Description: Earnings calls aren’t known for providing catharsis. Indeed, you wouldn’t have detected elation in the nasal, Midwestern tones of Procter & Gamble’s embattled CEO, Bob McDonald, as he answered questions after the ritual presentation of the quarterly numbers on Jan. 25. Source: Fortune.com Date: Feb 08, 2013 Link: http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2013/02/08/procter-gamble-mcdonald/ Questions for Discussions: Would you… Read more »
Posts By: Brahm Canzer
Will Michael Dell become the Marlboro man of the PC age?
Description: Comment The mooted Dell takeover, the one to take it private again, is now happening. The big question is why? Why come off the public markets to operate as a private company again? The obvious and logical answer here being that the people buying the company think they can make more money this way… Read more »
Amazon can do no wrong
Description: Shares of Amazon are near an all-time high despite missing estimates. Investors continue to give Jeff Bezos the benefit of the doubt. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Jan 30, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/investing/2013/01/30/investing-buzz-amazon-bezos-earnings.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: How is Amazon doing financially speaking and in the stock market? How does this report explain the price… Read more »
Facebook Profit Drops as Spending Rises on New Features
Description: Facebook Inc. (FB) reported a plunge in fourth-quarter profit on higher spending, even while it made long-awaited progress luring advertisers eager to reach mobile- device users. Source: Bloomberg.com – video report Date: Jan 31, 2013 Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-01-30/facebook-profit-drops-amid-higher-spending-on-features-ad-tools.html Questions for Discussions: Summarize the financial analysis presented in this report for Facebook. Explain the reasoning for… Read more »
What’s behind the bull market
Description: U.S. stocks are flirting with all-time highs, climbing to levels not seen since before the financial crisis. Source: CNNMoney.com Date: Jan 31, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/2013/01/31/investing/stocks-bull-market/index.html?iid=Lead Questions for Discussions: What are the explanations for the bull market and return to 2007 market levels? What are the concerns going forward? What is your view of the… Read more »
As Music Streaming Grows, Royalties Slow to a Trickle
Description: Like plenty of music fans, Sam Broe jumped at the chance to join Spotify two summers ago, and he hasn’t looked back. Source: NYTimes.com Date: Jan 28, 2013 Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/29/business/media/streaming-shakes-up-music-industrys-model-for-royalties.html?ref=media&_r=0 Questions for Discussions: What does this article have to say about the royalties earned by artists? As small business people on the lower end… Read more »
Outsourcing to surge in 2013: study
Description: Love it or hate it, outsourcing is here to stay as a standard business practice. Source: SmartPlanet.com Date: Jan 28, 2013 Link: http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/bulletin/outsourcing-to-surge-in-2013-study/11466?tag=nl.e660&s_cid=e660 Questions for Discussions: Why is outsourcing popular? How does outsourcing relate to productivity, costs, and cash flow? What are the financial risks and limits to outsourcing?
Why Apple is down, and Netflix is up
Description: How could this be? Expectations drive stocks and Apple disappointed Wall Street while Netflix delivered a surprise profit. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Jan 24, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/investing/2013/01/24/investing-buzz-apple-netflix-nokia-stock.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: Why did Apple’s stock price decline so dramatically on January 24 according to the report? Do you think the stock is oversold?… Read more »
Hasbro cutting jobs after weak holiday
Description: Shares of toymaker Hasbro fell on disappointing fourth quarter sales and layoff news. Rival Mattel was lower too. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Jan 25, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/investing/2013/01/25/investing-buzz-hasbro-mattel-toys-jobs.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: Why have sales declined for the firm? How should management respond to the trends in customer behavior that were highlighted in the… Read more »
Making the case for negative interest rates
Description: Former Fed official Alan Blinder talks about how to fix the economy, where the next crisis will come from, and how scared investors should be. Source: Fortune.com Date: Jan 25, 2013 Link: http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2013/01/25/alan-blinder-interest-rates/?iid=SF_F_River Questions for Discussions: What are the major concerns and recommendations made by Alan Binder? Do you agree with his positions? What… Read more »
