Description: Dexia, BNP Paribas, and Société Générale are resisting pressure from regulators to accept more losses on their holdings of Greek government debt amid criticism they haven’t written down the bonds sufficiently. Source: Businessweek.com Date: 10/06/2011 Link:  http://www.businessweek.com/europe/a-divide-over-valuing-greek-debt-10062011.html Questions for discussion: Summarize the accounting problems facing these banks. What are the possible solutions? How would… Read more »
Monthly Archives: October 2011
BullHorn: Battle of the tech heavyweights
Description:  Apple or Amazon? IBM or HP? Three out of the four are knock-out stocks. Can you guess who has the glass chin? Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 09/27/2011 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/markets/2011/09/27/mkts_bh_tech_heavyweights.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: Summarize the highlights reported for each firm. Do you agree with the conclusions reported? What advice would you suggest to… Read more »
Why Google has a venture capital fund
Description:    Bill Maris, managing partner of Google Ventures explains how the fund’s investments fit in with Google’s overall strategy. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 09/29/2011 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2011/09/28/ts_google_ventures.fortune/ Questions for discussion: What are the reasons presented for Google’s involvement in new ventures? What are some other possible reasons that were not mentioned in the report?… Read more »
Market undergoing huge change
Description: Believe it or not, the stock and bond markets are behaving in a way that, with only one exception at the depths of the 2008-2009 credit crisis, they have not since 1958—53 years ago: The stock market’s dividend yield is now above the interest rate on the 10-year Treasury note Source: Marketwatch.com Date: 09/30/2011… Read more »
Kodak Weighs Options to Clear Path for Sale
Description: Eastman Kodak Co. (EK), the unprofitable 131-year-old camera maker, is weighing options including a bankruptcy filing because of concerns raised by possible buyers of its patent portfolio, said three people with direct knowledge of the process. Source: Bloomberg.com Date: 10/01/2011 Link:Â http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-30/kodak-said-to-weigh-bankruptcy-filing.html Questions for discussion: Summarize the highlights of this report. What would you… Read more »
More Small Businesses Are Selling Receivables at a Loss
Description: Owners who can’t get bank credit or aren’t selling much are tapping commercial financiers known as factors—despite their higher cost Source: Businessweek.com Date: 09/27/2011 Link:  http://www.businessweek.com/small-business/more-small-businesses-are-selling-receivables-at-a-loss-09272011.html Questions for discussion: Summarize the problems described in the article. What are the possible solutions? Is factoring a good choice, in your opinion?
