1. Things go better with champers!

Local Coke shareholders will be popping bubbly if the proposed takeover of Coca-Cola Amatil goes ahead. CCL has received a non-binding indicative proposal from Coca-Cola European Partners of $12.75 cash per share for the acquisition of all the issued shares held by independent shareholders of Amatil. Friday’s closing price for CCL was $10.75, so that’s a nice get out price. This offer comes as CCL has struggled in past years, though things have been improving. CEO Alison Watkins said this after the most recent profit report: “It is pleasing to see the improvement in revenue momentum in 3Q20 despite the reinstatement of lockdown restrictions in Victoria and Auckland for a significant part of the quarter.” Ms Watkins was overall happy with the trends she has been seeing but this takeover offer looks decidedly more attractive!

2. US airline thinking outside the plane!

American Airlines is planning customer tours of the Boeing 737 Max and telephone calls with its pilots in the coming weeks to boost the public’s confidence in the plane after two fatal crashes, CNBC reports. The jets were grounded worldwide more than a year and a half ago after the two crashes — Lion Air Flight 610 in October 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in March 2019. All 346 people on board the flights were killed.

Boeing has made several changes to the planes’ software, including making a flight-control system that pilots struggled against in both crashes less aggressive.

“We are seeing that finish line approach us and I think it’s a real finish line,” David Seymour, American Airlines’ chief operating officer, told employees in a town hall meeting last week, which was reviewed by CNBC.

I wonder if they need Tom Hanks in his Sully uniform to be the ambassador for the 737, if he’d do it!

3. Company regulator personally in trouble

The AFR tells us that the “Australian Securities and Investments Commission chairman, James Shipton, demanded KPMG compensate him for alleged advice errors that led to a $12,000 personal tax penalty after ASIC paid the big four accounting firm $118,557 to do his tax returns.”

Mr Shipton has stepped aside while an investigation happens but on the heels of the Australia Post Cartier watch bonuses blow up, it looks like the Government will be under more pressure from Labor to create its national version of the Independent Commission Against Corruption. It would be called the National Integrity Commission or NIC.

4. Business & PM singing from the same hymn book

The SMH is using a musical theme to explain the backlash against Premier Dan Andrews after he’s delayed to opening up of Victoria.

“The PM led a chorus of criticism after Daniel Andrews delayed an announcement about the next stage of Melbourne’s reopening,” the paper reported. “In the past 24 hours, no new cases and no new deaths have been recorded in Victoria.”

Today we were told that: “It is the first time since June 9 that there were no new coronavirus cases recorded statewide” but this followed seven new cases reported on Saturday that has made the Premier back away from an easing of restrictions.

Café and restaurant owners prepared for an easing and ordered perishable food and are beside themselves as they contemplate the costs of having to throw out food. Not happy Dan. Not happy.

5. A down week for Wall Street

At the close on Friday, the US indexes were all down for the week, with the Dow Jones falling 0.95% to 28,335.57, the S&P 500 dropping 0.53% to 3,465.39 and the Nasdaq moving 1.06% lower to 11,548.28. Locally, the S&P/ASX 200 was down a more modest 0.16% for the week.