Description: The U.S. stock market is wrapping up what is likely to be its worst decade ever. In nearly 200 years of recorded stock-market history, no calendar decade has seen such a dismal performance as the 2000s. Source: WSJ.com Date: 12/20/2009 Link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704786204574607993448916718.html?mod=WSJ_hp_mostpop_read Questions for discussion:Â Summarize the highlights of the story. Do you think… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Uncategorized
How the financial system fell apart
Description: PIMCO CEO Mohamed El-Erian explains how collapse of Lehman Brothers destroyed confidence in the economy. Source: CNNMoney – video report  Date: 12/10/2009 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/fortune/2009/12/08/f_cs_pimco_food.fortune/ Questions for discussion: Summarize the reasons given for the financial crisis. Do you believe the fear expressed by El-Erian was experienced by everyone? Explain your answer. How do you… Read more »
Pay czar issues salary caps for execs
Description: Kenneth Feinberg limits pay to 500,000 for hundreds of employees at AIG, General Motors, Citigroup and GMAC. Source: CNNMoney.com Date: 12/11/2009 Link:Â http://money.cnn.com/2009/12/11/news/companies/feinberg_compensation/index.htm Questions for discussion: What are the arguments put forward that favour limiting the pay of executives at these firms? Do you agree with these arguments? What are possible consequences of this… Read more »
IPOVIEW-Faulty week does not signal end of IPO boom
Description:Â There is nothing wrong with the IPO market that a few quality companies could not cure. That is what analysts insisted after a week of disappointing offerings that seemed to deflate a budding recovery in the market. Source: Reuters.com Date: 12/11/2009 Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1126572920091212 Questions for discussion: Summarize the arguments given for the weak response… Read more »
Goldman Trades Shouldn’t Get U.S. Aid, Volcker Says
Description: Goldman Sachs Group Inc., which took $10 billion in U.S. bailout funds last year, shouldn’t get taxpayer support if the firm focuses on trading over banking, according to former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker. Source: Bloomberg.com Date: 12/12/2009 Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=a.O8G_pyd5ZE Questions for discussion: Summarize the highlights of the story. How might this impact the… Read more »
Comcast’s big gamble with NBC
Description: Fortune’s Andy Serwer is skeptical that the proposed Comcast-NBCU deal will work better than previous media mergers. Source: CNNMoney – video report  Date: 12/02/2009 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/fortune/2009/12/02/f_sl_nbc_comcast.fortune/ Questions for discussion: Summarize the reasons given for the acquisition of NBC by Comcast. Do you believe this was a good financial deal? Explain your answer.
Dubai not a canary but another miner needing oxygen
Description: Taken all in all, Dubai’s debt crisis is the most significant financial development of 2007. Here in late 2009 it amounts to far less. Source: Reuters.com Date: 12/01/2009 Link:Â http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN3058513220091201 Questions for discussion: Summarize the opinions presented in this article. Do you agree with these views? Explain your thinking.
European Banks Growing Bigger ‘Sowing the Seeds’ of Next Crisis
Description: European banks are emerging from the credit crisis bigger than before, posing more risk to their national economies. Source: Bloomberg.com Date: 12/02/2009 Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aRDrzOAWRekc Questions for discussion: Summarize the arguments given for concern? Do you share those concerns? Explain your answer. Should the banks be regulated more? Explain your thinking.
World’s Most Expensive Office Markets Get Cheaper
Description: The world’s most expensive office markets got a little cheaper this year. More than 130 cities worldwide had declines in rent expenses in the year ended Sept. 30, CB Richard Ellis Group Inc. said in a report today. Almost 50 cities reported declines of more than 10 percent. Rental costs fell about 30 percent… Read more »
Macy’s CEO: ‘It’s getting better’
Description: President and CEO Terry Lundgren says sales are slowly increasing as the department store chain trims excess inventory. Embedded video from CNNMoney.com Video Source: CNNMoney – video report  Date: 11/27/2009 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2009/11/27/n_macyceo_quest.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: Summarize the reasons for expected financial improvements over last year? Do you share these beliefs? Explain your thinking…. Read more »