Raining on Facebook’s IPO
March 5, 2012 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Company Analysis, Governments & Regulators, Growth & Valuation, Industry Analysis
Description: Fortune’s Allan Sloan says Facebook’s IPO is full of the same hypocrisy, hype and arrogance found in most Wall Street offerings.
Source: CNNMoney.com – video report
Date: 02/17/2012
Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2012/02/16/t_sloan_facebook_ipo.fortune/
Questions for discussion:
- Summarize the opinions presented by Allan Sloan.
- Do you agree with his views?
Soros: Deregulation led to collapse
February 27, 2012 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Company Analysis, Economic Analysis, Governments & Regulators, Growth & Valuation
Description: Billionaire George Soros says deregulation of the private sector allowed the financial system to grow like a cancer until it collapsed.
Source: CNNMoney.com – video report
Date: 02/13/2012
Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2012/02/13/n_soros_obama_regulations.cnnmoney/
Questions for discussion:
- Summarize the opinions presented by George Soros.
- Do you agree with his opinions?
Auto Makers Target Indonesia for Expansion
February 13, 2012 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Company Analysis, Governments & Regulators, Growth & Valuation, Industry Analysis
Description: Indonesia is being embraced as a major expansion market for car manufacturers, but will the country’s infrastructure bottlenecks hinder their progress? WSJ’s Deborah Kan discusses with Eric Bellman.
Source: Marketwatch.com – video report
Date: 02/10/2012
Questions for discussion:
- Describe the connection between corporate investing and government investing in infrastructure?
- What are the positive outcomes of corporate investment that should persuade governments?
- Are there lessons here for government-corporate investing in North America or Europe?
Why Cisco parks $43 billion overseas
January 30, 2012 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Company Analysis, Economic Analysis, Governments & Regulators, Growth & Valuation, Management Issues
Description: Cisco’s John Chambers says the 33% tax rate on foreign profits prevents companies from repatriating the money and creating jobs.
Source: CNNMoney.com – video report
Date: 01/26/2012
Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2012/01/26/n_davos_chambers_investment.cnnmoney/
Questions for discussion:
- Where are Cisco’s profits invested in today’s global economy?
- How is this issue a business, economic, and political issue?
- Is there a way to mitigate the drain on lost profits to the U.S. economy?
Why you shouldn’t blame ETFs for wild markets
January 30, 2012 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Company Analysis, Economic Analysis, Governments & Regulators, Growth & Valuation, Management Issues
Description: Critics say the popular funds are causing stocks to swing wildly together. Finding proof is another matter.
Source: Fortune.com
Date: 01/27/2012
Link: http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2012/01/27/etfs-market-swings/?iid=SF_F_Lead
Questions for discussion:
- Summarize the reasons ETFs are blamed.
- Do you agree with these views?
How the U.S. Lost Out on iPhone Work
January 30, 2012 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Company Analysis, Economic Analysis, Financial Planning, Governments & Regulators, Growth & Valuation, Industry Analysis, Management Issues
Description: When Barack Obama joined Silicon Valley’s top luminaries for dinner in California last February, each guest was asked to come with a question for the president. But as Steven P. Jobs of Apple spoke,President Obama interrupted with an inquiry of his own: what would it take to make iPhones in the United States?
Source: NYTimes.com
Date: 01/22/2012
Link to article: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/business/apple-america-and-a-squeezed-middle-class.html?hp
Link to video: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/01/20/business/the-iphone-economy.html?ref=business
Questions for discussion:
- How does Apple illustrate the global nature of business today?
- Why, according to the report, will these manufacturing jobs never return to the U.S.?
- Do you agree with this view?
- What does this report suggest managers do in order reduce the loss of manufacturing employment?
- How can future employees – in the U.S. and elsewhere – prepare for work in a global market for jobs?
- Is there a role for governments here?
Bank investors better get used to low returns
January 23, 2012 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Company Analysis, Economic Analysis, Governments & Regulators, Growth & Valuation, Management Issues
Description: Reduced risk has translated into a return on shareholder’s equity that’s more akin to a sleepy regulated utility than a top investment firm.
Source: Fortune.com
Date: 01/20/2012
Link: http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2012/01/20/bank-earnings-shareholder-return/?iid=SF_F_Lead
Questions for discussion:
- Why are bank stock returns expected to be reduced?
- Do you agree with the explanation?
New Normal on Wall Street: Smaller and Restrained
January 23, 2012 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Governments & Regulators, Growth & Valuation, Industry Analysis, Management Issues
Description: With firms like Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley reporting weak results for last year, Wall Street is having to confront doubts about itself.
Source: NYTimes.com
Date: 01/19/2012
Questions for discussion:
- Summarize the key points presented in the report.
- Do you agree with these assessments?
- Is this a good or bad scenario, in your opinion?
Sir Richard enters the business of banking
January 16, 2012 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Company Analysis, Economic Analysis, Governments & Regulators, Growth & Valuation, Management Issues
Description: Virgin Group’s Sir Richard Branson on his new foray into the banking business with takeover of the ill-fated British bank,Northern Rock.
Questions for discussion:
- Do you think this bank will be managed differently because of the connection to Branson and the Virgin brand?
- Do you think this bank will perform any differently – financially speaking?
Can anyone save Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac?
January 16, 2012 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Company Analysis, Economic Analysis, Governments & Regulators, Growth & Valuation, Management Issues
Description: It has been more than three years since then Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson fired his famous metaphorical bazooka and the federal government seized control of mortgage agencies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Source: Fortune.com
Date: 01/11/2012
Link: http://money.cnn.com/2012/01/11/news/economy/thebuzz/index.htm?iid=HP_River
Questions for discussion:
- According to the report, what are the reasons for ongoing problems at these agencies?
- What are the recommendations to resolve these issues?
- Do you agree with this line of thinking?
- Do you think they are feasible – given the players involved?
