Category Archives: Business

Wall Street Bonuses are Not the Real Issue

Posted on October 29, 2009 by Basab Pradhan

This month the biggest Wall Street companies reported their quarterly earnings. JP Morgan Chase and Goldman Sachs reported bumper earnings, Citgroup and Bank of America, not so good. But if you leave out write downs on debt, everyone had a … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Economics, Finance | 6 Comments

Insider Trading

Posted on October 20, 2009 by Basab Pradhan

Raj Rajaratnam the boss of Galleon, a hedge fund in New York was arrested on Friday for being the mastermind of an insider trading network. That network included people in other hedge funds, private equity funds, consultants and corporate executives … Continue reading →

Posted in Business | 9 Comments

The Water in a Bottle of Water

Posted on April 19, 2009 by Basab Pradhan

Got back from some vacation in the Mayan Riviera (near Cancun, Mexico). Had a lovely time. The structure in the background of the bottle is the amazing step pyramid at Chichen Itza. In Mexico I encountered a familiar problem with … Continue reading →

Posted in Business | 8 Comments

Protectionism Ahead?

Posted on March 15, 2009 by Basab Pradhan

Last week Bank of America withdrew offers to MBA students on H1 B visas. As a recipient of TARP money from the federal government the bank had to comply with a clause that Congress had inserted into the TARP bill … Continue reading →

Posted in Business | 2 Comments

Career Advice to the IIM Ahmedabad Graduating Class

Posted on February 22, 2009 by Basab Pradhan

Last week I was at IIM Ahmedabad for my 20 year reunion. For two days and three nights we had non-stop fun reliving all the special memories from our times at IIM. Reunions, some say, can be quite a let … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Education, India | 13 Comments

Satyam – the Larceny Scenario

Posted on January 18, 2009 by Basab Pradhan

Investigators looking into the fraud that has been called India’s Enron have found a “maze” of about 300 companies related to Mr. Raju that were used to “siphon” as much as $1 billion in cash from Satyam, said a senior … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, India, Offshore Services | 10 Comments

Satyam Operating Margins Look Real

Posted on January 14, 2009 by Basab Pradhan

I pulled this chart together on our very own research platform just to see if there were any signs in the operating margins that Satyam was managing earnings. I found none. The comparables to Satyam (SAY) are Infosys, Wipro and … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, India, Offshore Services | 6 Comments

Satyam Next Steps

Posted on January 11, 2009 by Basab Pradhan

India’s regulatory authorities have made a great start on the Satyam accounting fraud scandal. The two bodies that would have regulatory oversight over such a situation – the Ministry of Company Affairs and SEBI – are both playing this on … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Finance, India, Offshore Services | 3 Comments

Questions re Satyam

Posted on January 5, 2009 by Basab Pradhan

While I was out of circulation and not blogging (business trip and vacation) the Satyam saga was unfolding. I remained abreast of what was happening but didn’t post anything on it. It’s been well covered by other bloggers and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Finance, India, Offshore Services | 10 Comments

Incentive Compensation as a Risk Factor

Posted on May 15, 2008 by Basab Pradhan

footnoted.org has a post highlighting a Risk Factor from the 10Q of Anworth, a company that invests in agency backed mortgage securities. Here’s how it reads In the risk factors section of its first quarter 10-Q filed Friday, Anworth gives … Continue reading →

Posted in Business | 4 Comments