Sector Update: Consumer Shares Close Lower – Walgreen Offers H1N1 Vaccine at More than 50 Locations in Louisiana

05:05 PM Eastern Standard Time, 12/08/2009 (MidnightTrader) — Dow Jones U.S. Consumer Services Index: -2.62 (-0.95%) at 272.40 (regular session close)

Top Consumer Stocks

WMT: -0.95%

MCD: -2.13%

DIS: -1.03%

HD: -1.95%

CVS: -0.94%

Consumer shares closed lower. Walgreen (WAG) was lower after announcing it is now offering both H1N1 injectable and nasal vaccine at more than 50 pharmacies in 31 parishes throughout Louisiana. PepsiCo (PEP) was lower after announcing it will open a long-term research laboratory in New Haven with a focus on the development of healthier food and beverage products. Republic Airways Holdings (RJET) was lower after announcing it will add up to 300 full-time positions in Indianapolis next year.

Walgreen is now offering both H1N1 injectable and nasal vaccine at more than 50 pharmacies in 31 parishes throughout Louisiana. Additionally, all Take Care Clinics at select Walgreen stores in the greater New Orleans area are currently offering H1N1 vaccinations. Walgreen plans to offer H1N1 vaccinations at additional locations and in more parishes throughout the state as supply becomes available. Vaccinations are available on a walk-in basis when an immunizing pharmacist is on staff or by appointment. Each location with H1N1 supply will also conduct a weekly vaccination clinic. Walgreen pharmacists in Louisiana are able to provide immunizations to those age 9 and older.

PepsiCo will open a long-term research laboratory in New Haven with a focus on the development of healthier food and beverage products. The company will also fund a graduate fellowship in the M.D.-Ph.D. Program at Yale School of Medicine to support research related to nutritional science. The opening of the new lab in Science Park, adjacent to Yale’s campus, is part of a major shift by PepsiCo to fundamentally improve the nutritional profile of its vast portfolio of foods and beverages. The lab will be PepsiCo’s ninth global regional research center. Four centers are located in the U.S., with others in the U.K., Mexico, China and India, along with satellite centers in Thailand, Brazil and Australia.

Republic Airways Holdings will add up to 300 full-time positions in Indianapolis next year. As a result of this job growth, the company will be eligible to receive up to about $4 million in economic incentives through the end of 2019, based on the actual number of new jobs created. The job additions are part of the company’s consolidation of its business operations functions to its Indianapolis headquarters. The consolidation will affect about 140 operations employees currently based in Denver and is expected to be completed by Q2. Positions to be relocated include dispatchers, engineers, crew schedulers and other operations functions. The balance of the new positions in Indianapolis is expected to come from new job growth and additional consolidation of job functions throughout the company’s network.