Bank bailout failed homeowners

Posted by & filed under Economic Analysis, Governments & Regulators, Industry Analysis, Management Issues.

Description: Former TARP Inspector General Neil Barofsky says the program failed to protect Main Street from Wall Street. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: July 25, 2012 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2012/07/25/n-Barofsky-TARP.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: Summarize commentary in this report about the failure to manage TARP. Do you believe the criticism is fair? What are the economic prospects… Read more »

Your credit card costs small biz thousands

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Description: Retail merchants get charged a fee when you use plastic and recent reforms don’t seem to be reducing the burden on small businesses. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: July 20, 2012 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/smallbusiness/2012/07/19/sbiz-credit-card-costs.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: Describe how cash, credit and debit card processing affect the financial operations of retailers. Do you think… Read more »

China flexes muscles with Cnooc, Nexen deal

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Description: $15.1 billion deal one of many to greatly impact global oil, natgas. When Cnooc Ltd. scored a deal to acquire Canada’s Nexen Inc., it was one big leap for China’s largest offshore oil and natural gas producer, and one small step toward building a global empire to feed the Asian nation’s voracious appetite for… Read more »

Housing: A Long Way From Normal

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Description: Remember suburban Phoenix, home of empty subdivisions with green swimming pools and roving coyotes? It’s booming again. A house in Glendale got 95 offers and eventually sold for 17 percent above the asking price. “This is not something we would see in a normal market,” says Michael Orr, director of the Center for Real… Read more »

Facebook Falls After Report Fails to Quell Concerns Over Growth

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Description:  Facebook Inc. (FB) plunged to a record low after its first earnings report as a public company showed a slower sales gain and narrower profit margins, failing to allay concerns over growth that have dragged down the shares. Source: Bloomberg.com Date: July 27, 2012 Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-27/facebook-falls-after-report-fails-to-quell-concerns-over-growth.html Questions for Discussions: Why has the stock fallen… Read more »

Walgreen finally gets good news

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Economic Analysis, Financial analysis, Growth & Valuation, Industry Analysis, Management Issues.

Description: Walgreen reached an agreement with pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts, giving its shares a much needed boost. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: July 19, 2012 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/markets/2012/07/19/investing-bz-Walgreen.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: Summarize and explain the recent financial performance of Walgreen. How much of the problem facing the company can be attributed to management, in… Read more »

Slowing sales put out Chipotle’s fuego

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Description:   Chipotle is still growing rapidly, but investors were disappointed that revenues missed lofty forecasts. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report com Date: July 20, 2012 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/markets/2012/07/20/investing-bz-Chipotle.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: Summarize the financials for the company. Why has the stock fallen so much? Would you be a buyer or seller at this time?

How to save RIM. Really

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Description: Despite the many grim signs suggesting otherwise, it can be done. Here’s how. Source: Fortune.com Date: July 20, 2012 Link: http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/07/20/how-to-save-rim-really/?iid=SF_F_River Questions for Discussions: Summarize the recommended strategy. Do you agree with this thinking? How will it impact financials at the company during the transition? How would you expect investors to respond to a… Read more »

Spain financial woes worsen as bank bailout approved

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Description: Spain’s financial woes deepened ominously Friday after a heavily indebted region asked Madrid for help and the government predicted more recession next year, prompting investors to dump stocks and government bonds. Source: GlobeandMail.com Date: July 20, 2012 Link: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/international-business/european-business/spain-financial-woes-worsen-as-bank-bailout-approved/article4429366/ Questions for Discussions: Explain the cause of the Spanish stock market drop? How are interest… Read more »

Ireland Bulldozes Ghost Estate In Life After Real Estate Bubble

Posted by & filed under Economic Analysis, Financial Planning, Governments & Regulators, Growth & Valuation, Management Issues, Market Analysis.

Description:  Ireland is opting for bulldozers rather than bankers as it starts to clear the legacy of the housing boom whose collapse brought the economy to its knees. Source: Bloomberg.com Date: July 19, 2012 Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-19/ireland-bulldozes-ghost-estate-in-life-after-real-estate-bubble.html Questions for Discussions: How did over-supply undermine the real estate market? Who is to blame for this fiasco? How… Read more »