Newspaper Page Text
0D BUSINESS
Jeff Gill | Business reporter
770-718-3408 | jgill@gainesvilletimes.com
The Times, Gainesville, Georgia
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
Where’s my Amazon drone?
AMAZON I Associated Press
An Amazon Prime Air drone in Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, Dec. 7, 2016.
Jeff Bezos predicted they would be the future of package delivery
BY DAVID KOENIG AND JOSEPH
PISANI
The Associated Press
Jeff Bezos boldly predicted five
years ago that drones would be car
rying Amazon packages to people’s
doorsteps by now.
Amazon customers are still wait
ing. And it’s unclear when, if ever, this
particular order by the company’s
founder and CEO will arrive.
Bezos made billions of dollars by
transforming the retail sector. But
overcoming the regulatory hurdles
and safety issues posed by drones
appears to be a challenge even for the
world’s wealthiest man. The result is
a blown deadline on his claim to CBS’
“60 Minutes” in December 2013 that
drones would be making deliveries
within five years.
The day may not be far off when
drones will carry medicine to people
in rural or remote areas, but the mar
keting hype around instant delivery of
consumer goods looks more and more
like just that — hype. Drones have a
short battery life, and privacy con
cerns can be a hindrance, too.
“I don’t think you will see delivery
of burritos or diapers in the suburbs,”
says drone analyst Colin Snow.
Drone usage has grown rapidly in
some industries, but mostly outside
the retail sector and direct interaction
with consumers.
The government estimates that
about 110,000 commercial drones are
operating in U.S. airspace, and the
number is expected to soar to about
450,000 in 2022. They are being used
in rural areas for mining and agricul
ture, for inspecting power lines and
pipelines, and for surveying.
Amazon says it is still pushing
ahead with plans to use drones for
quick deliveries, though the company
is staying away from fixed timelines.
“We are committed to making our
goal of delivering packages by drones
in 30 minutes or less a reality,” says
Amazon spokeswoman Kristen Kish.
The Seattle-based online retail giant
says it has drone development centers
in the United States, Austria, France,
Israel and the United Kingdom.
Delivery companies have been test
ing the use of drones to deliver emer
gency supplies and to cover ground
quickly in less populated areas. By
contrast, package deliveries would
be concentrated in office parks and
neighborhoods where there are big
ger issues around safety and privacy.
In May, the Trump administration
approved a three-year program for
private companies and local govern
ment agencies to test drones for deliv
eries, inspections and other tasks.
But pilot programs by major deliv
ery companies suggest few Americans
will be greeted by package-bearing
drones any time soon. United Parcel
Service tested launching a drone from
a delivery truck that was covering a
rural route in Florida. DHL Express,
the German delivery company, tested
the use of drones to deliver medicine
from Tanzania to an island in Lake
Victoria.
Frank Appel, the CEO of DHL’s
parent company, Deutsche Post AG,
said “over the next couple of years”
drones will remain a niche vehicle
and not widely used. He said a big
obstacle is battery life.
US-China trade
truce sends US
stocks higher
BY ALEX VEIGA
Associated Press
A welcome truce in the escalating U.S.-China trade dis
pute put investors in a buying mood Monday, sending U.S.
stocks solidly higher and extending the market’s gains from
last week.
The broad rally, which lost some of its early morning
momentum, followed gains in overseas markets as investors
welcomed news of the temporary, 90-day stand-down, which
was agreed to over dinner between President Donald Trump
and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the G-20 summit
over the weekend.
The long-running dispute between the world’s two largest
economies has rattled investors for months, stoking traders’
fears that it could begin dragging down corporate profits and
weighing on global economic growth.
“We’re going to have to see what happens over these 90
days,” said Tom Martin, senior portfolio manager at Glo-
balt Investments. “In the meantime, you’re not getting an
increase in the tariffs, so that’s an interim positive.”
The encouraging development on trade helped extend
a swift turnaround for the market, which notched its big
gest weekly gain in nearly seven years last week after Fed
Chairman Jerome Powell indicated the central bank might
consider a pause in rate hikes next year while it gauges the
impact of its credit tightening program.
Technology stocks, automakers, retailers and industrial
companies accounted for much of the market’s gains Mon
day, offsetting losses in household goods makers. Energy
stocks also climbed as U.S. crude oil prices rose sharply.
U.S. traders observed a moment of silence before markets
opened Monday in honor of former President George H.W.
Bush, who died Friday at 94.
The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq said they will
close trading Wednesday in observance of a national day
of mourning for Bush. The federal government will also be
closed.
