An Atlantic City casino, the Trump Taj Mahal, has been struggling financially in recent years like many other casinos in the city. In 2014, four of Atlantic City’s casinos closed their doors, including the Revel, Showboat, Trump Plaza, and the Atlantic Club. Billionaire investor Carl Icahn holds $286 million of the Trump Taj Mahal’s debt. […]
Continue readingHow did Apple’s 7-for-1 stock split affect its total stockholders’ equity?
November 20, 2014 
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In June 2014, Apple, Inc. (AAPL) did a 7-for-1 stock split, meaning that an investor who previously held one share of Apple stock would have seven shares on the date of the split. Before the split, Apple had 861 million shares of stock valued at roughly $650 each. After the split, Apple had approximately 6 […]
Continue readingHow does the change in selling price impact the break even point for Amazon’s Fire Phone?
November 18, 2014 0 Comments
In July of 2014, Amazon came out with a smartphone, the Amazon Fire phone. The phone sports 3-D visuals and is tightly integrated into the Amazon ecosystem. For example, the Firefly feature can scan and recognize over 70 million products that the consumer is able to purchase or look up immediately from his or her […]
Continue readingHow does the use of a robotic shopping assistant impact the breakeven point and operating leverage at Lowe’s?
November 12, 2014 0 Comments
Lowe’s, a U.S.-based chain of retail home improvement stores, is introducing a robotic shopping assistant into its Orchard Supply Hardware store in San Jose, California. The robot, called OSHbot, will greet customers and assist customers in finding products. In addition, the robot has one large screen on the front and one on the back. The […]
Continue readingWhat internal controls might have prevented a former Smucker employee from stealing $4.1 million over 16 years?
November 4, 2014 2 Comments
In October 2014, a former Smucker employee, Mark Kershey, was charged with defrauding the J.M. Smucker Company of more than $4.1 million over a 16 year period. Kershey was the chief airplane mechanic at the company’s hangar at the Akron-Canton Airport in Ohio from 1990 until he was discharged by Smucker in 2013. From 1997 […]
Continue readingShould the original cost of the planes for Afghanistan’s air force purchased by the U.S. Air Force influence its decision to scrap those planes?
October 31, 2014 0 Comments
The U.S. Air Force recently destroyed 16 transport planes (refurbished G222 planes) that it had purchased for $486 million in 2011. These transport planes were to be used by Afghanistan’s air force but were abandoned due to persistent high maintenance costs. An Afghanistan company paid $0.06 per pound for the scrap, or a total of […]
Continue readingHow does Nike recognize the costs of suing 31 companies over Chuck Taylor trademark infringement?
October 29, 2014 0 Comments
In October 2014, Nike filed suit against 31 companies, claiming these companies have infringed on Nike’s Converse Chuck Taylor All Star sneakers trademark. Chuck Taylor All-Star sneakers have been made since 1917 when Converse first produced them (Nike purchased Converse in 2003). It is an iconic shoe, with black stripes and a rubber toe topper. […]
Continue readingHow should the cost of national advertising by Whole Foods impact the performance report (and segment margin) for each store?
October 24, 2014 0 Comments
Whole Foods Market, Inc., is a supermarket chain based in Austin, Texas, with 381 stores in the US (it also has stores in the UK and Canada.) Whole Foods specializes in natural and organic food and has annual sales of $13 billion. In October 2014, Whole Foods rolled out its first national advertising campaign in […]
Continue readingWhat is the accounting impact of the issuance of Solar Bonds by SolarCity?
October 17, 2014 0 Comments
SolarCity is a U.S. company that designs, finances, and installs solar energy systems. These solar energy systems are installed at businesses, homes, non-profits, and other organizations. On October 15, 2014, SolarCity launched its first public offering of Solar Bonds. This public offering allows individuals to invest in SolarCity by purchasing bonds from SolarCity’s website. There […]
Continue readingHow will Slappey Communications’ investment in PP&E affect its financial statements?
September 30, 2014 0 Comments
Slappey Communications is a technology firm in Birmingham, Alabama, specializing in telecommunications, computer, and network security. Its owner, Bill Slappey, invested nearly $770,000 in property, plant, and equipment for the business in 2014 (See “Small Firms Poised to Spend More on Plants, Equipment,” A. Loten and V. Monga, Wall Street Journal, September 3, 2014.) Slappey […]
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Accounting in the Headlines 