Investing in Art: How About Some Melted Clocks?

There has been recent momentum in art market investments, despite the recession. The art market is scouring the world for undervalued works by major artists and museums are seeking new material for blockbuster shows.  Amid this, artistic works by Dalí and others are getting longer looks. Interestingly, few artists could reap more from a late-period revival than Dalí. The artist created at least 1,200 paintings between his art-school years in the 1920s and his death in 1989.

Questions:

1. The article mentions that over the past five years, the average price paid at auction for a late-period Dalí has risen from $108,634 to just over $1 million, based on reports by Art Research Technologies, a New York-based consulting firm that tracks auction prices.  Using this information, what percentage increase is this?

2.  As the video mentioned, many corporations invest in these artworks.  Use the information in Question 1 and assume that these average numbers  represent a sale of one Dalí painting from one corporation to another corporation.  What journal entry would the selling corporation make?

3. Use the information in Question 1 and assume that this is an exchange of one corporation selling a Dalí painting to another corporation.  What journal entry would the buying corporation make?

Sources:

Crow, Kelly. (2010). The Lust for Late, The Wall Street Journal, August 13. (Retrievable online at  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704017904575409732613402068.html?mod=WSJ_hp_mostpop_read#project%3DDALI-TL100805%26articleTabs%3Darticle)

WSJ Video with Kelly Crowe (2010). The Lust for Late, August 13. Retrievable online at  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704017904575409732613402068.html?mod=WSJ_hp_mostpop_read#project%3DDALI-TL100805%26articleTabs%3Dvideo)

Saving Money through Social Media

The recession has bred a new type of coupon: the group coupon. In recent months, several Web sites have launched nationwide giving customers discounts on restaurant meals, sporting events, spa treatments, golf outings — pretty much any expenditure that many people give up during economic downturns. The catch is that the coupon only applies if a certain number of people use it.

Questions:

1.  After watching the video and accessing http://www.groupon.com, explain the company’s business model. 

2. Do you think that the group coupon trend will continue?  Why or why not?

3.  Go to the “recent deals” in your area at http://www.groupon.com.  Pick one of the deals. If you were a company offering this deal and using the services of Groupon, what accounts would be affected by the  deals you provide?

Sources:

Eklund, Kevin. (2010) Best Social Group Buying Sites For Killer Daily Deals And Deep Discounts. Tomuse.com (Retrievable online at 

http://tomuse.com/group-buying-sites-coupon-deals-discount-savings/#ixzz0wt6rxlKihttp://tomuse.com/group-buying-sites-coupon-deals-discount-savings/)

Trejos, Nancy (2009). The Humble Coupon Joins Social-Media Web, The Washington Post, September 1 (Retrievable online at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/31/AR2009083103837.html)

CNN Video. (2010). Group Coupon Business Soars, August 13. (Retrievable online at  http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/tech/2010/08/13/am.group.coupon.business.cnn?iref=videosearch)

Who are the most trustworthy companies and why?

Who can you trust? 

In a recent examination by Audit Integrity, an independent financial analytics company in Los Angeles, the company assessed the true quality of corporate accounting and management practices by looking at more than 100 factors beyond the balance sheet and income statement. Their aim was to identify the measures most highly associated with fraud and to quantify the risks of drops in stock prices, that could force managers to restate financials or could potentially result in securities lawsuits. Audit Integrity has back-tested its proprietary metrics to 1996 to establish correlations between corporate behavior and negative events. Audit Integrity’s measures have been used over the past seven years by institutional investors, insurers, auditors, regulators and corporations to identify risk.

Questions:

1. How many public companies typically make Audit Integrity’s Most Trustworthy Companies list?

2. What industry or region of the country has a concentration of the most trustworthy companies?

3.  Who are the companies with the most impressive records and why?

4.  Speculate on what metrics are used by Audit Integrity and list at least 10 factors that would be important to include.

