diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 8580c74..bbb9e60 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,3 +1,14 @@
+0.5.27:
+
+This patch release provides an important enhancement with respect to the
+identification of the ar tool to be invoked in slibtool's link mode. More
+specifically, rather than relying on the presence of <target>-ar, slibtool
+will now attempt to invoke, as needed, several alternate ar tools in the
+following order: <target>-ar, <target>-<compiler>-ar, and, in the case
+of the native target, also <compiler>-ar and ar.
+
+- driver: slbt_init_host_params(): enhance the target-ar related logic.
+
 0.5.26:
 
 This patch release follows significant improvements in, as well as additions
diff --git a/project/tagver.mk b/project/tagver.mk
index a87a066..c0d92f4 100644
--- a/project/tagver.mk
+++ b/project/tagver.mk
@@ -2,4 +2,4 @@ VER_NAMESPACE	= SLBT
 
 VER_MAJOR	= 0
 VER_MINOR	= 5
-VER_PATCH	= 26
+VER_PATCH	= 27