
his wife says dryly, trying to reassure a new monster in Berlin, as Neville Chamberlain
and nervous secretary. and his allies in appeasement insist?
But he isn’t. He’s the man who will shortly The film succeeds at the elusive task of
become prime minister, the man who, more portraying Churchill’s spiritual and political
than any other, will set his nation’s course isolation as Europe is engulfed. With the wis-
during the early days of World War II, when dom of hindsight we know that negotiations
Hitler’s war machine seems unstoppable and with Hitler would have been futile, as well as
a Nazi invasion of Britain imminent. And suicidal, and that Churchill advocated the
Gary Oldman, who plays Churchill, isn’t an only correct path. It’s moving, then, to see
actor like any other. At once formidable and him struggling with himself, before anyone
self-effacing, he has inhabited and ignited an else. And it’s surprising, though the filmmak-
extraordinary assortment of roles, from Sid ers claim they’re on firm factual ground, to
OPENS TONIGHT Vicious of the Sex Pistols to John le Carré’s
George Smiley. He’s superb in this one, a
be told that it was Churchill who initiated
Operation Dynamo, the civilian flotilla that
study in eccentric but magnetic leadership, evacuated Allied troops from Dunkirk.
and in masterly acting. A word about appearance, as it relates to
Much of Churchill’s audible authority re- essence. Richly satisfying as Mr. Oldman’s
sides in the percussive words, and soaring performance is, he wasn’t born, as the
November 24 through December 31 sentences, of his formal oratory. Mr. Old-
man’s interpretations of the great man’s
phrase has it, to play the role. He doesn’t
have a pudgy face, and he isn’t a corpulent
speeches elevate this film, which was di- man of 65, as Churchill was at the beginning
rected by Joe Wright from a screenplay by of World War II. Enter Kazuhiro Tsuji, the
Anthony McCarten. Churchill also does spon- legendary prosthetic designer and makeup
VIP Sweet Seats Available taneous battle with his political rivals in Par- artist. Old-age makeup can wreck a film if it
nycballet.com / 212-496-0600 liament during a succession of debates that isn’t done well; see Billy Crystal’s “Mr. Sat-
are shamelessly overwrought, as staged by urday Night.” Mr. Tsuji’s transformation of
Mr. Wright, though enjoyable all the same. Gary Oldman’s physiognomy is subtle, since
Yet most of “Darkest Hour” plays out in Please see FILM page A15
For personal non-commercial use only. Do not edit or alter. Reproductions not permitted.
To reprint or license content, please contact our reprints and licensing department at +1 800-843-0008 or www.djreprints.com
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. Friday, November 24, 2017 | A15
JEREMY DANIEL
play was an attempt to evoke with darning. $99, 646-223-3010, through
the sensibility of childhood. This erotic notion, though, Dec. 23.
Credit the theater com- is inconsistently applied,
pany Bedlam, then, with rec- since Peter is later portrayed Mr. Rothstein is the
ognizing that the original as a contemporary child, ig- Journal’s Critic-at-Large. Zuzanna Szadkowski and Brad Heberlee in Bedlam’s production of ‘Peter Pan.’
work is far more ambiguous, noring Wendy so he can play
disturbing and surreal than videogames. But there might
it might seem, that despite have been intriguing results
drawing on children’s adven- had the theme been followed
ture stories (about pirates,
Indians, sea creatures, or
magical lands far, far away)
through, particularly since
an unsettling erotic under-
current shapes the original
“A MUST-SEE
and despite its title charac- play as well. Mr. Darling ulti-
ter, whose name has now be-
come associated with a re-
fusal to relinquish childhood,
“Peter Pan” is really about
adults—their longing for
It is really about
adults—their longing
CLASSIC ”
HOLIDAY CLASSIC! WE LIVE ENTERTAINMENT
FILM
of Churchill, as the movie has
it, that “he mobilized the
English language and sent it
into battle.” It was Edward R.
Continued from page A14 Murrow, and he said it in
his facial prosthesis moves 1954, almost a decade after
and even seems to breathe in the end of the war.
a lifelike way, yet so com- Those are small matters,
plete as to be unnoticeable. though, in a film that informs,
Another few words about and even inspires, while it en-
derailment and misappropria- tertains. Lily James is quietly
tion. “Darkest Hour” goes touching as Elizabeth Layton,
temporarily off the rails when the secretary Churchill tries,
Churchill ventures into the and fails, to tyrannize. Kristin
Underground to learn what Scott Thomas is fine as Win-
ordinary Britons think he
should do. The sequence is
ston’s loving, long-suffering
wife, Clementine. “I’m getting
Based on the inspiring true story.
THEMATIC ELEMENTS
effective, in a cheesy, manipu- the job,” he tells her early on, AND SOME MILD
LANGUAGE.
lative way, but also ludicrous when he seems certain to ©2017 BLEECKER STREET MEDIA, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
SPORTS
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
OPINION
The Modern Epic of Denunciation BOOKSHELF | By Anna Mundow
By Crispin Sartwell because, if he wins, he will be of others. Every minute that Why is Mr. Trump waiting so Hard-Boiled
H
hung around their necks for Mr. Trump or Senator Y fails long to condemn the Hells An-
omer told the story of years. They will be called to produce the denunciation gels rally in Nowheresville?
ancient Greece in the
“Iliad,” Virgil of Rome
in the “Aeneid,” John Milton
of the fall of man in “Paradise
upon repeatedly to denounce
him, repudiate him, distance
themselves from him. Like
Odysseus, they will be on a
constitutes a new and trou-
bling development. But then
we have a question for Gov-
ernor Z: Does he condemn
The president hasn’t de-
nounced North Korea in the
past six hours: Does that sig-
nal a change in policy?
In California
Lost,” and Alexander Pope of long, difficult, epic journey. Mr. Trump’s failure to con- What the “Denunciad” de-
18th-century England in the Unlike the “Odyssey,” how- demn Person X’s remark? mands, rather, is a public
The Ross Macdonald Collection
“Dunciad.” If we had a poet of ever, their story will have no Why does he think Senator Y, performance of self-righ- Edited by Tom Nolan
that scope, he might well title end or point. an old friend, is taking so teousness—a moral dramati- (Library of America, 2,618 pages, $112.50)
O
his epic of contemporary long? How about Movie Star zation. The show is rigidly
America the “Denunciad.” A? Did he condemn the non- stylized, so the audience ver the past decade or so, the hard-boiled detective
We seem to have entered a The media drives the condemnation? knows what to expect. It’s a novel, once American to the core, has acquired a variety
period of nonstop mutual de- It’s a potentially endless contest to see who condemns of accents and identities. There are Scottish, Nordic and
nunciation. This is particu- story, but Americans circle. Every time someone in whom, first, hardest, and Japanese versions, for example, and a Russian series involving
larly useful to the media, are all caught up in public life slips up, out come with the most clichés. Sincer- a penguin. So widespread is the allure of the slouch hat and
which can fill pages and air- squads of reporters, not to ity is precluded or irrelevant, cigarette, the blonde and the bottle, that even “mainstream”
time with nonevents that re- the moral drama. cover the event, but to ask though some sort of simula- writers like John Banville and Thomas Pynchon have tried
porters and pundits invent every other findable famous tion of it is required. them on for size. Not that this is anything new. “There has
and then cover. It is useful, person whether he or she I ask in all seriousness: Is been so much of this sort of thing,” Raymond Chandler
too, in providing simple What mainly drives the will condemn it in exactly the this making anything better? complained in “The Simple Art of Murder” (1944), “that if a
moral guidelines by which a events of the “Denunciad,” as prescribed terms within the Is it making us better? Is it character in a detective story says, ‘Yeah,’ the author is auto-
person can establish superior the gods do the “Odyssey,” is permitted time frame—and doing anything to address any matically a Hammett imitator.”
virtue without having to do the media, which has discov- then whether they condemn substantive problem? Amer- Chandler went on to argue that Dashiell Hammett and his
anything. ered an endless fount of one another for failing the ica’s very own national epic, contemporaries had founded a literary movement when, in
People have quickly culti- news—a sort of fire hydrant test. like England’s “Dunciad,” the 1920s, they started to write “realistic mystery fiction.” He
vated the skill. It once took of youth. Suppose that Person This does strike me as a seems mostly to deliver les- was right. And some 70 years later, the Library of America
48 hours for a politician to X makes an inappropriate re- fairly new phenomenon, at sons about how concerned we proved the point by publishing
castigate a member of his mark, and you are a news di- least the thoroughness with are with keeping up appear- the major novels of Hammett
own party for ancient harass- rector charged with covering which it is now being prose- ances and establishing some and Chandler in superb hard-
ment or an untoward tweet. the story. By itself, it’s liable cuted. The people doing the sort of moral pecking order. cover omnibus editions.
Yet Democratic condemna- to fade pretty quickly, yet reporting—CNN is particu- Unlike Alexander Pope, how- Now comes the concluding
tions of Al Franken began there are 24 hours of live up- larly adamant about this—in- ever, the people composing volume of the LOA edition of a
flowing within minutes of the dates to fill. sist they are merely provid- the “Denunciad” can’t write third writer—many critics say
story’s breaking. It became a But there is hope: Did Pres- ing facts: It is an objective at all. the finest writer—of hard-boiled
sort of competition, a contest ident Trump denounce the re- truth that Mr. Trump hadn’t American detective fiction.
of moral appearances. Some mark by Person X? Did he do condemned Mr. Moore, or Mr. Sartwell teaches at “Four Later Novels” completes
even condemned Mr. Franken so quickly enough? Did he do that some senator hadn’t re- Dickinson College in Carlisle, “The Ross Macdonald Collec-
for his own condemnation of so in the rigidly mechanical pudiated Mr. Trump’s non- Pa. His most recent book is tion,” a three-volume set that
Harvey Weinstein. Well, who terms demanded? What about condemnation. “Entanglements: A System of also contains “Four Novels of the
demanded that scripted hy- Senator Y? Did he denounce it But, objectively speaking, Philosophy” (SUNY Press, 1950s” (2015) and “Three Novels
pocrisy from him in the first full-throatedly? Did he say, many other things didn’t hap- 2017). of the Early 1960s” (2016), all
place? verbatim, that “this is not who pen today either. Editors don’t scrupulously edited by Tom Nolan.
Pundits speculate that Re- we are as Americans”? pluck other non-occurrences Kimberley A. Strassel is (Mr. Nolan, the author of a biography of Mac-
publicans would prefer Roy Suddenly the first story has from the ether and then send away. donald, has been the crime-fiction columnist for this news-
Moore to lose his Senate race spawned an infinite number people out to cover them. paper since 1990.) As a gift for giving this holiday season,
the set is available in a glossy red-and-black slipcase—hand-
some, compact, and pleasing to handle.
Rename a Brand, or Brand a Name? It could be an Edward Hopper painting. For Macdonald,
above all, makes us see: blood “tangled like tar” in a dead
woman’s hair; blue jays descending “like chunks of broken
By Gregg Opelka Curiously, one industry in Monty,” “Legally Blonde” and play about a Cockney flower sky”; men watching a wildfire “in waiting attitudes, as if by
‘W
which name rebranding is others all proudly proclaim girl and a phonetics fanatic, behaving modestly and discreetly they could make the fire
hat’s in a name?” fairly common is the Ameri- their origin. the original title “Pygmalion” stay up on the mountain and die there, like an unwanted
asks Shakespeare’s can musical theater. Most This wasn’t always the was deemed too obscure a god.” But this is not art for art’s sake. Every image serves to
love-struck heroine new musicals are adapted case. Only the most avid fans mythological reference. Exit draw us deeper into the flawed lives at the heart of his
Juliet Capulet. If you ask Vic- from a pre-existing, usually of Rodgers and Hammer- the enamored Greek sculptor, flawless mysteries. When a character in “The Far Side of the
tor Luis, chief executive officer successful, work—a novel, a stein’s groundbreaking 1943 enter “My Fair Lady,” of Lon- Dollar” asks Archer why a particular detail matters, he
of luxury retail brand Coach, stage play, a film, a television musical “Oklahoma!” know don Bridge nursery rhyme replies, “Because you can’t explode reality. Life hangs
the answer is “Plenty.” show. Rare indeed is the mu- the legendary tuner was fame. together in one piece. Everything is connected with every-
The company has an- sical that boasts an original based on Lynn Riggs’s 1930 Thornton Wilder himself thing else. The problem is to find the connections.”
nounced that beginning this Broadway play “Green Grow rebranded his original play In Mr. Nolan’s selection of novels—from “The Way Some
month it will do business the Lilacs.” Fewer still have “The Merchant of Yonkers,” People Die” of 1951 to “The Underground Man” of 1971—
under the new name Tapes- Some need facelifts. read it. Good thing Riggs re- remounting it years later un- Macdonald weaves together those threads and then unspools
try. The move, Mr. Luis Others ain’t broke ceived a healthy royalty for der the new name “The them; always deftly, never mechanically. And never losing
claims, better reflects the his contribution because Rod- Matchmaker.” Soon it re- sight of the innocents: the lost boy, the courageous girl, the
expanding company, which and don’t need fixin’. gers and Hammerstein’s “Sur- emerged as “Hello, Dolly!” haunted drifter, all making their way through “a world of
recently acquired shoe re- rey With the Fringe on Top” Jerry Herman’s instanta- treacherous little hustlers.” On that shifting terrain, his laby-
tailer Stuart Weitzman and (immortalized in their fa- neously world-famous song rinthine plots keep us in queasy suspense. But it is the sheer
Coach’s erstwhile rival Kate story, like the 2002 Tony- mous song) promptly drove was simply too infectious not beauty of Macdonald’s laconic style—with its seductive
Spade. Coach investors quickly winner “Urinetown.” Far Riggs’s delightful home-state to become the musical’s title. rhythms and elegant plainness—that holds us spellbound.
voiced their opinion of the re- more often creators of new homage into permanent box Hungarian playwright Ferenc “Hard-boiled,” “noir,” “mystery,” it doesn’t matter what you
christening, sending shares musicals seek to capitalize on office oblivion. Molnar’s play “Liliom” call it. Macdonald, with insolent grace, blows past the
lower by nearly 3% the day of the popularity of a recent fa- In the golden era of the whirled into Broadway his- barrier constructed by Dorothy Sayers between “the litera-
the announcement. miliar crowd-pleaser. While musical, renaming was the tory as “Carousel.” And when ture of escape” and “the literature of expression.” These
Such corporate name adapting from a successful norm. Ernst Lubitsch’s mem- Cole Porter decided to brush novels, triumphs of his literary alchemy, dare to be both.
changes aren’t uncommon, source is no guarantee of a orable film “The Shop up his Shakespeare, “The
but they often experience ini- hit, it does tilt the odds in Around the Corner” (itself Taming of the Shrew” turned Ms. Mundow writes the column “Crime and Punishment”
tial pushback from the public. your favor, a fact not lost on adapted from Miklós László’s into the tersely-titled tuner for the Barnes & Noble Review.
Steve Jobs’s 2007 decision to producers. 1937 Hungarian play “Par- “Kiss Me, Kate.”
shorten Apple Computer’s Lately, Broadway musicals fumerie”) became “She Loves Maybe someday someone
name was brilliant both for based on movies and TV Me,” named for a sprightly will turn the dictionary into a Coming in BOOKS this weekend
its succinctness and its accu- shows have tended to retain song from Jerry Bock and musical. They could call it The life of Richard Avedon • The wild side of Lou Reed
racy. On the other hand, the title of their source for Sheldon Harnick’s hit musi- “Alphabet.” • The Port Royal earthquake of 1692 • New fiction from
apart from Wall Street ana- one simple reason—it sells cal. When Alan Jay Lerner France • The madness of Ezra Pound • Democracy’s
lysts, who calls Google’s par- tickets. “The Addams Family,” and Frederick Loewe musical- Mr. Opelka is a musical crisis • The best director you’ve never heard of • & more
ent company Alphabet? “The Producers,” “The Full ized George Bernard Shaw’s theater composer-lyricist.
For personal non-commercial use only. Do not edit or alter. Reproductions not permitted.
To reprint or license content, please contact our reprints and licensing department at +1 800-843-0008 or www.djreprints.com
A18 | Friday, November 24, 2017 THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
OPINION
REVIEW & OUTLOOK LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Trump’s Dubious Trust-Busting Science, the Courts and the Public’s Interest
D
oes President Trump’s right hand know The reality is that competition in media con- Roger Pielke Jr. is wrong when he many, which Merton wrote about in
what his left is doing? Despite the Ad- tent and distribution has intensified, and tradi- writes in “A Litigious Climate Threat- his “Science and the Social Order.”
ens Scientific Norms” (op-ed, Nov. 16) Were Merton alive today he would re-
ministration’s laudable regulatory roll- tional pay-for-TV distributors including cable
that climate scientist Michael Mann’s ject Mr. Pielke’s claim that science is
back, the Justice Department companies and DirectTV are defamation lawsuit against the Na- stronger when scientists must turn
on Monday intervened in the The assault on AT&T- losing customers. AT&T has 25 tional Review Online and the Competi- the other cheek to attacks on their
fast-evolving media and broad-
band markets with an antitrust
Time Warner seems to million video subscribers,
down half a million this year.
tive Enterprise Institute is “weakening
the norms that make science robust.”
character.
PETER J. FONTAINE
lawsuit to block AT&T’s acqui- be more about politics The largest cable companies Mr. Pielke characterizes Prof. Mann’s Philadelphia
sition of Time Warner. The boast fewer than 50 million lawsuit as an improper attempt to
lawsuit misconstrues markets
than antitrust law. customers. Acceleration in “settle” a scientific debate through le- Maybe Prof. Pielke is wrong. Maybe
and undermines the rule of cord-cutting is harming con- gal action, which Mr. Pielke claims de- the scientific community should actu-
law—whether or not it was in- tent producers like Time War- viates from Robert Merton’s scientific ally encourage the use of lawsuits to
spired by the White House. ner that charge cable companies per subscrip- norms. As one of the lawyers repre- settle scientific debates, especially
senting Mr. Mann, I can say confi- ones like climate change that have
i i i tion and sell ads based on viewership.
dently that nothing could be further been politicized.
Start with the fact that the AT&T-Time War- Increased competition is forcing innovation from the truth. It is surprising that his article
ner deal is a “vertical merger,” meaning that the and consolidation in business models. Deals be- Mr. Mann’s lawsuit doesn’t squelch doesn’t mention the infamous Scopes
two companies operate in distinct markets and tween broadband and mobile providers have re- scientific debate as his case isn’t Monkey Trial of 1925, when a prevail-
don’t directly compete. Time Warner is mainly cently been floated to attract more millennials, about science but rather the latest in- ing political view (fundamentalism)
a content producer. AT&T, which also owns Di- more than half of whom stream videos on their stallment in a smear campaign to de- argued its case against the teaching of
rectTV, is mainly a distributor. phones. T-Mobile is nipping at AT&T and luring stroy his reputation through verifiably an alternative science (evolution).
