restructure( _CarolBartz, _Yahoo ). fraud( _AllenStanford, usd(8bn)).

Technology

ceo( _Yahoo, _CarolBartz).
formerceo( _Yahoo, _TerrySemel).
formerceo( _Yahoo, _JerryYang).

expandedrole( _Yahoo, _CTO, _AriBalogh).
expandedrole( _Yahoo, _USAdvertisingExec, _HilarySchneider).
ousted( _Yahoo, _CFO, _BlakeJorgensen).
newrole( _Yahoo, _CMO, _ElisaSteele).
newrole( _Yahoo, _ChiefOfStaff, _JoelJones).

The management team is detailed on YHOO's shareholder website.

Financial Fraud

fraud( _AllenStanford, usd(8bn) ).
seized( companies(_AllenStanford, X) ). ? antigua_registered(X).
owns( _AllenStanford, floridamansion(usd(10m) ).

What do we mean by Earnings?

If we say: akres8 :- results(_AKZO, Q4, 2008). earnings(akres8, X). ? X = eur(259m), what does that mean? In this context, it means EBIT (before "fair value" adjustments). In other cases it might mean net income (net of tax).

brightsparks ( X, _FinCrisis). ? X = _ThomsonReuters. X = _Spirent

origin(_Spirent, X). ? X=english. business(_Spirent, X). ? X =telecomsTesting. customers(_Spirent, X). ? X = _Cisco. X = _ATT. hq(_Spirent, X). ? X = crawley. ceo(_Spirent, X). ? X=williamBurns.

exchange(_Spirent, X). ? X=lse.
shareprice(_Spirent, 20080226, X). ? X=46p.
volume(_Spirent, X). ? X=2.3m. volume_3mavg(_Spirent, X). ? X=938K.
range_52wk(_Spirent, 20080226, X, Y). ? X=32.0, Y=84.0. peratio(_Spirent, 20080226, X). ? X=15.3x.

paintmanufacturingSuperPower(X), restructuring ( X , 2009 ). ? X = _AKZO

origin(_AKZO, X). ? X=_Dutch, hq(_AKZO, X). ? X=amsterdam.
business(_AKZO, X). ? X = paintmaker, ceo(_AKZO, X). ? X = hansWijers.

exchange(_AKZO, X). ? X=amsterdam.
shareprice( _AKZO, 20090225, eur(27.81) ).
52weekrange( _AKZO, 20090225, 22.39, 46.60 ).
volume(_AKZO, 2009025, 1.6m).
peratio(_AKZO, 20090225, 18.66x).

akres8 :- results(_AKZO, Q4, 2008)., akres7 :- results(_AKZO, Q4, 2007).
earnings(akres8, X). ? X = eur(259m), earnings(akres7, X). ? X = eur(595m)
writedowns(akres, X, Y). ? X = eur(1.2bn), Y=acquisition(_AKZO, _ICI).

external_reaction(_AKZO, _FinCrisis, X). ? X = reassureinvestors.
internal_reaction(_AKZO, _FinCrisis, Y). ? Y = jobcuts, Y = plantclosures.
problems(_AKZO, _FinCrisis, Y). ? Y = refinancingNeeds, Y=sharebuybackSuspended.
brands(_ICI, X). ? X = Dulux, Alabastine, Polyfilla.

Today's motto: motto(_Lexus, [The Pursuit of Perfection]).

appoint( honda, ceo, X).

? engineer(X), age(X, 55), operationshead(honda, X), X=takanobu_ito.

carpurchases(down, reason(X)). ? X=frozencreditmarkets.

launch( stephenkeating:- formerdirector(3i, X), privetcapital).
focus(privetcapital, X). ? X=lowermidmarketdeals, X=ukdistressedprivateequitydeals.

slashdividend(jpm, percent(X)). ? X=87.
slashdividend(jpm, centspershare(X), centspershare(Y)). ? X=38,Y=5.
ceo(jmp, jamiedimon).
mba(jamiedimon, hbs).

bank.balanceSheets(A, L). ? A= badassets

Dow closed at a 6yr low as fears spread about the banking sector and the prospect of a prolonged recession. While this happened,

investors.flock(hardAssets) {
Tbond.rally(); // reducing yields
Gold.rally(); // record levels }
bank.balanceSheets(A, L). ? A= badassets
nationalisation_fears(Bank) ? Bank = _boa. Bank = _citi.