The S&P 500 index climbed 30.20 points, or 1.1 percent,
to 2,790.37. The benchmark index vaulted 4.9 percent last
week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 287.97
points, or 1.1 percent, to 25,826.43. The average was up as
much as 441 points earlier.
The Nasdaq composite rose 110.98 points, or 1.5 percent,
to 7,441.51. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company
stocks picked up 15.69 points, or 1 percent, to 1,548.96.
Markets in Europe also finished higher. Germany’s DAX
gained 1.8 percent, while France’s CAC 40 rose 1 percent.
Britain’s FTSE100 added 1.2 percent.
After a steep decline in October, U.S. stocks steadied in
early November. But the selling picked up again as inves
tors abandoned high-flying technology stocks amid con
cerns over the U.S.-China trade tussle and slowing global
economic growth and bailed on energy stocks as the price
of oil plummeted.
Alberta government imposes industry-wide cut in oil production
vrM
WORKING TO
MAKE LIFE BETTER
JASON FRANSON I Associated Press
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley speaks during an
announcement of a mandatory cut in oil production to
deal with a price crisis that is costing Canada an estimated
$80 million a day, in Edmonton on Sunday, Dec. 2.
BY ROB GILLIES
Associated Press
TORONTO — Alberta’s
premier announced Sunday
night that she is imposing an
industry-wide 8.7 percent cut
in oil production for the Cana
dian province to deal with
a storage glut that has hurt
prices for Alberta oil.
Premier Rachel Notley
said output will be lowered
325,000 barrels a day in Janu
ary because of shipment
problems that she blames on
a lack of pipelines. The gov
ernment said the reduction
will be evaluated monthly.
Alberta produces 3.7 mil
lion barrels a day, but that is
190,000 barrels more than
can be shipped. About 35
million barrels are sitting in
storage, and the oversupply
results in the province’s crude
selling for around $10 a bar
rel, a fraction of what other
world producers get.
Notley said Canada’s econ
omy is losing $60 million a
day. The Alberta government
believes the cut will increase
the price per barrel by four
dollars a barrel by spring
“I want to be clear. This is a
short term measure,” Notley
said. “We are essentially giv
ing our oil away for free... this
is not sustainable.”
Canada has the world’s
third-largest oil reserves and
is the top source of foreign oil
for the U.S.
Alberta needs new pipe
lines to expand its export
options for its growing oil
sands production. At present,
97 percent of Canadian oil
exports go to the U.S., which
is awash with oil.
The premier has already
said the province will buy as
many as 80 locomotives and
7,000 rail tankers, expected
to cost hundreds of millions
of dollars, to move the prov
ince’s excess oil to markets,
with the first shipments
expected in late 2019. But
she has said that rail cars,
new pipelines and increasing
domestic refining capacity
would not bring relief soon
enough.
Notley called the produc
tion cut a difficult decision
because there is not consen
sus in the industry.
Cenovus Energy proposed
a reduction last month and
the idea has been supported
by opposition politicians in
Alberta, including United
Conservative Party leader
Jason Kenney. However, the
Imperial and Husky com
panies said Friday that they
opposed non-voluntary pro
duction cuts but supported the
rail investments because that
could help improve market
access.
A number of proposed
pipelines have been delayed
or rejected.
Canada’s Federal Court
of Appeal halted the conten
tious Trans Mountain pipe
line expansion that would
nearly triple the flow of oil
from the Alberta oil sands to
the Pacific Coast — a setback
that came just as the federal
government bought the proj
ect to help ensure it gets built
amid strong environmental
and aboriginal opposition in
British Columbia.
The court ordered the
country’s National Energy
Board to redo its review of
the pipeline.
A U.S. federal judge also
blocked a permit for con
struction of the Keystone
XL oil pipeline from Canada
and ordered officials to con
duct a new environmental
review.
The federal Canadian gov
ernment nixed Enbridge’s
proposed Northern Gateway
pipeline to the Pacific Coast,
and TransCanada’s Energy
East pipeline to the Atlantic
Coast is also not going ahead.