Justice last sued to block a vertical merger customers by offering free Netflix. false and malicious assertions of fact Weeks before the trial, the State of
under Section 7 of the Clayton Act in 1977 in AT&T like Comcast wants to purchase con- about his professional conduct. The Tennessee had passed the Butler Act,
United States v. Hammermill Paper Co. It lost. tent and use its ability to mine user data to bet- D.C. Court of Appeals affirmed Mr. which banned the teaching of evolu-
Unlike horizontal mergers of businesses that di- ter target ads at viewers. This could help the Mann’s right to proceed holding that tion as anti-religion.
“defamatory statements that are per- The trial focused the debate be-
rectly compete, the government in vertical combined company better compete with Google sonal attacks on an individual’s hon- tween competing theories. It was the
deals must marshal evidence to prove that ver- and Facebook, which already draw 60% of digi- esty and integrity . . . if false, do not first court proceeding to be carried
tically integrated companies would reduce com- tal ad revenues in the U.S. More ad revenues enjoy constitutional protection and live on radio. It pitted the most promi-
petition and harm consumers. could also allow AT&T to reduce its prices, may be actionable.” Nor do Merton’s nent advocates directly against one
In many of the two dozen or so vertical which could impel rivals to follow. All of this scientific norms prevent scientists, another. And it drew the lines between
mergers since 1977 in which the government would make the market more competitive and like all free people, from defending the two sides starkly and compellingly.
has raised antitrust concerns, Justice negoti- offer consumers more choices. their good name through the courts if In the end, the public won. Now an-
ated a settlement imposing behavioral remedies i i i necessary. Mr. Pielke’s invitation to other scientific debate is preoccupying
to blunt speculative anti-competitive effects. So why is Justice rolling out dubious anti- muzzle scientists confronting ad ho- our national conversation. Perhaps it
That includes its 2011 approval of NBCU’s trust theories? Our guess is the populist poli- minem fallacies under the guise of is time for another “monkey trial,”
“scientific debate” would strike a this time between global warming and
merger with Comcast in which it barred the ca- tics on the left and right. Conservatives hate
grievous blow at the institution of sci- its deniers. Sometimes science is
ble giant from withholding its content from CNN, which Time Warner owns, and liberals ence by chilling free inquiry and served best when it ventures beyond
competitors. Justice hasn’t said that the Com- hate big business in general. Mr. Trump, in his thought, the bedrock of a vibrant sci- its norms.
cast restrictions were insufficient to curb anti- shoot-from-the-lip fashion, said in October entific community. This notion is as JON FOX
trust abuses, but it won’t entertain such limits 2016 when the deal was proposed that he’d try true today as it was in 1937 Nazi Ger- Linwood, N.J.
for AT&T and Time Warner. to block it. Thirteen Democratic Senators in-
Justice’s odd antitrust theory is that AT&T cluding Elizabeth Warren, Al Franken and Ber-
“would use its control over Time Warner’s valu- nie Sanders in January wrote a letter to AT&T
able and highly popular networks to hinder its CEO Randall Stephenson and Time Warner Small Businesses Embrace ‘Good Enough’ Tax
rivals.” Supposedly AT&T would threaten to CEO Jeffrey Bewkes fretting about the “consol-
withhold Time Warner content from its diverse idation in the telecommunications and media Regarding your editorial “A Solu- the oh-so-tired talking-point rheto-
tion for Ron Johnson” (Nov. 17): The ric—“this is a bill for the rich” or
competitors to force them to pay more. Distrib- industries.”
Senate tax bill’s 17.4% small-business “this is a bill that is a scam”—and
utors who don’t pony up would thus lose mil- Antitrust Division Assistant Attorney Gen- pass-through deduction doesn’t just provide real solutions for real people
lions of customers, which Justice claims would eral Makan Delrahim, who lobbied for Comcast apply to the proposed top individual instead of blind obstruction and
sign up for AT&T. in 2010 and worked in the White House coun- tax rate. The Hatch Amendment to party-line fear mongering.
No doubt AT&T and Time Warner wish they sel’s office earlier this year, said last year that the bill means that all small business STEVEN B. CARUSO
enjoyed that much market clout. But Time War- he didn’t see the deal “as a major antitrust pass-throughs earning $500,000 Darien, Conn.
ner accounts for less than 10% of broadcast and problem.” That’s why his about-face since his ($250,000 if filing individually) or
cable viewership while DirectTV makes up just confirmation in September is so curious and less can take advantage of this de- Congress’s unseemly haste to pass
20% of the national multi-channel video pro- seemingly political. duction as well. a bill—any bill—by the end of the
gramming market. CNN and HBO hardly provide Mr. Trump said again on Tuesday that “I’ve According to the Tax Foundation, year has created situations where
97% of pass-throughs earn less than taxes on everyday corporate transac-
invaluable or indispensable programming, and always felt that was a deal that’s not good for
this $500,000 threshold, meaning the tions are significantly increased. For
in any case Time Warner would be giving up the country,” adding that “I’m not going to get overwhelming majority of the na- example, the House bill repeals a
hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue if it involved. It’s litigation.” Yet uttering his opin- tion’s small businesses would see longstanding provision that a corpo-
withheld its content from other distributors. As ion feeds inferences of political interference needed and long-overdue tax relief ration pays no tax on contributions
for raising prices, Time Warner can do that now and a willingness to bend antitrust law in ways from the bill. Small businesses appre- to its capital. As a result of the new
if it can get away with it. Merging with AT&T that undermine business confidence. ciate Sen. Johnson’s advocacy for provision, if a 99% shareholder con-
hardly gives it more ability to do so. The good news is that AT&T plans to defend even greater relief, but we don’t want tributes $100 to a corporation to
Justice’s even stranger claim is that the the merger in court, and a trial should be expe- his quest to scuttle the significant fund its operations, the corporation
merger would “impede disruptive competi- dited given Justice’s drawn-out investigation. small-business tax relief that already now has to pay tax on that $100. This
tion” from “emerging online competition.” Justice will have to demonstrate that AT&T’s exists. is a significant change in the law that
Emerging? That adjective will surprise Net- market power exceeds that of its various com- ALFREDO ORTIZ has received little attention and will
President and CEO make it more difficult to fund every-
flix, with its 110 million subscribers and more petitors and that it would use its clout to harm-
Job Creators Network day operations. Both the House and
than two dozen original shows; or Amazon, ful effect. That’s a high bar that Justice can’t Washington Senate bills contain numerous other
with its original TV series and movies and its meet on all the available evidence. examples of provisions that Congress
90 million Prime members. Google this year A government defeat could set a healthy It is astonishing that not a single appears not to have thought through
launched an over-the-top streaming service precedent that reduces Justice’s leverage and Democrat in the House found any- that will increase the tax bills for
that bundles 40 channels for $35 a month. latitude to restrict mergers using market theo- thing in the bill that would benefit a many companies.
These are large and thriving vertically inte- ries that respond to populist politics rather single constituent and cause them to ROBERT M. GORDON
grated companies. than the rule of law. support this bill. It is time to drop Wilmette, Ill.
O
Jonathan D. Kaufelt (Letters, Nov. erosion can only be managed by state
bamaCare has caused hard-to-quantify duced. Yet the 30-day mortality rate increased 17) touts the progressive line that in- and local government reform. It is a
economic damage, but some of the to 8.6% from 7.2%—about 5,400 additional terstate tax competition is a barrier to free country.
law’s regulations may be lethal—liter- deaths per year. Over a one-year period the re- a more efficient (read “higher rate”) I’m happy in Arizona.
ally. Consider a Medicare hos- admission rate fell by 0.9 per- tax regime. Mr. Kaufelt laments that ROGER HERD
pital payment initiative, which A program to reduce centage points while the mor- lower-tax states erode the tax bases of Mesa, Ariz.
a new study in the Journal of hospital admissions may tality rate rose by five. In higher-tax states thereby creating an
the American Medical Associ- other words, while fewer pa- unfair “competition.” While progres-
ation Cardiology suggests may have led to more deaths. tients were being readmitted, sives see this as a bad thing, conserva- Document Those Puppies
have contributed to an in- many more were dying. tives rejoice that competitive market
Regarding Adam O’Neal’s “What
crease in deaths. forces on taxation still exist. As a resi-
The researchers hypothe- Will Tax Reform Do for Puppies?”
dent of California (individual income-
Readers are likely familiar with Obama- size that the penalties might “incentivize hos- tax rate of 9.3% starting at $53,000 in
(op-ed, Nov. 20): If history can be re-
Care’s mandate and subsidies to impel individ- pitals to ‘game’ the system, using strategies lied upon, Mr. O’Neal’s suggestion of
income), I know that the presence of
uals to obtain health insurance. But the law such as delaying admissions beyond day 30, in- extending the child tax credit to ca-
Nevada (0% income tax) and Arizona
also included monetary incentives and penal- creasing observation stays, or shifting inpa- nines would quickly usher in abuse
(top rate of 5.4%) on our border is one
ties aimed at inducing changes in health-care tient-type care to emergency departments.” aplenty. Tax filers would soon need to
of the few factors that keep the Demo-
prove proof of pet ownership. Let us
delivery and spending reductions. The govern- These tricks may end up hurting patients. crats who control the California legis-
not forget the more than seven mil-
ment rolled out these payment models nation- Hospitals with above-average readmissions lature from continuously jacking up
lion American children who vanished
ally without careful study, and they are having are also more likely to care for low-income pa- income taxes. Far from being a “race
in 1987 when the IRS required tax-
unintended side effects. tients and deal with complicated medical cases. to the bottom,” interstate tax competi-
payers to report the Social Security
A case in point is the Hospital Readmissions They are usually financially strapped due to tion and the ability of citizens to vote
numbers of dependents.
with their feet forces states to be
Reduction Program, which penalizes hospitals low Medicaid reimbursements, and the Obama- F.X. BERGMEISTER
mindful of how they tax and spend
with above-average readmissions for Medicare Care penalties may make it even harder to de- their constituents money.
Stafford, Va.
patients. Readmissions are expensive, and the liver quality care. KEN DAVENPORT
goal of the penalties is to encourage providers ObamaCare effectively enrolled Medicare San Diego
to take measures that reduce repeat hospital- patients and hospitals without their consent Pepper ...
izations—for instance, providing patients with in a mandatory policy experiment—you’ll be What an amusing letter from James
clearer discharge instructions and coordinating better off, trust us—but then neglected to Gebhard. I lived in California’s Bay
And Salt
with primary-care physicians. evaluate the adverse effects. A drug trial with Area for 25 years, Texas for 10 years THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Hospitals are graded on a curve and dunned the same results would have been shut down and was raised here in Arizona where
if their 30-day readmission rate exceeds the na- long ago. I live in retirement. I can tell you the
tional average. Hospitals can thus be penalized The JAMA researchers conclude that, “like extra tax burden California demands
isn’t worth the cost. Waste is ram-
even if they reduce readmissions. The penal- drugs and devices, public health policies
pant. The reason people flee states
ties, which are assessed as a share of hospitals’ should be tested in a rigorous fashion—most like California is pure economics.
Medicare payments, have been applied to an preferably in randomized trials—before their Comparing the “The Great Progres-
increasing number of medical conditions in- widespread adoption.” Sounds like good ad- sive Tax Escape” (Review & Outlook,
cluding knee and hip replacements. vice, but not the sort that ObamaCare archi- Nov. 14) trend to Europe, as Mr.
Liberals have touted data showing that read- tects and masters of the economic-planning Kaufelt does, is laughable. It happens
missions have fallen since the penalties took universe like Peter Orszag and Jonathan Gru- there too. Californians should stop
effect in 2013, but the JAMA researchers exam- ber are inclined to take. whining and deal with the state’s lop-
ined whether quality of care has improved as The Trump Administration is seeking to re- sided and spendthrift legislature. Tax
a result. Their observational study examined design some of ObamaCare’s payment pro-
115,245 fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries grams, including making policy experiments Letters intended for publication should
hospitalized with heart failure across the U.S. voluntary for providers. This has caused a be addressed to: The Editor, 1211 Avenue
of the Americas, New York, NY 10036,
in the four years prior to and first two years fury among those on the left who believe that or emailed to [email protected]. Please
following implementation of the program. government coercion is the cure for all include your city and state. All letters
Researchers found that the 30-day readmis- health-care maladies. Testing incentives on are subject to editing, and unpublished
sion rate (adjusted for patient risk) declined to a small scale could prevent untold economic letters can be neither acknowledged nor “We don’t do bad things,
returned.
18.4% from 20% after the penalties were intro- harm and deaths. we’re just a bit hyper.”
For personal non-commercial use only. Do not edit or alter. Reproductions not permitted.
To reprint or license content, please contact our reprints and licensing department at +1 800-843-0008 or www.djreprints.com
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. Friday, November 24, 2017 | A19
OPINION
C
This double write-off may be gains tax to assets of more
ongress is still scrambling the sweetest deal in the tax than $1 million before they are
to find ways to pay for its code. transferred to a charity. This
tax cut, so perhaps it should The donors also can retain could even finance cutting the
pay closer attention to last control of the money within capital-gains rate to 15% for
month’s news that George the private foundation for everyone.
Soros had transferred $18 billion of years or even decades before it Alternatively (or perhaps in
his fortune to a private charity that is disbursed. Since the founda- addition) Congress could cap
he controls. There it will be sheltered tion can employ family mem- deductions for any given
from the Internal Revenue Service bers at six-figure salaries for household to $250,000 a year.
forever. This may be the single big- life to “administer” it, the um- Under this kind of plan, Mr.
gest tax dodge in U.S. history, yet no bilical cord to the donor never Soros would be able to write
one on the right or left seems to have has to be cut. off only a tiny fraction of his
raised an eyebrow. Congress should stop ignor- multi-billion dollar gift.
BARBARA KELLEY
True tax reform is predicated on ing this tax-avoidance scheme. This isn’t an argument
the principle that all income should The super rich have already against charity. But selfless
be taxed at a low rate once, and only poured hundreds of billions and effective giving is not mo-
once. But much of the wealth that Mr. into private foundations, but tivated by tax breaks. Two-
Soros spent years moving into his the figure could soon be in the thirds of Americans don’t
trillions. Mark Zuckerberg has effective tax rate of 23%, but the top lobbying operations for bigger gov- itemize their deductions, yet millions
pledged to give away 99% of his Face- 0.001% pay only 18%. ernment and liberal causes like higher give until it hurts. In the 1980s, indi-
The wealthy have tucked book shares, currently estimated to Mr. Buffett has sanctimoniously de- minimum wages, gun control, univer- vidual donations to charities surged,
be worth somewhere around $70 bil- nounced the fact that he pays a lower sal health care, and a carbon tax. Mr. even as the top tax rate—and thus
billions into private lion, and much of it will go to a foun- effective tax rate than his secretary. Soros’s $18 billion gift alone is the the maximum value of the write-off—
nonprofits—where dation his family controls. Bill Gates His suggestion is that Congress raise equivalent of maybe 100 Heritage fell from 70% to 28%.
and Warren Buffett have each put taxes on capital gains. But even if the Foundations. This kind of weaponized The question is whether a tax code
the IRS can’t touch it. roughly $30 billion tax-free into the tax rates were lifted, say, to 50%, Mr. philanthropy has the potential to un- that encourages dynastic family foun-
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Buffett still wouldn’t have to pay it on dermine the American free enterprise dations is good for America. If Con-
This has left the foundation so flush the tens of billions of dollars he puts system. gress stopped letting billionaires
Open Society Foundations will never that it spent $500 million on a 12- into private foundations, and he would Yes, billions go to groups on the pour money tax free into the founda-
be taxed. A gift of billions of dollars acre, 900,000-square-foot office com- still be able to deduct a fifth of that right, too, from Mr. Koch and others. tion-industrial complex, it would go a
of appreciated stock escapes any cap- plex in Seattle for its 1,500 employ- contribution on future tax returns. But regardless of ideology, why long way toward lowering rates and
ital gains tax, and the estate tax as ees. This is philanthropy? This tax favoritism might be de- shouldn’t tax be collected before the making the tax code fairer for every-
well. So Mr. Soros can donate appre- I don’t question these billionaires’ fensible to promote genuine philan- money is given away? What message one. This would help the economy
ciated stock that Open Society Foun- right to do with their money as they thropic activities. Many billionaires, does it send that the Republican tax- grow faster, which is the best way to
dations can liquidate without the wish. I’m simply arguing that Con- such as the Gateses and David Koch, reform bills retain this trillion-dollar help those in need.
government ever taking a cut. gress shouldn’t let the rich and polit- have heroically donated to fight can- loophole for the super rich, at the
There’s more. When a person do- ically powerful use private founda- cer and malaria or provide relief to same time as the House plan elimi- Mr. Moore is an economic consul-
nates untaxed, appreciated assets to tions to escape taxation. This hurricane and earthquake victims. nates the adoption credit for mid- tant with FreedomWorks and a
a private foundation, he may also de- loophole is one reason for an anom- But others, including Mr. Soros and dle-class families who want to help founder of the Committee to Unleash
duct up to 20% of its market value on aly in our otherwise progressive tax Michael Bloomberg, have turned pri- children? Prosperity. He was a senior economic
his personal return, carrying forward code: The top 1% of earners pay an vate foundations into massive de facto One simple solution would be for adviser to the Trump campaign.
