Hello. Yes, long time no speak. Since there’s been a global pandemic going on, I’ve […]
Category: Scoping
7 (Mostly Terrible) Predictions for the Accounting Profession in 2019
Hi. Me again. It’s been awhile since we’ve met here. I can’t make any promises, […]
Accounting Profession Rankings, Ranked
1. Vault 502. Reading the IRC3. CPA Practice Advisor Most Powerful Women in Accounting4. LinkedIn […]
Scoping | 07.31.09
• Buffett Posts $1 Billion Profit on China Hybrid Carmaker BYD – “The automaker has jumped fivefold in Hong Kong trading since the deal was announced on Sept. 27, helped by Buffett’s investment and rising demand for fuel-efficient vehicles.” – YAWN. [Bloomberg]
• ‘Cash For Clunkers’ Lacks Cash For Clunkers [NPR]
• U.S. Recession Worse Than Previously Estimated, Revisions Show – “The first 12 months of the U.S. recession saw the economy shrink more than twice as much as previously estimated, reflecting even bigger declines in consumer spending and housing, revised figures showed.” Government data estimates not even close? THE HORROR. [Bloomberg]
• Regulators Are Getting Tougher on Banks -“Federal regulators have escalated the number of wounded banks they have essentially put on probation, with some of the targeted banks complaining that the action is too harsh.” [WSJ]
Scoping | 07.30.09
• Moore’s ‘Capitalism: a Love Story’ to Debut in Venice – We thought it might debut at 85 Broad but whatevs. [Bloomberg]
• In downturn, robots laid off – Statistics also show that robot suicides and chemical dependency is up. [Miami Herald]
• Madoff gives feeder fund managers’ names to lawyer – Something about spending 150 years in prison makes a man want to talk. [Reuters]
• Cablevision to spin off Madison Square assets: report – In other news, Penn Station will remain a toilet. [Reuters]
• Air Canada Gets Bailout From Ottawa – “Air Canada has secured a 1 billion Canadian dollar ($922 million) lifeline with help from the federal government, giving the carrier a crucial infusion of cash to help it survive the recession and avoid another trip through bankruptcy protection, The Globe and Mail reported.” It’s the North American way. [DealBook]
Scoping | 07.29.09
• Bernie Madoff gloats from prison: I can’t believe I got away with Ponzi scheme for so long – That explains the smirking. [NYDN]
• Microsoft and Yahoo Reach Deal on Search Partnership – Thank God. We thought we’d never see the end of this awkward flirting [New York Times]
• EU examines Latvia bank bail-out – They’re likely to discover some questionable collateral at the very least. [BBC]
• Bank of America May Trim Branches as Customers Use Web, Phones – Personal banking on the web. What a concept. Real reactionary, Charlotte. [Bloomberg]
• KKR Plans a Dollar General IPO – Cheap stuff + Bad Economy = Big Money [WSJ]
Scoping | 07.28.09
• House Members Have More Questions for Goldman – “In a two-page letter Monday, the House members, including Representatives Alan Grayson, (D-Fla.), Ron Paul (R-Texas), Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and Walter B. Jones (R-NC), asked the Federal Reserve to explain why it granted a special exemption to Goldman which allowed it to take on more risk over the past few quarters.” Get on it Max. [DealBook]
• Swine flu boosts handwash sales – …And shrinks specializing in germaphobes [BBC]
• Sprint to Buy Virgin Mobile USA; I.B.M. to Buy SSPS [DealBook]
• Kerviel Lawyer Says SocGen Knew of Trading Positions – “Jerome Kerviel, the trader blamed by Societe Generale SA for a 4.9 billion-euro ($7 billion) loss last year, repeated arguments in a court filing that his superiors knew about his activities.” [Bloomberg]
• Traders Blamed for Oil Spike – “The Commodity Futures Trading Commission plans to issue a report next month suggesting speculators played a significant role in driving wild swings in oil prices — a reversal of an earlier CFTC position that augurs intensifying scrutiny on investors.” [WSJ]
Scoping | 07.27.09
• Bernanke defends bail-out package – “Ben Bernanke, the boss of the US central bank, has defended the US bail-out plan citing his fears of a second Great Depression, during a public talk.” [BBC]
