So the bull market may be on its way out of town after a nearly 7-year stretch [care to jump on the “blame the Fed” bandwagon?], but even when combined with usual predictors like declines in industrial production and corporate profits, a recession isn’t necessarily right around the corner – WSJ
The details are still very much in flux, but Tyco Int’l and Johnson Controls have confirmed late-stages negotiations for a merger in the neighborhood of $20 billion – NYTimes and WSJ
Peabody Energy’s finally taken it on the chin for failing to inform investors about what it knew and accepted regarding climate change, thanks to the NY Attorney General’s office. Now New York and some members of Congress are asking why the SEC wasn’t on the case—for Peabody and others of its ilk—way earlier in the game – NYTimes
After a 2015 that saw a staggering $105 billion pulled out of global mutual funds over fears of tanking emerging markets, pushing investors to keep the faith is, well, a challenge. Here’s a look at those trying to do just that – NYTimes
Letters over fruit? Breakingviews suggests that Google parent company Alphabet is getting awfully close to overtaking Apple as the world’s most valuable company – NYTimes
More problems for Elizabeth Holmes’ Theranos Labs, this time courtesy of Federal health inspectors, which have found “serious deficiencies” at Theranos’ Northern California lab – WSJ
Some 8 years after the financial crisis kicked into high gear, those “Too Big to Fail” banks are doing just fine, thank you very much, a “surprising and unexpected outcome,” according to Dealbook’s William Cohan, especially as compared to their European counterparts – NYTimes
A group of 11 banks that includes Merrill Lynch, RBS, and Barclays has agreed settle RMBS misrepresentation allegations with the state of Virginia and its retirement system for a reported $63 million, a “significant drop from the $383 million initially sought for allegedly misrepresenting the quality of the securities” – Law360
A fascinating look at U.S. corporations’ recent trend of stockpiling [literally] trillions of dollars – NYTimes
More from the Brave New World files . . . a drug to cure fear? – NYTimes
