2010 Jan
Increasingly, companies are including sustainability statements in their annual reports. Some even argue that this is already a requirement, given that the SEC requires companies to report a known trend with uncertain consequences, which is a good description of climate change. Read the rest of this entry »
2010 Jan
Which of the following arguments were used by TARP recipients to justify high executive compensation levels?
- Everyone in their executive suites was above average when compared with peers at other giant banks that didn’t need a bailout.
- They couldn’t pay in company stock because it was actually worthless, though it was actively trading around $40 on the NYSE.
- “But, Mom, all the other kids have one.”
Check your answers. Read the rest of this entry »
2009 Dec
To get the fuller story of how a company is doing, you have to struggle through the notes, lists, and tables that go along with the line items in financial reports. The Notes in a 10-K can be three times longer than the rest of the report, and it is very hard not to miss important details. But starting next year, your computer will be able to read all the notes for you, and can even flow them into your Excel spreadsheet for instant, granular analysis. Read the rest of this entry »
2009 Dec
Maintaining the SEC’s current disclosure regulations is an invitation for a repeat economic crisis, said EDGAR Online president Phil Moyer, responding to the Commissions request for comments on a pending bill to create a centralized database and change the way asset-based securities get reported. The good news is that the technical solution already exits to make ABS reporting transparent, easy, and inexpensive for both issuers and investors. We invite our readers to join us in sending their comments to the SEC. Read the rest of this entry »
2009 Dec
Graffiti artists are now using light instead of spray paint for hit-and-run guerilla communications in urban settings. The laser leaves no trace, but drawings can be projected onto huge buildings and seen for miles. The artists can disappear as fast as they can slam closed a laptop, switch off a laser pointer, or take off their glasses. Read the rest of this entry »
2009 Dec
“The Great Depression: A Diary” is a firsthand account of hard times and uncertainty, written by a lawyer in Youngstown, Ohio, who struggled to keep his practice going while banks and businesses collapsed. He was not clear if the government was helping or hurting. Sound familiar? Read the rest of this entry »
2009 Dec
Which of the following can be found in Dubai?
- The world’s largest skyscraper
- A honeymoon suite with a live whale shark in the window
- A beach with a cooling system under the sand
- An indoor ski slope covered with real snow with a chair and tow lift
- A man-made island complex so large it can be seen from space
- More construction workers than actual citizens
Check your answer. Read the rest of this entry »
2009 Nov
With 123 bank failures this year and more to come, you may be wondering about your own bank. Try the Texas Ratio for a quick snapshot of how healthy it is. Just take your bank’s most recent report and divide the bad stuff on the books by the good stuff. Let’s hope the ratio is no where near 1:1. Of course, that’s assuming your bank is fully disclosing weak assets. Read the rest of this entry »
2009 Nov
The Corporate Library, a corporate governance research firm based in Portland, Maine, reviewed SEC filings from 2,000 publicly traded companies and came up with a list of five chief executives they’re calling the “Highest Paid Worst Performers” of 2008.
Match the CEO with the correct company.
| CEO |
Company |
| 1. Michael Jeffries |
A. International Paper |
| 2. James W. Stewart |
B. Comcast Corp. |
| 3. Brian Roberts |
C. Abercrombie and Finch |
| 4, John Faraci |
D. Nabors Industries |
| 5. Eugene Isenberg |
E. BJ Services Company |
|
|
Check your answers.
Read the rest of this entry »
2009 Nov
We asked our Senior Analyst “EJ”, Elias-John Kies, to do a little showing off for our many subscribers who live inside Excel, and are looking closely at banks. His analysis, updated within seconds of the banks’ disclosures, is just one example of what you can accomplish when your worksheet is directly connected to SEC data, via a pipeline through EDGAR Online. It’s the fastest, most comprehensive, and most instantly re-usable data available. See how fast and deep you can dive into banks’ data. Read the rest of this entry »
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