Stock Exchange Highlights
I
NYSE
12,577.54 +120.00
I
Nasdaq
7,441.51 +110.98
Gainers ($2 or more)
Name Last Chg %Chg
BiohvnPh n 42.62
AACHIdgs 2.32
LaredoPet 5.13
CenovusE 8.33
Vapothrm n 20.65
ArcusBio n 12.81
Seadrill n 15.26
TribMdaA 44.98
CrescPtE g 3.30
DenburyR 2.51
+8.63 +25.4
+.35 +17.8
+.76 +17.4
+.95 +12.9
+2.26 +12.3
+1.39 +12.2
+1.63 +12.0
+4.72 +11.7
+.34 +11.5
+.25 +11.1
Losers ($2 or more)
Name Last Chg %Chg
Aphria n 6.05
USCF ShOil 9.32
CgpVellCrd 11.82
UBS 3xlnvC 13.11
StoneMor 3.04
DxSPOGBr rs9.83
PrUShCrd S23.61
DrxNGBear rs29.37 -3.02
DxRsaBr rs 16.94 -1.62
NavMH pfH 4.50 -.43
-1.85 -23.4
-1.63 -14.9
-1.94 -14.1
-2.10 -13.8
-.46 -13.1
-1.11 -10.1
-2.49
-9.5
-9.3
-8.7
-8.7
Most Active ($1 on more)
Name Vol (00) Last Chg
GenElec 1301986 781 +TT
FordM 645065 9.60 +.19
BkofAm 598786 28.54 +.14
AT&T Inc 435129 31.71 +.47
TribMdaA 400572 44.98 +4.72
Aphria n 352854 6.05 -1.85
EnCana g 326024 7.11 +.39
SwstnEngy 318124 4.64 -.18
Alibaba 310535 163.74 +2.88
ChesEng 293031 3.09 +.17
Diary
Advanced
Declined
Unchanged
Total issues
New Highs
New Lows
Volume
2,103
726
52
2,881
75
113
4,117,103,116
Gainers ($2 or more)
Name Last Chg %Chg
Tesaro 73.50
GbIBIdT n 46.62
GuardntH n 45.94
VandaPhm 31.47
Greenpro n 3.32
Eyenovia n
RevenHo n
Apellis n
Provent n
AEtern g rs
4.24
3.50
18.06
2.70
3.87
+27.12
+15.08
+10.21
+6.43
+.55
+.67
+.53
+2.72
+.39
+.49
+58.5
+47.8
+28.6
+25.7
+19.9
+18.8
+17.8
+17.7
+16.9
+14.5
Losers ($2 or more)
Name
Last Chg %Chg
SiennaBi n 6.31
Hexindai n 3.18
AdialPh n 2.83
BorqsTch 4.34
TonixP hrs 4.04
RealmTh n 2.45
Sphr3D grs 4.34
KodiakSc n 7.95
OcularTher 5.73
Wilhelmina 5.67
-3.80 -37.6
-1.22 -27.7
-1.01 -26.3
-1.36 -23.8
-1.15 -22.2
-.53 -17.8
-.92 -17.5
-1.30 -14.1
-.93 -14.0
-.90 -13.7
Most Active ($1 or more)
Name Vol (00) Last Chg
AMD 1390621
CronosGp n444338
Tesaro 441729
Apple Inc 405115
AmEITech 365103
MicronT 356129
Microsoft 342750
ActivsBIiz 305308
Intel 299704
SiriusXM 273359
23.71 +2.41
10.17 +1.02
73.50 +27.12
184.82 +6.24
1.08 +.68
40.03 +1.47
112.09 +1.20
46.60 -3.28
50.13 +.82
6.32 +.09
Diary
Advanced
Declined
Unchanged
Total issues
New Highs
New Lows
Volume
1,913
1,017
142
3,072
71
85
2,536,753,149
Stocks of Local Interest
Name Ex
YTD
Div Yld PE Last Chg %Chg
AFLAC S
1.04
2.3
14
46.07
+.33 0.0
Haverty
.72
3.4
22
21.23
+.74
-6.3
AT&T Inc
2.00
6.3
6
31.71
+.47 -18.4
Hershey
2.89
2.7
24
108.93
+.63
-4.0
AbbottLab
1.12
1.5
31
74.27
+.22 +30.1
HomeDp
4.12
2.3
20
181.74
+1.42
-4.1
ActivsBIiz
.34
.7
27
46.60
-3.28 -26.4
Intel
1.20
2.4
19
50.13
+.82
+8.6
AMD
23.71
+2.41+130.6
IBM
6.28
5.0
9
125.31
+1.04
-18.3
Altria
3.20
5.7
18
55.73
+.90 -22.0
JohnJn
3.60
2.5
20
146.21
-.69
+4.6
AmEITech
1.08
+.68 -28.0
Lowes
1.92
2.0
21
94.29
-.08
+1.5
Aphria n
6.05
-1.85 -50.6
McDnlds
4.64
2.5
28
185.37
-3.14
+7.7
Apple Inc
2.92
1.6
19
184.82 +6.24 +9.2
Merck
2.20
2.8
30
79.22
-.12 +40.8
ATMOS
1.94
2.0
18
97.61
+1.94 +13.6
MicronT
3
40.03
+1.47
-2.7
AutoZone
18
824.46+15.39 +15.9
Microsoft
1.84
1.6
47
112.09
+1.20 +31.0
AveryD
2.26
2.3
27
96.19
-.21 -16.3
NewAgeB n ...
