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Sun Pharma to Acquire Concert Pharmaceuticals, Advancing the Potential Treatment of Alopecia Areata

Sun Pharma to Acquire Concert Pharmaceuticals, Advancing the Potential Treatment of Alopecia Areata
PR Newswire
MUMBAI, India and LEXINGTON, Mass., Jan. 19, 2023

Adds Deuruxolitinib, a Potential Best-in-Class Oral JAK Inhibitor for the Treatment of…

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Sun Pharma to Acquire Concert Pharmaceuticals, Advancing the Potential Treatment of Alopecia Areata

PR Newswire

Adds Deuruxolitinib, a Potential Best-in-Class Oral JAK Inhibitor for the Treatment of Alopecia Areata, an Autoimmune Dermatological Disease

Leverages Sun Pharma's Global Infrastructure to Provide Broad Access to Deuruxolitinib for Patients with Alopecia Areata

Strengthens Sun Pharma's Global Dermatology Franchise by Adding a Late-Stage Product in an Area with Significant Unmet Need

Sun Pharma to Commence Tender Offer to Acquire All Outstanding Shares of Common Stock of Concert

Upfront Cash Payment of $8.00 per Share of Common Stock, or Equity Consideration of $576 Million, and

Contingent Value Right for up to $3.50 per Share of Common Stock on Achievement of Certain Time-Based Net Sales Milestones

MUMBAI, India and LEXINGTON, Mass., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (Reuters: SUN.BO) (Bloomberg: SUNP IN) (NSE: SUNPHARMA) (BSE: 524715) (together with its subsidiaries and/or associated companies, "Sun Pharma") and Concert Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: CNCE) ("Concert") today announced that they have executed a definitive agreement under which Sun Pharma will acquire all outstanding shares of Concert through a tender offer for an upfront payment of $8.00 per share of common stock in cash, or $576 million in equity value. Concert stockholders will also receive a non-tradeable contingent value right (CVR) entitling holders to receive up to an additional $3.50 per share of common stock in cash, payable upon deuruxolitinib achieving certain net sales milestones within specified periods, subject to the terms and conditions contained in a contingent value rights agreement detailing the terms of the CVRs. The transaction was approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies.

The upfront payment of $8.00 per share of common stock in cash represents a premium of approximately 33% to Concert's 30-day volume weighted average price as of January 18, 2023, the last trading day prior to today's announcement.

Concert is a late-stage biotechnology company pioneering the use of deuterium in medicinal chemistry. Concert has an extensive patent portfolio, including its lead product candidate deuruxolitinib – an oral inhibitor of Janus kinases JAK1 and JAK2 for the treatment of Alopecia Areata, an autoimmune dermatological disease – which is in late-stage development. Concert has completed the evaluation of the efficacy and safety of deuruxolitinib in adult patients with moderate to severe Alopecia Areata in its THRIVE-AA Phase 3 clinical program and two open label, long-term extension studies are ongoing in North America and Europe. Sun Pharma's immediate focus would be to follow Concert's plan to submit a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the first half of 2023.

Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks hair follicles, resulting in partial or complete loss of hair on the scalp and body. Alopecia Areata may affect up to 2.5% of the United States and global population during their lifetime[1],[2],[3]. The scalp is the most commonly affected area, but any hair-bearing site can be affected alone or together with the scalp. Onset of the disease can occur throughout life and affects both women and men. Alopecia Areata can be associated with serious psychological consequences, including anxiety and depression. There are currently limited treatment options available for Alopecia Areata.

"Sun Pharma is building a global Dermatology and Ophthalmology franchise and aims to be a preferred development and commercial partner in these therapies worldwide. The acquisition of Concert adds a late-stage, potential best-in-class treatment for Alopecia Areata in deuruxolitinib," said Abhay Gandhi, CEO North America, Sun Pharma. "There is a significant unmet need in the Alopecia Areata space and we aim to build on Concert's commitment to supporting the Alopecia Areata patient community. We are well-positioned to successfully bring this product to market globally. I look forward to welcoming the exceptionally talented Concert team who have worked tirelessly to develop the product to bring it to market."

