...Before You Sue The Accountants Daniel J. Hurson Even if it looks like a strong case, be careful—there are some surprising defenses. IN THE WAKE OF the corporate accounting scandals that have dominated the business news for the last few years, as well as recurring announcements of large settlements in class action suits against major accounting firms, the prospect of a malpractice case against an accounting firm would at first glance seem attractive. Juries are presumably more predisposed to view accountants with renewed skepticism, when hardly a news cycle passes without some reference to accounting fraud, investigations, and the occasional large-scale debacles like the demise of Arthur Andersen, not to mention the high-profile criminal prosecutions that have recently gone to trial. Daniel J. Hurson, formerly Assistant Chief Litigation Counsel at the SEC, practices securities enforcement and accounting malpractice law in Washington, D.C. His website is www.hursonlaw.com. 25 26 The Practical Lawyer April 2006 Accountant malpractice litigation is a minefield of arcane judicial doctrines layered over pleading and discovery traps that can bury the best plaintiffs’ counsel. Indeed, among the players in these sagas, the accountants sometimes offer the best litigation target. The companies themselves have often tanked; the errant executives dismissed, awash in legal problems, and without insurance coverage; but the accountants (Andersen notwithstanding)...
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...Analysis of the Financial Statements of Star Cruises Limited Executive Summary Star Cruises Limited provides cruise service to the Asia-Pacific region as well as certain investment into resorts and casinos in Macau as well as in Philippines. The year 2008 was an eventful year for Star Cruises Limited (Star Cruises), with events such as the overwhelming financial crisis which had affected Star Cruises, as well as the deemed disposal of the Norwegian Cruise Line Corporation Ltd (NCLC), where NCLC ceased to be a subsidiary of the Company and became a jointly controlled entity of the Company. Star Cruises’ financial performance was poor, as reflected in the financial statements. Gross profit for the company (Star Cruises without its subsidiaries) recognized a 25.86% decline. However, while profitability ratios such as Return on Assets (ROA) and Return on Equity (ROE) improved from last year; it is good to note that they are still a negative ratio. Although the improvement on face value may seem good when compared to its competitors, it is unfair to judge the value as Star Cruise made an overall loss and its absolute ROA and ROE are bad compared to its competitors. Overall, Star Cruises recorded a -20% change in her total assets, and was most salient compared to her other competitors which recorded an increase of either 10% or a fall of 2%. However, Star Cruises’ current assets had increased by a significant 118.79% in the year 2008. This increase in current assets is possible...
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...2013 AnnuAl RepoRt Find Your WorldSM ONLINE. TOuR OuR INTERACTIvE ANNuAL REpORT AT MARRIOTT.COM/INvESTOR. MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL , INC. A MESSAGE FROM OuR EXECuTIvE CHAIRMAN J.W. Marriott, Jr. Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board There are so many ways to Find Your World at Marriott International. Our more than 3,900 hotels in more than 70 countries provide the stage for you to close that important business deal, take your loved ones on a beach vacation, or explore new destinations on a journey of personal discovery. For our guests and approximately 325,000 associates at headquarters and our managed and franchised hotels, we are working hard to help you meet your goals, whether it’s creating lasting memories or building on life’s successes. I am so proud of our company. Something I’ve noticed even more in my role as Executive Chairman is that Marriott’s history and culture are the foundation for our future. Our stakeholders recognize this, too. I am confident we’ll continue our success and come even closer to realizing our vision of being the best lodging company in the world. In 2013, our strategy delivered great results. We grew our portfolio, and had more hotels in the pipeline than any time in Marriott’s history. Our leadership teams created new opportunities for growth across the globe, from opening one of every five new rooms in the u.S. and setting us up for growth in Africa, to accelerating our growth in Asia and creating and launching...
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...Costco Companies, Inc. On August 30, 1999, the Company reincorporated from Delaware to Washington and changed its name to Costco Wholesale Corporation, which trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “COST”. As of December 2012, the Company operated a chain of 622 warehouses in 41 states and Puerto Rico (448 locations), nine Canadian provinces (85 locations), Mexico (32 locations), the United Kingdom (23 locations), Japan (13 locations), Korea (nine locations), Taiwan (nine locations, through a 55%-owned subsidiary) and Australia (three locations). The Company also operates Costco Online, electronic commerce web sites, at www.costco.com (U.S.), www.costco.ca (Canada), and www.costco.co.uk (United Kingdom). CONTENTS Financial Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Letter to Shareholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Map of Warehouse Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Business Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Risk Factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....
