Posts Tagged: acquisition

Upside or downside?

Posted by & filed under Accounting Information Systems, Accounting Principles, Advanced Accounting, All Articles, Auditing, Cost Accounting, Ethical Dilemma, Financial Accounting, Intermediate Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Uncategorized.

According to the Washington Post, Purdue has acquired the for-profit Kaplan University to extend its reach into online and adult education, which some see as an unusual move for a public institution. Questions: 1. What were the benefits to Purdue of acquiring Kaplan? 2. What are the potential downsides of this acquisition for Purdue? 3…. Read more »

Well-Oiled Machine? Well – Maybe Not!

Posted by & filed under Accounting Information Systems, Accounting Principles, Advanced Accounting, All Articles, Auditing, Cost Accounting, Financial Accounting, Intermediate Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Uncategorized, Video Updates.

United and Continental closed their merger in 2010 and created what was then the world’s largest airline. After nearly 5 years, executives are still working to integrate United Continental Holdings into a single company—and struggling with some high-profile operational and customer service problems. Questions: 1. What types of customer service and employee problems have plagued… Read more »

Unlimited Data Slowdown at AT&T

Posted by & filed under Accounting Information Systems, Accounting Principles, All Articles, Auditing, Cost Accounting, Financial Accounting, Intermediate Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Video Updates.

The FCC accused AT&T of improperly slowing down Internet speeds for customers who had signed up for “unlimited” data plans and imposed a $100 million fine on June 17. Questions: 1. How long has this practice been impacting customers? 2. Has the company violated FCC rules for similar issues prior to this current one? 3…. Read more »

A Big Bet!

Posted by & filed under Accounting Information Systems, Accounting Principles, Auditing, Cost Accounting, Financial Accounting, Intermediate Accounting, Managerial Accounting.

Pfizer is making a $15.2 billion bet on the drug industry’s new, more elite class of generics, which are costly, complex copies of already expensive biotech drugs. Questions: 1. What are biosimilars? 2. Why are there questions about the durability of the market for these specialty drugs? 3. What is the dollar estimate of the… Read more »

New Class Action Lawsuit

Posted by & filed under Accounting Information Systems, Accounting Principles, Cost Accounting, Financial Accounting, Intermediate Accounting, Managerial Accounting.

Zillow, the number one online real estate website, is facing a $5 million class action lawsuit for intimidating employees to skip meals and work long hours without pay. Questions: 1. Who was Zillow’s top competition and how much did Zillow pay to buy the company? 2. Would this acquisition be reported on the Statement of… Read more »

Alienating Customers?

Posted by & filed under Accounting Information Systems, Accounting Principles, Advanced Accounting, Auditing, Cost Accounting, Financial Accounting, Financial Reporting and Analysis, Financial Statement Analysis, Intermediate Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Video Updates.

Microsoft confirmed it will acquire the studio that created the hit “sandbox” game Minecraft for $2.5 billion, a move that could help bolster the company’s Xbox and mobile ambitions. Questions: 1. According to the article, how does this acquisition strengthen Microsoft’s battle with other technology driven companies? 2. Why does the video hypothesize that Microsoft… Read more »

Chiquita’s Big Deal

Posted by & filed under Accounting Principles, Advanced Accounting, All Articles, Auditing, Cost Accounting, Financial Accounting, Financial Reporting and Analysis, Financial Statement Analysis, Fraud Accounting, IFRS, Intermediate Accounting, International Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Video Updates.

Chiquita Brands International that it had agreed to acquire Fyffes, an Irish fruit and produce distributor, in an all-stock deal that valued Fyffes at about $526 million. The new firm will be called ChiquitaFyffes and will be the world’s largest producer and distributor of bananas. It is expected that the firm will have about $4.6… Read more »

Biotechnology Firm, Amgen, Acquires Anti-cancer Drugs

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Although Amgen is the world’s largest biotechnology company, they have not been in the anti-cancer drug market until now. Amgen, like other drug makers, is trying to refresh aging product lines through the acquisition. Questions: 1. What is the ranking of this takeover of biotechnology firms, in terms of historic purchases? What are examples of… Read more »

Got App?

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Yahoo is looking to the future by targeting young entrepreneurs with enterprising apps. Yahoo announced Monday, March 22, that it planned to acquire mobile news reader Summly, which was the brainchild of 17-year-old Nick D’Aloisio. Yahoo plans to pay D’Aloisio a reported $30 million and he will become Yahoo’s youngest employee. Questions: 1. When Swartz’s… Read more »

Who spilled the ketchup? Unknown Traders, Of Course!

Posted by & filed under Accounting Principles, Advanced Accounting, All Articles, Auditing, Financial Accounting, Financial Reporting and Analysis, Financial Statement Analysis, Fraud Accounting, Intermediate Accounting.

UPDATE 2/22/13: After the traders failed to appear at a hearing today in Manhattan, U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff agreed to freeze the Goldman Sachs Group Inc. account until the case is resolved. The SEC on Feb. 15 sued the “unknown” traders over suspicious purchases of Heinz options through the account. Judge Rakoff was quoted… Read more »