"We are pleased to enter into this exciting transaction with Sun Pharma, which delivers substantial value to our shareholders and is the outcome of a thorough review process overseen by the Concert Board," stated Roger Tung, Ph.D., President and CEO of Concert. "Our mission at Concert has always been to translate innovative science to clinical solutions in order to meaningfully improve patients' lives. We are proud to see our team's accomplishment – creating a valuable new drug candidate for a major, underserved disease – appropriately recognized and valued by Sun Pharma as a means to expand their ongoing, international commitment to dermatology. I am confident that this transaction will maximize value for our shareholders and enhance access to deuruxolitinib for patients with Alopecia Areata."

Transaction Terms and Timeline to Closing

Under the terms of the merger agreement, Sun Pharma will promptly commence a tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of Concert common stock. Concert stockholders will be offered an upfront payment of $8.00 per share of common stock in cash. Concert's Board of Directors unanimously recommends that Concert stockholders tender their shares in the tender offer.

Concert stockholders will also receive a non-tradeable CVR, which entitles Concert stockholders to receive up to an additional $3.50 per share of common stock in cash, payable upon deuruxolitinib achieving certain net sales milestones within specified periods, subject to the terms and conditions contained in the contingent value rights agreement detailing the terms of the CVRs. These milestones, subject to terms and conditions as specified in the contingent value rights agreement, include: (i) $1.00 per share of common stock, payable the first time that in any fiscal year between the time of the first commercial sale of deuruxolitinib in the U.S. and March 31, 2027, net sales of deuruxolitinib is equal to or exceeds $100 million, and (ii) an additional $2.50 per share of common stock, payable the first time that in any period of four consecutive fiscal quarters between the time of the first commercial sale of deuruxolitinib in the U.S. and December 31, 2029, net sales of deuruxolitinib is equal to or exceeds $500 million. There can be no assurance that any payments will be made with respect to the CVRs.

The transaction is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2023. The transaction is subject to the tender of a majority of the outstanding shares of Concert's common stock, as well as the receipt of applicable regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. Following the successful closing of the tender offer, Sun Pharma will acquire all remaining shares of Concert that are not tendered into the tender offer and all shares of Concert's preferred stock through a second-step merger at the same price of $8.00 per share of common stock, plus one non-tradeable CVR. The merger will be effected as soon as practicable after the closing of the tender offer.

For the nine-month period ending September 2022, Concert reported total revenue of $29 thousand and a net loss of $90.6 million. The R&D expense for that nine-month period was $75.7 million. As of September 30, 2022, Concert had approximately $148.9 million in cash, cash equivalents and investments.

Sun Pharma had net cash of $1.6 billion as of September 30, 2022.

Advisors

Moelis & Company LLC is serving as financial advisor to Sun Pharma, and Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP is serving as legal advisor. MTS Health Partners, L.P. and Chestnut Partners, Inc. are serving as financial advisors to Concert, and Goodwin Procter LLP is serving as legal advisor. In addition, MTS Securities, LLC (an affiliate of MTS Health Partners, L.P.) provided an opinion to the Board of Directors of Concert regarding the fairness of the offer consideration to be received by the holders of Concert common stock in the transaction, subject to the qualifications and limitations set forth therein.

About Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (CIN - L24230GJ1993PLC019050)

Sun Pharma is the world's fourth largest specialty generic pharmaceutical company and India's top pharmaceutical company. A vertically integrated business and a skilled team enables it to deliver high-quality products, trusted by customers and patients in over 100 countries across the world, at affordable prices. Its global presence is supported by manufacturing facilities spread across 6 continents and approved by multiple regulatory agencies, coupled with a multi-cultural workforce comprising over 50 nationalities. Sun Pharma fosters excellence through innovation supported by strong R&D capabilities across multiple R&D centers, with investments of approximately 6% of annual revenues in R&D. For further information, please visit www.sunpharma.com & follow us on Twitter @SunPharma_Live

About Concert

Concert Pharmaceuticals is a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company that is developing deuruxolitinib, a novel, deuterated, oral JAK1/2 inhibitor. Concert has successfully completed two Phase 3 trials with deuruxolitinib in adults with Alopecia Areata, a serious autoimmune dermatological disease. Concert is also evaluating the use of deuruxolitinib in other indications and assessing a number of earlier-stage pipeline candidates. For more information, please visit www.concertpharma.com or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn.

Forward Looking Statements

This communication contains express or implied forward-looking statements related to Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. ("Sun Pharma"), Concert Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Concert") and the acquisition of Concert by Sun Pharma, including express or implied forward-looking statements about deuruxolitinib, its therapeutic benefits and its regulatory development pathway, and the future operations and performance of Sun Pharma and Concert. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including all statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectation of the companies and members of their senior management teams. Words such as "will," "could," "would," "should," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "intend," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "project," "potential," "continue," "target," variations of such words, and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Examples of such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, express or implied:

  • statements regarding the transaction and related matters, prospective performance and opportunities, post-closing operations and the outlook for the companies' businesses;
  • statements of targets, plans, objectives or goals for future operations, including those related to Sun Pharma's and Concert's products, product research, product development, product introductions and product approvals as well as cooperation in relation thereto;
  • statements containing projections of or targets for revenues, costs, income (or loss), earnings per share, capital expenditures, dividends, capital structure, net financials and other financial measures;
  • statements regarding future economic performance, future actions and outcome of contingencies such as legal proceedings; and
  • statements regarding the assumptions underlying or relating to such statements.

These statements are based on current plans, estimates and projections. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific. Sun Pharma and Concert each caution that a number of important factors, including those described in this document, could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in any forward-looking statements.

Factors that may affect future results and may cause these forward-looking statements to be inaccurate include, but are not limited to: uncertainties as to the timing of the tender offer and merger; uncertainties as to how many of Concert's stockholders will tender their stock in the offer; the possibility that competing offers will be made; the possibility that various closing conditions for the transaction may not be satisfied or waived, including that a governmental entity may prohibit, delay or refuse to grant approval for the consummation of the transaction (or only grant approval subject to adverse conditions or limitations); the possibility that the proposed transaction may not be completed in the time frame expected by Sun Pharma and Concert, or at all; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction in the time frame expected, or at all; the effects of the transaction on relationships with employees, other business partners or governmental entities; potential adverse reactions or changes to business relationships resulting from the announcement or completion of the proposed transaction; significant or unexpected costs, charges or expenses resulting from the proposed transaction; negative effects of this announcement or the consummation of the proposed acquisition on the market price of Sun Pharma's shares or Concert's common stock and/or Sun Pharma's or Concert's operating results; the difficulty of predicting the timing or outcome of regulatory approvals or actions; the risks related to non-achievement of the CVR milestones and that holders of the CVRs will not receive payments in respect of the CVRs; other business effects, including the effects of industry, economic or political conditions outside of the companies' control; transaction costs; actual or contingent liabilities; risk of litigation and/or regulatory actions related to the proposed acquisition; adverse impacts on business, operating results or financial condition in the future due to pandemics, epidemics or outbreaks, such as COVID-19, and their impact on Sun Pharma's and Concert's respective businesses, operations, supply chain, patient enrollment and retention, clinical trials, strategy, goals and anticipated milestones; government-mandated or market-driven price decreases for Sun Pharma's or Concert's products; introduction of competing products; reliance on information technology; Sun Pharma's or Concert's ability to successfully market current and new products; Sun Pharma's, Concert's and their collaborators' ability to continue to conduct research and clinical programs; exposure to product liability and legal proceedings and investigations; and other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in Concert's periodic reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") as well as the Schedule 14D-9 to be filed by Concert and the Schedule TO and related tender offer documents to be filed by Sun Pharma and Foliage Merger Sub, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sun Pharma ("Purchaser").

Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this communication and are made based on the current beliefs and judgments of Sun Pharma's and Concert's management, and the reader is cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statements made by Sun Pharma or Concert. Unlisted factors may present significant additional obstacles to the realization of forward-looking statements. Unless required by law, each of Sun Pharma and Concert is under no duty and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement after the distribution of this communication, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Additional Information And Where To Find It

The tender offer referenced in this document has not yet commenced. This communication is for informational purposes only and is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell securities of Concert, nor is it a substitute for any tender offer materials that Sun Pharma, Concert or Purchaser will file with the SEC. A solicitation and an offer to buy shares of Concert will be made only pursuant to an offer to purchase and related materials that Sun Pharma intends to file with the SEC. At the time the tender offer is commenced, Sun Pharma and Purchaser will file a Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO with the SEC, and Concert will file a Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9 with the SEC with respect to the tender offer. CONCERT'S STOCKHOLDERS AND OTHER INVESTORS ARE URGED TO READ THE TENDER OFFER MATERIALS (INCLUDING AN OFFER TO PURCHASE, A RELATED LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL AND CERTAIN OTHER TENDER OFFER DOCUMENTS) AND THE SOLICITATION/RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION WHICH SHOULD BE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE ANY DECISION IS MADE WITH RESPECT TO THE TENDER OFFER. The Offer to Purchase, the related Letter of Transmittal and certain other tender offer documents, as well as the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement, will be sent to all stockholders of Concert at no expense to them. The Tender Offer Statement and the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement will be made available for free at the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov. Additional copies may be obtained for free by contacting Sun Pharma or Concert. Free copies of these materials and certain other offering documents are available by contacting Sun Pharma's Investor Relations Department at abhi.sharma@sunpharma.com, Concert's Investor Relations Department at ir@concertpharma.com, or by directing requests for such materials to the information agent for the offer, which will be named in the Tender Offer Statement. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Concert will be available free of charge under the "Investors" section of Concert's internet website at www.concertpharma.com.

In addition to the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement, Concert files annual, quarterly and current reports and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy any reports or other information filed by Concert at the SEC public reference room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the public reference room. Concert's filings with the SEC are also available for free to the public from commercial document-retrieval services and at the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov.

Contacts:

Sun Pharma:

Investors

Dr. Abhishek Sharma
+91 22 4324 2929
abhi.sharma@sunpharma.com

Media (Global)

Gaurav Chugh
+91 22 4324 5373
gaurav.chugh@sunpharma.com

Media (USA)

Janet Metz
Janet.Metz@sunpharma.com

Concert:

Investors

Justine Koenigsberg
(781) 674-5284
ir@concertpharma.com

[1] Benigno M. A Large Cross-Sectional Survey Study of the Prevalence of Alopecia Areata in the United States, Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology 2020. 

[2] Lee HH et al. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2020 Mar; 82(3):675-682.

[3] Villasante et al. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2015 Jul 24;8:397-403.

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SOURCE Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

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Economic Earthquake Ahead? The Cracks Are Spreading Fast

Economic Earthquake Ahead? The Cracks Are Spreading Fast

Authored by Brandon Smith via Alt-Market.us,

One of my favorite false narratives…

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Economic Earthquake Ahead? The Cracks Are Spreading Fast

Authored by Brandon Smith via Alt-Market.us,

One of my favorite false narratives floating around corporate media platforms has been the argument that the American people “just don’t seem to understand how good the economy really is right now.” If only they would look at the stats, they would realize that we are in the middle of a financial renaissance, right? It must be that people have been brainwashed by negative press from conservative sources…

I have to laugh at this notion because it’s a very common one throughout history – it’s an assertion made by almost every single political regime right before a major collapse. These people always say the same things, and when you study economics as long as I have you can’t help but throw up your hands and marvel at their dedication to the propaganda.