T
partment stores that once proudly world, but if you came home for the himself: “Heaven will be like this.” service pins.
here are ghosts that come out anchored America’s downtowns and, holidays and walked inside, you felt For readers too young to remem- Christmas was the time when it all
during the holiday season. especially in November and Decem- centered. Many stores were run by ber, it probably sounds like science came together. The parades through
They’re not the ghosts of peo- ber, played such a role in making someone whose family name was on fiction to report that women and town, the Santa Claus villages with the
ple, but of places. And it’s funny: At home feel like home. the door: storekeepers in every sense girls really did wear hats and white long lines of children waiting—those
certain moments, when there’s a bite Where did they go? Swallowed up of the word, sometimes with carna- gloves when they went downtown to sorts of celebrations are still present
in the chill air, or the faint scent of by national chains and renamed, tions in their suit lapels as they shop. Lazarus operated 11 different in many cities, with different sponsors
cinnamon and chocolate wafts out of some of them. Others were pushed strolled the floors. or underwriters now. Yet those long-
nowhere, those ghosts can be longed out of business by discount giants Those proprietors were responsi- departed stores took it upon them-
for with the same kind of pang usu- and freeway-exit malls. A few just ble for every cranny. Nothing was Online shopping delivers selves to assume tacit responsibility
ally reserved for loved ones. faded away. vendored out; there were no bou- for their own towns’ winter-warmth
They once resided in just about ev- Today the big growth is in online tiques sublet to outside concerns. And on prices and variety, but and sense of seasonal joy. It’s a feeling
ery city. In many cases, they were the shopping. Some of those old depart- the array of what they offered, under the old department store that’s tough to franchise.
very heartbeats of those towns. ment stores filled a city block and one downtown roof: cameras, lug- Online shopping, quick and effi-
There was the Hecht Company in Bal- more, bursting with every manner of gage, baseball bats, paint, trombones, still feels like Christmas. cient, is the future. There’s no getting
timore. Polsky’s in Akron. Woodward merchandise. But no brick-and-mortar jewelry, living-room furniture, phono- around it. You don’t need a pair of
& Lothrop in the District of Columbia. store, however massive, carries more graph records (with private booths white gloves—you don’t need to get
Loveman’s in Birmingham. L.S. Ayres goods than Amazon. Macy’s, which against the wall to allow a trial lis- restaurants inside the store: There dressed at all—to hit the “order” but-
in Indianapolis. John A. Brown Com- purchased, renamed and homogenized ten). The stores had their own por- was the Chintz Room, the Buckeye ton. But as the holidays arrive, I think
pany in Oklahoma City. Shillito’s in many of the classic local stores, began trait studios, their own travel agen- Room, the Colonial Room, the Cop- of Mike Harden, who died in 2010,
Cincinnati. The Joseph Horne Com- 2017 with an announcement that it cies, their own rare-stamp counters. per Kettle, the Highlander Grill, a and I’m wondering if it came true: if,
pany in Pittsburgh. Auerbach’s in Salt would be closing 68 locations. An old newspaperman friend of mine 1,500-seat employee cafeteria. The for him, heaven really did turn out to
Lake City. Bamberger’s in Newark. The idiosyncrasies of the local named Mike Harden, who didn’t grow store at one point had on staff two look just like those Christmas win-
Miller & Rhoads in Richmond. Hig- stores were what endeared them to up in the fanciest of circumstances, full-time nurses, who would drive to dows on South High Street.
bee’s in Cleveland. Donaldson’s in their customers. Your town’s leading once said that as a boy at Christmas- ailing employees’ homes to provide
Minneapolis: department store was as personal as time, standing outside the F&R Laza- free care. Working at a locally owned Mr. Greene is completing a new
rus store in downtown Columbus, he department store could be a career, novel, “Yesterday Came Suddenly,”
would look in the display windows, not just a job. Employees at those about an America with no internet.
How to Serve
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Those 2017 Collective cost for 10 toys being tracked at four popular e-commerce sites
Toys 'R' Us Amazon Target Wal-Mart
some types of bonds issued by
state and local governments to
refinance their old debt.
Predictions: $1,000
Follow these and other toys at
wsj.com/graphics/giftbag/
“It just made all the sense
in the world to do it,” Mr. Mat-
son said.
So Wrong
Readers can subscribe to a
twitterbot to keep up-to-date The GOP proposal targets
975 the exemption for advanced
on the latest prices.
refunding bonds, which allow
We all like 950 governments to refinance old
to remember bonds earlier to take advan-
our successes 925 tage of low interest rates and,
and forget our $918.40 occasionally, to postpone com-
failures, and 900
ing debt payments.
finance is no The House approved its ver-
different. As investors’ in- $885.50 sion of the tax measure this
boxes once again become 875 month, and the GOP has said it
clogged with annual outlooks $864.30 aims to get agreement on the
from Wall Street’s scribblers, 850 $862.38 bill by year’s end. It is one of
there is little admission of several municipal-market ex-
Oct. 1 8 15 22 29 Nov. 5 12 19
the nearly universal failure emptions that could be phased
to predict what happened out under the legislation. The
this year—even though the Individual costs being tracked at four popular e-commerce sites, by item nonpartisan Joint Committee
things the analysts missed Toys 'R' Us Amazon Target Wal-Mart on Taxation estimates that
are much more interesting ending advance refundings
than their forecasts. $15.39 would mean an additional
BARBIE
There are two big lessons DOLL $15.39 $15.39 $17.3 billion in revenue to the
to learn from the mistakes of $19.19 federal government over the
the year-end crystal-ball gaz- next decade.
ing. The first is that when STUFFED $129.99 Analysts said the move is
everyone agrees that prices $93.99 likely to reduce the yearly sup-
ANIMAL
can go only in one direction, ROBOT ply of municipal bonds and in-
$93.99 $93.99
it is dangerous. The second crease borrowing costs for
is more nuanced: We really governments.
$77.99
know an awful lot less about NERF $77.99 $77.99 $77.99 The expected change in pol-
how the economy works GUN icy is already prompting cities
than we thought. and states to fast-track their
Last year, almost everyone Note: As of Nov. 22. Prices for some items based on previous value. Some details about the toys aren't shown, to reduce the risk of their prices being selectively lowered. advance refunding offerings
was bullish about the pros- Source: Thinknum THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. before the end of the year. One
pects for the “reflation trade” under way is from the state of
of higher bond yields, stock Wisconsin, which last week
prices and the dollar, driven circulated preliminary ad-
A
ABM Industries .......... B4
Adaptive Insights.......B4
F
Facebook......................B3
Fair Isaac...................B10
PPG Industries..........B12
Qudian.......................B10
R
DEBT Rush to Refinance
Advance refundings allow borrowers to take advantage of low
interest rates and sometimes to postpone debt payments.
sometimes issue new, longer-
dated bonds to advance refund
bonds that are coming due so
they can postpone big debt
Adobe .......................... B4 FedEx...........................B1 Radial .......................... B2 Continued from the prior page payments. That move often
Akzo Nobel................B12 H RBL Bank .................. B10 Percentage of all munis that are advanced refundings
Alibaba Group Holding
bonds. In 1986, as part of the adds to those cities’ interest
HSBC ......................... B10 Rockwell Automation.B4 tax overhaul under President 30% costs, compounding financial
...................................B10 Rovio Entertainment..B1
Alphabet......................B3 I Royal Dutch Shell.......B6
Ronald Reagan, Congress lim- pressures.
Altice.........................B11 Insulet.........................B6 ited government borrowers to 20 If the proposal becomes
Amazon.com ............... B2
S
J one advance refunding per law, municipalities could start
American Airlines Group Salesforce.com............B4 10
Jianpu Technology....B10 SandRidge Energy ...... B3
bond issue. writing earlier refinancing
...................................B11
K SAP..............................B4 Government borrowers have 0 dates into their bond contracts
Anaplan.......................B4
ARO Liquidation ......... B2 Kobe Steel...................B4 Sherwin-Williams.....B12 sold an average of $60 billion to maintain their flexibility,
1998 2000 ’10
AT&T............................B1 Kotak Mahindra Bank SoftBank Group..........A1 in advance refunding bonds a some analysts said. But be-
Avis Budget Group...B11 ...................................B10 Southwest Airlines .. B11 year over the past decade, Falling yields have motivated municipalities to refund. cause many investors prefer
Axalta Coating Systems Space Exploration about 15% of total municipal longer-dated bonds, that move
L Technologies.............B4
...................................B12 issuance. Last year, advance Average yield on 30-year A-rated muni bonds could drive up borrowing costs
Levi Strauss................B2 T
B refundings swelled to $125 bil- 8% as much as a quarter of a per-
M Tandem Diabetes Care
Bonanza Creek Energy lion, or 30% of total issuance. 6 cent, said John Mousseau, di-
.....................................B3 Macy's.........................B2 .....................................B6
Microsoft.....................B4
With advance refundings, rector of fixed income at Cum-
BP................................B6 Tesla............................B4 4
Mitsubishi Materials..B4 Time Warner...............B1
borrowers invest the proceeds berland Advisors, an
C in safe, short-term securities, 2 investment-management firm.
Cannell Capital............B3
N Total ............................ B6
Twitter ........................ B3 and those funds are used to 0
Government-finance offi-
Centrica.....................B11 Nippon Paint Holdings
...................................B12 U make payments on older bonds cials say the benefits of ad-
Chevron ....................... B6 1998 2000 ’10
Citgo Petroleum..........B6 Norfolk Southern......B11 Uber Technologies......A1 that typically can’t be refi- vance refunding to local tax-
Comcast.......................B1 O United Continental nanced until a decade has Sources: Thomson Reuters; Thomson Reuters Municipal Market Data (yield) payers are significant.
CSX............................B11 Holdings..................B11 passed. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. Florida’s bond finance director,
Oracle .......................... B4
D Outcome Health..........B6
United Parcel Service.B1 Advance refundings make Ben Watkins, estimated the
U.S. Postal Service.....B1 the most sense for borrowers provide investors with interest “As a bond manager, we state has saved $3 billion over
Deere....................B4,B12 P-Q
Dick's Sporting GoodsB2 W when short-term rates are high exempt from federal taxes. could be looking at less attrac- the past 10 years with advance
Petróleos de Venezuela
E .....................................B6
Wintrust Financial......B4 relative to long-term rates. In Participants in the munici- tively priced interest levels for refundings.
Workiva.......................B4 that scenario, the income pro- pal market said they have sev- bond investors,” said Dan “The vast majority of state
Eli Lilly ........................B6 P.F. Chang's China
Emerson Electric.........B4 Bistro ........................ B4 Z duced by the shorter-term se- eral concerns about the possi- Heckman, senior fixed-income and local government refundings
Exxon Mobil................B6 PPDAI Group.............B10 ZhuiYi Technology ...... B4 curities bought with the pro- ble policy change. They worry strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth are for economic savings rather
ceeds of the advance refunding public-finance officials would Management. than as a budgetary gimmick,”
bonds will approach the bor- no longer be able to take ad- Ending advance refundings said Mr. Watkins, a former
INDEX TO PEOPLE rowing costs on those bonds.
Both sets of bonds remain
vantage of low interest rates,
and municipal bond investors
would also take away a crutch
some governments have used
chairman of the Government Fi-
nance Officers Association debt
outstanding until the first set and traders would have less for short-term budgetary re- committee who serves on the
A Grohowski, Leo.........B11 Mulhern, Brendan.....B11 can be refinanced, and both debt to buy and sell. lief. Cash-strapped cities group’s executive board.
Anand, Monish..........B10 I Musk, Elon..................B4
Assaf, Samir.............B10 Icahn, Carl...................B3 P
B J Phillips, Robin...........B10
Bell, Jim......................B4 Pichoud, Adrien.........B11
Jacobsen, Brian.........B12 Pride, Jason .............. B11
Brown, Greg................B1
Jones, Brian................B4 Prieto, Scott ............... B2
C
K S
Chakravarthy, Anita....B4
Collins, Michael ........ B12 Kyba, Christopher.....A12 Spath, Terri...............B11
F L T
Flint, John.................B10 Lago, Isabelle Temer, Michel.............A8
Mateos y..................B11 Tucker, Mark.............B10
G
Garrett, Mark..............B4 M W
Gofshteyn, Ilya ......... B12 Macklow-Smith, Weitz, Stefan..............B2
Gohc Cheng Liang.....B12 Stephen...................B11 Westerman, Matthew
Gornstein, Jeffrey ...... B1 Markezich, Ron...........B4 ...................................B10
T
Economics, yet they have he key to what went
gone down more often than wrong for the
not. Even when they went forecasters this year The U.S. Postal Service expects to deliver more packages because of UPS’s surcharge for shipments during stretches of the holiday rush.
up, the moves were only was the lack of inflation,
once anywhere near what
was predicted, back in 2008.
Forget using a dartboard to
plan investments; on average
something Federal Reserve
Chairwoman Janet Yellen
has described as a
“mystery.” As the year went
UPS Amazon.com Inc.’s “no-rush
shipping,” in which shoppers
can forgo free two-day shipping
in exchange for slower delivery
Congestion Pricing
UPS is adding a surcharge on
most packages shipped to
set plans to raise them during
next year’s holiday season.
FedEx isn’t adding peak-pe-
riod surcharges, but like UPS, it
a coin toss would be better. on, investors became Continued from the prior page and credits for videos, music or homes around Black Friday and is tacking on extra fees for
The same goes for stock increasingly convinced that ically,” said Mr. Brown. “What other items. the week before Christmas. oversize packages shipped dur-
prices. Only rarely is the inflation would stay we’re trying to help retailers do This fall, Levi Strauss & Co. ing the holidays. Patrick
average S&P 500 forecast of dormant, bringing down is shape demand a little bit.” added “economy shipping,” a Dates with extra shipping fees Fitzgerald, FedEx’s senior vice
strategists anywhere near long-term bond yields and Retailers are also attempting cheaper and slower option than NOVEMBER president of communications,
the actual result. More than the dollar even as decent to adjust customers’ expecta- standard ground shipping that S M T W T F S said its peak-pricing strategy
half the time since 2000 the economic growth boosted tions. Macy’s Inc., which ships is aimed at online holiday shop- was set with small and me-
1 2 3 4
miss has been either too high profits and stock prices. exclusively through UPS, is for pers getting an early start, said dium-size businesses, as well as
or too low by an amount Not many of the year- the first time offering “no hurry Marc Rosen, its president of 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 consumers shipping gifts, in
bigger than the S&P’s 9% ahead treatises have landed shipping” this holiday season, global e-commerce. Economy 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 mind.
long-run annual gain. yet, but those that have giving all online shoppers the shipping, which takes up to The U.S. Postal Service,
Don’t blame Wall Street for almost all, once again, option of longer delivery times seven days, “allows us to work 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 which hasn’t added additional
getting it wrong, though. predict bond yields rising in exchange for “Macy’s with transport providers to 26 27 28 29 30 charges, expects to deliver
When markets work, they over the next year along Money” that can be applied to take advantage of lower ship- more packages because of UPS’s
incorporate an average with stock prices. It is future purchases. ping rates and pass that to con- move and will be monitoring its
DECEMBER 1 2
prediction already, so tempting to regard that Macy’s tested the shipping sumers,” said Mr. Rosen. “It network to see if there is a
forecasting markets involves forecast as a contrarian option in some markets a year gives us more flexibility.” 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 bump, Postmaster General Me-
assessing when the average indicator and bet on the ago and more broadly during UPS’s surcharge tacks an ad- gan Brennan said.
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
prediction will change, as opposite. But while that Mother’s Day and Father’s Day ditional 27 cents onto ground Radial, which provides e-
well as fundamentals such as approach would have worked this year and said a “fair per- packages shipped during the 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 commerce services to retailers
the economy. Both are pretty for bonds and the dollar this centage” of customers signed peak period around Thanksgiv- 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 such as Dick’s Sporting Goods
unpredictable. year, it would have meant up. ing and Black Friday, ending Inc. and Aéropostale Inc.,
“It’s doubly silly,” says missing out on a stunning “More often than not, it is Dec. 2. It doesn’t apply to next- 31 asked clients over the summer
M&G fund manager Eric share-price rally. more of a ‘want’ basis instead day or second-day shipments, whether they would like to of-
Lonergan. “You can’t predict Strong consensus is a of a ‘need’ basis,” said Scott which are already more expen- Source: the company fer the option over the holidays.
what’s going to happen [with warning sign worth watching Prieto, Macy’s executive vice sive. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. “We didn’t have any takers,”
events] and even if you are for. But the value in Wall president of logistics and oper- The week before Christmas, said Stefan Weitz, Radial’s exec-
fortuitous enough to be Street’s year-end ations. steeper fees go into effect, 30. Moody’s forecast that UPS utive vice president of technol-
right, it doesn’t help you publications comes from the Macy’s will offer the delayed starting at 27 cents for ground could generate up to $200 mil- ogy services. “There is still a
when you’re investing.” analysis they contain, not shipping option for several days orders and increasing to 97 lion in revenue from the peak real question as to whether or
This year has been a the prices they predict. around Black Friday, when Mr. cents for packages delivered in surcharges, which also include not consumers will accept the
Prieto said Macys.com orders two and three days. higher fees on oversize pack- option, especially as Amazon
can be 10 times what they are UPS generated an average ages. continues to offer two-day
Getting It Wrong on a typical weekday, and in the $8.31 in revenue on each UPS has declined to say how [shipping] free.”
Economists almost always predict rising U.S. bond yields. week before Christmas. ground package shipped in the much it expects to make from —Sarah Nassauer
The offering is similar to U.S. in the quarter ended Sept. the extra charges. It has already contributed to this article.
Mostly they are wrong.
5% 10-year Treasury yield Average 12-month forecast
3
TRUMP It isn’t clear whether finan-
cial regulators will maintain the
streak of aggressive enforce-
ment actions that began under
the EPA’s actions so far this
year don’t suggest a robust
emphasis on enforcement. The
agency counters that those
chairman of the FCC’s Open
Internet Advisory Committee.
The agency can only take “in-
dividual enforcement action
2
Continued from the prior page the Obama administration. groups’ estimates are low be- on the vague notion of unfair
online privacy.” Fines levied by the Securi- cause it can take months or trade practices,” he said.
1 In the case of net neutrality, ties and Exchange Commission years before such actions can Conservatives who believe
Mr. Pai’s FCC moved quickly fell to a four-year low in the be completed. in a lighter regulatory touch,
0 by regulatory standards. It is last fiscal year, though SEC of- Consumer groups argue like Mr. Pai, generally argue
2009 ’10 too soon to know whether this ficials caution against reading that clear regulations are nec- that hard-and-fast rules are
enforcement emphasis will ex- too much into a single year’s essary across industries to overly prescriptive and will
Wall Street strategists rarely predict the tend to other parts of the data. keep companies from harming slow investment and innova-
year-ahead S&P 500 correctly. Trump deregulatory agenda, At the Environmental Pro- consumers. With the internet, tion.
which involves rolling back a tection Agency, Administrator they say, antitrust enforce- Some free-market advo-
2500 S&P 500 Average 12-month forecast broad range of Obama-era Scott Pruitt has touted a ment is too cumbersome, slow cates go even further, saying
rules covering power-plant “back-to-basics” approach in- and potentially arbitrary to the antitrust action this week
2000 emissions, financial services volving the reversal of numer- keep up with the speed of went too far, especially given
and other industries. ous Obama regulations and technological change. that the AT&T-Time Warner
1500 In the financial sector, Mr. has said he would emphasize Because the FTC doesn’t tie-up is a “vertical” merger,
Trump’s regulatory team has enforcement. have the authority to create or one that combines two
1000 launched a review of stricter “There’s a difference be- and enforce broad rules, it companies that operate at dif-
rules adopted after the 2008 tween creating regulatory cer- isn’t in a position to police ferent stages of a supply
bailouts. In general, officials tainty and holding polluters fast and slow lanes that may chain.
