St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • A10

A10 ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH 1 WEDNESDAY 02.17.2021 MARKET WATCH Argentina .0113 .0113 Australia .7762 .7784 Brazil .1862 .1862 Britain 1.3910 1.3908 Canada .7887 .7913 China .1548 .1548 Euro 1.2115 1.2131 India .0137 .0138 Israel .3088 .3084 Japan .009443 .009492 Mexico .049589 .050119 Russia .0136 .0137 So. Africa .0682 .0691 So. Korea .000903 .000907 Switzerland 1.1213 1.1231 FOREIGN CURRENCY IN DOLLARS Gold 1797.20 Silver 27.32 Platinum 1279.60 DATE CLOSE CHGCHICAGO BOT NEW YORK Chicago BOT is in cents. CLOSE CHGNEW YORK ExchangeRatesFutures PreciousMetals Corn Mar 21 552.25 Soybeans Mar 21 1384.75 Wheat Mar 21 657.50 DATE CLOSE CHG Crude oil Mar 21 60.05 Gas blend Mar 21 1.7729 Heating oil Mar 21 181.44 Natural gas Mar 21 3.129 DATE CLOSE CHGCHICAGO MERC Feeder cattle Mar 21 140.77 Live cattle Feb 21 116.15 Hogs Apr 21 86.17 Milk Feb 21 15.64 Copper Feb 21 384.80 PREVCLOSE TRACK YOUR STOCKS AND GET THE LATEST NEWS STLTODAY.COM/BUSINESS 3,200 3,400 3,600 3,800 4,000 A FS 3,760 3,860 3,960 500 Close: 3,932.59 Change: 10 DAYS 26,000 27,000 28,000 29,000 30,000 31,000 32,000 A FS 30,240 30,940 31,640 Dow Jones industrials Close: 31,522.75 Change: 64.35 (0.2%) 10 DAYS Advanced 1149 Declined 1366 New Highs 304 New Lows 1 Vol.

(in mil.) 4,355 Pvs. Volume 3,473 6,651 6,469 1754 1554 514 6 NYSE NASD DOW 31,608.63 31,443.48 31,522.75 DOW Trans. 13,272.76 13,137.29 13,180.74 DOW Util. 858.19 849.70 851.20 NYSE Comp. 15,483.20 15,370.22 15,423.02 NASDAQ 14,175.12 13,995.45 14,047.50 500 3,950.43 3,923.85 3,932.59 400 2,563.15 2,532.90 2,539.23 Wilshire 5000 42,290.82 41,909.84 42,030.02 Russell 2000 2,310.09 2,266.27 2,272.89 HIGH LOW CLOSE CHG.

WK MO QTR YTDStocksRecap Energy company stocks made gains as natural gas prices jumped after a bitter winter storm left millions with- out power. The food distributor's fourth-quarter profit fell short of Wall Street fore- casts. The auto parts supplier is buying a majority of Germany's Akasol, which makes battery systems. The building materials supplier re- ported encouraging fourth-quarter fi- nancial results as demand grows. The auto retailer beat Wall Street's fourth-quarter profit and revenue forecasts.

The real estate data company made a competing buyout offer for Core- Logic, which has agreed to be sold to private equity groups. SOURCE: Sungard AP Stocks closed with mixed results as gains for energy companies and banks were offset by losses in other sectors. The 500 fell less than 0.1% Tuesday, and the Nasdaq lost 0.3%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average eked out another record high with a gain of 0.2%. 800 850 900 $950 FD CoStar Group CSGP Close: $900.37 or $500.24 $952.76 Mkt.

Cap: 1.1m (5.1x avg.) $35.5 52-week range PE: Yield: 120.8 60 70 $80 FD AutoNation AN Close: $79.43 1.04 or 1.3% $20.59 $82.90 Mkt. Cap: 1.1m (1.8x avg.) $7.0 52-week range PE: Yield: 18.1 30 35 40 $45 FD Louisiana-Pacific LPX Close: $43.84 0.32 or 0.7% $12.97 $45.35 Mkt. Cap: 1.3m (1.0x avg.) $4.8 52-week range Yield: 1.5% 35 40 $45 FD BorgWarner BWA Close: $43.78 1.79 or 4.3% $17.00 $46.48 Mkt. Cap: 3.9m (1.5x avg.) $10.7 52-week range PE: Yield: 18.7 1.6% 25 30 35 $40 FD US Foods Holding USFD Close: $35.99 or $8.32 $40.78 Mkt. Cap: 2.2m (1.1x avg.) $8.0 52-week range Yield: 30 40 50 $60 FD Exxon Mobil XOM Close: $52.04 1.52 or 3.0% $30.11 $60.62 Mkt.