5.05
+.42+132.7
BB&T Cp
1.62
3.2
15
50.73
-.37 +2.0
NorflkSo
3.20
1.9
26
172.18
+1.44
+18.8
BP PLC
2.38
5.8
12
41.19
+.84 -2.0
OfficeDpt
.10
3.1
9
3.25
+.02
-8.2
BkofAm
.60
2.1
14
28.54
+.14 -3.3
Penney
1.44
+.01
-54.4
BarnesNob
.60
8.1
7.42
-.15 +10.7
PepsiCo
3.71
3.1
34
118.98
-2.96
-.8
Boeing
6.84
1.9
34
359.96+13.20 +22.1
Pfizer
1.36
3.0
18
45.99
-.24
+27.0
BrMySq
1.60
3.0
53
53.28
-.18 -13.1
PhilipMor
4.56
5.2
21
87.08
+.55
-17.6
CSX
.88
1.2
11
73.15
+.52 +33.0
Primerica
1.00
.8
14
117.89
-.99
+16.1
CampSp
1.40
3.6
14
38.76
-.44 -19.4
ProctGam
2.87
3.1
23
93.32
-1.19
+1.6
Caterpillar
3.44
2.5
13
138.95
+3.28 -11.8
RegionsFn
.56
3.4
14
16.63
+.18
-3.8
ChesEng
5
3.09
+.17 -22.0
SiriusXM
.05
.8
35
6.32
+.09
+17.9
Chevron
4.48
3.7
25
120.67
+1.73 -3.6
SouthnCo
2.40
5.1
22
47.49
+.16
-1.2
Cisco
1.32
2.7
24
48.74
+.87 +27.3
SwstnEngy
6
4.64
-.18
-16.8
Citigroup
1.80
2.8
11
65.16
+.37 -12.4
SunTrst
2.00
3.2
11
62.31
-.38
-3.5
CocaCola
1.56
3.1
94
49.69
-.71 +8.3
SynovusFn 1.00
2.6
14
38.20
+.39
-20.3
Comcast s
.76
1.9
19
39.15
+.14 -1.9
Tesaro
73.50+27.12
-11.3
ConAgra
.85
2.6
16
32.43
+.09 -13.9
3M Co
5.44
2.6
29
208.76
+.84
-11.3
CronosGp n ...
10.17
+1.02 +33.5
Torchmark
.64
.7
7
86.55
+.14
-4.6
Cummins
4.56
3.0
42
152.47
+1.41 -13.7
TribMdaA
1.00
2.2
14
44.98 +4.72
+5.9
Disney
1.76
1.5
16
115.74
+.25 +7.7
Twitter
33.66
+2.21
+40.2
DowDuPnt
1.52
2.6
19
59.16
+1.31 -16.9
Tyson
1.20
2.0
11
60.27 +1.32
-25.7
EnCana g
.06
.8
12
7.11
+.39 -46.7
UtdCmBks
.64
2.5
15
25.55
-.30
-9.2
Equifax
1.56
1.5
18
102.98
+.31 -12.7
UPS B
3.64
3.2
19
115.27
-.02
-3.3
ExxonMbl
3.28
4.0
15
81.22
+1.72 -2.9
VerizonCm
2.41
4.1
7
58.16
-2.14
+9.9
Facebook
26
141.09
+.48 -20.0
Vodafone
1.74
8.2
21.26
-.23
-33.4
FordM
.60
6.3
5
9.60
+.19 -23.1
WalMart
2.08
2.1
57
98.75
+1.10
0.0
FrptMcM
.20
1.7
8
12.09
+.15 -36.2
Weathflntl
.59
+.02
-85.8
GenElec
.48
6.1
7.81
+.31 -55.3
WeisMk
1.24
2.7
11
46.07
+.27
+11.3
GenuPrt
2.88
2.8
23
104.20
+.49 +9.7
WellsFargo 1.72
3.2
13
54.24
-.04
-10.6
HP Inc
.64
2.7
7
23.95
+.95 +14.0
YumBrnds
1.44
1.6
33
92.07
-.15
+12.8
Name Ex
YTD
Div Yld PE Last Chg %Chg
Stock Footnotes: g = Dividends and earnings in Canadian dollars, h = Does not meet continued-listing standards. If = Late filing
with SEC. n = New in past 52 weeks, pf = Preferred, rs = Stock has undergone a reverse stock split of at least 50 percent within the
past year, rt = Right to buy security at a specified price, s = Stock has split by at least 20 percent within the last year, un = Units, vj
= In bankruptcy or receivership, wd = When distributed, wi = When issued, wt = Warrants. Fund Footnotes: m - Multiple fees are
charged, usually a marketing fee and either a sales or redemption fee. Source: The Associated Press. Sales figures are unofficial.