500
say they want to recalibrate accountable for violating envi- harm competition, said Jona- —Douglas MacMillan,
2000 ’10 standards governing bank ronmental laws,” said EPA than Zittrain, professor of law Ryan Knutson, Ryan Tracy
Sources: Thomson Reuters Datastream (actual); Consensus Economics via FactSet lending and other areas with- spokeswoman Liz Bowman. and computer science at Har- and Timothy Puko
(Treasury forecasts); Bloomberg (S&P 500 forecasts) THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. out scrapping them entirely. Environmental groups say vard University and a former contributed to this article.
For personal non-commercial use only. Do not edit or alter. Reproductions not permitted.
To reprint or license content, please contact our reprints and licensing department at +1 800-843-0008 or www.djreprints.com
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. NY Friday, November 24, 2017 | B3
BUSINESS NEWS
SANDRIDGE ENERGY
to check if they followed any content they saw so they can ergy Inc. for about $750 mil-
understand and evaluate what lion, according to people fa-
they may see in the future,” miliar with the matter.
Disclosures will reach according to a letter he sent to
the company.
In a filing Wednesday, Mr.
Icahn called the deal “nonsen-
only a fraction of the Sen. Blumenthal on sical” and questioned “what Shares of oil-and-gas producer SandRidge Energy are down 26% this year. A SandRidge site in Colorado.
over 120 million users Wednesday called Facebook’s
move “an encouraging step”
possible justifications manage-
ment could have.” Shares rose while boosting the company’s
who saw posts. and added, “I hope that 8.6% to $19 in post-market SandRidge Deals Gulf of Mexico oil fields, at- purchasing power, he said.
Google and Twitter will follow trading, after The Wall Street tracted activist investors who The activist investor’s pres-
Facebook’s lead.” Journal reported the stake. Stirred Prior Interest called for Mr. Ward’s ouster. He ence will likely escalate the
U.S. intelligence agencies, Like the other investors, landed a severance package pressure on Mr. Bennett, who
of the pages, which were de- lawmakers and tech firms say Mr. Icahn believes the Bon- worth roughly $90 million. took over the company in 2013
signed to look as if they were Russian actors aimed to influ- zana Creek deal echoes a prior u SandRidge was started in when a heated investor fight
run by Americans but were ac- ence the presidential election ill-fated acquisition binge at 2006 by Tom Ward, who had u Though Carl Icahn wasn’t felled his predecessor, founder
tually created by a single pro- last year by pushing false and the company. The investors, earlier founded Chesapeake En- part of the original fight with Tom Ward. SandRidge filed for
Kremlin firm called the Inter- misleading information and which include Fir Tree Part- ergy Co. with the late Aubrey SandRidge, he has a history bankruptcy in May 2016 amid
net Research Agency. Sen. sowing division among Ameri- ners, also question the quality McClendon. SandRidge was with the company, having falling oil-and-gas prices and
Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.) can voters. of Bonanza Creek’s properties, valued at over $11 billion, but booked a sizable profit when he hefty debts the company piled
this month, following a con- One pillar of the Russians’ argue the price is too high and its value plunged in the finan- sold Mr. Ward some small com- up while attempting to find a
gressional hearing, asked strategy, which U.S. intelli- complain SandRidge is using cial crisis. panies. Mr. Icahn has long been sustainable strategy. It emerged
Facebook, Twitter Inc. and Al- gence agencies say was di- undervalued stock to pay for involved with energy stocks, in October 2016, with Mr. Ben-
phabet Inc.’s Google to tell us- rected by the Russian govern- the acquisition. The investors u A series of deals, culminat- helping oust Mr. McClendon nett still at the helm.
ers who saw posts by the In- ment, was to create fake say they expected SandRidge ing with one in 2012 involving from Chesapeake, for example. Fir Tree, which holds about
ternet Research Agency, and accounts on popular U.S. tech to run a disciplined oil-and- a 7% stake in common stock,
asked for a reply by Wednes- sites, including Facebook, In- gas producer in Oklahoma and blasted the proposed Bonanza
day. stagram, Twitter and Google’s Colorado, not strike big deals. company a market value just last week that the combination Creek deal in a public state-
Facebook’s disclosures, YouTube. On Facebook and In- SandRidge’s stock tumbled shy of $600 million. “creates a more balanced port- ment on Monday. Susque-
however, will reach only a stagram, the Russian accounts as much as 20% the day the “We believe our Bonanza folio” of mature drilling fields hanna Investment Group LLC
fraction of the more than 120 ran thousands of ads as a way Bonanza Creek deal was an- Creek acquisition will drive in Arkansas and Oklahoma and Cannell Capital LLC,
million users who saw the to amass followers to their nounced, and as of Wednesday strong risk-adjusted returns for that can help generate cash to which own over 4% and 1.5%,
posts, the company said. A pages. afternoon remained down SandRidge stockholders and be fund development. It would respectively, have also said
Facebook spokesman said it is Google and Twitter de- even amid the heavy buying of accretive to cash flow per also give SandRidge more ex- they oppose it.
too difficult to reach all af- clined to comment on whether Mr. Icahn and some others. As share,” said SandRidge spokes- posure to oil, as opposed to Because of the stock issu-
fected users, in part because it they plan to tell users who of Wednesday’s close, the man David Kimmel. natural gas, add drilling loca- ance it involves, the Bonanza
can’t reliably identify who came across such Russian con- shares had dropped 26% this SandRidge Chief Executive tions that offer higher returns, Creek deal would require a
came across the content. tent on their sites. year, giving the Oklahoma City James Bennett told analysts and produce cost savings vote of SandRidge holders.
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TECHNOLOGY WSJ.com/Tech
and play games. 100 act with customers. CFO systems into Mi-
In the enterprise-applica- JOURNAL crosoft Corp.’s
O
tion market, it’s a different 50 ne chatbot maker, Excel spread-
story. China has nothing Shenzhen-based Zhu- sheets. From
comparable with Oracle, 0 iYi Technology Co., re- there, they can see which
SAP or Salesforce.com. 2014 ’15 ’16* ’17 ’18 ceived $21 million in series B groups are hiring and how sal-
In fact, the Chinese enter- *Estimate
Forecasts funding this month. Founded ary spending affects the budget.
prise market looks like the Source: Forrester 18 months ago by a group of “I don’t want financial plan-
tech consumer market in the Alibaba Cloud leads what is a fast-growing tech sector in China. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. former Tencent program- ning people spending their time
country 10 years ago. Cus- mers, ZhuiYi already counts importing and exporting and
tomers—in this case, compa- and Baidu for the enterprise see the fragmentation as a pirate software. Cloud-based as customers ride-sharing gi- manipulating data, I want them
nies—are reluctant to pay market. As with the con- plus, setting the stage for a services are usually much ant Didi Chuxing, China’s big- to focus on what is the data
for software and pirate it sumer internet sector, for- fast uptake in enterprise ap- cheaper than traditional en- gest online travel site, telling us,” Mr. Garrett said.
when they can. They’d rather eign players are expected to plications. More businesses terprise software. And, as Ctrip.com International, and CFOs at companies includ-
throw labor at problems be- encounter barriers to market are turning to cloud-based companies accumulate cus- China’s biggest credit-card is- ing P.F. Chang’s China Bistro
cause investing in technol- access, including rules for lo- services for data storage and tomer data and move to the suer, China Merchants Bank. Inc., ABM Industries Inc. and
ogy is expensive and doesn’t calizing products and local software applications. In a cloud, they’re looking to ar- When China Merchants Wintrust Financial Corp. are
always work. control of cloud services. Deutsche Bank survey this tificial-intelligence technolo- Bank went looking for a on a similar drive to reduce
Those attitudes are chang- year of chief information of- gies for help. chatbot for its credit-card how much their finance teams
B
ing as labor costs rise and usinesses and govern- ficers at about 50 Chinese An AI startup boom is un- business, ZhuiYi outper- use Excel for financial plan-
app options multiply. Many ment departments in companies in a variety of der way. In the first five formed IBM’s Watson soft- ning, analysis and reporting.
companies now want to tap China spent 122 billion sectors, 84% of respondents months of this year, 175 AI- ware, says Chen Kunde, the Finance chiefs say the ubiq-
into the power of artificial yuan ($18.5 billion) on soft- said they plan to make related startups received 15.2 bank’s chief information offi- uitous software hasn’t kept up
intelligence and cloud com- ware in 2016, compared with “heavy use of cloud services” billion yuan in venture in- cer. Yibot demonstrated bet- with the demands of corporate
puting to increase efficiency $245 billion in the U.S., ac- by 2019, up from 4% in 2016. vesting, close to the total for ter understanding of the Chi- finance units. Instead, compa-
and cut costs. cording to Forrester. While Alibaba Cloud, the biggest in 2015, which was nearly triple nese language, he says, and nies are turning to cloud-based
That spells huge opportu- Salesforce has a market capi- China by market share, dou- the amount for 2014, accord- the bank is now looking to technologies from Anaplan
nity in a growing market de- talization of $78 billion, its bled its revenue last quarter ing to Beijing-based Zero2IPO expand chatbot services to Inc., Workiva Inc., Adaptive
void of a dominant player. dozens of Chinese wannabes from a year earlier. Group. While not all these customer relations. IBM says Insights and their rivals.
Investors and startups are are startups, with none val- As small- and medium- companies aim to serve en- it doesn’t comment on the Adobe switched to Anaplan
betting there’s a chance to ued at $1 billion. size businesses move to the terprises, announcements of specifics of customer en- last year, and many tasks previ-
create a Tencent, Alibaba At this point, investors cloud, they’re less likely to financing suggest those that gagement. ously performed in spread-
sheets are now done in the sys-
tem, maintaining “one source of
set to be followed by a street above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. cause of error rates.
party that Mr. Musk, founder Mr. Weatherill’s government “The CFO would ask: can
of both Tesla and rocket maker tapped Tesla in July, after a you tell me how many loans
Space Exploration Technolo- tender to build a large-scale were paid off and how many
gies Corp., or SpaceX, was ex- storage system connected to did you refinance in the last
pected to attend. the 33 million Australian dollar quarter, and we got different
Success would fulfill the (US$25 million) Hornsdale answers from different teams,”
risky pledge Mr. Musk made in Elon Musk’s Tesla-built system stores electricity from a new wind farm in South Australia state. wind farm, being built by said Anita Chakravarthy, se-
March, to deliver a working French company Neoen along nior vice president of perfor-
system in “100 days from con- outs left 1.7 million people withstanding, the country’s per makes it the world’s largest, low hills forming the southern mance measurement.
tract signature or it is free.” He without power, some for weeks. person greenhouse emissions tripling the previous record tail of the Flinders Ranges. Kayla Davis, who runs fi-
was answering a Twitter chal- Mr. Cannon-Brookes then are among the world’s highest. array at Mira Loma near On- The site, known as the “whis- nancial planning at ABM, re-
lenge from Australian IT bil- brokered talks between Mr. South Australia’s govern- tario, Calif., also built by Tesla pering plains,” lies among val- lied on Excel to pull data from
lionaire and environmentalist Musk and Australian Prime ment has yet to say how much and U.S. power company leys that funnel strong Southern disparate accounting systems.
Mike Cannon-Brookes to help Minister Malcolm Turnbull, the battery will cost taxpayers, Southern California Edison. Hemisphere winds and adjacent Since switching to Anaplan in
fix electricity problems in who has faced criticism from although renewable-energy ex- “An enormous amount of to lines powering Australia’s May, her team can give the
South Australia—which relies climate groups for winding back perts estimate it at US$50 work has gone into delivering eastern seaboard grid, which CFO information more quickly
heavily on renewable energy— renewable-energy policies in fa- million. Tesla says the sys- this project in such a short supplies nine million customers because it doesn’t require as
after crippling summer black- vor of coal. South Australia not- tem’s 100-megawatt capacity time,” state Premier Jay across five states. much verification, she said.
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BUSINESS WATCH
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To advertise: 800-366-3975 or WSJ.com/classifieds ROCKWELL AUTOMATION
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THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. Friday, November 24, 2017 | B5
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B6 | Friday, November 24, 2017 * * THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
BUSINESS NEWS
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—Eli
To Cut Gas Pollution
Lilly & Co., one of the biggest BY SARAH KENT sions that occur when it leaks
makers of insulin, has been AND BRADLEY OLSON into the atmosphere is start-
planning a risky new business ing to draw negative attention.
venture: making the high-tech LONDON—Exxon Mobil Exxon and its partners said
devices that deliver insulin to Corp. has joined with seven they have signed up to a set of
diabetes patients. other big energy companies to guiding principles, committing
In a research laboratory reduce pollution from natural to drive down methane emis-
Lilly opened here in 2015, sci- gas production, an effort by sions from their assets, en-
entists have been developing a the industry to present itself courage better performance
wearable, automated insulin- as part of the solution as gov- from their peers, improve
delivery device designed to re- ernments and consumers de- transparency and data accu-
duce the decision-making and mand more environmentally racy on the matter and advo-
guesswork of conventional in- friendly energy. cate for better regulation.
SHAWN G. HENRY FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
sulin injections. They are also Big oil companies like “The commitment was
developing a “smart pen” in- Exxon and Royal Dutch Shell made as part of wider efforts
jection device that can wire- PLC have increasingly touted by the global energy industry
lessly transmit dosing infor- natural gas as a core tool to to ensure that natural gas con-
mation to a patient’s phone, to combat climate change, since tinues to play a critical role in
ensure proper dosing. it produces fewer greenhouse- helping meet future energy,”
Lilly’s previously undis- gas emissions than coal, the the companies said in a joint
closed projects are an unusual fuel it often replaces in elec- statement. “Its role in the
example of diversification at a tricity production. transition to a low-carbon fu-
time when much of the drug The rare trans-Atlantic ture will be influenced by the
industry is moving in the op- alignment was first reported extent to which methane emis-
posite direction—shedding by The Wall Street Journal, sions are reduced.”
nondrug businesses to focus ahead of the companies’ an- A recent International En-
on pharmaceuticals. A Lilly engineer holds a prototype circuit board at the company’s research lab in Cambridge, Mass. nouncement Wednesday. The ergy Agency study found
Indianapolis-based Lilly, the collaboration by companies in- around 76 million tons of
first company to mass produce bridge lab this month. “To me, competition in the diabetes- drug Cialis next year. Its stock cluding Exxon, Shell, BP PLC methane are emitted every
insulin in 1923, faces competi- it’s clear where the business is device field is fierce, with sev- price has risen 8.5% in the and Total SA, shows the oil year from global oil and gas
tive pressures including the going.” Lilly’s insulin products eral companies racing to de- past 12 months, less than ri- and gas sector is proactively operations.
expected arrival of lower-cost currently generate about 20% velop insulin-delivery systems vals such as Novo Nordisk A/S trying to address burgeoning Exxon’s decision to join the
copies of its top-selling insu- of the company’s total reve- that advance toward an “arti- and Sanofi SA and below the concerns about natural-gas group leaves Chevron Corp.
lin, Humalog. And it sees nue. ficial pancreas,” or a device 11% gain in the NYSE Arca emissions to ensure that its as the only major U.S. oil
growth in the market for ad- Still, the projects are a that would completely remove Pharmaceutical index. big bet on the fossil fuel pays company that has yet to join
vanced insulin-delivery de- risky bet because Lilly will patient decision-making from Mr. Conterno declined to off. the initiative. Both of the U.S.
vices. compete with medical-device insulin delivery. specify how much Lilly is Major energy companies oil companies have lagged be-
Enrique Conterno, head of heavyweights like Medtronic Lilly has been introducing spending on its device pro- have made big investments in hind their European peers on
Lilly’s diabetes business, said PLC, which received U.S. mar- new drugs for diabetes and gram, but said “it’s a major ef- gas in recent years and are the issue of climate and
he believed Lilly’s insulin busi- keting approval for an auto- other diseases such as cancer fort.” steadily increasing their pro- Exxon hasn’t participated in
ness would become “obsolete” mated insulin-delivery device and psoriasis in recent years Lilly expects it will take duction volumes. They argue previous similar efforts to
if the company remained last year. to try to offset a wave about two to three years to that it will prove a vital source build an industry voice on
largely an insulin provider Other companies includ- of sales-eroding patent expi- get the devices to market, if of energy stability even as re- such subjects.
without delivery systems. ing Roche Holding AG, Insulet rations for former top-selling they succeed in patient studies newables increase their mar- Still, under pressure from
“Do we want to be just an Corp. and Tandem Diabetes drugs. While results have im- and pass muster with regula- ket share. investors over the past year,
insulin provider that just goes Care Inc. are also developing proved since 2014, Lilly faces tors. The company expects to But methane, the main both of the U.S. companies
into a system, or do we want automated pump systems. more challenges ahead includ- begin clinical trials in Decem- component in natural gas, is have undergone an evolution
to be the integrator of the sys- Danielle Antalffy, an analyst ing expected generic competi- ber. Lilly declined to discuss also a potent greenhouse gas in the way they address cli-
tem?” he said at the Cam- with Leerink Partners, said tion for erectile-dysfunction its pricing plans. and the issue of fugitive emis- mate change publicly.