Cap: 26.8m (0.9x avg.) $220.0 52-week range Yield: 6.7% PE: 25.7 PE: PE: 1847 Goedeker GOED 5.65 17.75 12.53 ABInBev BUD 32.58 73.78 64.73 16 1.10e Inc 26.08 38.67 28.97 19 2.08 Aegio Corp AEGN 11.40 23.06 26.57 35 Allied Hlthcre Prod AHPI 1.98 45.00 8.20 dd Amdocs DOX 44.05 78.03 78.07 21 1.44f Ameren Corp AEE 58.74 87.66 72.66 26 2.06f Avadel Pharma AVDL 4.00 13.49 8.62 dd Bank of America BAC 17.95 35.08 34.27 18 0.72 Belden Inc BDC 25.54 54.80 45.11 0.20 BellRing Brands BRBR 13.56 26.53 24.55 dd Boeing BA 89.00 341.47 217.18 Build-A-Bear Wkshp BBW 1.01 8.40 5.89 dd Bunge Ltd BG 29.00 78.05 79.31 22 2.00 Caleres Inc. CAL 3.12 17.75 15.77 8 0.28 Cass Info. Systems CASS 28.85 54.23 41.50 12 1.08 Centene Corp. CNC 43.96 74.70 58.19 19 Charter CHTR 345.67 681.71 618.47 cc Cigna CI 118.50 230.90 203.27 14 4.00p Citigroup 32.00 78.86 64.12 13 2.04 Commerce Banc. CBSH 45.51 74.50 74.21 20 1.05f Edgewell EPC 20.51 37.36 33.27 27 Emerson EMR 37.75 87.07 85.07 26 2.02f Energizer Holdings ENR 26.60 53.19 46.42 1.20 Enterprise Financial EFSC 21.70 45.48 40.15 14 0.72 Esco Technologies ESE 62.64 111.75 104.02 27 0.32 FutureFuel FF 6.65 17.86 16.01 20 0.24a General Motors GM 14.33 57.05 53.46 12 Home Depot HD 140.63 292.95 275.39 28 6.00 Huttig Building Prod HBP 0.49 4.56 4.15 dd Lee Enterprises LEE 0.71 2.48 2.32 Lowes LOW 60.00 180.67 174.06 39 2.20 MasterCard MA 199.99 367.25 341.21 79 1.76f MCD 124.23 231.91 215.03 33 5.16f Olin OLN 8.76 29.47 29.61 0.80 Peabody Energy BTU 0.80 7.85 4.15 0.58 Perficient PRFT 18.88 63.56 60.63 75 Post Holdings POST 68.97 107.32 99.38 11 Reinsurance Gp RGA 55.39 154.29 115.03 14 2.40 Reliv RELV 2.60 5.27 3.60 dd Spire Inc SR 50.58 87.96 64.81 45 2.60f Stereotaxis, Inc.

STXS 1.70 5.99 5.57 Stifel Financial SF 20.75 58.81 58.75 14 Target Corp. TGT 90.17 199.96 190.59 32 2.72 UPS UPS 82.00 178.01 161.75 31 4.04 US Bancorp USB 28.36 55.23 48.65 11 1.68 US Steel 4.54 24.71 18.48 0.04 Verizon VZ 48.84 61.95 54.15 12 2.52 WalMart WMT 102.00 153.66 145.66 84 2.16 Walgreen Boots WBA 33.36 55.49 49.14 1.87f Wells Fargo WFC 20.76 48.12 34.79 85 0.40m 52-WK NAME TKR LO HI CLOSE CHG CHG RTN DIV 52-WK NAME TKR LO HI CLOSE CHG CHG RTN DIV Stocks of Local Interest Dividend Footnotes: a Extra dividends were paid, but are not included. Annual rate plus stock. Liquidating dividend. Amount declared or paid in last 12 months.

Current annual rate, which was increased by most recent dividend announcement. i Sum of dividends paid after stock split, no regular rate. Sum of dividends paid this year. Most recent dividend was omitted or deferred. Declared or paid this year, a cumulative issue with dividends in arrears.