One example that comes to mind immediately is the delusional optimism of the “roaring” 1920s and the lead up to the Great Depression. At the time around 60% of the U.S. population was living in poverty conditions (according to the metrics of the decade) earning less than $2000 a year. However, in the years after WWI ravaged Europe, America’s economic power was considered unrivaled.

The 1920s was an era of mass production and rampant consumerism but it was all fueled by easy access to debt, a condition which had not really existed before in America. It was this illusion of prosperity created by the unchecked application of credit that eventually led to the massive stock market bubble and the crash of 1929. This implosion, along with the Federal Reserve’s policy of raising interest rates into economic weakness, created a black hole in the U.S. financial system for over a decade.

There are two primary tools that various failing regimes will often use to distort the true conditions of the economy: Debt and inflation. In the case of America today, we are experiencing BOTH problems simultaneously and this has made certain economic indicators appear healthy when they are, in fact, highly unstable. The average American knows this is the case because they see the effects everyday. They see the damage to their wallets, to their buying power, in the jobs market and in their quality of life. This is why public faith in the economy has been stuck in the dregs since 2021.

The establishment can flash out-of-context stats in people’s faces, but they can’t force the populace to see a recovery that simply does not exist. Let’s go through a short list of the most faulty indicators and the real reasons why the fiscal picture is not a rosy as the media would like us to believe…

The “miracle” labor market recovery

In the case of the U.S. labor market, we have a clear example of distortion through inflation. The $8 trillion+ dropped on the economy in the first 18 months of the pandemic response sent the system over the edge into stagflation land. Helicopter money has a habit of doing two things very well: Blowing up a bubble in stock markets and blowing up a bubble in retail. Hence, the massive rush by Americans to go out and buy, followed by the sudden labor shortage and the race to hire (mostly for low wage part-time jobs).

The problem with this “miracle” is that inflation leads to price explosions, which we have already experienced. The average American is spending around 30% more for goods, services and housing compared to what they were spending in 2020. This is what happens when you have too much money chasing too few goods and limited production.

The jobs market looks great on paper, but the majority of jobs generated in the past few years are jobs that returned after the covid lockdowns ended. The rest are jobs created through monetary stimulus and the artificial retail rush. Part time low wage service sector jobs are not going to keep the country rolling for very long in a stagflation environment. The question is, what happens now that the stimulus punch bowl has been removed?

Just as we witnessed in the 1920s, Americans have turned to debt to make up for higher prices and stagnant wages by maxing out their credit cards. With the central bank keeping interest rates high, the credit safety net will soon falter. This condition also goes for businesses; the same businesses that will jump headlong into mass layoffs when they realize the party is over. It happened during the Great Depression and it will happen again today.

Cracks in the foundation

We saw cracks in the narrative of the financial structure in 2023 with the banking crisis, and without the Federal Reserve backstop policy many more small and medium banks would have dropped dead. The weakness of U.S. banks is offset by the relative strength of the U.S. dollar, which lures in foreign investors hoping to protect their wealth using dollar denominated assets.

But something is amiss. Gold and bitcoin have rocketed higher along with economically sensitive assets and the dollar. This is the opposite of what’s supposed to happen. Gold and BTC are supposed to be hedges against a weak dollar and a weak economy, right? If global faith in the dollar and in the U.S. economy is so high, why are investors diving into protective assets like gold?

Again, as noted above, inflation distorts everything.

Tens of trillions of extra dollars printed by the Fed are floating around and it’s no surprise that much of that cash is flooding into the economy which simply pushes higher right along with prices on the shelf. But, gold and bitcoin are telling us a more honest story about what’s really happening.

Right now, the U.S. government is adding around $600 billion per month to the national debt as the Fed holds rates higher to fight inflation. This debt is going to crush America’s financial standing for global investors who will eventually ask HOW the U.S. is going to handle that growing millstone? As I predicted years ago, the Fed has created a perfect Catch-22 scenario in which the U.S. must either return to rampant inflation, or, face a debt crisis. In either case, U.S. dollar-denominated assets will lose their appeal and their prices will plummet.