EQUITIES
Dow Jones Industrial Average S&P 500 Index Nasdaq Composite Index
Last Year ago Last Year ago Last Year ago
23526.18 t 64.65, or 0.27% Trailing P/E ratio 20.71 20.82 2597.08 t 1.95, or 0.08% Trailing P/E ratio 24.44 24.19 6867.36 s 4.88, or 0.07% Trailing P/E ratio * 26.10 23.75
High, low, open and close for each P/E estimate * 19.17 17.74 High, low, open and close for each P/E estimate * 19.36 18.25 High, low, open and close for each P/E estimate * 21.25 19.12
trading day of the past three months. Dividend yield 2.16 2.49 trading day of the past three months. Dividend yield 1.93 2.14 trading day of the past three months. Dividend yield 1.05 1.25
All-time high 23590.83, 11/21/17 All-time high: 2599.03, 11/21/17 All-time high: 6867.36, 11/22/17
target rate 0
Capital One 360 1.30% Mexico peso .0537 18.6241 –10.2 Norway krone .1229 8.1358 –5.9
Wednesday
t
0.60 1.50 Uruguay peso .03406 29.3600 0.03 Poland zloty .2816 3.5518 –15.2
Glen Allen, VA 877-464-0333 –5
s Yen Venezuela b. fuerte .097334 10.2740 2.8 Russia ruble .01711 58.456 –4.6
0.30 Goldman Sachs Bank USA 1.30% 0.75 –10 Sweden krona .1205 8.2973 –8.9
t s Asia-Pacific
One year ago
t
New York, NY 855-730-7283 WSJ Dollar index Switzerland franc 1.0185 .9818 –3.6
Money market 0.00 –15 Australian dollar .7626 1.3113 –5.6
0.00 DollarSavingsDirect 1.50% Turkey lira .2551 3.9201 11.3
account yields China yuan .1519 6.5836 –5.2
1 3 6 1 2 3 5 710 30 2017 Ukraine hryvnia .0377 26.5450 –2.0
New York, NY 866-395-8693 Hong Kong dollar .1280 7.8115 0.7
–0.30 month(s) years UK pound 1.3307 .7515 –7.2
Salem Five Direct 1.50% India rupee .01548 64.584 –5.0
D J F MAM J J A S O N maturity Indonesia rupiah .0000742 13483 –0.3 Middle East/Africa
2017 Salem, MA 800-850-5000
Japan yen .008992 111.21 –4.9 Bahrain dinar 2.6477 .3777 0.1
Sources: Ryan ALM; Tullett Prebon; WSJ Market Data Group
Kazakhstan tenge .003030 330.05 –1.1 Egypt pound .0565 17.6893 –2.4
Yield/Rate (%) 52-Week Range (%) 3-yr chg Macau pataca .1245 8.0340 1.5 Israel shekel .2848 3.5107 –8.8
Interest rate Last (l)Week ago Low 0 2 4 6 8 High (pct pts)
Malaysia ringgit .2434 4.1082 –8.4 Kuwait dinar 3.3118 .3020 –1.2
Federal-funds rate target 1.00-1.25 1.00-1.25 0.25 l 1.25 1.00 Corporate Borrowing Rates and Yields New Zealand dollar .6891 1.4512 0.5 Oman sul rial 2.5970 .3851 0.02
Pakistan rupee .00950 105.295 0.9 Qatar rial .2747 3.641 0.02
Prime rate* 4.25 4.25 3.50 l 4.25 1.00 Yield (%) 52-Week Total Return (%)
Bond total return index Close Last Week ago High Low 52-wk 3-yr Philippines peso .0198 50.514 1.8 Saudi Arabia riyal .2666 3.7504 –0.01
Libor, 3-month 1.46 1.42 0.93 l 1.46 1.23 Singapore dollar .7434 1.3452 –7.1 South Africa rand .0720 13.8822 1.4
Money market, annual yield 0.32 0.33 0.26 l 0.36 -0.11 Treasury, Ryan ALM 1465.688 2.147 2.143 2.237 1.818 2.809 2.053 South Korea won .0009225 1084.00 –10.3
Five-year CD, annual yield 1.48 1.48 1.19 l 1.49 -0.08 .0065053 153.72 3.6 Close Net Chg % Chg YTD%Chg
10-yr Treasury, Ryan ALM 1738.674 2.322 2.335 2.609 2.058 2.581 1.864 Sri Lanka rupee
30-year mortgage, fixed† 3.91 3.92 3.73 l 4.33 -0.09 Taiwan dollar .03333 30.004 –7.6 WSJ Dollar Index 86.52 –0.08–0.09 –6.90
DJ Corporate 380.287 3.113 3.157 3.390 2.879 6.149 4.063
Thailand baht .03061 32.670 –8.8 Sources: Tullett Prebon, WSJ Market Data Group
15-year mortgage, fixed† 3.31 3.31 2.99 l 3.50 0.11 Aggregate, Barclays Capital 1944.810 2.650 2.640 2.790 2.380 3.509 2.432 Vietnam dong .00004400 22727 –0.2
Jumbo mortgages, $424,100-plus† 4.29 4.28 4.21 l 4.88 -0.01 High Yield 100, Merrill Lynch 2848.789 5.534 5.835 6.144 4.948 8.133 4.084
Five-year adj mortgage (ARM)† 3.72 3.54 3.20 l 4.03 0.22
Fixed-Rate MBS, Barclays 1989.630 2.900 2.870 3.120 2.660 2.341 2.041
New-car loan, 48-month 3.01 3.01 2.85 l 3.36 -0.18
Bankrate.com rates based on survey of over 4,800 online banks. *Base rate posted by 70% of the nation's largest
Muni Master, Merrill 519.740 2.126 2.024 2.516 1.736 4.600 2.568 COMMODITIES
banks.† Excludes closing costs.
Sources: SIX Financial Information; WSJ Market Data Group; Bankrate.com
EMBI Global, J.P. Morgan 802.608 5.562 5.635 6.290 5.279 10.227 5.683 Commodities Wednesday 52-Week YTD
Sources: J.P. Morgan; Ryan ALM; S&P Dow Jones Indices; Barclays Capital; Merrill Lynch Pricing trends on someClose
raw materials, or commodities
Net chg % Chg High Low % Chg % chg
WSJ
TR/CC CRB Index 1.78 166.50
stocks, new highs/lows and mutual funds. Plus, Compare the performance of selected global stock Crude oil, $ per barrel 58.02 1.19 2.09 58.02 42.53 20.98 8.00
deeper money-flows data and email delivery of key indexes, bond ETFs, currencies and commodities at Natural gas, $/MMBtu 2.968 -0.049 -1.62 3.93 2.56 -1.92 -20.30
.COM WSJ.com/TrackTheMarkets
stock-market data. Available free at WSJMarkets.com Gold, $ per troy oz. 1291.60 10.50 0.82 1346.00 1127.80 8.62 12.31
For personal non-commercial use only. Do not edit or alter. Reproductions not permitted.
To reprint or license content, please contact our reprints and licensing department at +1 800-843-0008 or www.djreprints.com
B8 | Friday, November 24, 2017 THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
COMMODITIES WSJ.com/commodities
Rough Rice (CBT)-2,000 cwt.; $ per cwt. 30 Day Federal Funds (CBT)-$5,000,000; 100 - daily avg. Sept .7541 .7541 .7533 .7606 .0032 63
Metal & Petroleum Futures Nov 98.845 98.845 98.843 98.843 … 205,856 Dec … … s … .7605 .0033 3
Jan 1231.00 1243.00 1225.00 1242.00 8.00 8,876
Contract Open
March 1263.00 1271.00 1259.00 1271.50 8.50 1,488 Jan'18 98.605 98.610 t 98.605 98.610 .005 339,462 Mexican Peso (CME)-MXN 500,000; $ per MXN
Open High hi lo Low Settle Chg interest 10 Yr. Del. Int. Rate Swaps (CBT)-$100,000; pts 32nds of 100% Dec .05300 .05353 .05286 .05350 .00050 178,696
Wheat (CBT)-5,000 bu.; cents per bu.
Copper-High (CMX)-25,000 lbs.; $ per lb. Dec 424.75 426.25 420.75 422.75 –2.00 108,758 Dec 100.828 101.250 100.797 101.234 .375 28,112 March'18 .05219 .05271 .05208 .05269 .00049 804
Nov 3.1345 3.1360 3.1345 3.1345 0.0090 358 March'18 441.25 444.50 438.50 440.75 –.50 250,604 1 Month Libor (CME)-$3,000,000; pts of 100% Euro (CME)-€125,000; $ per €
March'18 3.1505 3.1665 3.1405 3.1590 0.0085 135,187 Wheat (KC)-5,000 bu.; cents per bu. Dec 98.5250 t 98.5000 98.5200 –.0025
98.5250 2,764 Dec 1.1752 1.1844 1.1749 1.1840 .0081 450,036
Gold (CMX)-100 troy oz.; $ per troy oz. Dec 420.00 424.75 418.00 421.00 .75 50,849 Jan'18 98.5200 t 98.5200 98.5425 .0200
98.5200 1,927 March'18 1.1824 1.1912 1.1821 1.1910 .0081 7,434
Nov 1284.70 1284.70 1282.90 1291.60 10.50 9 March'18 437.00 442.50 435.25 438.50 .75 170,769 Eurodollar (CME)-$1,000,000; pts of 100%
Dec 1280.60 1294.60 1278.60 1292.20 10.50 205,662
Wheat (MPLS)-5,000 bu.; cents per bu. Dec 98.4475 98.4525 98.4450 98.4500 .0025 1,663,111
Index Futures
Feb'18 1284.80 1299.00 1283.10 1296.80 10.60 243,459
Dec 626.50 631.50 624.75 626.75 –.25 20,712 March'18 98.2600 98.2900 98.2600 98.2850 .0200 1,471,338
April 1289.30 1303.10 1288.50 1301.10 10.60 24,700
June 1295.00 1307.30 1292.30 1305.50 10.60 23,490
March'18 640.25 646.25 639.25 641.25 … 35,691 June 98.1150 98.1500 98.1150 98.1450 .0300 1,293,478 Mini DJ Industrial Average (CBT)-$5 x index
Cattle-Feeder (CME)-50,000 lbs.; cents per lb. Dec 97.9450 98.0000 97.9400 98.0000 .0500 1,658,430 Dec 23550 23599 s 23476 23485 –58 152,920
Dec 1310.10 1319.90 1310.10 1318.90 10.60 12,218
Nov 157.775 157.925 157.575 157.775 … 2,642 March'18 23550 23593 s 23478 23481 –56 2,636
Palladium (NYM) - 50 troy oz.; $ per troy oz. Jan'18 152.750 153.425 152.475 152.725 1.100 26,226
Dec 997.05 1003.30 994.00 1001.95 5.45 12,193 Currency Futures S&P 500 Index (CME)-$250 x index
March'18 995.70 1000.95 992.30 1000.05 6.05 21,817
Cattle-Live (CME)-40,000 lbs.; cents per lb. Dec 2595.00 2599.90 s 2593.30 2594.60 –1.70 67,511
Dec 119.200 119.825 118.825 119.050 1.075 45,988 Japanese Yen (CME)-¥12,500,000; $ per 100¥ March'18 2599.50 2599.50 s 2595.50 2595.70 –1.80 5,220
Platinum (NYM)-50 troy oz.; $ per troy oz.
Feb'18 125.000 125.950 124.850 125.475 1.425 155,591 .8899 .9007 .8899 .9005 .0103 253,684
Nov 928.20 928.20 926.40 937.60 2.80 4 Dec Mini S&P 500 (CME)-$50 x index
Jan'18 935.80 944.30 932.50 940.70 2.70 68,439
Hogs-Lean (CME)-40,000 lbs.; cents per lb. March'18 .8965 .9052 .8959 .9052 .0102 4,773 Dec 2595.75 2600.00 s 2592.75 2594.50 –1.75 3,213,608
Dec 61.250 62.900 60.950 62.825 2.125 37,599
Silver (CMX)-5,000 troy oz.; $ per troy oz. Canadian Dollar (CME)-CAD 100,000; $ per CAD March'18 2596.75 2601.25 s 2594.00 2595.75 –1.75 108,743
Nov 17.101 0.152 1 Feb'18 67.150 69.150 66.875 69.100 2.150 93,004
Dec .7828 .7880 .7825 .7874 .0044 137,336 Mini S&P Midcap 400 (CME)-$100 x index
March'18 17.050 17.255 17.030 17.216 0.154 104,383 Lumber (CME)-110,000 bd. ft., $ per 1,000 bd. ft. March'18 .7841 .7885 .7836 .7883 .0043 3,738 Dec 1856.30 1863.70 s 1854.60 1857.30 –1.40 94,485
Crude Oil, Light Sweet (NYM)-1,000 bbls.; $ per bbl. Jan 435.00 435.30 426.70 427.50 –3.80 5,467
March 422.40 422.40 416.40 417.10 –3.20 964
British Pound (CME)-£62,500; $ per £ Mini Nasdaq 100 (CME)-$20 x index
Jan 57.12 58.15 57.03 58.02 1.19 592,315 1.3252 1.3340 1.3222 1.3330 .0085 168,749
Milk (CME)-200,000 lbs., cents per lb. Dec Dec 6381.3 6395.3 s 6375.3 6389.5 10.0 291,741
Feb 57.26 58.13 57.10 58.02 1.10 204,290
Nov 16.80 16.84 16.78 16.80 –.02 4,285 March'18 1.3300 1.3379 1.3270 1.3373 .0084 4,067 March'18 6396.5 6411.5 s 6392.8 6406.3 10.3 2,583
March 57.19 58.05 57.10 57.94 0.98 297,369
Dec 15.38 15.55 15.31 15.42 .05 4,404 Swiss Franc (CME)-CHF 125,000; $ per CHF Mini Russell 2000 (ICE-US)-$100 x index
April 57.07 57.88 57.04 57.78 0.86 131,174
Cocoa (ICE-US)-10 metric tons; $ per ton. Dec 1.0103 1.0207 1.0101 1.0202 .0105 82,547 Dec 1517.10 1526.20 s 1495.00 1516.50 –2.10 68,763
June 56.71 57.37 56.63 57.24 0.67 240,127
Dec 54.65 55.27 54.61 55.16 0.56 264,921 Dec 2,119 2,119 2,119 2,119 17 407 March'18 1.0185 1.0279 1.0181 1.0276 .0105 312 March'18 1524.00 1527.40 s 1506.60 1518.00 –2.10 112
NY Harbor ULSD (NYM)-42,000 gal.; $ per gal. March'18 2,116 2,131 2,109 2,124 14 135,706 Australian Dollar (CME)-AUD 100,000; $ per AUD Mini Russell 1000 (ICE-US)-$100 x index
Dec 1.9395 1.9543 1.9243 1.9326 –.0033 51,955 Coffee (ICE-US)-37,500 lbs.; cents per lb. Dec .7575 .7622 .7553 .7612 .0031 129,909 Dec 1441.80 1442.20 s 1439.40 1435.70 –5.40 323
Jan'18 1.9459 1.9577 1.9270 1.9357 –.0024 130,241 Dec 124.10 125.10 123.85 124.55 .70 3,790 Jan'18 .7577 .7620 .7559 .7611 .0032 814 U.S. Dollar Index (ICE-US)-$1,000 x index
Gasoline-NY RBOB (NYM)-42,000 gal.; $ per gal. March'18 126.50 127.80 126.35 127.00 .35 121,375 Feb .7557 .7606 .7555 .7610 .0032 402 Dec 93.86 93.88 93.12 93.14 –.74 36,626
Dec 1.7661 1.7825 1.7600 1.7679 –.0052 61,369 Sugar-World (ICE-US)-112,000 lbs.; cents per lb. March .7580 .7614 .7550 .7608 .0031 1,509 March'18 93.53 93.55 92.82 92.82 –.73 2,724
Jan'18 1.7604 1.7774 1.7537 1.7619 –.0030 176,028 March 14.92 15.31 14.90 15.28 .40 380,098 April .7612 .7612 .7612 .7608 .0031 11
Natural Gas (NYM)-10,000 MMBtu.; $ per MMBtu. May 14.93 15.24 14.92 15.21 .31 133,867 June .7583 .7614 .7581 .7607 .0032 264 Source: SIX Financial Information
Dec 3.013 3.027 2.955 2.968 –.049 47,920 Sugar-Domestic (ICE-US)-112,000 lbs.; cents per lb.
Jan'18 3.110 3.120 3.049 3.059 –.051 341,172 March 27.38 27.38 27.38 27.38 .13 2,788
Feb 3.111 3.120 3.054 3.064 –.046 117,417 May 27.25 27.25 27.06 27.06 –.21 2,135
March
April
3.076
2.934
3.087
2.941
3.025
2.901
3.034 –.044
2.910 –.030
183,828
126,515
Cotton (ICE-US)-50,000 lbs.; cents per lb.