Current annual rate, which was decreased by most recent dividend announcement. Initial dividend, annual rate not known, yield not shown. Declared or paid in preceding 12 months plus stock dividend. Paid in stock, approximate cash va ue ex-distribution date. PE Footnotes: Stock is a closed-end fund no ratio shown.

cc exceeds 99. dd Loss in last 12 months. Other: ex-dividend. NET 1YR TREASURIES LAST CHG AGO 3.25 3.25 4.75 .13 .13 1.63 PRIME RATE FED FUNDS YEST 6 MO AGO 1 YR AGO 3-month T-bill .04 1.57 6-month T-bill .06 1.55 52-wk T-bill .08 1.47 2-year T-note .13 1.43 5-year T-note .57 1.41 7-year T-note .94 1.50 10-year T-note 1.29 1.58 30-year T-bond 2.09 2.05 1WK CONSUMER RATES AVG AGO 48 month new car loan 4.02 4.02 Money market account 0.09 0.10 1 year CD 0.35 0.36 $30K Home equity loan 4.75 4.75 30 year fixed mortgage 2.94 2.82 15 year fixed mortgage 2.39 2.34 Interestrates The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.29% Tuesday. Yields affect rates on mort- gages and other consumer loans.

I terestrates 500 3932.59 Frankfurt DAX 14064.60 London FTSE 100 6748.86 Hong Kong Hang Seng 30746.66 Paris CAC-40 5786.53 Mexico City Bolsa 44698.59 Tokyo Nikkei 225 30467.75 Sao Paolo Bovespa 119105.98 Toronto 18492.50 Zurich 10907.60 GlobalMarkets INDEX LAST CHG CHG YTD Charts show stocks that made the news yesterday. Tuesday, February 16, 2021 3,200 3,400 3,600 3,800 4,000 A FS 3,760 3,860 3,960 500 Close: 3,932.59 Change: 10 DAYS 26,000 27,000 28,000 29,000 30,000 31,000 32,000 A FS 30,240 30,940 31,640 Dow Jones industrials Close: 31,522.75 Change: 64.35 (0.2%) 10 DAYS DATE CLOSE CHGICE Cotton Mar 21 88.12 Coffee Mar 21 124.35 Sugar May 21 29.70 Energy company stocks made gains as natural gas prices jumped after a bitter winter storm left millions with- out power. The food distributor's fourth-quarter profit fell short of Wall Street fore- casts. The auto parts supplier is buying a majority of Germany's Akasol, which makes battery systems. The building materials supplier re- ported encouraging fourth-quarter fi- nancial results as demand grows.

The auto retailer beat Wall Street's fourth-quarter profit and revenue forecasts. The real estate data company made a competing buyout offer for Core- Logic, which has agreed to be sold to private equity groups. Stocks closed with mixed results on Wall Street as gains for energy companies and banks were offset by losses in other sectors. The 500 ended down less than 0.1% Tuesday, and the Nasdaq lost 0.3%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average eked out another record high with a gain of 0.2%.

Natural gas prices jumped 7.5% to their highest level since November. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 1.29%, the highest level in a year. SOURCE: Sungard AP 800 850 900 $950 FD CoStar Group CSGP Close: $900.37 or $500.24 $952.76 Mkt. Cap: 1.1m (5.1x avg.) $35.5 52-week range PE: Yield: 120.8 60 70 $80 FD AutoNation AN Close: $79.43 1.04 or 1.3% $20.59 $82.90 Mkt. Cap: 1.1m (1.8x avg.) $7.0 52-week range PE: Yield: 18.1 30 35 40 $45 FD Louisiana-Pacific LPX Close: $43.84 0.32 or 0.7% $12.97 $45.35 Mkt.

Cap: 1.3m (1.0x avg.) $4.8 52-week range PE: Yield: 25.7 1.5% 35 40 $45 FD BorgWarner BWA Close: $43.78 1.79 or 4.3% $17.00 $46.48 Mkt. Cap: 3.9m (1.5x avg.) $10.7 52-week range PE: Yield: 18.7 1.6% 25 30 35 $40 FD US Foods Holding USFD Close: $35.99 or $8.32 $40.78 Mkt. Cap: 2.2m (1.1x avg.) $8.0 52-week range PE: Yield: 30 40 50 $60 FD Exxon Mobil XOM Close: $52.04 1.52 or 3.0% $30.11 $60.62 Mkt. Cap: 26.8m (0.9x avg.) $220.0 52-week range PE: Yield: 6.7% Energy company stocks made gains as natu al gas prices jumped after a bitter winter storm left millions with- out power. The food di tribu or's fourth-quarter pr fit fell short of Wall Street fore- casts.