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...Auditing Cases An Interactive Learning Approach FIFTH M F S D E D ITIO N S. B A. B M. G F. P Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montreal Toronto Delhi Mexico City Sao Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul Singapore Taipei Tokyo Editor in Chief: Donna Battista Acquisitions Editor: Stephanie Wall Editorial Project Manager: Christina Rumbaugh Senior Managing Editor: Cynthia Zonneveld Production Project Manager: Carol O'Rourke Senior Operations Supervisor: Diane Peirano Printer/Binder: BindRite Graphics, Robbinsville Credits and acknowledgments borrowed from other sources and reproduced, with permission, in this textbook appear on the appropriate page within text. Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2006, 2003, 2000 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing Prentice Hall. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. This publication is protected by Copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. To obtain permission(s) to use material from this work, please submit a written request to Pearson Education, Inc., Permissions Department, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458, or you may fax your request to 201-236-3290. Many of the designations by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish...
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...results. But 2008 was not an ordinary year. Despite the difficult economic environment, we continued to improve our retail business, through investing in our associates and our stores, rebuilding our supply chain and improving customer service. We also made several strategic decisions to optimize our capital allocation, concentrating our efforts on our core business. In the first quarter, we closed 15 underperforming stores and reduced our pipeline of new stores by 50. In the third quarter, we renegotiated our private label credit card agreement, capping our cost of private label credit. In the fourth quarter, we announced our decision to exit EXPO and related businesses. These actions will make the Company stronger. On the financial side, we ended the year with a solid operating profit and $41 billion in assets. We generated cash from the business of approximately $5.5 billion, which allowed us to invest in the business where necessary and reduce our debt obligations while maintaining a healthy dividend. On the operational side, we implemented an “Aprons on the Floor” initiative, which deployed over $200 million in annualized savings onto the floor of the stores for customer service. Our customer service levels, as measured by our Voice of Customer surveys and other external sources, continue to improve. We launched our “New Lower Price” campaign in the fall and have been very pleased with the customer response to this program. More than ever, our customers ...
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...Delivery and growth Royal Dutch Shell plc Annual Report and Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2007 Royal Dutch Shell Our Business With 104,000 employees in more than 110 countries and territories, Shell plays a key role in helping to meet the world’s growing demand for energy in economically, environmentally and socially responsible ways. Our Exploration & Production business searches for and recovers oil and natural gas around the world. Many of these activities are carried out as joint venture partnerships, often with national oil companies. Our Gas & Power business liquefies natural gas and transports it to customers across the world. Its gas to liquids (GTL) process turns natural gas into cleaner-burning synthetic fuel and other products. It develops wind power to generate electricity and invests in solar power technology. It also licenses our coal gasification technology, a cleaner way of turning coal into chemical feedstocks and energy. Our Oil Sands business, the Athabasca Oil Sands Project, extracts bitumen from oil sands in Alberta, western Canada and converts it to synthetic crude oils. Our Oil Products business makes, moves and sells a range of petroleum-based products around the world for domestic, industrial and transport use. Its Future Fuels and CO2 business unit develops fuels such as biofuels and hydrogen and synthetic fuels made from natural gas (GTL Fuel) and potentially from biomass; and leads company-wide activities on CO2 management. With...
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...corporation. In January 1997, after the spin-off of most of its non-warehouse assets to Price Enterprises, Inc., the Company changed its name to Costco Companies, Inc. On August 30, 1999, the Company reincorporated from Delaware to Washington and changed its name to Costco Wholesale Corporation, which trades on the NASDAQ under the symbol “COST.” As of December 2010, the Company operated a chain of 582 warehouses in 40 states and Puerto Rico (425 locations), nine Canadian provinces (80 locations), the United Kingdom (22 locations), Korea (seven locations), Taiwan (six locations, through a 55%-owned subsidiary), Japan (nine locations) and Australia (one location), as well as 32 warehouses in Mexico through a 50%-owned joint venture. CONTENTS Financial Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Letter to Shareholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Map of Warehouse Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Business Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Risk Factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Properties:...