Stock Market Indexes
Dow Jones industrials
Close: 25,826.43
Change: 287.97 (1.1%)
27,200
26,400
25,600
24,800
26,000
25,120
24,240 10 DAYS
J
J A
3
O
N
52-Week
Net
YTD
12-mo
High
Low
Name
Last
Chg
%Chg
%Chg
%Chg
26,951.81
23,344.52
Dow Industrials
25,826.43
+287.97
+1.13
+4.48
+6.33
11,623.58
9,565.44
Dow Transportation
10,850.44
+30.24
+.28
+2.24
+4.65
773.78
647.81
Dow Utilities
748.56
+6.64
+.90
+3.48
-1.86
13,637.02
11,820.33
NYSE Composite
12,577.54
+120.00
+.96
-1.81
-.45
8,133.30
6,630.67
Nasdaq Composite
7,441.51
+110.98
+1.51
+7.80
+9.83
1,309.73
1,118.69
S&P 100
1,238.63
+13.44
+1.10
+4.69
+6.23
2,940.91
2,532.69
S&P 500
2,790.37
+30.20
+1.09
+4.37
+5.72
2,053.00
1,769.25
S&P MidCap
1,895.32
+16.67
+.89
-.28
+.07
30,560.54
26,293.62
Wilshire 5000
28,768.57
+319.70
+1.12
+3.51
+4.97
1,742.09
1,436.43
Russell 2000
1,548.96
+15.69
+1.02
+.88
+1.08
Mutual Funds
Name
Total Assets
Obj ($Mlns) NAV
Total Return/Rank
4-wk 12-mo 5-year
Pet
Load
Min Init
Invt
Vanguard 500ldxAdmrl
LB
247,729
258.58
+2.7
+7.6/A
+11.5/A
NL
3,000
Vanguard TtlSMIdxAdmrl
LB
199,057
69.60
+2.5
+7.0/B
+11.0/A
NL
3,000
Fidelity 500ldxlnsPrm
LB
164,099
97.85
+2.7
+7.6/A
+11.5/A
NL
0
Vanguard TtlSMIdxInv
LB
127,316
69.57
+2.5
+6.9/B
+10.9/B
NL
3,000
Vanguard TtlnSIdxInv
FB
126,316
16.32
+0.7
-6.7/B
+2.7/B
NL
0
Vanguard TtlSMIdxins
LB
119,661
69.62
+2.5
+7.0/B
+11.0/A
NL 5
000,000
Vanguard Insldxlns
LB
116,372
255.11
+2.7
+7.6/A
+11.5/A
NL 5
,000,000
Vanguard InsIdxInsPlus
LB
101,648
255.13
+2.7
+7.6/A
+11.5/A
NL100,000,000
Vanguard TtlnSIdxInsPlus
FB
94,240
109.18
+0.8
-6.6/B
+2.8/B
NL100,000,000
Fidelity Contrafund
LG
91,616
13.00
+1.8
+8.7/C
+12.2/B
NL
0
Vanguard TtBMIdxAdmrl
Cl
85,528
10.31
+ 1.1
-1.5/C
+2.0/C
NL
3,000
Vanguard WlngtnAdmrl
MA
84,654
72.66
+2.5
+3.3/A
+7.9/A
NL
50,000
Cl -Intermediate-Term Bond, FB -Foreign Large Blend, IH -World Allocation, LB -Large Blend, LG -Large Growth,
LV -Large Value, MA -Moderate Allocation, WS -World Stock, Total Return: Chng in NAV with dividends reinvested.
Rank: How fund performed vs. others with same objective: A is in top 20%, E in bottom 20%. Min Init Invt: Minimum
$ needed to invest in fund. Source: Morningstar.