New Banking Act comes into Force

The new banking act gives greater powers of intervention to the BoE. The Bank will be allowed to give hidden help to stricken banks to maintain financial stability. Critics attack the secrecy aspect of the Act saying it could harm consumers.

3i Sells Stake in Morse

3i, the oldest private equity fund in the UK, has sold its stake in IT consultancy Morse. Morse reported a half-year operating loss (£17.7m pre-tax) and scrapped its interim dividend. Morse has appointed Mike Phillips as its CEO (and started the search for a finance director). Mike was formerly a Group Finance Director at Microgen PLC (based in Fleet, Hampshire).

nationalisationfears( lloyds ), brightsparks(X) ? X=kfc, X=gameaccount.

Downside

takeover(lloyds, hbos, X) ? X = jan09.
megabank(uk, lloydshbos).

expectedloss(lloyds, gbp(8.5bn)),reasons(X). ? X=default(hbosloanbook, gbp(11bn)), X=lloyds_stricter_accountingrules.


Upside
brightsparks(X) ? X=kfc, X=gameaccount.
newjobs(kfc, uk, X) ? X = 9000. stores(kfc, uk, X). ? X=760.
spend(gbp(150m), U, V).? U = threeyears, V=fiveyears.
partner(gameaccount, X). ? X = williamhill, X = galacoral.
stakedvia(gameaccount, gbp(100m), X). X=lastquarter.

Protest over Fortis asset Firesale

The largest shareholder (5%) in Belgo-Dutch Fortis is China's Ping An insurance company. Ping An said it would vote against the sale of the bank's Belgian assets to France's BNP Paribas.

The main creditor of Baugur, Landsbanki, has appointed PWC as administrator of the company to ensure "stability and continuity for the UK companies in which it has shareholdings".

Treasury Orders Probe into Banks and Outrageous use of Bailout Money

The Treasury has ordered an inquiry into how banks are managed, Chancellor Alistair Darling has stated. Gordon Brown insisted Thursday that there should be "no reward for failure".

RBS, bailed out by £20bn by the government last year, will pay up to £1bn in bonuses to its 177,000 staff.

In Asia, Nomura has opened and equity sales, trading and investment banking office in India, which is becoming increasingly important for Japanese companies. For example, Nomura advised Daiichi Sankyo acquired generic drugs maker Ranbaxy in 2008.

Ranbaxy started its research program in the late 1970s.

Whopping $885bn Increase in Deficit for new Senate Plan

Figures released by CBO (Congressional Budget Office), which aims to provide Congress with analysis to aid economic and budgetary decisions.

Stimulus Plan from the Senate: A Whopping $885bn

Analysis by the CBO (Congressional Budget Office) reveals Senate will increase deficit by $885bn over 10 years. CBO estimate 78% of the monies will be spent by 2010. That's a very high rate of spending!!

restructuring( X,2009 ) ? X = _GSK.

X=Pharma giant GSK

1. headcount(_GSK, _Global, Current, Future). ? Current=100,000, Future=?.
2. headcount(_GSK, _UK, Current, Future).? Current=18,000 Future =?
3. per_sales(_GSK, _UK, X). ? X=0.1
4. brands(_GSK, X). ? X=_Horlicks, X=_Lucozade, X=_Panadol
5. competitors(_GSK, X). ? X = GenericDrugMakers.
6. yrs_exist(_GSK, X). ? X ~ 300.
7. former_names(_GSK, X). ? X = _PloughCourtPharmacy, X=_Beecham, X=_SKB.
8. business(_Beecham, Y). ? Y = laxatives
9. merge( SKB, GlaxoWellcome. 2000).