Boeing’s credit rating downgraded at S&P Global Ratings

Boeing Co.’s BA, +0.74% credit rating was downgraded by one notch to A- from A at S&P Global Ratings, citing uncertainty over when the 737 MAX aircraft will return to service, risks to the supply chain associated with the planned production halt and the possible long-term impact of the 737 MAX grounding on its competitive position. S&P said it also revised down its assessment on management and governance to fair from satisfactory. The rating outlook is "developing," which means the rating could be raised or lowered depending on if Boeing resumes production of the 737 MAX without significant damage to its competitive position. Boeing’s stock, which edged up 0.5% in morning trading, has tumbled 13.5% over the past three months, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, +0.26% has gained 4.5%.

Heather Mac Donald on confrontation with student protesters: 'Welling tide' of hatred consuming college campuses

Earhardt asked Mac Donald why she thought it was dangerous for students to feel like they are oppressed and not privileged.

"Well, for one, it prevents them from seizing the boundless opportunities for learning that they have if they go around with a chip on their shoulder," she said. "Two: truth matters. It's simply good to accurately analyze your environment."

"And for them to not understand that there is no bigotry on a college campus is simply a profound misunderstanding of their world. If they can think that they are oppressed on a college campus … they carry that idea with them into the country at large," Mac Donald added

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She said that America has had civil peace in this country because "we have transcended our differences" and "engaged with ideas in a rational matter" which has "given us freedom."

"But, what we see now is a welling tide of, frankly, it is hatred," she said. "We are a land of opportunity. People are coming from the world over in order to take advantage of our freedoms, and the students do not see that."

EIA reports a bigger-than-expected weekly decline in U.S. natural-gas supplies

The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported Thursday that domestic supplies of natural gas fell by 107 billion cubic feet for the week ended Dec. 13. Analysts expected a fall of 93 billion cubic feet, on average, according to a survey conducted by S&P Global Platts. Total stocks now stand at 3.411 trillion cubic feet, up 618 billion cubic feet from a year ago, but 9 billion cubic feet below the five-year average, the government said. January natural gas NGF20, -1.36% traded at $2.276 per million British thermal units, down a penny, or 0.4%, from Wednesday’s settlement. Prices were up from $2.259 before the data.

Colgate-Palmolive’s stock slumps after BofA cuts rating, price target

Shares of Colgate-Palmolive Co. CL, -0.98% slumped 0.9% in morning trading Thursday, to buck the gains in its consumer staples peer group and the broader stock market, after BofA Securities downgraded the consumer products company, citing concerns over continued market-share losses. Analyst Olivia Tong cut her rating to neutral from buy, and lowered her price target to $74 from $77. "While we continue to view [Colgate-Palmolive] as one of the higher quality names in consumer staples, with dominant market shares, low private label exposure, geographic depth, and a more aggressive stance in driving growth, struggles to stem share losses in toothpaste and tough [comparisons] drive our concern that conditions will be more challenging next year, potentially necessitating another year of outsized investment," Tong wrote in a note to clients. The stock’s decline comes while the SPDR Consumer Staples Select Sector ETF XLP, +0.37% gained 0.4% and the S&P 500 SPX, +0.17% tacked on 0.2%.

How come Trump knows so much about dishwashers? ‘Women tell me,’ he says

In between bashing the late John Dingell, attacking “crazy” Nancy Pelosi and essentially going scorched earth on everybody involved in the impeachment process at his rally on Wednesday, President Trump tackled another pressing issue facing the country: Dishwashers that go boom!

Those comments were part of Trump’s taking issue with water regulations he claims have created plumbing problems. He told the crowd in Michigan that “people are flushing toilets 10 times, 15 times as opposed to once.”

In case you missed it, here’s a clip:

The Washington Post noted that Trump was likely referring to efforts made by his administration to roll back energy-efficiency requirements that, according to the president, slow dishwashing cycles, among other things. Hilariously, there’s actually an online petition called “Make Dishwashers Great Again,” which was created by an offshoot of an organization founded by the Koch brothers.

Plumbing aside, social media had some fun focusing on Trump’s admission that he’s only aware of such issues because “women tell me.”

Seattle Genetics’ stock rises on approval of bladder cancer drug

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved Padcev as a treatment for metastatic urothelial cancer. The therapy is jointly being developed by Astellas Pharma Inc. ALPMY, +0.93% and Seattle Genetics SGEN, +1.22%, which began collaborating on this product in 2007. In morning trading on Thursday, Astellas stock was up 0.9% and Seattle’s was up 1.25%. The FDA granted the first-in-class drug accelerated approval, based on the EV-201 Phase 2 clinical trial of 125 patients, which reported that 12% of the patients who received Padcev had a complete response to treatment and 32% had a partial response, such as a decrease in tumor size. A confirmatory Phase 3 trial is currently being conducted. Year-to-date, Seattle’s stock is up 98%, while shares of Astellas stock have gained 37%. The S&P 500 SPX, +0.35% is up 27%.