• Citi public exchange offer gets 99 percent shares – “Citigroup Inc said on Sunday some 99 percent of its stock was tendered in an exchange offer for publicly held securities, in a key step toward giving the U.S. government a 34 percent equity stake in the bank.” [Reuters]
• Kuwait financier facing U.S. fraud suit found dead – “A brash Kuwaiti financier facing a fraud suit by U.S. authorities was found dead Sunday in an apparent suicide that sent shockwaves through the Gulf Arab financial sector.” [Reuters]
• Chinese state steel workers beat private firm boss to death -“Thousands of angry Chinese steel workers clashed with police and beat to death an executive of the firm trying to take over their company, a Hong Kong-based human rights organisation has said.” [The Guardian]
Scoping | 07.24.09
• Warren Buffett to Teach Kids About Finance in New Web Cartoon [Bloomberg]
• U.K. GDP Shrinks More Than Expected – “Hopes that the U.K. economy was on the road to recovery after a severe recession received a major blow Friday with official data showing output contracted far more than expected in the second quarter.” [WSJ]
• After Buffett Rebuff, CIT Eyes a Breakup – “Conglomerates Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Leucadia National Corp. made a bid to buy parts of CIT Group Inc. but were rebuffed by CIT, according to people familiar with the matter, because the price was too low.” [WSJ]
• The Man Who Sank New Jersey [Forbes]
Scoping | 07.23.09
• Obama Approval 49% Among U.S. Investors, 87% Overseas – “President Barack Obama has rock- star appeal among the investing class — except in his own country.” [Bloomberg]
• Investment Bank Helps Boost Credit Suisse’s Net Income – Reigning in on the company wide Shake Shack outings is probably helpful too. [WSJ]
• One-time gain boosts Ford results – Don’t call it a comeback [BBC]
• Manure means money to handlers gathered in Iowa – Sometimes there’s money in shit [AP via Miami Herald]
• Bardem Turns Down Role in ‘Wall Street’ Sequel – “The actor Javier Bardem has turned down a role in the sequel to Oliver Stone’s seminal 1980s treatise on greed, “Wall Street.” Mr. Bardem, who won an Oscar in 2008 for his performance in “No Country for Old Men,” was to have played the world’s villain du jour: a hedge fund manager.” [DealBook]
Scoping | 07.22.09
• BlackRock chief attacks Wall Street earnings – Somebody’s jealous. [FT.com]
• Credit Card Disputes Tossed Into Disarray – “Two major arbitration firms are backing away from the business of resolving disputes between customers and their credit-card and cellphone companies, throwing into disarray a controversial system that prevents unhappy consumers from filing lawsuits.” [WSJ]
• Federal reserve chief heads back to Capitol Hill– “Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke heads back to Capitol Hill Wednesday, where he’s likely to face more tough questions about the central bank’s extraordinary actions to rescue the economy and its ability to take on even more responsibility.” [AP via Miami Herald]
• Morgan Stanley Loss Misses Estimates on Debt Costs – Creative accounting can’t help MS…[Bloomberg]
• Wells Fargo Says Bad Loans Rise in Second Quarter; Shares Drop – …Or Wells [Bloomberg]
Scoping | 07.21.09
First, some shameless promotion:
• Breaking Media Launches Going Concern [Media Bistro]
• New Finance Blog Aims To ‘Make Accounting Sexy’ [Media Post]
• Site launched to follow accounting industry [Talking Biz News]
And the rest:
• California Budget Deal Reached By Legislators, Schwarzenegger – “The deal, reached by legislative leaders after two months of frequently acrimonious negotiations, would slash spending for schools, public works and welfare programs amid the longest recession since the 1930s. If approved by the full Senate and Assembly, the agreement will also siphon money from municipalities, force companies and individuals to pay income taxes sooner and make it more difficult to receive state aid.” [Bloomberg]
• Swiss Banks Freeze Out U.S. Clients – “In a sign that UBS AG’s high-profile spat with the Internal Revenue Service is chipping away at Switzerland’s private banking industry, some Swiss banks are cutting off or curbing business with American clients for fear of crossing U.S. authorities.” [WSJ]
• ‘Spy scandal’ hits Deutsche Bank – “Deutsche Bank has confirmed it faces a possible criminal investigation into spying allegations.” [BBC]