Description: On a crisp Friday evening in late October, Shannon Rich, 33, is standing in a dying American mall. Three customers wander the aisles in a Sears the size of two football fields. The RadioShack is empty. A woman selling smartphone cases watches “Homeland” on a laptop. Source: Bloomberg.com Date: Nov 21, 2014 Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-11-21/a-dying-mall-in-concord-new-hampshire.html… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Company Analysis
Warren Buffett buying battery maker Duracell
Description: Berkshire Hathaway, owned by Warren Buffett, is buying Duracell for $4.7 billion worth of stock from Proctor & Gamble. P&G will also recapitalize Duracell with $1.7B before the transaction is complete. Source: Fortune.com – video report Date: Nov 13, 2014 Link: http://for.tn/1xwAcvo Questions for Discussions: How did this deal cause P&G stock to jump?… Read more »
Hasbro in talks to acquire DreamWorks Animation
Description: According to Deadline Hollywood, Hasbro is “deeply engaged” in talks to acquire the motion picture company DreamWorks, known for huge blockbuster animation movies like Shrek. Source: Fortune.com – video report Date: Nov 13, 2014 Link: http://for.tn/1xSIpJM Questions for Discussions: Does the acquisition make sense for these firms and for investors? Do you think investor… Read more »
Walmart Q3 Results Beat Street Expectations: Are They Sustainable?
Description: After seven long quarters of declines, for the third quarter of 2014, Walmart posted a modest increase of 0.5 percent in sales at U.S. stores open at least a year. Source: Forbes.com Date: Nov 13, 2014 Link: http://www.forbes.com/sites/paularosenblum/2014/11/13/walmart-q3-results-beat-street-expectations-is-it-sustainable/ Questions for Discussions: What does the report say about Walmart financials today and looking ahead? Given… Read more »
What We Learned From High-Cost Lender OnDeck’s IPO Filing
Description: OnDeck, a small business lender that has loaned Main Street companies more than $1.7 billion since 2007, sometimes at annual percentage rates exceeding 100 percent, has filed for an initial public offering. Source: Businessweek.com Date: Nov 11, 2014 Link: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-11-11/ondeck-ipo-alternative-loans-arent-getting-any-cheaper#r=nav-fst Questions for Discussions: Is OnDeck gouging borrowers, in your opinion? Evaluate the level of… Read more »
Alibaba Said to Seek $8 Billion in Bond Deal for Loan Repayment
Description: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (BABA) is planning to raise as much as $8 billion as soon as next week in its first U.S. bond sale, just two months after the Chinese company completed the biggest public stock offering ever, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Source: Bloomberg.com Date: Nov 13, 2014 Link:… Read more »
Whole Foods reports 9% growth over last year
Description: Whole Food’s fiscal year culminated at the end of September, reporting “Record total sales of $3.3 billion, a 9% increase over the prior year.” Source: Fortune.com – video report Date: Nov 06, 2014 Link: http://for.tn/1GuEyIx Questions for Discussions: How well has the firm performed financially? Do you think the firm still warrants a premium… Read more »
No Money, No Problem: Bootstrapping Off Of Apple
Description: Braintree, GitHub and Nasty Gal all bootstrapped as startups, batting away offers from outside investors as long as they could and following their own lodestars to shape their companies. Source: Forbes.com Date: Nov 05, 2014 Link: http://www.forbes.com/sites/karstenstrauss/2014/11/05/no-money-no-problem-bootstrapping-off-of-apple/ Questions for Discussions: What was the financial planning strategy that these companies followed in order to maintain… Read more »
Fiat Chrysler to spin-off Ferrari
Description: Fiat Chrysler announced Wednesday it’s spinning off its famous luxury car brand Ferrari into an independent company – listing 10 percent of the stock on the market and distributing the remaining 90 percent to its shareholders. Source: Fortune.com – video report Date: Oct 29, 2014 Link: http://for.tn/1vhz0IF Questions for Discussions: Why did Fiat spin… Read more »
The Eurozone’s zombie banks
Description: They can’t be saved. They can’t be killed and are ready to cause the next global crisis! You’d be right to think zombies, but were you thinking zombie banks? Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Oct 31, 2014 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2014/10/31/zombie-banks.cnnmoney/index.html Questions for Discussions: What are “zombie” banks and how were they “created”? Why are… Read more »
