Description: Fans of tech stocks and train wrecks got to combine their interests in 2012, as several high-profile companies endured an awful year: Shares of Facebook are off 31 percent, Zynga is down 73 percent, and Groupon is at negative 79 percent. Yahoo! struggled, Netflix fell, and even Apple had a rough stretch that lopped… Read more »
Posts By: Brahm Canzer
Fiscal Cliff Fears Drive Huge Spike in Dividend Payouts
Description: Taxes on dividends may go up on January 1. And companies are shoveling dividends out to their shareholders before the taxman comes calling. Source: TheDailyBeast.com Date: Nov 28, 2012 Link: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/11/28/fiscal-cliff-fears-drive-huge-spike-in-dividend-payouts.html Questions for Discussions: What is the history of dividend payouts and changing tax policies? Do you think the payouts are good for the… Read more »
Odds not in Hunger Games publisher’s favor
Description: Scholastic shares are lower on weaker-than-expected sales of Hunger Games and the looming fiscal cliff school budget cuts. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Nov 21, 2012 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/investing/2012/11/21/investing-buzz-scholastic-hunger-games-fiscal-cliff.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: Explain the reasons for the stock market decline of Scholastic? Do you think this stock represents a good speculative play on how… Read more »
Cyber Monday goes mobile
Description: Online shopping deals can be had even before Cyber Monday and savvy shoppers can get them from their phones. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Nov 23, 2012 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2012/11/23/n-cyber-monday-mobile.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: What are the financial implications for the changes in shopping behavior due to online options? How might these affect cash flows,… Read more »
Black Friday results a useless indicator
Description:Â Commentary: Initial reports from retailers are unreliable Source: Marketwatch.com Date: Nov 23, 2012 Link:Â http://www.marketwatch.com/story/black-friday-results-a-useless-indicator-2012-11-23 Questions for Discussions: What does the report say about the value of Black Friday as an indicator? Why do you suppose it is given such prominent attention by analysts?
Why Some M&A Deals Are Best Done In-House
Description: When PPR, the French owner of Gucci, sold a stake in its African distributor CFAO in August, it didn’t use an investment bank to handle the transaction. Instead, the company turned to an in-house mergers-and-acquisitions team led by a former France Telecom (FTE) M&A executive. “When we can, we do it on our own,  Read more »
How HPs Disastrous Deal Blows a Hole in Consulting
Description: HP lost $8.8 billion on acquisition gone bad. Are high-priced consultants and accountants like KPMG and Deloitte to blame? Source: TheDailyBeast.com Date: Nov 21, 2012 Link: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/11/21/how-hp-s-disastrous-deal-blows-a-hole-in-consulting.html Questions for Discussions: Who is at fault for this situation? What does this report say about the value of consultants and their effort at due diligence? What… Read more »
More bad news for PC makers
Description: Dell’s latest results were awful, sending shares of the struggling stock even lower. A similar fate likely awaits Hewlett-Packard next week. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Nov 16, 2012 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/investing/2012/11/16/investing-hp-dell.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: Explain the reasons for stock market declines of Dell and HP? What could turn these stock values around? Would… Read more »
Fed Looks to Send Clear Rate-Hike Signals
Description: The Federal Reserve is inching closer to revamping its communications strategy by stating more explicitly than ever before what would get officials to raise short-terms interest rates. Source: Moneywatch.com – video report Date: Nov 13, 2012 Link: http://on.wsj.com/QEUT6E Questions for Discussions: What are the implications for providing clearly defined triggers for interest rate changes?… Read more »
Amazon’s Jeff Bezos: The ultimate disrupter
Description: He’s a pro-customer, tightfisted risk-taker who is conditioning Wall Street to embrace his erratic earnings. If you’re running a business with high margins — watch out. Source: Fortune.com Date: Nov 16, 2012 Link: http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2012/11/16/jeff-bezos-amazon/?iid=SF_F_River Questions for Discussions: What does the article say about Jeff Bezos’ management thinking and style? Why has Amazon succeeded? Where… Read more »
