Blackstone, ETP in Deal Talks, Cal-Maine Swings to Loss as Egg Price Plunge

Mukesh Buch
23 Dec, 2016
New York City

Blackstone is in talks to acquire $5 billion of assets from Energy Transfer Partners. Cintas net tumbled 59%. Cal-Maine net swung to a loss as egg prices drop 51% from a record high. Prestige Brands to buy C.B. Fleet for $825 million.

[R]12:10 PM New York – Blackstone is in talks to acquire $5 billion of assets from Energy Transfer Partners. Cintas net tumbled 59%. Cal-Maine net swung to a loss as egg prices drop 51% from a record high. Prestige Brands to buy C.B. Fleet for $825 million.[/R]

Tollbooth Index edged up 5.84 to 11,186.88.

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Blackstone Group LP, private-equity firm is in talks to acquire stake in assets worth about $5 billion owned by Energy Transfer Partners LP, as the natural-gas pipeline owner seeks to complete $21 billion sale to a sister company.

The news was first reported by Reuters.

Cintas Corporation ((CTAS)) declined 5.3% or $6.30 to $113.76 after the uniforms and cleaning services provider reported revenues in the second-quarter ending in November jumped 6.4% from a year ago to $1.3 billion.

Net income in the quarter tumbled 59.3% to $140.4 million or $1.29 per diluted share compared to the $345.1 million or $3.06 per share from the same quarter last year.

Cintas forecasted revenue in fiscal 2017 in the range of $5.18 billion to $5.23 billion and earnings per share in the range of $4.57 to $4.65.

Cal-Maine Foods Inc ((CALM)) soared 5.6% or $2.35 to $44.35 after the shell eggs producer said net sales in the third-quarter ending on November 26 plunged 53.6% from a year ago to $253.5 million.

Egg market has been volatile in the last year and farmers are still struggling to ramp up production after avian flu related hen losses.

However, egg prices have plunged 51% from a year ago record level after restaurants were forced to reformulate recipes when egg prices reached record high last summer.

Net in the quarter swung to a loss of $23 million or 48 cents per diluted share compared to the profit of $109.2 million or $2.27 per share from the same quarter last year.

Prestige Brands Holdings, Inc ((PBH)) jumped 4.5% or $2.21 to $50.95 after the healthcare and household cleaning products marketer intends to acquire women''s healthcare products maker C.B. Fleet Co for $825 million in cash from private equity group Gryphon Investors.

PPG Industries, Inc ((PPG)) slipped 59 cents to $94.41 after the paints and coatings maker agreed to sell its assets in Mexico-based Plaka plasterboard and cement-board business to Germany-based drywall and gypsum boards maker Knauf International GmbH.

However, financial terms were not disclosed but transaction is expected to close in the first-half of 2017.