Source:

Weinberg, N. (2010). The Most Trustworthy Companies. Forbes.com, August 6 (Retrievable online at http://www.forbes.com/2010/08/05/most-trustworthy-companies-personal-finance-audit-integrity.html?partner=daily_newsletter)

Multi-Million Dollar Swindle of Four Universities

In one of the most recently uncovered Ponzi cases, a former hedge-fund manager has pleaded guilty to criminal charges in an investment scam in which he bilked as much as $900-million from investors, including four university endowments. According to investigators, the Paul R. Greenwood and his partner Stephen Walsh spent at least $160-million on mansions, horses, rare books, and an $80,000 collectible teddy bear. Mr. Walsh has pleaded not guilty, and Mr. Greenwood will testify against him at trial.

Questions:

1. What did the investors find out about their assets?  Explain why this was a bad sign.

2.  What do the articles say could have prevented the university investments in this scheme?

3.  What potential penalties does Mr. Greenwood face?

Sources:

Fain, Paul. (2010). Hedge-Fund Manager Pleads Guilty to Multimillion-Dollar Swindle of Four Universities. The Chronicle of Higher Education, July 29 (Retrievable online at http://chronicle.com/article/Hedge-Fund-Manager-Pleads/123713/?sid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en)

Fain, Paul. (2009). Two Universities Seek Answers After $114-Million Vanishes in an Alleged Swindle. The Chronicle of Higher Education, March 5 (Retrievable online at http://onnidan1.com/forum/index.php?topic=24965.0)

New Revenue Recognition Standards on the Way for Contractors

Contractors should be educating themselves on the impact of the new proposed revenue recognition standards and the recently published (June 24, 2010) exposure draft pertaining to revenue from contracts with customers. Public comments are due October 22, 2010, and it is expected the standards will be finalized in 2011.

Questions:

1. What are some of the significant changes in this standard that will affect contractors?

2. How will the proposed standard define the economic unit of measure?

3. Explain what the new cost of capitalization rules will mean for contractors.

 

Source:

Henderson, J. (2010). Proposed Revenue Recognition Rules Would Significantly Affect Contractors, BKD Alerts, June (Retrievable online at http://www.bkd.com/industry/Construction-RealEstate/Insights/2010/2010-06alertsCRE-1.htm)

Small Discrepancies Grow Into a Giant Fraud

Satyam Computer Services, a leading Indian outsourcing company that served more than a third of the Fortune 500 companies, was at the heart of a huge 2009 fraud perpetrated through the significant inflation of earnings and falsification of accounts and assets for a number of years.  Chairman, Ramalinga Raju, resigned  in January 2009 after revealing that 94 percent or about $1.04 billion in assets were nonexistent and revenue was actually 20 percent lower than that reported.

Questions:

1. Who were Satyam’s auditors? What are some of the audit procedures that should have helped in the detection of this fraud?

2. What prior incident led to scrutiny of the company in October 2008?  What does this indicate to you about the corporate culture of the company?

3. Is Satyam still in business?  Provide a brief summary of its demise. What happened to the Satyam’s Chairman?

Sources:

Khanzode, R. (2010). Satyam Not out of Woods, Likely to Seek Time for Audited Results. The Financial Express, June 7. (Retrievable online at http://www.financialexpress.com/news/satyam-not-out-of-woods-likely-to-seek-time-for-audited-results/630308/)

Video (January 8, 2009). Satyam Auditor PwC Under Lens. (Retrievable online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_TvuhOtln0&feature=related)

 Timmons, H. (2009). Satyam Chief Admits Huge Fraud, New York Times, January 7 (Retrievable online at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/08/business/worldbusiness/08satyam.html)

Research and Development (R & D): Does This Indicate a Crack in the Foundation of IFRS Convergence?

