mgt490 Potpourri

Summer 2011 potpourri (archives). Sovereign debt defaults more likely as country populations age...Duke to close New Richmond power plant...Gold hits another record high above $1600/oz...Irish debt downgraded to junk status...Consumers have generally not participated in current 'economic recovery'...Interesting data on web browser market share...Now it's Italy's turn...Moodys downgrades Portuguese debt to junk status...Local Chinese governments understating debt burden...GDP as a largely useless measure...Large local government debt in China...Greek government gets short term confidence vote, but some see default as likely...Credit Suisse cuts outlook for Chinese GDP, banks...Potential for Greek debt contagion...Market participants say QE3 program is unlikely...Chinese bureaucrats trying to curtail rising prices...The US debt problem...Economic hardship as not being 'insulated' from market forces...Historic 163 year old Cincinnati riverfront picture restored for public viewing (entire panorama here)...Germany may support another round of EU bailouts...Slowing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) in the Eurozone...Credit spreads in Greece, Spain, Italy continue to widen on debt concerns...Exxon's lagging bet on natural gas.

Fall 2010 potpourri (archives). Is government intervention creating an assymetric economy?...Bank deposits surge...Ireland receives the latest EU bailout...The world is past 'peak oil'...Using debt ratio to assess capital trends and company value...Try your hand at fixing the deficit...Empty container city...Do markets really hate uncertainty?..China's economy could surpass US in two years...Is returning to a gold standard in the cards?..Relationship between inflation and unemployment...Wal-Mart's new CEO...3M's innovation revival...The lone Fed dissenter...Technical advisers to Wall Street 2...The growing issue of 'fraudclosures' among banks...Gap reverses course on logo makeover...Economics and politics of ethanol...Interesting data on energy, real estate, and general economy...Trends in US capacity utilization...Is domestic economic stimulus working more for other countries?...World's largest bond manager is betting against US deflation...The man who makes the i-phones...Role of startups in new job creation...PG to open dry cleaning franchise!..Chinese college grads having trouble finding jobs...How Toyota lost its way...Post Katrina economic progress in New Orleans...Battling debt problems with more debt and money printing...Capex orgies at high profile b-schools...Economic situation may get worse, but opportunities will emerge...Where China hides its debt...Jump in temps not translating into full time jobs...The administration's growing alternative energy portfolio...Potential disaster brewing in FHA loans.

Summer 2010 potpourri (archives). Andy Grove on job creation...Can 50 million i-phone fans be wrong?...Predictive power of economic leading indicators...Overconfidence and decision-making...A multi-month simulation of Gulf spill dispersal pathway...Hurricane prospects and the Gulf oil concerns...Commandeering upstream logistics at Wal-Mart...Microsoft's IP challenges in Asia...The endangered future of offshore drilling...Another round of airline industry mergers...Should Uncle Sam buy stocks?...One source of the growing 'shadow inventory' in housing...Rethinking management at GE...Will the Fed hike rates soon?...Comparing Apple's gross margins to Dell's.

Summer 2009 potpourri (archives). Marriott gets a wake up call...In the midst of transformation at Sony...How Microsoft is coping with increased competitive pressures...Printing money does not create wealth...Is Google's competitive advantage unsustainable?...Downsizing college sports programs...The 'China Price' is no longer so cheap...Surprise, surprise--problems with economic statistics such as GDP and productivity...Can you balance California's $24 billion budget shortfall?...A tale of two depressions...Do higher interest rates signal inflation?...How J&J's success persists...The skinny on Sysco (not Cisco)...Speaking of airline industry profitability...Change in strategy for Mother Chip?...The CEO who's trying to keep Ford off death row...Why keeping large banks alive cheats small banks...The downside of industry regulation...GM is officially headed to bankruptcy court...We're trying to solve a debt problem with more debt...How excellent operators fall into a state of decline.

Summer 2008 industry potpourri (most recent first). Louisville-based Yum Brands is the largest restaurant chain in the world...Meet Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac, and understand their role in current market problems...Despite slowing sales, Japan carmakers are adding capacity in their home base...A bank run throws IndyMac into FDIC receivership...Looks like the BUD deal will get done for $50+ billion...Toyota will reduce truck and SUV production in US plants...Southwest Air's operating decisions support a low cost strategic theme...Two ways to estimate the value of a company...Slow and steady Honda...Hostile takeover of BUD, plus beer industry stats...Should the Fed save banks?...Investing during deflationary times...A masterpiece on where the US economy stands relative to inflation and deflation (read it till you get it)...How buying local produce reduces cost at Walmart...Board room battle at Yahoo...Trying to make sense of government economic data...Are capital markets closing on financial firms in need of funds?...Deflation in a rising price environment!?...In truly free markets, who's the boss?...Bud shareholders reject InBev's buyout bid...Almost on cue, info on how many companies Berkshire Hathaway owns.

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