The auto parts uppl er is buying a majority of Germany's Akasol, which makes battery systems. The building materials supplier re- ported couraging fourth-quarter fi- nancial results as demand grows. The auto retailer beat Wall Street's fourth-quarter ofit and revenue forecasts. The al estate data company made a competing buyout offer for re- Logic, which has agreed to be sold to private equity groups. Stocks closed with mixed results on Wall Street as gai for energy companies and banks re offset by losses in her sectors.

The 500 ended down less than 0.1% Tuesday, and the Nasdaq lost 0.3%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average eked out another record igh with a gain of 0.2%. tural gas pric jumped 7.5% to their highest level since November. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 1.29%, the highest level in a year. SOURCE: Sungard AP 800 850 900 $950 FD CoStar Group CSGP Close: $900.

7 -39 39 or $500.24 $952.76 Mkt. Cap: (5.1x avg.) $35.5 52-w ek range PE: Yield: 120.8 60 70 $80 FD AutoNation AN Close: $79. 3 1.04 or 1.3% $20.59 $82.90 Mkt Cap: 1.1m (1.8x avg.) $7.0 52-w ek range PE: Yield: 18. 30 35 40 $45 FD Louisiana-Pacific LPX Close: $4 .84 0.32 or 0.7% $12.97 $45.35 Mkt Cap: 1.3m (1.0x avg.) $4.8 52-w ek range PE: Yield: 25.7 1.5% 35 40 $45 FD BorgWarner BWA Close: $43.78 1.79 or 4.3% $17.00 $46.48 Mkt. Cap: 3.9m (1.5x avg.) $10.7 52-w ek range PE: Yield: 18.7 1.6% 25 30 35 $40 FD US ods Holding USFD Close: $35.99 0 90 or $8.32 $40.78 Mkt Cap: 2.2m (1.1x avg.) $8.0 52-w ek range PE Yield: 30 40 50 $60 FD Exxon Mobil XOM Close: $52.04 1.52 or 3.0% $30.11 $60.62 Mkt.

Cap: 26.8m (0.9x avg.) $220.0 52-w ek range PE: Yield: 6.7% Energy company stocks made gains as ral gas prices jumped after a bi winter torm left millions with- out power. The fo distribu 's fou h-quarter profit fell short of Wall Street fore- casts. The auto parts supplier is buying a majority of Germany's Akasol, which mak battery ystems. The building materia supplier re- ported enco raging fou h-quarter fi- nancial results emand grows. Th auto ret iler beat Wall Street's h-quart profit a revenue forecasts.

The real est te dat co pany made a competing buyout offer for Core- Lo ic, which has agre to be old to private eq ity groups. Stocks closed wi mixed results on Wall Street as gains for energy comp ies and banks were offset by losses in other ectors. The 500 ended down less than 0.1% Tuesday, and the Nasdaq lost 0.3%. The Dow Jone Industrial Av ge ek ut anot er record high with a gain of 0.2%. Natural ga prices jumped 7.5% their highest lev since November.

The yield on th 10-year Treasury ros to 1.29%, high st level in a year. SOURCE: Sungard AP 800 850 900 $950 FD CoStar Group CSGP Close: $900.37 $500.24 $952.76 Mkt. Cap: 1.1m (5.1x avg.) $35.5 52-week range PE: Yield: 120.8 60 70 $80 FD AutoNation AN Close: $79 43 1.04 or 1.3% $20.59 $82.90 Mkt. Cap: 1.1m (1.8x avg.) $7.0 52-week range PE: Yield: 18.1 30 35 40 $45 FD Louisi na-Pacific LPX Close: $43 84 0.32 or 0.7% $12.97 $45.35 Mkt. Cap: 1.3m (1.0x avg.) $4.8 52-week range PE: Yield: 25.7 1.5% 35 40 $45 FD BorgWarner BWA Close: $43 8 1.79 or 4.3% $17.00 $46.48 Mkt.

Cap: 3.9m (1.5x avg.) $10.7 52-week range PE: Yield: 18.7 1.6% 25 30 35 $40 FD US Fo ds Holding USFD Close: $35.9 or $8.32 $40.78 Mkt. Cap: 2.2m (1.1x avg.) $8.0 52-week range PE: Yield: 30 40 50 $60 FD Exxon Mobil XOM Close: $52 04 1.52 or 3.0% $30.11 $60.62 Mkt. Cap: 26.8m (0.9x avg.) $220.0 52-week range PE: Yield: 6.7% Energy company stocks made gains as natural gas prices jumped after a bitter winter storm left millions with- out power. The food distributor's fourth-quarter profit fell short of Wall Street fore- casts. The auto parts supplier is buying a majority of Germany's Akasol, which makes battery systems.