“Healthy” GDP is a complete farce

GDP is the most common out-of-context stat used by governments to convince the citizenry that all is well. It is yet another stat that is entirely manipulated by inflation. It is also manipulated by the way in which modern governments define “economic activity.”

GDP is primarily driven by spending. Meaning, the higher inflation goes, the higher prices go, and the higher GDP climbs (to a point). Eventually prices go too high, credit cards tap out and spending ceases. But, for a short time inflation makes GDP (as well as retail sales) look good.

Another factor that creates a bubble is the fact that government spending is actually included in the calculation of GDP. That’s right, every dollar of your tax money that the government wastes helps the establishment by propping up GDP numbers. This is why government spending increases will never stop – It’s too valuable for them to spend as a way to make the economy appear healthier than it is.

The REAL economy is eclipsing the fake economy

The bottom line is that Americans used to be able to ignore the warning signs because their bank accounts were not being directly affected. This is over. Now, every person in the country is dealing with a massive decline in buying power and higher prices across the board on everything – from food and fuel to housing and financial assets alike. Even the wealthy are seeing a compression to their profit and many are struggling to keep their businesses in the black.

The unfortunate truth is that the elections of 2024 will probably be the turning point at which the whole edifice comes tumbling down. Even if the public votes for change, the system is already broken and cannot be repaired without a complete overhaul.

We have consistently avoided taking our medicine and our disease has gotten worse and worse.

People have lost faith in the economy because they have not faced this kind of uncertainty since the 1930s. Even the stagflation crisis of the 1970s will likely pale in comparison to what is about to happen. On the bright side, at least a large number of Americans are aware of the threat, as opposed to the 1920s when the vast majority of people were utterly conned by the government, the banks and the media into thinking all was well. Knowing is the first step to preparing.

The second step is securing your own financial future – that’s where physical precious metals can play a role. Diversifying your savings with inflation-resistant, uninflatable assets whose intrinsic value doesn’t rely on a counterparty’s promise to pay adds resilience to your savings. That’s the main reason physical gold and silver have been the safe haven store-of-value assets of choice for centuries (among both the elite and the everyday citizen).

*  *  *

As the world moves away from dollars and toward Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), is your 401(k) or IRA really safe? A smart and conservative move is to diversify into a physical gold IRA. That way your savings will be in something solid and enduring. Get your FREE info kit on Gold IRAs from Birch Gold Group. No strings attached, just peace of mind. Click here to secure your future today.

Tyler Durden Fri, 03/08/2024 - 17:00

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Wendy’s teases new $3 offer for upcoming holiday

The Daylight Savings Time promotion slashes prices on breakfast.

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Daylight Savings Time, or the practice of advancing clocks an hour in the spring to maximize natural daylight, is a controversial practice because of the way it leaves many feeling off-sync and tired on the second Sunday in March when the change is made and one has one less hour to sleep in.

Despite annual "Abolish Daylight Savings Time" think pieces and online arguments that crop up with unwavering regularity, Daylight Savings in North America begins on March 10 this year.

Related: Coca-Cola has a new soda for Diet Coke fans

Tapping into some people's very vocal dislike of Daylight Savings Time, fast-food chain Wendy's  (WEN)  is launching a daylight savings promotion that is jokingly designed to make losing an hour of sleep less painful and encourage fans to order breakfast anyway.

Wendy's has recently made a big push to expand its breakfast menu.

Image source: Wendy's.

Promotion wants you to compensate for lost sleep with cheaper breakfast

As it is also meant to drive traffic to the Wendy's app, the promotion allows anyone who makes a purchase of $3 or more through the platform to get a free hot coffee, cold coffee or Frosty Cream Cold Brew.

