How does one “know” that shares are overpriced? Can you list and interconnect all the parts of the argument?
If you were an equity research analyst, how would disaggregating pension cost (expense) benefit your analysis? Specifically, how does isolating service cost in operating income and disaggregating the other components (interest, expected return, amortizations) make your analysis better/easier?
What do you expect to be the measurable financial benefits of changing the name of a company, such as Coach has done?
If you are (or were to be) an investor in Apple, what financial metric (ratio) would you be focused on the most if you had to choose just one (and why)? Gross margin, YOY growth in units sold, YOY growth in revenue ($), cash balance, etc.?
Stock prices rose and the rise is attributed to earnings. Can you articulate the relation between stock prices and earnings, namely between stock prices and earnings expectations, earnings surprises, future earnings?
GM’s Venezuelan operations were expropriated by the Venezuelan government. What sort of disclosures will GM make? What remeasurements will also likely be necessary as a result? What’s the journal entry?
BlackRock has cut the amount it pays for equity research. Technology is named as the culprit. What do you see as the future of equity research, say, in 10 years? What types of jobs will disappear? Grow?
If you were part of management, what criteria would be included in your decision about share repurchases?
If you were CFO, would you consider such factors in which financial statement you place first in your 10-K? How would you determine the “geographical” position of your financial disclosures, including the note disclosures? Do you think it matters? If so, to whom and why?
If you were a research analysts on an earnings call, would you take part in the groveling? Why exactly? If you were the CFO on the call, would you purposely not take questions from “non-grovelers”?
So Staples’ results were impacted by goodwill impairment and restructuring charges. What are the economic implications of these accounting charges? What are the recognition criteria for these accounting charges?
Given the fast growth of “robo” investment advisers, is it worth a student’s time even to study so-called “financial statement analysis”?
Why shouldn’t firms be able to provide non-GAAP measures as long as they reconcile them to GAAP? Do you agree with the author’s opinion in the last sentence that criticizes the presentation of non-GAAP measures?
In its non-GAAP EPS, Allergan removed “more than half of all operating expenses,” according to the SEC. If the non-GAAP EPS is reconciled to the GAAP EPS, does it matter what or how much they removed? Why or why not?
How can a write-down on oil reserves be beneficial to Exxon’s executives (i.e., “bail them out”)? How would you determine if a probe into accounting practice were “politically motivated”?
What would be your next move if you were CEO at Wholefoods? Cutting prices to compete better and appeal to wider base squeezes margins. So . . . what would you do?
