Accounting & Investing Info for San Antonio A & M
Friday July 17, 2015
A survey of some 29 franchise owners covering over 200 outlets reveals expectations at all time lows.
While the increase in minimum wage is cited in the article as a problem apparently that is not a problem for the competitors like Shake Shak and Whataburger. As noted int the article, larger size generates arrogance ala GM.
And once problems and negative perception settle in, it is hard to turn a supertanker size operation around.
Tuesday July 14, 2015
Marine Lt Col Kate Germano has been relieved of duty over her command of female recruits at Paris Island.
She improved rifle qualification rates from 79 to 91% as well as improvements in physical qualification rates.
The hardest thing you will ever do is to take and pass the CPA exam as an accountant. The same sort of rigorous training required at Paris Island will be required to achieve the CPA goal.
I wishLt Col Germano the best in her future endeavors as she wished for her command n her exit letter.
Highly Recommended
An Officer and a Gentleman remains the high water mark for how a military training camp can be tough but fair in producing results. This movie launched the career for Louis Gossett Jr as the tough but fair Marine Drill Sgt.
Monday July 13, 2015
The SA IIA will meet this Wed at San Francisco Steakhouse from 11 30 – 1 00.
https://chapters.theiia.org/san-antonio/Events/Pages/default.aspx
I paid for the meeting but will not be able to attend as my wife is having cataract surgery that day. If someone wants to go in my place you are most welcome, first come first served. The program will concern use of audit software. This is a great chance to meet and talk with Professional Auditors from various organizations like USAA, HEB, Frost, City of SA, VIA, you name it.
Weekend July 12, 2015
A reader asks with the demise of Sears will we see the demise of shopping malls.
Back in the day a shopping mall would operate with three or four 'anchor tenants.' This would typically be large chain stores like JC Penny, Sears, Melvyn's. Melvyn's is gone and Sears is on the way. Actually Sears has a stand along store in more or a strip mall at Blanco and North 410.
I suspect in a move to duplicate Cantera, North Star Mall moved upscale with Dillards, Macys, and SAKS.
the trend among lower priced stores is more stand alone stir malls. A good example can be found in both San Marcos and New Braunfels where Pennys and Bealls have stores. Indeed the outlet mall in San Marcos is really a sort of strip mall.
A candle sore went out of business when I was Bankruptcy Trustee in Odessa. I was shocked to learn the monthly rent was $4,000. I suspect the rents are too high for most retailers and now that AMZN beckons I doubt we will see any enclosed malls constructed again.
Friday July 10, 2015
Mark Goldman, President SA CPA Society, has some valuable thoughts on passing the CPA exam.
He is right the sooner the better. I returned to UT Austin to study for the entire semester while taking review classes, otherwise I would not have had a chance at passing.
Friday July 10, 2015
In class I noted the EY informanual on the new rules is 177 pages long. Yikes!
Thursday July 9, 2015
A one hundred bolivar bill in Venezuela is worth less than 17 US cents.
Venezuela, Argentina, and Greece as Maggie Thatcher observed have indeed run out of other people's money.
Thursday July 9, 2013
the IMF has called for completion of the Dodd Frank rules. As the IMF points out until then the rules are fragmented and unknown.
Professor Elam observation – it is all too typical of the government to fail to write rules they then expect the rest of us to follow. How about leading by example at the SEC?
We are studying the accounting codification. This article is part of that political process of adopting rules.
Thursday July 9, 2015
The market is quickly approaching the oversold reversal level of last October. Looks like this will occur this next week. Too late to go short now. Welles Wilder always recommended positions with the trend, if your timing is off the trend will bail you out. This suggests a light long might be worthwhile this next week looking for a rebound at which point shorts could be established.
Thursday July 9, 2015
Shake Shak is a burger chain that went public this year. Goldman suggests selling it. There is a video in this link illustrating the burger. I noticed a shake is $5.25, no wonder these guys are making money. Frankly this does not look very different from the offering at In and Out Burgers, see my earlier post.
Notice how price both spiked up and then contracted in the same amount of time. Notice the price went viral from 65 to 95, that was the period of maximum social mood for SHAK.
Professor Elam 