More Food + Dining:

Available during the Wendy's breakfast hours of 6 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. (which, naturally, will feel even earlier due to Daylight Savings), the deal also allows customers to buy any of its breakfast sandwiches for $3. Items like the Sausage, Egg and Cheese Biscuit, Breakfast Baconator and Maple Bacon Chicken Croissant normally range in price between $4.50 and $7.

The choice of the latter is quite wide since, in the years following the pandemic, Wendy's has made a concerted effort to expand its breakfast menu with a range of new sandwiches with egg in them and sweet items such as the French Toast Sticks. The goal was both to stand out from competitors with a wider breakfast menu and increase traffic to its stores during early-morning hours.

Wendy's deal comes after controversy over 'dynamic pricing'

But last month, the chain known for the square shape of its burger patties ignited controversy after saying that it wanted to introduce "dynamic pricing" in which the cost of many of the items on its menu will vary depending on the time of day. In an earnings call, chief executive Kirk Tanner said that electronic billboards would allow restaurants to display various deals and promotions during slower times in the early morning and late at night.

Outcry was swift and Wendy's ended up walking back its plans with words that they were "misconstrued" as an intent to surge prices during its most popular periods.

While the company issued a statement saying that any changes were meant as "discounts and value offers" during quiet periods rather than raised prices during busy ones, the reputational damage was already done since many saw the clarification as another way to obfuscate its pricing model.

"We said these menuboards would give us more flexibility to change the display of featured items," Wendy's said in its statement. "This was misconstrued in some media reports as an intent to raise prices when demand is highest at our restaurants."

The Daylight Savings Time promotion, in turn, is also a way to demonstrate the kinds of deals Wendy's wants to promote in its stores without putting up full-sized advertising or posters for what is only relevant for a few days.

Related: Veteran fund manager picks favorite stocks for 2024

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Inside The Most Ridiculous Jobs Report In Recent History: Record 1.2 Million Immigrant Jobs Added In One Month

Inside The Most Ridiculous Jobs Report In Recent History: Record 1.2 Million Immigrant Jobs Added In One Month

Last month we though that the…

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Inside The Most Ridiculous Jobs Report In Recent History: Record 1.2 Million Immigrant Jobs Added In One Month

Last month we though that the January jobs report was the "most ridiculous in recent history" but, boy, were we wrong because this morning the Biden department of goalseeked propaganda (aka BLS) published the February jobs report, and holy crap was that something else. Even Goebbels would blush. 

What happened? Let's take a closer look.

On the surface, it was (almost) another blockbuster jobs report, certainly one which nobody expected, or rather just one bank out of 76 expected. Starting at the top, the BLS reported that in February the US unexpectedly added 275K jobs, with just one research analyst (from Dai-Ichi Research) expecting a higher number.

Some context: after last month's record 4-sigma beat, today's print was "only" 3 sigma higher than estimates. Needless to say, two multiple sigma beats in a row used to only happen in the USSR... and now in the US, apparently.

Before we go any further, a quick note on what last month we said was "the most ridiculous jobs report in recent history": it appears the BLS read our comments and decided to stop beclowing itself. It did that by slashing last month's ridiculous print by over a third, and revising what was originally reported as a massive 353K beat to just 229K,  a 124K revision, which was the biggest one-month negative revision in two years!

Of course, that does not mean that this month's jobs print won't be revised lower: it will be, and not just that month but every other month until the November election because that's the only tool left in the Biden admin's box: pretend the economic and jobs are strong, then revise them sharply lower the next month, something we pointed out first last summer and which has not failed to disappoint once.

To be fair, not every aspect of the jobs report was stellar (after all, the BLS had to give it some vague credibility). Take the unemployment rate, after flatlining between 3.4% and 3.8% for two years - and thus denying expectations from Sahm's Rule that a recession may have already started - in February the unemployment rate unexpectedly jumped to 3.9%, the highest since February 2022 (with Black unemployment spiking by 0.3% to 5.6%, an indicator which the Biden admin will quickly slam as widespread economic racism or something).