Dec 70.90 72.41 70.50 70.74 –.16 2,898
Bonds | WSJ.com/bonds
May 2.922 2.928 2.893 2.902 –.026 99,970 March'18 70.14 71.76 69.88 71.14 1.00 154,202
Orange Juice (ICE-US)-15,000 lbs.; cents per lb. Tracking Bond Benchmarks
Agriculture Futures Dec … … s … 166.80 … Return on investment and spreads over Treasurys and/or yields paid to investors compared with 52-week
Jan'18 165.70 167.05 165.05 166.75 … 8,146
Corn (CBT)-5,000 bu.; cents per bu. highs and lows for different types of bonds
Dec 344.25 347.00 344.00 345.25 .25 365,980 Total Total
March'18 355.50 358.00 355.25 357.00 .75 707,909 Interest Rate Futures return YTD total return YTD total
Yield (%) Yield (%)
Oats (CBT)-5,000 bu.; cents per bu. Treasury Bonds (CBT)-$100,000; pts 32nds of 100% close return (%) Index Latest Low High close return (%) Index Latest Low High
Dec 256.25 259.00 250.50 250.75 –5.00 1,965 Dec 154-060 154-200 153-170 154-160 13.0 672,441
March'18 272.25 274.75 266.50 266.50 –5.00 4,999 March'18 153-000 153-160 152-140 153-120 13.0 172,619 Broad Market Bloomberg Barclays Mortgage-Backed Bloomberg Barclays
Soybeans (CBT)-5,000 bu.; cents per bu. Treasury Notes (CBT)-$100,000; pts 32nds of 100%
Jan 988.50 999.50 987.50 997.25 8.25 318,586 1944.81 3.5 U.S. Aggregate 2.650 2.380 2.790 1989.63 2.5 Mortgage-Backed 2.900 2.660 3.120
Dec 124-235 125-045 124-195 125-035 13.5 2,999,705
March 999.50 1010.50 998.75 1008.50 8.25 147,932 March'18 124-150 124-285 124-110 124-275 14.0 602,696 U.S. Corporate Indexes Bloomberg Barclays 1955.75 1.9 Ginnie Mae (GNMA) 2.850 2.630 3.090
Soybean Meal (CBT)-100 tons; $ per ton. 5 Yr. Treasury Notes (CBT)-$100,000; pts 32nds of 100%
Dec 318.40 325.30 317.80 324.40 6.10 52,185 Dec 116-225 117-000 116-215 116-315 9.7 2,693,379 2786.95 5.9 U.S. Corporate 3.210 3.030 3.520 1167.27 2.7 Fannie mae (FNMA) 2.910 2.670 3.120
Jan'18 320.30 327.40 319.90 326.70 6.30 122,861
March'18 116-160 116-255 116-147 116-252 9.7 814,732
3.8 Intermediate 1797.11 2.7 Freddie Mac (FHLMC) 2.930 2.680 3.130
Soybean Oil (CBT)-60,000 lbs.; cents per lb. 2619.48 2.800 2.530 3.010
2 Yr. Treasury Notes (CBT)-$200,000; pts 32nds of 100%
Dec 34.17 34.48 33.96 34.05 –.12 78,226 519.74 4.2 Muni Master 2.126 1.736 2.516
Dec 107-125 107-160 107-125 107-157 3.2 1,575,755 3885.51 10.5 Long term 4.090 4.090 4.710
Jan'18 34.29 34.64 34.10 34.20 –.12 144,024 March'18 107-065 107-100 107-065 107-100 3.5 416,578
568.68 4.4 Double-A-rated 2.710 2.470 2.870 363.40 4.6 7-12 year 2.112 1.744 2.618
719.51 6.5 Triple-B-rated 3.500 3.340 3.870 408.51 5.9 12-22 year 2.521 2.213 3.047
Macro & Market Economics High Yield Bonds Merrill Lynch 395.15 6.5 22-plus year 2.924 2.770 3.622
Watching the Gauges: U.S. Supply and Demand 415.75 7.0 High Yield Constrained 5.769 5.373 6.579 Global Government J.P. Morgan†
415.98 8.2 Triple-C-rated 10.780 9.584 12.718 545.67 1.6 Global Government 1.400 1.300 1.560
Inventories, imports and demand for the week ended November 17. Current figures are in thousands of barrels
or thousands of gallons per day, except natural-gas figures, which are in billions of cubic feet. Natural-gas 2848.79 6.2 High Yield 100 5.534 4.948 6.144 758.46 0.7 Canada 1.980 1.570 2.190
import Natural-gas import and demand data are available monthly only. 377.66 7.2 Global High Yield Constrained 5.235 4.934 6.222 373.77 1.3 EMU§ 1.010 0.933 1.363
Inventories, 000s barrels Imports, 000s barrels per day 306.45 6.8 Europe High Yield Constrained 2.262 1.897 3.814 717.10 1.5 France 0.740 0.710 1.210
Expected Previous Year 4-week 5-year Expected Previous Year 4-week 5-year U.S Agency Bloomberg Barclays 510.49 -0.8 Germany 0.420 0.210 0.620
Current change week ago avg avg Current change week ago avg avg
1640.70 2.2 U.S Agency 2.060 1.660 2.100 288.75 0.2 Japan 0.380 0.270 0.460
Crude oil and
1464.98 1.3 10-20 years 1.920 1.470 1.970 564.26 -0.4 Netherlands 0.530 0.360 0.760
petroleum prod 1,259,721 ... 1,260 1,341 1,261 1,191 9,795 ... 9,981 9,951 9,739 9,766
3390.84 8.4 20-plus years 2.890 2.730 3.460 922.20 1.0 U.K. 1.580 1.340 1.790
Crude oil
excluding SPR 457,142 -1,500 459 489 457 423 ... 7,898 7,578 7,680 7,727 2460.37 4.9 Yankee 2.880 2.610 3.090 802.61 8.6 Emerging Markets ** 5.562 5.279 6.290
7,873
*Constrained indexes limit individual issuer concentrations to 2%; the High Yield 100 are the 100 largest bonds † In local currency § Euro-zone bonds
Gasoline 210,475 ... 210 224 211 215 514 ... 349 855 452 644
** EMBI Global Index Sources: Merrill Lynch; Bloomberg Barclays; J.P.Morgan
Finished gasoline 21,810 100 21 24 22 35 40 ... 13 53 18 32
Reformulated 50 ... 0 0 0 0 0 ... 0 0 0 0 Global Government Bonds: Mapping Yields
Conventional 21,760 ... 21 24 22 35 40 ... 13 53 18 32 Yields and spreads over or under U.S. Treasurys on benchmark two-year and 10-year government bonds in
Blend. components 188,665 ... 189 200 189 180 474 ... 336 803 434 613 selected other countries; arrows indicate whether the yield rose(s) or fell (t) in the latest session
Natural gas (bcf) 3,772 ... 4 4 4 4 ... ... ... ... ... ... Country/ Yield (%) Spread Under/Over U.S. Treasurys, in basis points
Coupon (%) Maturity, in years Latest(l) 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 Previous Month ago Year ago Latest Prev Year ago
Kerosene-type 1.500 U.S. 2 1.731 l 1.731 1.581 1.126
jet fuel 41,240 ... 40 42 41 39 162 ... 309 143 233 59 2.250 10 2.319 l 2.319 2.369 2.353
Distillates 125,032 -1,400 125 149 126 129 190 ... 161 136 144 176 2.750 Australia 2 1.773 t l 1.784 1.952 1.743 4.2 5.3 61.7
Heating oil 9,771 ... 10 15 10 19 6 ... 102 36 37 31 2.750 10 2.520 t l 2.535 2.808 2.718 20.1 21.7 36.6
Diesel 115,260 ... 115 135 116 110 183 ... 59 100 106 145 0.000 France 2 -0.563 s l -0.575 -0.527 -0.625 -229.4 -230.5 -175.1
Residual fuel oil 34,133 ... 34 40 34 39 210 ... 207 92 169 231 0.750 10 0.678 s l 0.669 0.713 0.788 -164.1 -165.0 -156.5
Other oils 296,088 ... 295 275 295 246 701 ... 909 980 917 776 0.000 Germany 2 -0.690 s l -0.696 -0.717 -0.696 -242.1 -242.7 -182.2
0.500 10 0.350 t l 0.352 0.436 0.263 -196.9 -196.6 -208.9
Net crude, petroleum
0.050 Italy 2 -0.297 s l -0.311 -0.162 0.049 -202.7 -204.2 -107.7
products, incl. SPR 1,927,196 ... 1,929 2,036 1,930 1,885 2,783 ... 3,839 5,139 3,067 5,822
2.050 10 1.778 s l 1.766 2.008 2.132 -54.0 -55.3 -22.1
0.100 Japan 2 -0.192 l -0.192 -0.134 -0.161 -192.3 -192.3 -128.7
Weekly Demand, 000s barrels per day Natural gas storage 0.100 10 0.025 l 0.025 0.070 0.030 -229.3 -229.3 -232.3
Expected Previous Year 4-week 5-year Billions of cubic feet; weekly totals 2.750 Spain 2 -0.354 s l -0.362 -0.287 -0.144 -208.5 -209.3 -127.0
Current change week ago avg avg 1.450 10 1.459 t l 1.459 1.623 1.593 -85.9 -76.0
-86.0
Total petroleum 1.750 U.K. 2 0.450 t l 0.470 0.440 0.131 -128.1 -126.1 -99.5
4250
product 19,289 ... 19,755 20,034 19,882 19,553 4.250 10 1.252 t l 1.279 1.315 1.321 -106.7 -103.9 -103.1
Finished Natural gas, 3250 Source: Tullett Prebon
lower 48 states t
motor gasoline 9,595 ... 9,172 9,024 9,431 9,003
Kerosene-type
t
2250 Corporate Debt
Five-year average in that same company’s share price.
jet fuel 1,630 ... 1,794 1,919 1,722 1,506
for each week 1250
Distillates 4,057 ... 4,029 4,121 4,027 3,631 Investment-grade spreads that tightened the most…
Residual fuel oil 323 ... 79 384 216 275 Spread*, in basis points Stock Performance
Propane/propylene 1,119 ... 1,522 820 1,186 ... 250 Issuer Symbol Coupon (%) Maturity Current One-day change Last week Close ($) % chg
Other oils 2,565 ... 3,160 3,765 3,302 ... D J F M A M J J A S O N
2017
JPMorgan Chase JPM 7.900 April 30, ’49 50 –29 n.a. 98.64 –0.29
Note: Expected changes are provided by Dow Jones Newswires' survey of analysts. Previous and average inventory data are in millions. Viacom VIA 5.875 Feb. 28, ’57 353 –19 n.a. 32.90 –1.35
Sources: SIX Financial Information via WSJ Market Data Group; U.S. Energy Information Administration; Dow Jones Newswires Qualcomm QCOM 2.600 Jan. 30, ’23 93 –18 122 68.13 2.19
Teva Pharmaceutical Finance IV TEVA 3.650 Nov. 10, ’21 288 –17 390 … …
General Electric GE 5.000 Jan. 21, ’49 114 –13 138 18.15 1.79
Cash Prices | WSJ.com/commodities Thursday, November 23, 2017 HSBC Bank HSBC 4.125 Aug. 12, ’20 35 –12 50 … …
Comcast CMCSA 3.400 July 15, ’46 113 –9 123 36.41 –0.03
These prices reflect buying and selling of a variety of actual or “physical” commodities in the marketplace—
Cameron International SLB 4.000 Dec. 15, ’23 123 –9 n.a. … …
separate from the futures price on an exchange, which reflects what the commodity might be worth in future
months. …And spreads that widened the most
Thursday Shell International Finance BV* RDSALN 2.125 May 11, ’20 43 15 28 ... ...
Wednesday Wednesday
Metals Maple Leaf-e 1357.39 SoybeanMeal,Cent IL,rail,ton48%-u 320.90 Morgan Stanley MS 3.625 Jan. 20, ’27 103 10 111 49.09 –0.59
American Eagle-e 1357.39 Soybeans,No.1 yllw IL-bp,u 9.5800 PNC Bank NA PNC 2.300 June 1, ’20 50 9 38 … …
Gold, per troy oz Mexican peso-e 1566.67 Wheat,Spring14%-pro Mnpls-u 7.6675
LBMA Gold Price AM *1283.95 Austria crown-e 1270.15 Wheat,No.2 soft red,St.Louis-bp,u 4.3750 Sherwin–Williams SHW 3.450 Aug. 1, ’25 90 9 n.a. 390.56 0.11
LBMA Gold Price PM *1286.95 Austria phil-e 1357.39 Wheat - Hard - KC (USDA) $ per bu-u 3.8600
Silver, troy oz. Wheat,No.1soft white,Portld,OR-u 5.2638
Sammons Financial SAMMON 4.450 May 12, ’27 168 7 n.a. ... ...
Silver, troy oz.
LBMA spot price £12.8400 Engelhard industrial 17.2200 Kraft Heinz Foods KHC 5.200 July 15, ’45 184 5 188 … …
(U.S.$ equivalent) 17.0950 Food
Engelhard fabricated 20.6640 Omega Healthcare Investors OHI 4.750 Jan. 15, ’28 245 5 246 27.21 0.41
Other metals Handy & Harman base 17.1450 Beef,carcass equiv. index
LBMA Platinum Price PM *938.0 Handy & Harman fabricated 21.4310 choice 1-3,600-900 lbs.-u 188.43 SES S.A. SESGFP 3.600 April 4, ’23 135 5 n.a. ... ...
Aluminum, LME, $ per metric ton *2085.0 LBMA spot price £12.8100 select 1-3,600-900 lbs.-u 170.31
(U.S.$ equivalent) 16.9650 Broilers, National comp wghtd-u,w 0.8580 High-yield issues with the biggest price increases…
Coins,wholesale $1,000 face-a 12938 Butter,AA Chicago 2.2225
Fibers and Textiles Cheddar cheese,bbl,Chicago 167.50
Bond Price as % of face value Stock Performance
Other metals Issuer Symbol Coupon (%) Maturity Current One-day change Last week Close ($) % chg
Cotlook 'A' Index-t *80.75 LBMA Platinum Price PM *927.0 Cheddar cheese,blk,Chicago 161.00
Platinum,Engelhard industrial 940.0 Milk,Nonfat dry,Chicago lb. 71.25
Cocoa,Ivory Coast-w 2381
RR Donnelley & Sons RRD 6.500 Nov. 15, ’23 95.500 1.50 n.a. 8.37 2.20
Platinum,Engelhard fabricated 1040.0
Palladium,Engelhard industrial 1007.0
Coffee,Brazilian,Comp 1.2273 MEG Energy MEGCN 7.000 March 31, ’24 91.000 1.37 88.313 ... ...
Wednesday, November 22, 2017 Coffee,Colombian, NY 1.4176 7.875 Dec. 15, ’21 58.000 1.25 56.000 0.33 –1.23
Palladium,Engelhard fabricated 1107.0 Walter Investment Management WAC
Eggs,large white,Chicago-u 1.5750
Aluminum, LME, $ per metric ton *2062.0 EP Energy EPENEG 8.000 Feb. 15, ’25 67.630 1.13 66.500 ... ...
Wednesday Flour,hard winter KC n.a.
Copper,Comex spot 3.1345
Hams,17-20 lbs,Mid-US fob-u 0.73
Iron Ore, 62% Fe CFR China-s 65.6 California Resources CRC 8.000 Dec. 15, ’22 74.063 1.06 69.750 14.99 3.24
Energy Shredded Scrap, US Midwest-s,w 276
Hogs,Iowa-So. Minnesota-u 62.05
Pork bellies,12-14 lb MidUS-u n.a. Endo Dac ENDP 6.000 July 15, ’23 80.000 1.00 75.750 … …
Propane,tet,Mont Belvieu-g 1.0074 Steel, HRC USA, FOB Midwest Mill-s 627 Pork loins,13-19 lb MidUS-u 0.8691 Revlon Consumer Products REV 6.250 Aug. 1, ’24 57.500 1.00 60.938 … …
Butane,normal,Mont Belvieu-g 1.0421 Fibers and Textiles Steers,Tex.-Okla. Choice-u 118.00
NaturalGas,HenryHub-i 2.930 Steers,feeder,Okla. City-u,w 166.38 Uniti UNIT 7.125 Dec. 15, ’24 90.250 1.00 89.250 16.17 2.28
NaturalGas,TranscoZone3-i 2.880 Burlap,10-oz,40-inch NY yd-n,w 0.6200
NaturalGas,TranscoZone6NY-i 3.000 Cotton,1 1/16 std lw-mdMphs-u 0.7039 Fats and Oils …And with the biggest price decreases
NaturalGas,PanhandleEast-i 2.360 Cotlook 'A' Index-t *81.50 Corn oil,crude wet/dry mill-u,w 34.8500
NaturalGas,Opal-i 2.480 Hides,hvy native steers piece fob-u 61.000 Grease,choice white,Chicago-h 0.2500 FMG Resources FMGAU 9.750 March 1, ’22 111.625 –1.76 111.625 ... ...
NaturalGas,MarcellusNE PA-i 2.340 Wool,64s,staple,Terr del-u,w n.a. Lard,Chicago-u 0.4100 KeyCorp* KEY 5.000 Sept. 15, ’49 104.125 –0.88 103.500 18.16 –0.66
NaturalGas,HaynesvilleN.LA-i 2.810 Grains and Feeds Soybean oil,crude;Centl IL-u 0.3318
Coal,C.Aplc.,12500Btu,1.2SO2-r,w 59.850 Tallow,bleach;Chicago-h 0.2650 J. C. Penney JCP 5.650 June 1, ’20 92.220 –0.66 88.500 3.24 0.62
Coal,PwdrRvrBsn,8800Btu,0.8SO2-r,w 12.100 Barley,top-quality Mnpls-u n.a. Tallow,edible,Chicago-u 0.3400 Vistajet Malta Finance VSTJET 7.750 June 1, ’20 93.875 –0.63 n.a. ... ...
Bran,wheat middlings, KC-u 93
Metals Corn,No. 2 yellow,Cent IL-bp,u 3.1950 Wynn Las Vegas WYNNLV 5.500 March 1, ’25 103.550 –0.58 103.000 ... ...
Gold, per troy oz Corn gluten feed,Midwest-u,w 95.8 CDK Global CDK 4.875 June 1, ’27 102.053 –0.57 102.000 69.19 0.79
Corn gluten meal,Midwest-u,w 485.1
Engelhard industrial 1290.84 KEY TO CODES: A=ask; B=bid; BP=country elevator T–Mobile USA TMUS 6.125 Jan. 15, ’22 103.200 –0.55 103.375 61.35 1.56
Cottonseed meal-u,w 230 bids to producers; C=corrected; E=Manfra,Tordella &
Engelhard fabricated 1387.65
Hominy feed,Cent IL-u,w 92 Brooks; G=ICE; H=Hurley Brokerage; I=Natural Gas 1011778 Bc Unlimited Liability BCULC 4.250 May 15, ’24 100.000 –0.53 99.375 ... ...
Handy & Harman base 1286.95
Meat-bonemeal,50% pro Mnpls-u,w 218 Intelligence;
Handy & Harman fabricated 1428.51 L=livericeindex.com; M=midday; N=nominal; n.a.=not
Oats,No.2 milling,Mnpls-u 2.8325 *Estimated spread over 2-year, 3-year, 5-year, 10-year or 30-year hot-run Treasury; 100 basis points=one percentage pt.; change in spread shown is for Z-spread.
LBMA Gold Price AM *1280.00 quoted or not available; R=SNL Energy; S=Platts-TSI;
Rice, 5% Broken White, Thailand-l,w 374.00 Note: Data are for the most active issue of bonds with maturities of two years or more
LBMA Gold Price PM *1283.30 Rice, Long Grain Milled, No. 2 AR-u,w 25.00
T=Cotlook Limited; U=USDA; W=weekly, Z=not
Krugerrand,wholesale-e 1344.46 quoted. *Data as of 11/21 Sources: MarketAxess Corporate BondTicker; WSJ Market Data Group
Sorghum,(Milo) No.2 Gulf-u 7.6388 Source: WSJ Market Data Group
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THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. Friday, November 24, 2017 | B9
MUMBAI—Indian banks
On Online
have started mining data on
customers’ smartphones for
fast loan approval, testing out
Microloans
cutting-edge technology in BY CHAO DENG
what is potentially a huge mar-
ket for such products. BEIJING—Chinese authori-
Long hampered from lend- ties acted to halt the prolifera-
ing to the hundreds of millions tion of small online consumer
of Indians without credit histo- lenders, the latest restraint on
ries, banks hope to lower risk- China’s fast-evolving financial-
assessment costs and trigger a technology sector.
new wave of consumer lending A top regulatory body that
with apps that look at every- includes the central bank di-
EPA/RAMINDER PAEPA/RAMINDER PAL SINGHL SINGH
MARKETS
Bonds
Gain for 5
Transport Warning Is Shrugged Off
Weak performance is quarter that disrupted thou- ated a better environment for
sands of flights among airlin- Transports Hit a Pothole stock pickers, some investors
attributed to downbeat
Of Past 7 earnings rather than
ers, including United Conti-
nental Holdings Inc.,
American Airlines Group Inc.
An index of 20 railroad, airplane and other transportation stocks are
on track for their biggest quarterly decline in more than a year.
added.