The building materials supplier re- ported encouraging fourth-quarter fi- nancial results as demand grows. The auto retailer beat Wall Street's fourth-quarter profit and revenue forecasts. The real estate data company made a competing buyout offer for Core- Logic, which has agreed to be sold to private equity groups. Stocks closed with mixed results on Wall Street as gains for energy companies and banks were offset by losses in other sectors. The 500 ended down less than 0.1% Tuesday, and the Nasdaq lost 0.3%.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average eked out another record high with a gain of 0.2%. Natural gas prices jumped 7.5% to their highest level since November. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 1.29%, the highest level in a year. SOURCE: Sungard AP 800 850 900 $950 FD CoStar Group CSGP Close: $900.37 or $500.24 $952.76 Mkt. Cap: 1.1m (5.1x avg.) $35.5 52-week range PE: Yield: 120.8 60 70 $80 FD AutoNation AN Close: $79.43 1.04 or 1.3% $20.59 $82.90 Mkt.

Cap: 1.1m (1.8x avg.) $7.0 52-week range PE: Yield: 18.1 30 35 40 $45 FD Louisiana-Pacific LPX Close: $43.84 0.32 or 0.7% $12.97 $45.35 Mkt. Cap: 1.3m (1.0x avg.) $4.8 52-week range PE: Yield: 25.7 1.5% 35 40 $45 FD BorgWarner BWA Close: $43.78 1.79 or 4.3% $17.00 $46.48 Mkt. Cap: 3.9m (1.5x avg.) $10.7 52-week range PE: Yield: 18.7 1.6% 25 30 35 $40 FD US Foods Holding USFD Close: $35.99 or $8.32 $40.78 Mkt. Cap: 2.2m (1.1x avg.) $8.0 52-week range PE: Yield: 30 40 50 $60 FD Exxon Mobil XOM Close: $52.04 1.52 or 3.0% $30.11 $60.62 Mkt. Cap: 26.8m (0.9x avg.) $220.0 52-week range PE: Yield: 6.7% GET THE LA NEW STLTOD Y.COM INE WEDNESDAY 02.17.2021 A10 1 BUSINESS DIGEST Aegion Corp.

going private in $963M sale Trade problem is nowBoeing backs EPA standards: Boe- ing Co. on Tuesday backed the En- vironmental Protection decision to nalize the rst-ever standards regulating greenhouse gas emissions from airplanes. The standards were issued under President Donald Trump in the nal days of his administration. The largest U.S. planemaker asked a U.S.

appeals court for ap- proval to intervene on behalf of the EPA, which has been sued by 12 states, the District of Columbia and three environmental groups over the rule, which is now under review by President Joe administration. Critics say the agency should have required tougher emissions rules. Biden extends homeowner help: President Joe Biden is extending a ban on housing foreclosures to June 30 to help homeowners struggling during the coronavirus pandemic. The moratorium on foreclosures of federally guaranteed mortgages had been set to expire on March 31. Census Bureau gures show that almost of homeowners with mortgages were late on their payments.

The White House says the co- ordinated actions announced Tuesday by the Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Veterans A airs and Agriculture also will extend to June 30 the enrollment window for borrow- ers who want to request mortgage payment forbearance a pause or reduction in payments and will provide up to six additional months of forbearance for bor- rowers who entered forbearance on or before June 30 of last year. Pandemic weighs on CVS: CVS Health easily beat fourth quarter expectations as revenue from CO- VID-19 testing and prescription growth helped counter hits from an ongoing global pandemic. But the drugstore chain and pharmacy manager also released a forecast for this year that largely fell below Wall Street expectations. Shares slid Tuesday. The pandemic has kept custom- ers away from drugstores and hurt sales of products like cough and cold treatments, which normally grow during colder months And the health insurance business started adding claims for COVID-19 treatments.

