Why are goodwill impairments down? What causes impairments? Should we still consider going back to an amortization model of accounting for goodwill?
Is it improper to lean on customers to take delivery of inventory early, so the firm (the seller) can book revenues to “hit the number”?
Have you ever thought about the earnings release date (i.e., the day of the week) as being “corporate body language”? What effect can the choice of the week day have on valuations?
What do you think will be the long term result of compliance/non-compliance with the voluntary adoption of the new code in the UK with respect to ESG and similar disclosures?
Do you believe that the FASB should be forced to change the accounting for human capital? Why or why not?
Should the FASB required by law to study and report on the expected impact on the economy of new accounting standards? Why or why not? What was the reason for this proposed legislation?
Do you think that a strike would trigger an 8-K filing? Should it? Why or why not? Did it, in this case?
If you were GE’s CFO, would you be trying to pay down debt? Why or why not? If so, would you go about it in the same way?
We (formerly Wework) slashed its pre-IPO valuation estimate about in half. What gives with that? Why do you think it was “so high” to begin with?
If you were CFO, how would you set the budget for share repurchases? What factors would you consider? What are the accounting ramifications?
How can you reconcile concern for shareholders with concern for stakeholders? If you were CEO, what would be your chief focus?
If you were on the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors, would you avoid hiring a diligent auditor, one that had a history of discovering internal control weaknesses in other auditees?
Why do you think increased competition for the rating agencies does not seem to have worked to control what some consider to be inflated ratings for structured securities?
Why do you think there is an increased concern about the quality of audits in the UK? What steps should be taken to address the concern?
How would you determine willful intent to mislead shareholders with respect to revenue recognition, if you were the lead prosecutor investigating Power Solutions International?
Do you think that linking pay to ESG/CSR goals “greenwashes” exec comp or will it have a measurable impact? How would you measure the impact? How would you design an exec comp package in an increasingly ESG conscious world?
For the stock buybacks, where did firms’ excess cash come from to buy back the stock? Does it matter if it was from internally generated cash flows, or if it was borrowed? What are the future implications?
Say you buy 5,000 Libras. What’s the journal entry? How to you account for the Libras after you buy them?
