Ford is moving production of its 2016 Ford F-650 and F-750 medium-duty trucks to its Ohio Assembly Plant in Avon Lake, near Cleveland, Ohio. Currently those medium-duty trucks are produced in Mexico. Ford will be investing $168 million in the Avon Lake facility to retool the plant since it is currently set up to produce […]
Continue readingWhat is the balance sheet impact of the $400 million Netflix just borrowed?
In February 2014, Netflix took out a $400 million loan. Netflix is using these funds to help to create original programming, such as its hit series “House of Cards,” and to expand to Europe. Netflix is a publicly-held company trading on NASDAQ under the symbol NFLX. On March 10, 2014, Netflix common stock was selling […]
Continue readingHow will the 3.9% increase in FedEx Freight shipping rates impact the breakeven point for an Etsy jewelry artist?
FedEx Corp announced that it would be raising its shipping rates by an average of 3.9% on March 31, 2014. The rate change applies to FedEx Freight shipments within and between the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The FedEx Freight segment is a provider of less-than-truckload (LTL) freight services, which is the shipping of relatively […]
Continue readingHow does Birchbox report its issuance of $50 million in equity?
Birchbox, Inc., is privately-held. It was founded in 2010 by Hayley Barna and Katia Beauchamp and has its headquarters in New York City. Birchbox offers a subscription service that delivers samples of beauty products to its subscribers. Subscribers can also purchase full-size versions of the products on Birchbox’s website. Birchbox currently has more than 400,000 […]
Continue readingHow will installing tablets at all tables affect Applebee’s breakeven point?
At Applebee’s, Presto tablets by E la Carte are being installed at every table. In total, Applebee’s will be purchasing 100,000 tablets. Customers will be able to pay their food bill and order appetizers and desserts using the tablets. The tablets are not replacing wait staff; wait staff will still take the orders for entrees. […]
Continue readingHow did State Street Corp. achieve cost savings from its co-working building design in Boston?
“Co-working” is a term to describe a work environment where coworkers share the same office but not necessarily the same boss. Co-working centers feature large, central open spaces with couches, coffee tables, and casual furniture. Some private, traditional offices typically are available for occasional use. The spaces are designed to foster socializing and exchanging ideas […]
Continue readingWhen does Carnival Cruise Lines recognize revenues and expenses for its cruises?
Carnival Cruise Lines had a record-breaking month in January 2014 in terms of number of net bookings (new bookings less cancellations.) During January 2014, Carnival booked more than 565,000 (net) guests for cruises to be taken over the next two years. Part of the reason that Carnival may be seeing increased bookings is its new […]
Continue readingHow would Crocs account for the conversion of its preferred stock into common stock?
At the end of December 2013, Crocs Inc. announced that Blackstone Group is investing $200 million into the footwear company in the form of a preferred stock purchase. In three years, the preferred stock shares owned by Blackstone Group will convert into common shares if the Crocs common stock market price rises to a certain […]
Continue readingWhat is the impact of the Candy Crush Saga maker’s IPO on its balance sheet?
King Digital Entertainment (NYSE: KING), the maker of the Candy Crush Saga app, had its initial public offering (IPO) the week of March 24th, 2014. King’s stock was priced at $22.50 per share for the IPO; its par value is $0.000197 per share. The IPO raised about $500 million for King. Assume that approximately 2,300,000 […]
Continue readingWhat type of quality cost is involved with Toyota’s Prius recall?
Toyota issued a recall in February 2014 for its hybrid Prius. Cars that were built between 2010 and 2014 were recalled globally for a software glitch in the engine control unit (ECU). Customers need to return to the dealer to have the repairs made to fix the issue. Questions What type of quality costs is […]
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May 1, 2014 