Description: Critics may say that share buybacks take away from resources for future growth. But in his latest letter to shareholders of Berkshire Hatheway, Warren Buffet argues that buybacks can be a good move, as long as the price is right. One purpose of the buyback can be for management to signal concerns that the… Read more »
Posts By: Brent White
Quidi Vidi Brewery
Description: The Quidi Vidi Brewery is a good news/bad news story. After years of struggling, including a 1999 warning from their accountant about imminent bankruptcy, this Newfoundland craft brewery has seen a turnaround in more recent years, thanks in part to its Iceberg brand in its distinctive blue bottle. But the two founding investors are… Read more »
GlaxoSmithKline pays female CEO less
Description: Emma Walmsley is the first female CEO for giant pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKlein. A story from Bloomberg News this past week indicated that Ms. Walmsley would be earning less than her predecessor Andrew Witty. This compensation difference may add to the debate on pay equity, though observers point out that when he started, Mr. Witty… Read more »
Something brewing at Tims
Description: Tim Horton’s franchise holders are upset with Restaurant Brands International (RBI), the famous cost-cutting owners of Tim Hortons and Burger King. The franchisees say cost cutting has gone too far, with stores now seeing inferior quality in such products as coffee pots, cup lids and trays. The Great White North Franchisee Association has been… Read more »
Hey, did Wells Fargo move north?
Description: TD Bank shares have taken a big drop following CBC reports on bank reps facing pressure to push products at customers. Just a few days before, banks were reporting higher than expected quarterly earnings. This bad publicity though may prompt some investors to take a look at TD bank shares. Date: March 10, 2017;… Read more »
No social media allowed
Description: Unlike in the United States, Canadian securities regulators have blocked Canadian publicly traded companies from announcing important information first on social media. Canadian companies are required to report information first via the traditional press release. One concern regulators have is that an item could be posted to social media, and then taken down shortly… Read more »
Suspicion on Bombardier
Description: It’s not the type of news any company wants. This past week Swedish authorities arrested one Bombardier employee and briefly detained two others over allegations of bribery. The suspicions are that somehow Bombardier employees colluded with Azerbaijani officials in an effort to secure contracts in Azerbaijan. Date: March 10, 2017 Source: montrealgazette.com Link: http://montrealgazette.com/business/bombardier-officials-arrested-in-sweden-report… Read more »
Punishing savers?
Description: It just doesn’t seem to make sense. Savers say they are being punished when it comes to getting that first mortgage. In the strange world of finance, it appears that home buyers who put down less than 20% of the house value are getting better interest rates than those who have been socking away… Read more »
May I have the right envelope please?
Description: Accounting giant Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) took a big reputational hit at this past weekend’s Academy Awards. Millions saw it unfold on camera as somehow the PWC representatives delivered the wrong envelope for the best picture award. PWC has had a 83 year history of oversight of the awards process. It will be interesting… Read more »
Wondering about Deloitte and the Supreme Court
Description: On February 13, 2017, this blog featured a piece called “Every 20 Years or So.” It dealt with auditing firm Deloitte’s appeal of court decision that it pay roughly $85 million in damages related to their involvement in audit of the failed Livent enterprise. Well, if you read that blog post, you may know… Read more »
Burnley Understanding Financial Accounting, 3rd Canadian Edition
Kimmel Financial Accounting, 8th Canadian Edition
Weygandt Accounting Principles, 9th Canadian Edition
Kimmel Survey of Accounting, 2nd Edition
Kieso Intermediate Accounting, 13th Canadian Edition
Weygandt Managerial Accounting, 6th Canadian Edition
Farmer Cost Accounting, 1st Edition
Savage Accounting Information Systems, 1st Edition