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?
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 […]
Continue readingHow will a $37 million expansion to retool an assembly plan impact GM’s financial statements?
General Motors (GM) is considering a $37-million expansion to one of its Michigan assembly plants. The Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia crossovers are built at the Lansing Delta Township plant. GM officials have not announced what the $37-million expansion will include but they have applied for tax incentives from the City of Lansing […]
Continue readingWhat is the impact on American Apparel’s current ratio of the loan it received from Standard General?
American Apparel has been in the news in recent weeks. Its board fired CEO Dov Charney amid several reports of his misdeeds. The company has also lost $270 million over the past three years. Last week, one of American Apparel’s creditors, Lion Capital, called a $10 million loan it had made to American Apparel. (“Calling” […]
Continue readingWhat are implications of Casella Waste Systems changing its year end from April 30 to December 31?
Casella Waste Systems, Inc., is a solid waste services company operating primarily in the eastern United States. Its fiscal year end has historically been April 30. In recent years, the region has experienced severe weather in the spring. The severe weather would drive down earnings for Casella in the last few months of its fiscal […]
Continue readingWhat are the characteristics of the $2 billion in bonds that Tesla Motors is issuing?
Tesla Motors, Inc., is an American company that designs, manufactures, and sells electric cars and components. It is publicly traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol TSLA. Tesla has plans to build a $4 to $5 billion battery production plant beginning in 2017. To help to pay for the new manufacturing facility, Tesla is issuing […]
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 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 reading10-K Minute: Target, Data Breach, and Contingent Liabilities
Background In the fourth quarter of 2013, hackers broke into Target Corporation’s system and stole the names and credit card information for up to 70 million customers. This data breach is among the largest data breaches in U.S. history and lawsuits against Target Corporation are being filed by several parties including customers, credit card companies, […]
Continue readingWhat is the impact on cash from Sony selling its old Tokyo headquarters?
In March 2014, Sony signed a deal to sell its old Tokyo headquarters and a nearby building for $156 million. This building served as Sony’s headquarters from 1990 to 2007 and is thought of as the birthplace of the company, where Sony founders worked on the Walkman and Trinitron TV. This building sale follows the […]
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October 17, 2014 