All-day breakfast is beginning to lose its novelty for McDonald’s Corp. Questions: 1. What happened to last quarter’s domestic same-store sales? 2. In your opinion, what will be McDonald’s next big source of growth? 3. Are the profit potentials the same for McDonald’s globally? Explain. Source: Giammona, C. (2017). McDonald’s All-Day Breakfast Push No Longer… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Intermediate Accounting
Not a good financial plan!
Even though Wall Street and the financial press have been harping for decades on the retirement savings crisis, this article provides some additional perspectives. Questions: 1. According to the Manpower Group, what percentage of millennials plan to work until they die (as their solution to retirement)? 2. Why do so many millennials have such a… Read more »
Xiaomi – Cheap phones online may not be the key to success.
Xiaomi, once hailed as an Apple iPhone slayer in China, now admits that they moved too fast to outpace their competitor. The company’s founder, Lei Jun, wrote his employees this week, indicating that the company needs to focus on the future and long-term sustainability. Questions: 1. Who are the domestic rivals to Xiaomi in the… Read more »
Warren Buffet talks about Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo used to brag about its immense “cross-selling” skills, boasting of the many checking accounts, ATM cards and other “products” it pushed on Americans. Questions: 1. What disclosure did Wells Fargo recently include in its most recent quarterly earnings report? 2. What was the fine that was levied against Wells Fargo in September? 3…. Read more »
Japan Wants Its Overworked Citizens to Start Having Fun by Getting off of Work on the Weekends at an Earlier Time
Japan is the country that coined the word “karoshi,” or death by overwork. Now it wants companies to let workers finish early on the last Friday of every month, go out and have some fun. Questions: 1. What will this government campaign be called and when does it start? 2. How is this move expected… Read more »
International students save the day at U.S. state universities
Amid funding shortages, American colleges are turning to international students, who offer a lifeline to cash-strapped U.S. state schools. Questions: 1. How many international students were enrolled in U.S. Universities last year? 2. What percent increase have universities seen in the enrollment of international students since the 2005/2006 school year? 3. Discuss what is happening… Read more »
Venezuela’s Continuing Currency Crisis is Pushing the Country to the Brink of Collapse
As oil prices drop and hyperinflation encroaches, there have been wide-reaching consequences for the entire population of this country. Questions: 1. What are some of the limitations that citizens must live with? 2. In December, the Venezuelan president announced the withdrawal of the country’s largest banknote from circulation? Why did the government make this move?… Read more »
China Crash?
In China, outstanding loans have risen sharply to 40% of GDP but analysts fear the end of the credit binge could trigger a crisis for the wider world. Questions: 1. How fast has the debt per household risen over the last 5 years? 2. What is the Chinese household debt ratio compared to other countries?… Read more »
A Mysterious Amount of Net worth!
In 2012, Forbes dropped J.K. Rowling after eight years on its authoritative billionaires list, saying high British taxes and large charitable contributions had eroded her fortune. Questions: 1. Why should Forbes rethink that? 2. If Rowling gets equivalent of Universal Studios Park ticket sales equal to Spielberg, how much of that would a $100 ticket… Read more »
The Story behind Dirty Linen
Major American retailers, including Target and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., have been selling premium-priced sheets purportedly made of Egyptian cotton — a byword for luxury in linens. However, these may in reality be woven with lower-quality cotton blends. Questions: 1. Briefly discuss the suits seeking to be certified as class-actions against these actions. 2. Who is… Read more »