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...CRAFT BREWERS ALLIANCE, INC. 2010 Annual Report UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 Form 10-K ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010 or TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from _______________ to ______________ Commission File Number 0-26542 CRAFT BREWERS ALLIANCE, INC. (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) Washington (State of incorporation) 929 North Russell Street Portland, Oregon (Address of principal executive offices) 91-1141254 (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) 97227-1733 (Zip Code) (503) 331-7270 (Registrant’s telephone number, including area code) Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: Title of Each Class Common Stock, Par Value $0.005 Per Share Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None. (Title of Class) Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes No Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act...
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...ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD. 2008 Annual Report ANCHORED IN EXCELLENCE We always provide service with a friendly greeting and a smile. * We anticipate the needs of our customers. * We make all effort to exceed our customers’ expectations. * We take ownership of any problem that is brought to our attention. * We engage in conduct that enhances our corporate reputation and employee morale. * We are committed to act in the highest ethical manner and respect the rights and dignity of others. * We are loyal to the Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. family of companies, and strive for continuous improvement in everything we do. * B efore 4 97 $175 98 $331 99 $384 00 $445 01 $254 02 $351 03 $281 04 $475 05 $663 06 $634 07 $603 08 $574 97 $2,019 98 $2,455 99 $3,261 00 $3,616 01 $3,757 02 $4,035 03 $4,263 04 $4,805 05 $5,554 06 $6,092 07 $6,757 08 $6,803 95 $149 94 $137 93 $107 92 $ 61 91 $ 90 $ 52 89 $ 42 88 $ 14 96 $151 SH AREHO L DERS ’ EQ UI TY ($ millions) 96 $1,085 95 $ 965 94 $ 846 93 $ 733 92 $ 464 91 $ 404 90 $ 400 89 $ 348 88 $ 295 c umulative effec t of a c hange in ac c o u n t in g p r in c ip le 08 $6,533 07 $6,149 06 $5,230 05 $4,903 04 $4,555 03 $3,784 (dollars in thousands, except per share data) 02 $3,434 Total Revenues Operating Income Net Income Earnings Per Share (diluted) Shareholders’ Equity 01 $3,145 ...
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...Annual Report and Form 20-F 2013 bp.com/annualreport Building a stronger, safer BP Who we are BP is one of the world’s leading integrated oil and gas companies.a We aim to create long-term value for shareholders by helping to meet growing demand for energy in a safe and responsible way. We strive to be a world-class operator, a responsible corporate citizen and a good employer. Through our work we provide customers with fuel for transportation, energy for heat and light, lubricants to keep engines moving and the petrochemicals products used to make everyday items as diverse as paints, clothes and packaging. Our projects and operations help to generate employment, investment and tax revenues in countries and communities around the world. We employ more than 80,000 people, mostly in Europe and the US. As a global group, our interests and activities are held or operated through subsidiaries, branches, joint arrangements or associates established in – and subject to the laws and regulations of – many different jurisdictions. The UK is a centre for trading, legal, finance, research and technology and other business functions. We have well-established operations in Europe, the US, Canada, Russia, South America, Australasia, Asia and parts of Africa. a On the basis of market capitalization, proved reserves and production. Annual Report and Form 20-F 2013 bp.com/annualreport Front cover imagery Our second BP-operated development in Angola consists of four oil fields – Plutão, Saturno...
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...Fiscal Year 2011 Annual Financial Report And Shareholder Letter January 2012 Dear Shareholders, Fiscal 2011 was a year of great accomplishment for The Walt Disney Company, marked by creativity and innovation across our businesses globally, record financial results and numerous important steps to position the Company for the future. While 2011 brought us so much to cheer about, it was also marked by profound loss, with the passing of Steve Jobs. Steve’s incredible stewardship of Pixar, and his decision to sell Pixar to Disney in 2006, brought Steve into the Disney family, as a board member, a shareholder, a mentor, and a friend, and we were so lucky for all that he represented and all that he contributed. Disney, ESPN, ABC, Pixar, and Marvel are an amazing collection of brands that grow stronger every day as new platforms and new markets provide enormous new opportunities for high quality content and experiences. To that end, we are fortunate to have a talented group of employees who are committed day in and day out to building our brands around the world. Since becoming President and CEO in 2005, I have focused on three strategic priorities: creating high-quality family content, making experiences more memorable and accessible through innovative technology, and growing internationally. In fiscal 2011, net income attributable to Disney was a record $4.8 billion, an increase of 21% over last year, and revenue was a record $40.9 billion, up 7% from last year. Diluted earnings...