When the IASB and FASB began the convergence process in 2002, they considered R & D as a high-priority project, where differences between US GAAP and IFRS were seen as particularly straightforward. However, as this article notes, still no consensus has been reached because IASB’s R&D treatment  appears to defeat comparability in the eyes of the FASB.

Questions:

1. The author refers to SFAS 2 as support for R & D reporting under U.S. GAAP.  What is SFAS 2?

2.  What are the capitalization criteria from IAS 9 that became part of IAS 38 to distinguish research costs from development costs?

3.   Briefly summarize the article’s presentation of why FASB ruled  in the 1970’s that all R&D expenditures must go straight to the income statement.

Source:

Selling, Tom (2010). Failed Convergence of R & D Accounting: Only Politicians and Opportunists Would Have Downplayed the Implications, The Accounting Onion, June 5 (Retrievable online at http://accountingonion.typepad.com/theaccountingonion/2010/06/failed-convergence-of-rd-accounting-only-politicians-and-opportunists-would-have-downplayed-the-implications.html)

Financial Instrument Accounting

On Wednesday, May 26, 2010, the FASB released an exposure draft for the purposes of improving accounting for financial instruments. The new rules, projected to take effect in 2013, incorporate both amortized cost and fair value information about financial instruments held for collection or payment of cash flows.

Questions:

1. According to the article, how does the proposal plan to provide more timely information for financial statement users about anticipated credit losses?

2. What is the deadline for comments and when does FASB plan to hold roundtable meetings?

3. How many members are on the AICPA’s Accounting Standards Executive Committee, that has weighed in on the proposal and who are those represented on the committee?

Source:

Lamoreaux, Matthew (2010). FASB Proposes Comprehensive Changes to Financial Instruments Accounting, Journal of Accountancy, May 26 (Retrievable online at http://www.journalofaccountancy.com/Web/20102977.htm)

Convergence Delayed

The head of the Financial Accounting Standards Board, which sets U.S. accounting rules, said June 1, 2010, that he does not expect FASB to meet a June 30, 2011 deadline for convergence with international accounting rules, as requested by the G20 group of industrial and emerging countries. According to FASB chairman, Robert Herz, changes that delay the completion date by about six months will soon be announced to allow for greater public comment on the boards’ proposals.

Questions:

1. According to the article, what controversial proposal was released during the last week of May?

2. According to the article, how long would the boards have had available to release 10 standards and still meet a June 2011 deadline with final standards, given the due process typically followed?

3. According to the FEI, what is the maximum number of proposals that the FASB has ever released at one time for public comment?

Source:

Chasan, Emily. (2010) Accounting Rulemakers to Delay Convergence, Reuters, U.S., June 1 (Retrievable online at http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6505KE20100601)

Frequent Flyer Miles

If the merger is approved, United Airlines and Continental Airlines will also be merging their frequent flyer programs.  But what is their track record in terms of rewarding the miles versus actual requests?  Consulting group, IdeaWorks Company, said Continental awarded free tickets 71 percent of the time in response to requests, and United 69 percent of the time. While this might not sound that good, IdeaWorks says that these percentages place the two airlines third and fourth, respectively, among domestic carriers most likely to award free seats to frequent-flyer program members.

Questions:

1. According the article about the IdeaWorks survey, which domestic airline has the best track record and which one has the worst track record in granting free ticket requests? Based on these statistics, do the ideas from the video make sense in how you use your frequent flier miles? Why or why not?
2. Explain how airlines should account for frequent flier miles and their expiration in their financial records.
3. According to the video, you can donate your frequent flier miles.  Research who gets the tax deduction from the IRS for this. Do you agree or disagree with this policy?

Sources:

HowdiniGuru. (2009) Frequent Flyer Mile Programs: How to get the most from your miles (Retrievable online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W3WyqOQAkc)

Pacific Business News Staff. (2010). United Airlines, Continental Airlines among most generous U.S. carriers for free tickets, May 14 (Retrievable online at http://pacific.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2010/05/10/daily44.html)

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