The week ahead | Calamatta Cuschieri

On Friday, U.S. stocks bounced between gains and losses as plummeting oil prices rocked energy shares and investors weighed what U.S. President Donald Trump called North Korea’s “warm and productive” response to his decision to cancel a summit with the nation’s leader Kim Jong-Un. The dollar rose with Treasuries, while gold sank.

The S&P 500 Index and Dow Jones Industrial Average fell on lighter than normal volume heading into the long Memorial Day holiday weekend, but the Nasdaq benchmarks rose on strength in semiconductor stocks. The S&P 500 Energy Index plunged more than 2.5 percent as oil posted its biggest decline in roughly a year after a Saudi minister said that petroleum supply would likely rise in the second half.

On the week ahead, these are the key events to watch:

• US Market will be closed on Monday in observance of Memorial Day
• On Tuesday, St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard will discuss U.S. economy and monetary policy at the Japan Center for International Finance’s Global Finance Seminar in Tokyo
• EU trade chief Cecilia Malmstrom and U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross are scheduled to meet Wednesday in an informal World Trade Organization ministerial in Paris.
• U.S. employment report for May is due Friday
• On Saturday U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross will travel to Beijing for more talks with Vice Premier Liu He on topics including ZTE Corp. and trade.

Chinese authorities are set to approve Qualcomm - NXP deal

Qualcomm Inc.’s planned $44 billion acquisition of Netherlands-based NXP Semiconductors NV in the next few days, according to people familiar with the matter.

The San Diego-based firm is now “cautiously optimistic” the deal will go forward, one of the sources said, amid recent indications of a thaw in U.S.-China trade tensions that has seen both sides propose tens of billions of dollars in tariffs. On Friday, the Trump administration said it had reached a deal that would put ZTE Corp back in business after the Chinese telecommunications company pays a $1.3 billion fine and makes management changes.

Resolving the ZTE sales ban has been of chief importance to China’s leadership. The firm was banned in April from buying U.S. technology components for seven years after breaking an agreement it reached for violating U.S. sanctions against Iran and North Korea.

Pepsi ready to buy Bare Foods for less than $200 million.

PepsiCo said on Friday it would buy baked fruit and vegetable snack maker Bare Foods, in a deal that underscores the company's efforts to strengthen its healthy snack portfolio. The companies did not disclose the financial terms of the deal but analysts said that Pepsi will pay less than $200 million for the snack company. Bare Foods sells Granny Smith apple chips, banana and coconut snacks and was founded in 2001 in a family owned organic apple farm in Washington.

U.S. food companies have made a flurry of acquisitions in the snack food space as they seek to tap rising demand for snacks that have low salt content and are less processed. Bare Foods will operate independently and will report into Frito-Lay North America, Pepsi said.

Disclaimer:

This article was issued by Linda De Luca, Trader at Calamatta Cuschieri. For more information visit, www.cc.com.mt. The information, view and opinions provided in this article are being provided solely for educational and informational purposes and should not be construed as investment advice, advice concerning particular investments or investment decisions, or tax or legal advice. Calamatta Cuschieri Investment Services Ltd has not verified and consequently neither warrants the accuracy nor the veracity of any information, views or opinions appearing on this website.