“Stock disparity is picking
up, and that’s an opportunity
deeper economic woes Dow Jones Transportation Average, quarterly change
8
for active managers,” said Ja-
son Pride, director of invest-
ment strategy at wealth-man-
BY AKANE OTANI panies at a time when most agement firm Glenmede.
Shares of planes, trains and transportation businesses are “Stocks are showing signs of
U.S. government bonds automobiles are skidding, and grappling with rising costs. 4 moving away from one an-
strengthened Wednesday ahead that often spells trouble for “There’s pretty good diver- other.”
0
of the Thanksgiving holiday. the rest of the market. But gence there. But the latest Concerns around how Re-
The yield on the benchmark some analysts and investors pullback in transports was publicans proceed on their tax
–4
10-year Treasury note settled aren’t heeding the century-old more due to disappointing overhaul contributed to recent
at 2.322%, compared with warning sign this time around. third-quarter earnings,” said declines in the Dow Jones In-
–8
2.361% Tuesday. Yields fall as The Dow Jones Transporta- Leo Grohowski, chief invest- dustrial Average, causing the
bond prices rise. tion Average is on track for its ment officer of BNY Mellon 1Q 2016 2Q 3Q 4Q 1Q ’17 2Q 3Q 4Q* index to snap an eight-week
Treasurys have mostly first quarterly decline in more Wealth Management, adding *Through Wednesday Source: FactSet THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. winning streak and swing be-
drifted higher in recent sessions, than a year, as the index has that airlines were particularly tween gains and losses in re-
with the yield on the 10-year fallen 2.9% so far this quarter. weak. said while discussing third- CSX Corp. beat profit expecta- cent sessions. Sectors that had
note notching its fifth decline in The Dow Jones Industrial Av- Still, the quarterly decline quarter results. tions but revenue fell short been performing better earlier
seven trading days Wednesday. erage is up 5% in the year’s fi- in transport stocks is note- Both American Airlines and due, in part, to service delays this year, such as industrials,
The bond market nal three-month period. worthy given how closely the Southwest Airlines reported that stemmed from the hurri- are now trailing, while con-
CREDIT was closed Thurs- The index of 20 of the larg- two indexes tend to trade. improved revenue in the previ- canes and derailments. Its cerns about the market’s
MARKETS day in observance est U.S. airlines, railroads and Since 1900, the Dow industri- ous quarter, while maintaining shares have fallen 3.5% since it health picked up following
of Thanksgiving trucking firms is used by some als and Dow transports have prices that helped offset rising released earnings Oct. 17. losses in the junk-bond market.
and closes early in the market as a proxy to traded above their 200-day fuel, labor and other costs. Another big laggard in the Lofty valuations, especially
on Friday. gauge the health of the U.S. trading average in tandem Still, the hurricanes shaved off index: Avis Budget Group Inc. among technology companies
Bond yields declined economy since those compa- more than 50% of the time, millions of dollars in profit The car-rental company’s that have contributed signifi-
Wednesday after U.S. Com- nies are responsible for the vi- according to data from Ned and revenue at both carriers. shares tumbled 16% since it cantly to the market’s gains
merce Department data tal movement of raw materi- Davis Research. American shares have fallen said on Nov. 6 that higher fleet this year, have also kept inves-
showed orders for long-lasting als, goods and people. Airlines in the Dow trans- 4.6% since it reported earnings costs and weaker international tors on edge, with some be-
factory goods declined in Octo- So when the index diverges ports were among the hardest- on Oct. 26, while Southwest pricing had hurt the car-rental lieving those stocks could pull
ber from the prior month. from the broader Dow Jones hit stocks. Shares of United has declined 3.6%. company, causing it to miss back on geopolitical concerns
They then fell further after Industrial Average, some in- have fallen 12% since it re- Railroad companies haven’t earnings and revenue expecta- or due to developments in
minutes from the Federal Re- vestors take it as a sign to sell. ported earnings last month. fared much better in recent tion and lower its sales guid- Washington.
serve’s Oct. 31-Nov. 1 meeting However, several analysts and United said storms such as months, despite the double- ance for the rest of the year. “The albatross for the mar-
showed officials thought infla- investors say the Dow trans- Hurricane Harvey disrupted its digit gains they had already As the transports index ket is valuations at this point,”
tion could stay below the cen- ports’ weak performance is operations and caused it to in- notched. Norfolk Southern lurches toward its first three- said Terri Spath, chief invest-
tral bank’s 2% annual target due to a spate of downbeat cur higher costs, while the Corp. posted upbeat results month decline since the sec- ment officer of Sierra Invest-
for longer than expected. earnings rather than a deeper rollout of new low-cost, no- last month, beating revenue ond quarter of last year, stock- ment Management, an invest-
The Fed’s preferred mea- economic funk. frills fares, known as “Basic and profit estimates, yet its market volatility has picked up ment firm with $2.7 billion in
sure of inflation, the price in- Analysts pointed to a series Economy,” all contributed to a stock has fallen 2.3% since it slightly relative to much of the assets. “They’ve been too high
dex for personal-consumption of hurricanes in the previous drop in revenue, executives reported earnings on Oct. 25. rest of the year. That has cre- for a while.”
expenditures, has lagged be-
hind the central bank’s 2% tar-
ers. Last year, 71 municipal close these loans to investors An attorney representing the Eastern District of New
borrowers from Minnesota to in bonds sold between August Mr. Venditto in connection York also filed securities fraud
Hawaii agreed to stricter dis- 2010 and December 2015, the with the 2016 indictment charges against Mr. Venditto
closure practices as part of an SEC said. didn’t respond to a request to on Tuesday.
agreement with the SEC. The town of Oyster Bay said comment. Mr. Venditto de- Government borrowers file
CRUDE BEHAVIOR: The darkened ground of an oil spill which The SEC complaint alleges in a submission to the SEC ear- clined to testify before the information about their fi-
shut down the Keystone pipeline between Canada and the U.S. that Oyster Bay didn’t inform lier this year that the town had SEC, invoking his Fifth Amend- nances at the time they issue
Oil prices eased Thursday, after the U.S. market hit a more than investors in the town’s bonds been “victimized” and that new ment right against self-incrim- bonds and on a continuing basis
two-year high on reduced crude flow from Canada and falling that it had agreed to indirectly loan terms were inserted into ination, according to the com- while the bonds are outstand-
supply. Brent crude fell 0.4% to $63.55. guarantee $20 million in pri- the town’s agreement with the plaint. ing. The records are posted on
vate loans to a local vendor vendor without the town The SEC is asking the the Municipal Securities Rule-
who owned and operated res- board’s knowledge. It noted courts to appoint a monitor to making Board’s website.
For personal non-commercial use only. Do not edit or alter. Reproductions not permitted.
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B12 | Friday, November 24, 2017 THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
MARKETS
Yield Curve Narrows, but Few Are Worried
Last time gauge was Shifting Signal Yield spread between the 10-year and two-year U.S. Treasury three times since December
1.4 percentage points 2016 and is forecasting four
so low, a crisis brewed; The gap between short- more increases through 2018,
1.2
this time, investors and long-term Treasury 2006–2007
2016–2017
citing its forecasts that infla-
tion will soon perk up. Yet in-
split on what it means yields has narrowed lately. 1.0
flation, using the Fed’s pre-
0.8 ferred measure, has persisted
BY DANIEL KRUGER below its 2% target.
0.6 There is additional uncer-
The yield gap between tainty from Washington, as
0.4
short- and long-term Trea- some of the curve’s widening
surys has shrunk to its nar- 0.2 at the beginning of 2017 came
rowest level since 2007, the from expectations that Presi-
year the financial crisis gath- 0 dent Donald Trump would be
ered steam. But few investors able to pass plans to boost in-
and economists are worried –0.2 frastructure spending and cut
that a repeat of the 2008 melt- corporate and personal taxes.
down is in store. That led to a surge in expecta-
While analysts have long
Federal-funds rate target Consumer-price index (all items), change from a year earlier tions for faster growth and
considered the gap, known as 6% 5% higher inflation, which lifted
the yield curve, a key barome- 5 10-year Treasury yields to
4 2006–2007
ter for the health of the econ- 2.609%, the highest since 2014.
4 2016–2017
omy, many are split about “As it became apparent
3
what the signal means now. 3 2006–2007 none of these things were hap-
Much of their disagreement is 2016–2017 2 pening, you’ve seen the curve
rooted in the exceptional con- 2 Range of 1–1.25% flatten,” said Ilya Gofshteyn, a
ditions of the past decade: 1 macro strategist at Standard
1
emergency measures from Chartered Bank.
global central banks that have 0 0 The yield curve Wednesday
produced little inflation, un- narrowed to about 0.59 per-
employment falling with few centage point from 1.25 per-
signs of wage pressure, and U.S. wage growth, quarterly, change from a year earlier U.S. real GDP, quarterly, change from a year earlier centage points at the start of
stock markets that continue to 4.0% 3.5% the year, near the narrowest
climb with little volatility. 2006–2007 gap since November 2007.
The uncertainty is accentu- 3.5 2016–2017 3.0 2006–2007 Most of that change has been
ated by the contrast in eco- 2016–2017 from a climb in two-year Trea-
nomic conditions from the last 3.0 2.5 sury yields, which tend to rise
time the yield curve was simi- on expectations of interest-
larly compressed. In 2006 and 2.5 2.0 rate increases from the Fed.
2007, as short-term rates The 10-year Treasury yield,
2.0 1.5
matched and even exceeded which typically reflects expec-
long-term rates, a phenome- Seasonally adjusted annual rate tations for growth and infla-
1.5 1.0
non known as an inverted yield tion, has fallen to 2.322% from
curve, there were clear signs 2.446% at the end of 2016.
that the economy was over- Sources: Ryan ALM (yields); FactSet (rate, GDP); Bureau of Labor Statistics (CPI, wage growth) THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. Yields rise when bond prices
heating. Housing prices, which fall.
had been surging for several and fueled recently by hopes that will profit if the gap consumer prices in Europe and sen, head of multisector strat- The yield curve’s pinch has
years, were seen as unsustain- that U.S. tax cuts can provide a shrinks. If the central bank Japan may be holding down egy at Wells Fargo Asset Man- been especially apparent in
ably high, securitized products further boost. continues to raise interest U.S. interest rates. Central agement. “What everybody’s bank stocks. The KBW Nasdaq
had spread risk throughout the Some investors today sup- rates, “the yield curve is going bank rates that are below zero worried about is how long can Bank Index of large U.S. com-
financial system, and stock port the traditional view that to get flat, stocks are going to there are fueling demand for this last. As it gets longer in mercial lenders has slipped
prices were supported by a the narrowing gap is a signal sell off, and the economy’s go- relatively high-yielding U.S. the tooth, people are going to roughly 2.2% this month as the
wave of increasingly aggres- that excessive policy tighten- ing to get hit,” he said. government debt, holding worry more and more.” S&P 500 has gained around
sive leveraged buyouts. ing by the Federal Reserve But with few signs of a down the benchmark 10-year The lack of inflation pres- 0.8%. A steepening yield curve
Today’s flattening comes risks pushing the economy slowdown, others speculate Treasury yield when it might sures, particularly on hourly tends to boost banks’ lending
even as the economy seems to into a recession. that the forces at work are un- otherwise be rising to reflect wages, has befuddled policy profitability, since they can
be humming along, sending an “The markets are pushing like other times. Just as the solid growth prospects in the makers who have been expect- borrow at low short-term rates
unclear signal at a time when back against the Fed,” said Mi- Fed’s expansion of its bond U.S. ing the lowest unemployment while lending at higher long-
stocks keep pushing to records chael Collins, a senior portfolio portfolio to $4.2 trillion has “We are in a global synchro- rates since the dot-com boom term rates.
in a rally propelled by signs of manager with PGIM Fixed In- failed to spur inflation, mone- nized recovery—everybody to force employers to lift sala- —Michael Wursthorn
synchronized global growth come, which has placed trades tary policies intended to boost knows that,” said Brian Jacob- ries. The Fed has raised rates contributed to this article.
Email: [email protected]
HEARD ON THE STREET FINANCIAL ANALYSIS & COMMENTARY WSJ.com/Heard
Who Needs a Tax Cut? Companies Are Spending Anyway about 21 times forward earn-
ings before interest, taxes,
depreciation and amortiza-
Tax cut or no tax cut, shipments of nondefense for the first time in a long buybacks over companies tion, near a 15-year high.
companies could be spending Steadying Up capital goods excluding air- time the rest of the world is that focused on growth. Frothy valuations aren’t
a lot more money in the year Annualized change in real craft—something economists chugging along with it. Com- Lately, however, investors necessarily a reason to sell a
ahead. spending on capital equipment look to in order to gauge panies that want to maintain are favoring growth, provid- stock, of course. But Deere
There was an awkward capital spending—rose 0.4% or expand their market share ing companies with an incen- shares have historically
moment during an onstage 15% in October from September. need to keep up, and that re- tive to get into the club. turned down before business
interview with White House 10 It was the ninth gain in a quires more equipment. For a U.S. economy that conditions shift. During the
5
economic adviser Gary Cohn row for the typically volatile Moreover, a low unemploy- for years has relied almost last farm cycle, Deere’s sales
0
at The Wall Street Journal –5
series, marking the longest ment rate and the specter of solely on consumers for and profits peaked in fiscal
CEO Council this month. –10 winning streak since 1994. rising labor costs is pushing growth while companies un- 2013. The stock, however, had
Asked if the tax bill would –15 Tax cut or no tax cut, companies to make their derspent, the pickup in capi- hit its apex in January 2011,
spur them to boost companies have had the workers more productive. tal spending counts as a nearly three years earlier.
2014 ’15 ’16 ’17
investment, only a smatter- means to invest for a while. There has also been a good thing. It could help Analysts, not surprisingly,
ing of executive raised their Source: Commerce Department Their balance sheets are shift in investor attitudes temper any shift lower in see sales and profit growth
hands. “Why aren’t other healthy, and their cost of that is intensifying the need consumer spending if house- through fiscal 2020, accord-
hands up?” wondered Mr. equipment has risen at a capital is extraordinarily low. to step up capital spending. holds opt to boost their low ing to FactSet. If history re-
Cohn. 7.3% annual rate, the fastest What they needed was a rea- For years—indeed, even be- saving rates. And if it goes peats itself, the peak may be
But the thing is that com- pace in three years. The son, and the biggest reason fore the financial crisis on long enough, it could help at hand. Investors should be
panies already have been in- pickup in spending contin- to invest is demand. struck—investors were re- boost productivity, allowing happy with their profits and
vesting more. Through the ued in the current quarter: Demand is looking a lot warding companies that the economy to move along set themselves up for the
first three quarters of this Wednesday, the Commerce better. The U.S. economy were paying shareholders at a faster clip. next buying opportunity.
year, capital spending on Department reported that continues to chug along, and through dividends and stock —Justin Lahart —Charley Grant
For personal non-commercial use only. Do not edit or alter. Reproductions not permitted.
MANSION
To reprint or license content, please contact our reprints and licensing department at +1 800-843-0008 or www.djreprints.com
HOMES | MARKETS | PEOPLE | UPKEEP | VALUES | NEIGHBORHOODS | REDOS | SALES | FIXTURES | BROKERS
© 2017 Dow Jones & Company. All Rights Reserved. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. Friday, November 24, 2017 | M1
RAU+BARBER FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL (3); EVERETT COLLECTION (ROSE MARIE)
ALL FOR UNO Nicole and Greg Jennings with their children, from left to right, Amya, Aice, Alea and Ayva, play cards in the kitchen seating area of their 10,150-square-foot mansion in Edina, Minn., be-
low left. While the feel was to be curated and modern, Mr. Jennings says it had to be homey—not a ‘don’t touch this and don’t touch that’ kind of place. Below right, the living room.
BY A.J. BAIME
Crystal Lagoons are in the works at 16 upscale developments across the U.S. A Chilean entrepreneur says his
patented technology uses a fraction of the chlorine and other chemicals found in traditional swimming pools.
BY ARIAN CAMPO-FLORES
MANSION
PRIVATE PROPERTIES
ACRES • OCEANFRONT ESTATE REAL-ESTATE DEVELOPER LISTS IN CORAL GABLES property has two bedrooms
and three bathrooms plus an
adjacent studio apartment,
which has a separate entrance.
Ms. Hadid renovated the space
in her signature style, with cur-
vaceous lines and metallic sur-
faces that reflect the light from
an expansive ocean view, the
agents said.
Ms. Hadid bought the two
units that make up the main
LIVE
LIVE apartment in 2010 for a total
ABSOLUTE of $2.79 million, and purchased
AUCTION the studio for $1.38 million in
2015, according to public re-
ON-SITE
ON-SITE cords. She had many friends in
Miami and used the property
while working on the 1000 Mu-
seum condo building, which is
currently under construction,
said Christian Gibbon, general
Real-estate developer Don back garden were damaged He and his wife are selling manager of Zaha Hadid Hold-
Peebles and his wife, Katrina, during this season’s hurri- because their 15-year-old ings in London.
are listing their home in Coral canes, the oak trees have been daughter is pursuing her Ms. Hadid was 65 when she
Gables, Fla., for $12.9 million. standing strong for about a equestrian career in Welling- died from a heart attack in
The Mediterranean Revival- century, he said. A tree swing ton, and it doesn’t make sense March last year, Mr. Gibbon
Saturday, December at AM, PT
style property sits on 2.87 the couple built for their to keep driving between the said. Born in Baghdad, she
Camino Capistrano, Dana Point, California
acres and comprises 15,795 daughter also is intact, and two cities. They are currently studied architecture in London
square feet with 22 rooms, in- the home is in good condition. looking for a new home closer and became known for com-
OPEN HOUSE EVERY WEEKEND from - PM
cluding 10 bedrooms and 12½ The couple bought the to Wellington, he said. missions like the London
Private Appointments & Phone Bidding Available
bathrooms. It features marble property for $5.45 million in Mr. Peebles’s company, the Aquatics Center, built for the
floors, a home theater, a game 2004, public records show; Peebles Corp., has offices in 2012 Olympics, the Guangzhou
V I D EO TO UR & D E TA I L S room, a gym, a pool, a dining Mr. Peebles said they put sev- Miami and New York and Opera House in China and the
AT DECAROAUCTIONSCOM room for more than 20, and eral million dollars into reno- owns a multibillion-dollar port- Maxxi National Museum of 21st
lighted tennis and basketball vating it. It was still under folio of condo projects, hotels Century Arts in Rome. She was
courts. The master wing in- construction when they and office properties. A life- the first woman to win the
In cooperation with Julia Jackson-Brown (CalBRE #
) cludes a large bedroom with a bought it—designed by the long Democrat, he said he has Pritzker Architecture Prize in
and Ramona Maney (CalBRE #
) of balcony overlooking the pool previous owner as three hosted various political fund- 2004. —Katy McLaughlin
CENTURY Award (CalBRE #
)
and the grounds. homes under one roof to ac- raisers at his homes.
