Bankers, Expect Your 2012 Bonus to be Down 30%

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

Description: As investment bank bonus pools continue to shrink, banks are expected to continue to layoff staff. The WSJ’s Deborah Kan speaks to Christian Brun from executive search firm Wellesley Partners about just how bad it’s about to get. Source: Moneywatch.com – video report Date: Sep 07, 2012 Link: http://on.wsj.com/Qi5MdW Questions for Discussions: According to… Read more »

No Joke: Jay Leno Took Pay Cut of 50%

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Description: Late-night talk show host Jay Leno took a 50% pay cut as part of NBC’s budget-chopping effort last month at “The Tonight Show,” the network said, detailing the scope of the changes for the first time as well as the reasoning behind them. Christopher Stewart has details on Lunch Break. Photo: Getty Images. Source:… Read more »

Too quick to a call bottom for U.S. home prices: Shiller

Posted by & filed under Economic Analysis, Growth & Valuation, Industry Analysis.

Description: The much-anticipated bottom of the U.S. housing market may finally be upon us, as the closely watched S&P/Case Shiller index of home prices rose 0.5 percent from last year – marking the first time since 2010 that home prices increased year-over-year. Source:  BNN.ca – video report Date: Sep 07, 2012 Link:  http://www.bnn.ca/News/2012/9/7/Too-quick-to-a-call-bottom-for-US-home-prices-Shiller.aspx Questions for… Read more »

Are the Big Banks Keeping Their Commitment to Small Businesses?

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

Description:   Last September in Cleveland, 13 of the nation’s largest banks stood beside Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Karen Mills, chief of the Small Business Administration, and announced a commitment to increase small-business lending by $20 billion over the following three years. Source: NYTimes.com Date:  Sep 06, 2012 Link:  http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/06/are-the-big-banks-keeping-their-commitment-to-small-businesses/?ref=smallbusiness Questions for Discussions: … Read more »

Dallas Cowboys Lead NFL With $2.1 Billion Valuation

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Description:  The most famous quote attributed to legendary Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi is “winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” But if Lombardi had coached in this era instead of the 1960s he may have substituted the word “marketing” for “winning.” Source: Forbes.com Date: Sep 05, 2012 Link:  http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2012/09/05/dallas-cowboys-lead-nfl-with-2-1-billion-valuation/ Questions for Discussions: What… Read more »

How financial feminists invest $64 million

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Description: From a Dry Soda company to biodegradable diapers, Golden Seeds is making money by investing in women-led start-ups. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Aug 24, 2012 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2012/08/24/n-golden-seeds.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: Is there a fundamental advantage or disadvantage to investing this way? Why might firms run by women have greater financial success?

eBay: The biz to beat in mobile payments

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Description:   Forget Google Wallet and Square, eBay and its payment unit PayPal are the top dogs in mobile payments … at least for now. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Aug 23, 2012 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/investing/2012/08/23/investing-mobile-payments-ebay-google.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: What makes eBay so attractive to investors today? Would you be an investor?

Was Facebook a set up for Morgan Stanley?

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Description:  Did Morgan Stanley’s mutual-fund bet on Facebook Inc.’s initial public offering backfire or was it a set-up that burned investors in those funds? Source: Marketwatch.com Date: Aug 24, 2012 Link:  http://www.marketwatch.com/story/was-facebook-a-set-up-for-morgan-stanley-2012-08-24?link=MW_story_investinginsight Questions for Discussions: What are the arguments presented in the video report? Do you think  it was a set-up?

Weak Sales and a Large Write-Down Give H.P. a Loss

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Description:  The pressure is building for Meg Whitman to make a miracle happen. Source: NYTimes.com Date: Aug 22, 2012 Link:  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/23/technology/weak-sales-hurt-hp-in-quarter.html Questions for Discussions: Summarize the financial condition at HP and the industry in general. What can management do to affect change in a positive direction? Would you be an investor today?

In the Calm of Summer, Stocks Climb Gingerly

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Economic Analysis, Growth & Valuation, Industry Analysis, Market Analysis.

Description: Stocks approached their highest levels of the year on Friday in the wake of some mildly encouraging economic data, closing out their sixth-straight positive week. Source: NYTimes.com Date: Aug 17, 2012 Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/18/business/daily-stock-market-activity.html?ref=business Questions for Discussions: Summarize the summer activity in stock markets. Do you agree with the explanations provided for this behavior? Where… Read more »