More Under Armour Red Flags...
November 20, 2009
Stock Jocks Punish Under Armour's Mathletes | www.cnbc.com
Under Armour's most recent 10K contains a number of financial reporting "red flags" that reflect a cavalier attitude toward financial reporting transparency.
What the Former SEC Chairmen Missed...
November 19, 2009
Don't Let Banks Hide Bad Assets | online.wsj.com
Conceptually, the arguments favoring fair value accounting are sound and quite appealing. Unquestionably, financial statement users will benefit from data about how a company’s assets and liabilities change in value during a reporting period. However, there are two major issues associated with fair value reporting that accountants, investors, legislators, and regulators need to address in the wake of our most recent financial crisis.
What Have the Accountants Done For Us Lately?
November 19, 2009
Systemic risk legislation threatens FASB’s independence | www.accountingweb.com
Debates about the causes of the recent financial crisis have yet to focus on the inability of financial institution independent auditors to provide adequate oversight over management’s valuations of financial instruments.
Obama Expected to Sign Generous NOL Carryback Bill on Friday
November 5, 2009
Congress Passes Unemployment Bill With Tax Items | www.journalofaccountancy.com
On Thursday, Congress sent a bill to the White House containing enhanced net operating loss (NOL) carryback opportunities for most companies. The bill contains a provision extending the NOL carryback period from two years to five years for losses incurred in 2008 or 2009. President Obama is expected to sign the bill on Friday which would result in the immediate filing for refunds by many companies.
Obama Administration Moves Foreign Earnings Tax Deferral Reform to Back Burner
October 13, 2009
Business Fends Off Tax Hit | online.wsj.com
Once again, a proposal to reform how a U.S. based multinational company's foreign earnings are taxed has failed to gain congressional support. Similar proposals introduced over the past twenty years have consistently failed to gain traction. The current proposal was part of the Obama administration's fiscal year 2010 budget which made reference to additional tax revenues in excess of $200 billion related to the reform of corporate taxation on foreign earnings.
Is Western Union Market Share Taking Market Share from Competitors?
April 24, 2008
Western Union 1Q profit rises 7 percent on international | biz.yahoo.com
I think the information presented in the article is consistent with Western Union picking up market share from competitors. Despite flat U.S. revenues over 05-07 period and likely near flat revenues from the U.S. in Q108 in part attributable to the Mexican results, Western Union has gained significant international market share over the 05-07 period and, with Q108 gains coming from China and India, this trend appears to be continuing (international revenues up 9% relative to total in 05-07 period and 43% in absolute terms). Absent a significant shift in the size of the market for money transfers, these gains would have come at the expense of competitors.
Security Writedowns Today May Lead to Massive P&L Charges Later for C, MER and Others
April 21, 2008
A Way Charges Stay Off Bottom Line | online.wsj.com
Depending upon management's classification of a security (i.e., either "trading" or "available for sale"), a charge may or may not appear on the income statement in the same period as the write-down on the balance sheet. If the security is classified as a trading security, the charge on the income statement will occur in the same period as the write-down. However, if the security is classified as available for sale, the charge bypasses the income statement and is taken directly to stockholders equity. If the value of the security does not recover prior to its liquidation, the charge typically is taken in the year of liquidation. The potential charge for write-downs related to available for sale securities can be quantified by looking at the statement of stockholders equity, particularly other comprehensive income.
Coming to terms with fair value accounting
December 26, 2007
The Finer Points of Fair Value | www.aicpa.org
This article is the best summary to date of the FASB's new standard on fair value accounting. FAS 157 is an important standard. First, it allows (but doesn't require) companies to abandon historical cost for a broad range of financial assets and liabilities. It also reflects a change in the FASB's philosophical approach towards a more balance-sheet oriented approach to standards setting, in contrast to the earnings measurement approach that used to dominate. Also of interest is the principles-based nature of the standards. In both of these ways, FAS 157 is close to what one might expect from the IFRS. This standard is just one more step on the road to GAAP-IFRS congruence. The article is also useful in pointing out the key issues that analysts need to understand to avoid being blindsided by reporting entities.
The sub-prime meltdown has far reaching accounting effects
December 26, 2007
Accounting consequences of the credit crunch | ifrs.pwc.com
The article shows why the recent problems in global credit markets can have accounting effects that go far beyond the banks and other players directly touched by the crisis. It also highlights the areas that financial statement readers should be wary of when accessing the possible effects of the crisis on companies of interest. For example, recent market turmoil could lead to significant asset impairment charges, even for companies with no direct involvement in subprime loans.
Investors Punish GM Stock, in Part on Large Deferred Tax Adjustment.
November 7, 2007
GM Posts Huge Loss | online.wsj.com
Investors fled General Motors following the release of its Q3 results. The reported loss for the quarter was $38.96 billion of which 99% of the loss ($38.6 billion) resulted from the write-down of deferred tax assets. Have investors overreacted to the noncash charge or is the decline in market value justified?
Sovereign and financial crises: Europe and the U.S.
January 18, 2012
How much longer can the Japanese Yen be a "haven currency"?
December 13, 2011
Not all bank tech vendors are equal
December 12, 2011
Eksportfinans downgrade surprises investors
December 5, 2011
Why wasn't Italy's situation spotted earlier? And what's next?
November 22, 2011