Description:  Shares of Expeida surge after the travel site says it will split into two companies, one for TripAdvisor and one for Expedia.com, hotels.com and hotwire. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 04/08/2011 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/markets/2011/04/08/mkts_expedia_0408.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: Why did Expedia shares jump so dramatically? What does this report suggest about theses competing online businesses?… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Part 6 Managing Financial Resources
The Megabus Effect
Description: After decades of decline, the bus is the U.S.’s fastest-growing way to travel, led by curbside service from Megabus, BoltBus, and others. Source: Businessweek.com Date: 04/07/2011 Link: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_16/b4224062391848.htm Questions for discussion: What does this report have to say about the current business models for transportation? What are the competitive advantages for this firm?… Read more »
For Tiger Woods, a Golf Course Design Business Is in the Rough
Description: IN late June 2008, a week after he astonished the golf world by winning the United States Open while grimacing in pain on a torn left knee, Tiger Woods traveled to a craggy chunk of land on the Baja Peninsula in Mexico. Source: NYTimes.com  Date: 04/02/2011 Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/03/business/03tiger.html?ref=business Questions for discussion: Summarize the… Read more »
How E-Books Are Coming Full Circle, Thanks to Tablets
Description: E-readers may evolve into multipurpose devices that can surf the Web, show movies, play music, and perform other tricks Source: Businessweek.com Date: 03/28/2011 Link: http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2011/tc20110325_523054.htm Questions for discussion: What does this report have to say about the evolution of ebooks and the related technologies? Where do you think this will all lead in terms… Read more »
No Buyers for Barnes & Noble at 60 Cents on Dollar: Real M&A
Description: Even with Barnes & Noble Inc. selling for 60 cents on the dollar, the cheapest retailer in America still isn’t cheap enough to entice private-equity buyers looking for cash. Source: Businessweek.com Date: 03/25/2011 Link: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-03-25/no-buyers-for-barnes-noble-at-60-cents-on-dollar-real-m-a.html Questions for discussion: What does this report have to say about the financial viability of this business model? What… Read more »
NOLA’s green renaissance
Description: Five years after Katrina destroyed the city, New Orleans is rebuilt and flowering into a ‘green’ hub of the South. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 03/17/2011 Link:  http://money.cnn.com/video/smallbusiness/2011/03/17/sbiz_green_new_orleans.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: Summarize the green energy renewal effort in New Orleans. How can this serve as a model for other communities? Do you think… Read more »
General Mills Nears $1.1 Billion Deal to Buy Half of Yoplait
Description: The owners of Yoplait, the French yogurt maker, said Friday that they were in exclusive negotiations with the company’s longtime American partner, General Mills, to sell just over a 50 percent stake for about 800 million euros ($1.1 billion). Source: NYTimes.com  Date: 03/18/2011 Link: http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/03/18/general-mills-set-to-buy-yoplait-stake-for-1-1-billion/?ref=business Questions for discussion: Do you think that General… Read more »
Apple, Google May Profit on a Tax Holiday
Description: Those companies and others say they’ll bring home billions in earningsâ€â€but only if they get a big tax break Source: Businessweek.com Date: 03/17/2011 Link: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_13/b4221064108107.htm Questions for discussion: Summarize the basic arguments surrounding this topic. What are the factors favoring allowing tax-free repatriation and those against?
BullHorn: SXSW: Who’ll be the best?
Description: Foursquare and Gowalla were big hits last year at the technology conference in Austin, Texas. Are they takeover targets now? Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 03/10/2011 Link:  http://money.cnn.com/video/markets/2011/03/10/mkts_bh_sxsw_bsft_fnsr.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: Summarize the analysis presented about each company. Do you think any one of these companies has an advantage in the developing technologies… Read more »
Pro Sports vs. the Web Pirates
Description: Leagues from the NFL and NBA to Ultimate Fighting are finding it nearly impossible to block pirate video sites from streaming live events. Source: Businessweek.com  Date: 02/24/2011 Link: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_10/b4218066626285.htm Questions for discussion: Summarize the problems described in this report? How has the industry responded? Besides the legal and technological solutions, what are some… Read more »
