For years, Yahoo was the front door to the web and its services still attract a billion visitors a month. But…times are changing and as a result, Yahoo’s core internet operations and land holdings are being sold to Verizon Communications for $4.8 billion. Questions: 1. Why was the Yahoo model changing and how? 2. What… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Managerial Accounting
Amazon goes into student loan business, sort of ……
This week a partnership between Amazon and Wells Fargo was announced. Members of Amazon Prime Student will receive a 0.5 percent interest rate discount on student loans taken out through Wells Fargo’s Education Financial Services. Questions: 1. Why are financial advisors wary of the deal? 2. How much did the Washington Post calculate a student… Read more »
The Infamous Appalachian Trail
James T. Hammes, controller for a family-owned bottling company in Cincinnati, disappeared from his home in Lexington, Kentucky, in February 2009, after he was questioned about accounting irregularities that indicated an $8.7 million embezzlement had taken place. Questions: 1. Over what period had the embezzlement taken place? 2. Although Hammes denied involvement, what was the… Read more »
Uncle Sam Picked the Wrong Cash Cow!
According to the Washington Post, dairy farmer Randy Sowers has gotten back all the money seized by Federal agents from in his bank account. Questions: 1. Briefly describe the underlying issue in this story. 2. What is smurfing? Is this what Sowers did? 3. Why was Sowers successful in getting his money back? Discuss. 4…. Read more »
Submarine Patents: What is their Role?
Humira and Enbrel are biologic drugs, composed of complex proteins made in living cells. Humira was the No. 1 selling biologic with $14 billion in global sales and Enbrel was the No. 3 biologic at $8.7 billion. Questions: 1. Approximately how much is the yearly price tag for these drugs per patient? 2. During the… Read more »
Auction misconduct, silly mix-up, or something else…………?
The Keno brothers, stars of the PBS series Antique Roadshow, have recently exhibited strange behavior that is oddly out of sync with their stature as antique world luminaries. Leslie and Leigh Keno, twins and celebrity appraisers, say they accidentally bid against each other this spring. Questions: 1. A New Orleans auction house is suing the… Read more »
Is this really about Saving America’s Past Time?
U.S. Representatives Brett Guthrie (R-KY) introduced a bill misleadingly called the “Save America’s Pastime Act,” with the sole purpose of excluding Minor League Baseball (MiLB) players from regulation under federal minimum wage and overtime requirements. Questions: 1. What is Mr. Guthrie’s reasoning for exempting the pay of Minor Leaguers from Federal pay laws? 2. What… Read more »
No List Prices?
Amazon, who made its reputation on offering deals, is now quietly dropping list prices from its items. The new model is that Amazon does not have to entice customers anymore because they will buy anyway. Questions: 1. When did Amazon begin as a company? 2. When did the company begin dropping list prices? 3. Why… Read more »
Free Ink! Benefit, advertising, or what?
According to chief executive of “& pizza,” Michael Lastoria, he now foots the bill for any worker — and the occasional customer — who wants to get inked with the company’s logo. Mr. Lastoria says that paying for tattoos is just another way of showing employees that he welcomes their ideas. Questions: 1. What does… Read more »
Phased out in your lifetime????
According to the New York Times, millions of customers at such banks as Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Wells Fargo, currently log into their bank accounts through their mobile phones using their fingerprints. Introduced in the last few months, this feature enables a huge share of American banking customers to verify their identities with… Read more »