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...Fourth Edition Financial & Managerial Accounting for MBAs Peter D. Easton Robert F. Halsey Mary Lea McAnally Al L. Hartgraves Wayne J. Morse Cambridge Business Publishers To my daughters, Joanne and Stacey —PDE To my wife Ellie and children, Grace and Christian —RFH To my husband Brittan and my children Loic, Cindy, Maclean, Quinn and Kay. —MLM To my wife Aline. —ALH To my family and students. —WJM Cambridge Business Publishers FINANCIAL & MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING FOR MBAs, Fourth Edition, by Peter D. Easton, Robert F. Halsey, Mary Lea McAnally, Al L. Hartgraves, and Wayne J. Morse. COPYRIGHT © 2015 by Cambridge Business Publishers, LLC. Published by Cambridge Business Publishers, LLC. Exclusive rights by Cambridge Business Publishers, LLC for manufacture and export. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or stored in a database or retrieval system in any form or by any means, without prior written consent of Cambridge Business Publishers, LLC, including, but not limited to, in any network or other electronic storage or transmission, or broadcast for distance learning. Student Edition ISBN 978-1-61853-102-5 Bookstores & Faculty: to order this book, call 800-619-6473 or email customerservice@cambridgepub.com. Students: to order this book, please visit the book’s website and order directly online. Printed in the United States of America. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 About the Authors ...
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...ANNUALREPORT2009 Dear Shareholders: In 2009, our comp sales declined by 6.6 percent, with total sales down 7.2 percent. Earnings per share from continuing operations were up 13.1 percent from last year, but on an adjusted basis declined 6.7 percent. At the end of 2008, the U.S. economy was in the most severe recession it has experienced since the great depression. We planned for this tough economic environment, and we executed well against our plan, exceeding the sales and earnings targets we set forth at the beginning of the year. We gained over 100 basis points of U.S. market share in 2009, a notable accomplishment on a base of fewer stores. We saw sequential improvement in our performance during the year and exited the year with a positive comp in the fourth quarter. We also saw signs of stabilization in some key macroeconomic indicators, such as Private Fixed Residential Investment as a percent of GDP. In Canada, the demand for home improvement products is showing improvement. And our Mexican team delivered positive comps for the year in a very tough economic environment. As we look to 2010, we believe we will see modest economic recovery in the markets we serve and expect our performance to continue to improve as the economy undergoes a steady, though slow, recovery. As a company, we made significant progress against our strategic imperatives in 2009. We enhanced customer service in our stores, introduced new and innovative products with compelling values...
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...Center) The Wendy’s Company One Dave Thomas Blvd. Dublin, Ohio 43017 (614) 764-3100 www.aboutwendys.com Stephen E. Hare Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Peter W. May 2,4,6 Vice Chairman, The Wendy’s Company President and Founding Partner, Trian Fund Management, L.P . Darrell G. van Ligten President, International Stockholder Information Transfer Agent and Registrar If you are a stockholder of record and require assistance with your account, such as a change of address or change in registration, please contact: American Stock Transfer & Trust Company 59 Maiden Lane Plaza Level New York, NY 10038 Toll free: (877) 681-8121 or (718) 921-8200 Fax: (718) 236-2641 E-mail: info@amstock.com www.amstock.com Emil J. Brolick 2,6 John D. Barker Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer President and Chief Executive Officer, The Wendy’s Company Clive Chajet 3,6,8 Chairman, Chajet Consultancy, L.L.C. Steven B. Graham Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer Edward P. Garden Chief Investment Officer and Founding Partner, Trian Fund Management, L.P . R. Scott Toop Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary Janet Hill 3,8 Principal, Hill Family Advisors SEC Certifications The certifications of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer required to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Sections 302 and 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 are included...
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