Spirit AeroSystems Seek Relief From Lenders, Stock Plunges Over 13%

Stocks Mixed in Light Volume, Dollar Extends Drop: Markets Wrap

(Bloomberg) -- Global stocks and equity futures were mixed Wednesday as investors weighed their appetite for risk assets against a continuing acceleration in coronavirus cases across the American sun belt. The dollar remained under pressure.U.S. futures fluctuated, while European contracts retreated. Shares slipped in Tokyo but climbed in Seoul after Kim Jong Un suspended military actions against South Korea. Treasuries were little changed. New Zealand’s dollar reversed gains after the central bank said the balance of economic risks remained to the downside.On Tuesday, the S&P 500 closed well off its earlier 1.2% gain on reports that a surge in cases in several hotspots in the South and Southwest of the U.S. threatened to derail plans to ramp up reopenings. Still, the Nasdaq Composite hit another record high.Investors are betting that trillions of dollars in stimulus by central banks and governments around the globe will shield economies from a resurgence in virus...

GNC Files Bankruptcy to Manage Debt With Plan to Sell Itself

(Bloomberg) -- GNC Holdings Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection with the aim of selling itself and closing stores after its latest effort to manage its debt load unraveled amid the coronavirus pandemic.The health and wellness company’s Chapter 11 petition filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware allows the retailer to keep operating while it pursues a dual-track process to restructure its balance sheet in a standalone plan or complete a sale, according to a statement.GNC entered into the process with support from a majority of its secured lenders and an affiliate of its largest shareholder, Harbin Pharmaceutical Group Holding Co., the Pittsburgh-based company said in the statement. The agreement also includes its largest vendor and joint venture partner, IVC. Certain lenders also provided $130 million in additional liquidity to financially support the company through its proposed restructuring.The company’s pre-negotiated plan will shutter stores as it looks to emerge leaner. It also...

Gold Poised to Challenge $1,800 as Virus Resurgence Fans Demand

(Bloomberg) -- Gold is on the cusp of challenging the hard-to-crack $1,800 an ounce mark, potentially opening the way for a move toward its record price, as a resurgence in coronavirus cases risks impeding the recovery of the global economy and fans demand for haven assets.Futures have rallied to within 1% of the level last seen at the end of 2011, the year bullion notched its all-time high, as newly diagnosed cases of Covid-19 and other indicators of the pandemic’s spread soared in hot spots across the U.S. This is driving city and state officials to consider slowing or reversing reopening plans. Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious-disease doctor, warned on Tuesday that he’s seeing a “disturbing surge” in cases.Bullion has jumped this year as the Federal Reserve and other central banks lowered interest rates, while governments worldwide pumped in trillions in stimulus to rescue economies hurt by the pandemic. Aided...

Carnival’s Recovery Is a Ways Away, Says Analyst

There’s no relief on the horizon yet for the beleaguered cruise line industry. On June 19, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) announced all cruise operations will remain suspended until September 15.The announcement followed a disquieting quarterly report from struggling cruise line Carnival (CCL). In fiscal Q2, the world’s largest cruise operator lost $3.30 per share, more than double the Street’s $1.52 call. Revenue of $700 million also came in far below the $1.13 billion consensus estimate.For Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Woronka, the results are “of little consequence.” Cruise lines saw no action for virtually the whole quarter, and have been busy making sure the books are in order to keep themselves afloat while chained to the harbor. The analyst tells clients he is more concerned with what happens next.Carnival estimates that for the fiscal year’s second half (June- November), it will burn through $650 million a month. Woronka projects that...