This property is listed for sale by Julia Jackson-Brown (CalBRE #
) and Ramona Maney (CalBRE
#
) of CENTURY Award (CalBRE #
). DeCaro Real Estate Auctions, Inc., is a licensed
The driveway is distinct for commodate children from pre- Lourdes Alatriste and Irving See more photos of notable
California Auction Firm (CA Bond #
) performing auction and auction marketing services as part of this the nearly 100 oak trees that vious marriages. The couple Padron of Engel & Völkers Mi- homes at WSJ.com/Mansion.
transaction, and is not performing any real estate brokerage services. Neither Century 21, Fine Homes & Estates
nor any of their affiliated companies is providing any product or service in connection with this event other than frame it, Mr. Peebles said. Al- combined the three residences ami have the listing. Email: privateproperties
as required by applicable law. Brokers and agents are fully protected and encouraged to participate. Review the
Terms and Conditions for further details at DeCaroAuctions.com. though the ficus trees in the into one. —Katherine Clarke @wsj.com
PALM BEACH
PA L M B E AC H
ONE OF A KIND OCEAN TO INTRACOASTAL
SPECTACULAR
SPECTACULAR OCEAN
OCEAN TO
TO INTERCOASTAL
INTERCOASTAL
ESTATE
ESTATE
The best built & most unique custom home of its kind! Highest quality
finishes & features exclusive to this home. Soaring 10’ glass sliding
doors create simultaneous views & access to Ocean & Intercoastal.
Price upon request
Linda Gary 561-346-5880
JIM MCCANN, Broker Associate
561.296.8720 | [email protected]
201 Worth Avenue • Palm Beach, Florida 33480 Equal Housing Opportunity. All information furnished regarding property for sale or rent or regarding
772 388 8400 WINDSORFLORIDA.COM Office: 1-561-655-6881 Email: [email protected] financing is from sources deemed reliable, but Corcoran makes no warranty or representation as to the
accuracy thereof. All property information is presented subject to errors, omissions, price changes, changed
propertyconditions,andwithdrawalofthepropertyfromthemarket,withoutnotice.Alldimensionsprovided
www.LindaAGary.com are approximate. To obtain exact dimensions, Corcoran advises you to hire a qualified architect or engineer.
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THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. Friday, November 24, 2017 | M3
MANSION
THE TRADE
ART HOUSE
BY RUTH BLOOMFIELD
An American art
collector is offering
ART BUYERS MAKE global head- his London apart-
lines when they pay record prices ment for lease at
for a new addition to their collec- almost $5,000 a
tion, such as the recent sale of a week. The new
da Vinci painting for over $450 tenant will be able
million. to enjoy works by
But behind every art collector, Cindy Sherman,
there is an entourage of buying Candida Hofer, Ed-
consultants, gallerists, framers and ward Burtynsky
lighting specialists to make sure and Annie Leibo-
they buy the right piece and dis- vitz, among oth-
play it just so. ers. Below left,
Broadly speaking, there are two images from
three classes of art buyers, says custom frame
Polly Robinson, executive director shop John Jones.
of Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac Lon- Elaborate gilded or
don. Some simply want something metal frames can
beautiful for their home. Some are cost up to
knowledgeable and voracious col- $24,000, says
lectors with a “huge appetite” for a Matt Jones, in
particular genre. And then there plaid shirt. Below
are those shopping for a status right, architect Gi-
symbol in the form of a Matisse or anni Botsford cre-
Picasso. “They have the real estate, ated a gallery be-
the yacht, the car…they want some- hind a historic
thing that will give them a kind of townhouse in Fitz-
intellectual kudos,” she adds. rovia.
Whatever their motivation, high-
end buyers tend to outsource the
effort of finding suitable pieces to
people like art consultant Angus
Maguire, who spends his days
scouring auction houses and com-
mercial galleries around the world
in search of pieces to add to his cli-
ents’ collections. He can also assist
if they decide to sell a piece later
on. The job also includes advising
on a work’s authenticity and prove-
nance: “The art world is really ex-
posed to criminal activity, fakes and
stolen works,” he says.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY; LUIGI PARISE; VANESSA BERBERIAN FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL (2)
The services of an art consul-
tant don’t come cheap.
Mr. Maguire says the typical fee
is 5% of a piece’s buying price,
plus 10% of any resale profit.
Some clients prefer to hire their
consultants on an annual retainer,
with the fee depending on how
much they spend—around 10% if
their annual budget on art is
£200,000 ($264,000), or around
5% if they plan to spend £500,000
($660,500).
Recently, one of Mr. Maguire’s
clients—he declined to disclose the
name—spent $10 million on a
painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat.
But the piece was too large for the
client’s London home and had to
be left in storage. Instead Mr. Ma-
guire sourced a smaller prepara-
tory drawing that the client has
been able to hang up and enjoy.
Once purchased, buyers typi-
cally turn to custom framers. Matt
Jones, chairman of John Jones,
says a simple wood frame can be
completed in around three weeks,
at an average cost of $700. More
elaborate gilded or metal frames
can cost up to $24,000. Mr. Jones
is currently advising an Asian col-
lector on the framing of a Robert Harry Triggs co-director of TM pieces to their best advantage. He their hangings at their homes ev- high-security warehouse, for rea-
Mapplethorpe photograph pur- Lighting, says one of his clients uses LED lighting to avoid fading ery now and again,” she says. “It is sons of space and practicality.
chased at Christie’s Auction House has 47 Picassos hung in the living while “bringing out the color and done to their own rhythm, but “If you have spent $1 million on
last month. Although confidential- room—and he casually lists other vibrancy” of the work. perhaps they decide they want to a Picasso drawing, you are specu-
ity is key in the art world, the clients’ works by everyone from Some collections are so large look at a piece they bought a few lating that it is going to go up in
piece Mr. Jones is likely referring Degas to Caravaggio, and from van their owners need to relocate years ago.” value,” says Mr. Maguire. “Pretty
to is a self-portrait of the artist Gogh to Titian. works regularly, says Alma Luxem- That’s because many pieces sold much everyone is speculating and
from 1988, which sold for almost “I saw a collector recently who bourg, a partner at Luxembourg & at major international art fairs and stockpiling.” Having art on the
$600,000. had £1 billion worth of art in their Dayan, a gallery with locations in auctions around the world don’t wall “is very expensive in terms of
Mr. Jones jokes that his work- house,” adds Mr. Triggs, whose London and New York. end up on the walls of their buy- insurance, and they run out of
shops are currently “a bit of a role it is to display these master- “A lot of the collections change ers. Instead they’re placed in a space.”
Banksy hospital.” He’s referring to
the smart buyers who picked up
prints, in basic frames, by the
anonymous graffiti artist for just
over $100 and that are now worth
$18,000 to $26,000. Art-Centric Homes for Sale
Ms. Robinson, the gallerist, says
some clients buy art with a spe-
cific location in mind. “Very often
there will be a major wall in their
salon or behind a fireplace, and
they need a trophy piece,” she
says. A few elite collectors, how-
FROM LEFT: GALLIARD HOMES; K10 GROUP
MANSION
FROM TOP: TAVISTOCK DEVELOPMENT COMPANY (RENDERING); MEI-CHUN JAU FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL (4); CRYSTAL LAGOONS (RENDERING)
THE LATEST AMENITY: LUXURY LAGOONS
INLAND BEACH RESORT A rendering of a Crystal Lagoons project that is part of a planned luxury resort in Orlando, Fla. According to the developer, Tavistock Development Co., the project, called Lake
Nona Resort, will have 250 guest rooms and 80 condominium units. The manmade lagoon will measure 15 acres and offer swimming, sailing and paddleboarding.
Continued from page M1 the pop of the color.” Wading in Epperson for $253,000 in February tems and vats of chlorine. Soon to overtake it is a 90-acre
that use technology patented by a felt “like swimming in bottled wa- and lives there with her two chil- Instead, the lagoons periodically lagoon under construction in
Chilean entrepreneur to create ter,” said Mr. Singleton, whose dren. “There are things for each of inject small amounts of chemicals Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
mesmerizing blue water with only company now has four develop- us to do,” she said. “I’m excited to at times of the day when bacterial It is part of a sprawling develop-
a fraction of the chlorine and ments under way in Florida that put my toes in the sand and have a growth is highest. Sensors in the ment slated for 1,500 homes—of-
other chemicals typical of tradi- include Crystal Lagoons. Building drink.” water monitor its quality, and fered in Mediterranean, contempo-
tional swimming pools. There are each of them costs between $5 Real-estate developer Fernando Crystal Lagoons facilities can re- rary or modern Arabic
now 16 such developments in the million and $10 million, he said. Fischmann created the first Crystal motely keep tabs on readings at architectural styles—with prices
works in the U.S., from Las Vegas One of his company’s projects— Lagoon more than a decade ago af- different projects and direct the in- starting at about $4 million for a
to the Dallas suburbs to the Lake Epperson, a 2,000- ter a project he built jection of additives as needed. Ul- four-bedroom villa and $14 million
Nona area of Orlando, Fla. Devel- unit master-planned on the coast of Chile trasound pulses in the water cause for an eight-bedroom mansion.
opers hope the lagoons will draw community in Wes- in the 1990s faltered. dirt to collect on the floor as sedi- Now, Crystal Lagoons are arriv-
affluent beach-lovers willing to ley Chapel, Fla., Developers hope He had envisioned ment that can be vacuumed up. ing in the U.S. The $4 billion, 183-
pay top dollar for clean water and north of Tampa—is making an enormous The lagoons, which are lined acre SoLeMia development that re-
pristine sand. Currently on the expected to be the
the lagoons will pool with lucid water with a white rubbery material, can cently broke ground in Miami is
market at Windsong Ranch is a first in the U.S. to draw affluent in which residents be filled with saltwater or fresh- slated to include more than 4,300
five-bedroom, 5,300-square-foot debut a Crystal La-
house with a wood-beamed study goon. The 7.5-acre
beach-lovers willing could swim safely.
But soon after filling
water, and portions can be heated.
They achieve their signature bril-
posh residential units in numerous
towers as well as a town center
and other upgrades listed for just pool will include a to pay top dollar for it, the water “be- liant blue color at a depth of 8 to with restaurants and entertain-
under $1 million. tidal area for chil- came contaminated 12 feet, Mr. Morgan said. ment venues. Construction is un-
When Greg Singleton, president dren, a floating plat-
clean water and and turbid,” said In the U.S., they are in the early der way on the first phase of
of Metro Development Group in form with an obsta- pristine sand. Kevin Morgan, exec- stages of development and remain about 400 rental apartments, but
Tampa, Fla., wanted to see a Crys- cle course for utive vice president untested, though state and local prices aren’t yet available.
tal Lagoon firsthand, he visited the teenagers, and a of Mr. Fischmann’s regulatory bodies review lagoon At the heart of the property will
Diamante resort in Cabo San Lucas, swim-up bar for adults. company, Crystal Lagoons. “Home- plans before approval. be two, 8-acre lagoons surrounded
Mexico. There, a 10-acre lagoon is Home sales began in February, owners were totally distraught.” Crystal Lagoons has opened by lush landscaping and offering
surrounded by properties including with prices under $300,000 for a Mr. Fischmann, who is also a more than 50 lagoons around the water sports like sailing and pad-
four-bedroom hacienda-style villas four-bedroom house. Subsequent biochemist, set out to find a solu- world, from Peru to Thailand, and dleboarding. “It’s interactive with
with courtyards and infinity pools, phases are expected to have homes tion, visiting experts around the has hundreds more in various the community,” said Jeffrey Sof-
starting at $2.2 million. priced in the $400,000 to world and creating his own lab to stages of planning or development. fer, co-chief executive of Turnberry
“Wow, this is incredible,” he re- $600,000 range, Mr. Singleton experiment. After about seven So far, the largest one is a 30-acre Associates, which is building the
called thinking when he first saw said. years, he found a way to create lagoon in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, project in a joint venture with Le-
the lagoon. “When you see it live, Jennifer Rose bought a five-bed- crystalline bodies of water that which is surrounded by lavish ho- Frak. “We think it’s going to be
you get a better sense of the scale, room, 2,500-square-foot house at don’t require costly filtration sys- tels and residences. huge.”
PROSPER POOL Eddie and Chrissy Ball, shown at top with their two children, paid $472,000 for a four-bedroom home
at Windsong Ranch in Prosper, Texas. It currently has pools, lakes and a cafe with outdoor seating, shown at left, but will
eventually have a 5-acre artificial lagoon with white-sand beaches, depicted in rendering above.
For personal non-commercial use only. Do not edit or alter. Reproductions not permitted.
To reprint or license content, please contact our reprints and licensing department at +1 800-843-0008 or www.djreprints.com
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. Friday, November 24, 2017 | M5
MANSION
HOUSE CALL | ROSE MARIE
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: NBCU PHOTO BANK/GETTY IMAGES; KATHY STRONG/ROSE MARIE ARCHIVES; CBS/GETTY IMAGES
Turns out, he was using my income
scar on his face was standing in front of a to support both his families.
limo. I later learned it was Al Capone. One night in 1947, I was asked to
open the Flamingo in Vegas. I had
Capone knew my father and said no idea where Vegas was. Bugsy
he wanted to take me to “meet the Siegel ran it, so I did it for him. In
boys.” The next day, a car picked us the ’50s, I began appearing on TV
up and drove us to a house in Ci- in “Gunsmoke” and other shows.
cero, a Chicago suburb. Inside, 24 In 1961, I got a call from a cast-
guys were sitting at a long table ing office about a new TV sitcom
having dinner. called “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” I
Capone gave me a hug and asked, “What’s a Dick Van Dyke?” I
picked me up. He said, “The boys got the part, but they needed a
love you.” Then he went around in- third comedy writer.
troducing me to people with horri- I recommended Morey Amster-
ble names like Jimmy the Ice Pick. dam. They said great. When I called
Capone said, “Call me Uncle Al. Morey and told him, he asked,
Don’t worry about a thing. We’ll “What’s a Dick Van Dyke?” I said,
take care of you.” “Your guess is as good as mine.
By then I was an old pro. I was Just get your ass out here.”
born in New York and lived with Today, I live in the San Fernando
my mother and her parents on the Valley north of L.A. I have a nice
bottom floor of a building on East house that I bought with Bobby in
17th Street. My father, Frank, was 1950 from the owner who built it. I
known as “Happy Hank” and did sang together. love every inch of it. I have a pool
work for the mob. He didn’t live After, she asked my and a couple of walnut trees. Most
with us. Later I found out he was name. My father of my Early American furniture was
married and had a family. said, “Dainty Rose made by actor George Montgomery,
When I was 3 in 1926, my Marie.” Evelyn who was a superb craftsman.
mother, Stella, began taking me to said, “She’s just a BIG VOICE Rose Marie on her 94th birthday, Aug. 15, at her My husband and I were deeply in
see vaudeville shows on 14th baby. Call her Baby home; on the radio in 1928; and with cast members Mary Tyler love. Then in 1964, he came down
Street, which back then was New Rose Marie.” Moore, Morey Amsterdam and Dick Van Dyke in early ‘60s. with some sort of blood infection
York’s theater district. I’d come The name stuck, and died that May, at 48. I wore a
home and imitate everyone I saw. but I couldn’t get a ery Sunday. Mother My father took all the money I black ribbon in my hair ever since.
Mom liked to take me upstairs to job in New York because rehearsed me at home made to feed his other family and Bobby was very special. I miss
sing for her friends. When I was 4, of child-labor laws. My on our piano. I was a quick gave my mother just $100 a month. him. I still have his trumpet. It’s
the couple entered me in an ama- grandmother told my mother, study. But I had an adult’s voice, My mother didn’t push. She the most beautiful thing I own. His
teur contest at the Mecca Theatre. I “You have to get her out of here.” and listeners thought I was 45. So thought she was rich. My father soul is in that horn.
sang “(What Can I Say) After I Say So we moved to nearby Grantwood, NBC sent me on a national tour to was mean. I hated him. She pro- —As told to Marc Myers
I’m Sorry?” and won. N.J. There, we lived on the bottom headline at its RKO theaters. tected me from him in every way.
My parents and I went down to floor of a house while the owners I was a huge hit before Shirley When I was 16, I became known Rose Marie, 94, is an actress,
Atlantic City for a vacation and lived on the top floor. Temple was born. I wasn’t making as Miss Rose Marie, but my New singer and comedian whose TV sit-
went to hear Evelyn Nesbit sing. Our new address allowed me to a fortune then, but my grand- York bookings had slowed. Joe Fis- coms include “The Dick Van Dyke
At some point, I started singing work in the city. I was 5 when my mother insisted my mother buy us chetti, Capone’s cousin, booked me Show.” She is the subject of “Wait
along with her from my seat. She father signed a contract with NBC. a house. Mother found a beautiful in Lake Tahoe. for Your Laugh,” a new documen-
called me up on stage, and we I sang three songs on the radio ev- one nearby in Palisades Park. During the war, I met a soldier tary about her nine-decade career.
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Chefs kitchen, 1st flr ensuite Master. Olympic size pool, pavilion, brick Generous features include impact glass, granite or quartz countertops, Kiawah’s pristine beach. Its clean lines and immaculately crafted design are
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MANSION
RELATIVE VALUES
This 2,608-square-foot, four-level contemporary home has views This freshly renovated late-19th-century, three-story, 2,426- This newly built, 1,758-square-foot, two-story Colonial-style home
of the bay and dunes from a 400-square-foot, top-floor deck. square-foot beachfront house has eastward views to the tip of has a built-in antique oak vasillier in the kitchen. The living room
The kitchen, with Leicht cabinetry, leads to a patio space. There Cape Cod and Long Point Light House. Bedrooms are on separate features coffered ceilings and a gas fireplace, and a side patio has a
are also large outdoor decks. The living room has a floor-to-ceil- floors, each with en suite baths and waterfront decks. It has a waterfall feature. A two-car heated garage is attached to the house.
ing gas fireplace, and double-height windows to let in sunlight. grand main-level beachside deck for outdoor entertaining. Agent: Joe DeMartino, Coldwell Banker Pat Shultz
Agent: Lee Ash, William Raveis Real Estate Agent: Lee Ash, William Raveis Real Estate —Sandra Ward
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For personal non-commercial use only. Do not edit or alter. Reproductions not permitted.
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M8 | Friday, November 24, 2017 THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
MANSION