The Alternative Minimum Tax is getting a lot of coverage in the US since changes made by Reagan in the 80s are causing it to affect 80% of “families with an adjusted gross income of $75,000 to $100,000,” in other words, a lot of frickin’ families. When the tax was first introduced in 1969, itContinue reading “AMT woes south of the border – what about us?”
Tag Archives: options
Apple’s “select” listing on the Nasdaq in jeopardy
Apple has informed investors that due to the ongoing investigation into their options backdating problems, they may be removed from the Nasdaq‘s special “Global Select Market.” How select, you may ask? Well, a mere 1/3 of companies listed on the Nasdaq are privileged enough to make the cut. Wait, was that a typo? One-third ofContinue reading “Apple’s “select” listing on the Nasdaq in jeopardy”
BlackBerry maker getting the probe on options backdating
The Ontario Securities Commission has launched a probe of Research In Motion’s stock option practices. An OSC spokesperson said the review was launched in early October, which is not long after the company announced it would have to restate past financials because of its options accounting. Another tech company is having difficulties with their optionsContinue reading “BlackBerry maker getting the probe on options backdating”
Loading springs and dodging bullets
Two terms, “spring-loading” and “bullet-dodging” have reminded me of the tendency in business to put a positive spin on negative practices. Spring-loading refers to the practice of granting options immediately before releasing good news that will likely increase the stock price, resulting in options that are not in the money technically when granted, but are,Continue reading “Loading springs and dodging bullets”
Novell investigating its options grants
Another tech company has announced it is conducting internal investigations into their options grant practices. This time it is Novell, a company known for its NetWare network operating system and more recently as a Linux company. Novell said its audit committee began the investigation because of news about irregularities in the way that dozens ofContinue reading “Novell investigating its options grants”