But a big part of CVS business, the number of prescrip- tions lled, continued to climb in the fourth quarter even though the season has been mild and fewer people are getting new pre- scriptions. Oil prices near 13-month highs: Oil prices hovered near 13-month highs on Tuesday, supported by a U.S. cold snap that shut wells in the oil-producing state of Texas, though gains were capped by a Norwegian wage deal that averted supply disruptions in Europe. The global rollout of coronavi- rus vaccinations, fueling expec- tations of a recovery in the global economy and oil demand, has also kept prices buoyant. Keenly watched U.S.

oil inven- tory data from the API industry association and Energy Informa- tion Administration will be re- leased this week on Wednesday and Thursday respectively. ad business roars back: Accused by the Trump admin- istration of being a front for the Chinese government, ad business looked bleak last July. Big brands backed on spend- ing even as TikTok executives of- fered refunds to advertisers in the event the hot social media plat- form ended up being banned from operating in the United States. But after it became clear Joe Biden had won U.S presidential election, that all changed. interest in TikTok has ex- said Erica Patrick, vice president at Mediahub World- wide.

She said she expects client spending to increase cantly over the next six months. While the Biden administra- tion pauses a government lawsuit led by Trump cials, corporate sponsors have raced back to the popular short video sharing app, three ad agency executives said. From wire reports Halfway through a two-year agreement to buy an extra $200 billion of U.S. goods, China is falling far short of its commitment. The shortfall is no surprise.

The goals looked overly ambitious when President Donald Trump announced them in 2019, and the coronavirus pandemic put them further out of reach. Even so, noncom- pliance creates a dilemma for President Joe trade team. Excusing or ignoring the miss would signal to other coun- tries that they can ignore their obligations with impunity, but doubling down on pu- nitive tari would hurt the U.S. economy. The Biden administration now stuck with an agreement that there is no way China can live up to, but a legal agree- said Chad Bown, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

the big The deal covers two years, 2020 and 2021. Bown calculates that China fell short of its purchase commitment last year, and this requirements are higher. theory, they could make up the shortfall in Bown said. is that very likely? China did step up its pur- chases of U.S. goods last year.

In the categories covered by the agreement, the increase was The deal, however, called for a $200 billion increase over what China bought in 2017, be- fore trade war caused exports to shrink. A look at some key categories shows why the deal was doomed to failure. Manufactured goods account for of the money China was required to spend, and aircraft were supposed to be a quarter of that. 737 Max, a big- dollar U.S. export, was grounded months before the trade deal was signed.

In autos, the second-largest category of manufactured goods, the trade war itself made the purchase goal unattainable. China slapped a tari on U.S. cars in 2018 in retaliation for a broad range of trade penalties Trump imposed the same year. China had been No. 2 auto export market, after Can- ada, but the combination of U.S.

tari on imported parts and the Chinese tari on nished cars made much of that trade uneco- nomical. BMW and Tesla moved some production from the U.S. to China. Since neither side lowered its tari as part of the trade agree- ment, those decisions were un- likely to reverse. China fell short of its commitment to buy U.S.

cars, trucks and parts. The agriculture picture was somewhat brighter. China fell short of its commitment to buy U.S. soybeans, but exceeded its relatively small promises on corn, wheat and pork. As the Biden administration ponders what to do about the missed targets, Bown hopes it will move away from failed strategy of managed trade.

The so-called phase one agreement was contradictory in a way. The U.S. criticized China for not being a free- market economy, then asked the Chinese government to put its thumb on the scale and favor U.S. goods over those from else- where. sort of managed trade with purchase commitments is not the way to Bown said.

work, it was not good eco- nomic policy and not good for working with our Biden inherits a multitude of disputes over everything from treatment of its Uighur minority to its military buildup in the South China Sea. The trade agreement that his prede- cessor hailed as a major break- through will end up being just one more problem. DAVID NICKLAUS St. Louis Post-Dispatch BY JACOB BARKER St. Louis Post-Dispatch CHESTERFIELD Water and energy pipeline infrastruc- ture company Aegion Corp.

said Tuesday that New York-based investment fund New Mountain Capital LLC was buying it in a $963 million deal. New Mountain will acquire all of eld-based outstanding stock for $26 per share, a premium over Ae- closing stock price Friday of $21.45. The transaction, unan- imously approved by board and subject to approval by the stockholders, is being funded through a com- bination of equity and debt and expected to close in the second quarter. transaction provides stockholders a premium valu- ation, recognizes the value our team has created and represents a new chapter for our Aegion President and CEO Charles Gordon said in a state- ment. Gordon, who announced in July he would tire within a yea plans to stay at Aegion through the completion of the sale to New Mountain, which has $30 billion in assets under management.

Aegi id it expect the headquarters to relocate from the St. Louis area following the sale..