And then there were average hourly earnings, which after surging 0.6% MoM in January (since revised to 0.5%) and spooking markets that wage growth is so hot, the Fed will have no choice but to delay cuts, in February the number tumbled to just 0.1%, the lowest in two years...

... for one simple reason: last month's average wage surge had nothing to do with actual wages, and everything to do with the BLS estimate of hours worked (which is the denominator in the average wage calculation) which last month tumbled to just 34.1 (we were led to believe) the lowest since the covid pandemic...

... but has since been revised higher while the February print rose even more, to 34.3, hence why the latest average wage data was once again a product not of wages going up, but of how long Americans worked in any weekly period, in this case higher from 34.1 to 34.3, an increase which has a major impact on the average calculation.

While the above data points were examples of some latent weakness in the latest report, perhaps meant to give it a sheen of veracity, it was everything else in the report that was a problem starting with the BLS's latest choice of seasonal adjustments (after last month's wholesale revision), which have gone from merely laughable to full clownshow, as the following comparison between the monthly change in BLS and ADP payrolls shows. The trend is clear: the Biden admin numbers are now clearly rising even as the impartial ADP (which directly logs employment numbers at the company level and is far more accurate), shows an accelerating slowdown.

But it's more than just the Biden admin hanging its "success" on seasonal adjustments: when one digs deeper inside the jobs report, all sorts of ugly things emerge... such as the growing unprecedented divergence between the Establishment (payrolls) survey and much more accurate Household (actual employment) survey. To wit, while in January the BLS claims 275K payrolls were added, the Household survey found that the number of actually employed workers dropped for the third straight month (and 4 in the past 5), this time by 184K (from 161.152K to 160.968K).

This means that while the Payrolls series hits new all time highs every month since December 2020 (when according to the BLS the US had its last month of payrolls losses), the level of Employment has not budged in the past year. Worse, as shown in the chart below, such a gaping divergence has opened between the two series in the past 4 years, that the number of Employed workers would need to soar by 9 million (!) to catch up to what Payrolls claims is the employment situation.

There's more: shifting from a quantitative to a qualitative assessment, reveals just how ugly the composition of "new jobs" has been. Consider this: the BLS reports that in February 2024, the US had 132.9 million full-time jobs and 27.9 million part-time jobs. Well, that's great... until you look back one year and find that in February 2023 the US had 133.2 million full-time jobs, or more than it does one year later! And yes, all the job growth since then has been in part-time jobs, which have increased by 921K since February 2023 (from 27.020 million to 27.941 million).

Here is a summary of the labor composition in the past year: all the new jobs have been part-time jobs!

But wait there's even more, because now that the primary season is over and we enter the heart of election season and political talking points will be thrown around left and right, especially in the context of the immigration crisis created intentionally by the Biden administration which is hoping to import millions of new Democratic voters (maybe the US can hold the presidential election in Honduras or Guatemala, after all it is their citizens that will be illegally casting the key votes in November), what we find is that in February, the number of native-born workers tumbled again, sliding by a massive 560K to just 129.807 million. Add to this the December data, and we get a near-record 2.4 million plunge in native-born workers in just the past 3 months (only the covid crash was worse)!

The offset? A record 1.2 million foreign-born (read immigrants, both legal and illegal but mostly illegal) workers added in February!

Said otherwise, not only has all job creation in the past 6 years has been exclusively for foreign-born workers...

Source: St Louis Fed FRED Native Born and Foreign Born

... but there has been zero job-creation for native born workers since June 2018!

This is a huge issue - especially at a time of an illegal alien flood at the southwest border...

... and is about to become a huge political scandal, because once the inevitable recession finally hits, there will be millions of furious unemployed Americans demanding a more accurate explanation for what happened - i.e., the illegal immigration floodgates that were opened by the Biden admin.

Which is also why Biden's handlers will do everything in their power to insure there is no official recession before November... and why after the election is over, all economic hell will finally break loose. Until then, however, expect the jobs numbers to get even more ridiculous.

Tyler Durden Fri, 03/08/2024 - 13:30

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