Friday Link Dump

It's been a busy Friday - I taught a class this morning and saw an excellent presentation in the afternoon on investments in private equity. The paper presented examined the different types of parties (public pension funds, endowments, private pension funds, etc...) that invest in various types of Private Equity funds (i.e. buyout. early-stage VC or late-stage VC). Its main result was that there are significant differences in the ability of different cohorts of investors to make good choices (even within a given asset class). And the presenter did an outstanding job -- it's always fun to see a real professional at work.

And since he came to our campus for the visit, we got a free meal out of it at the university club (and my mouth felt good enough following my surgery that I could enjoy it).

So, today's Link Dump is a bit late (and a bit sparse). But better late than never. So without further ado:

CFO.com provides a good example of the earnings inflation technique known as "channel stuffing"

Bloomberg.com reports that bondholders have sued Wendy's over the spinoff of their Tim Horton's Unit. The bondholders claim the spinoff will increase the riskiness of the remaining firm, to their detriment. It's a good example to use in class to illustrate the "shareholder-bondholder agency problem."

Dealbook reposts on recent activities of some well-known activist investors.

David Andrew Taylor brings a very nice (and low-tech) explanation of why an inverted yield curve means that bond investors are predicting a recession.

Geoff Gannon at Seeking Alpha gives some background on the Dow. To paraphrase Inigo Montoya, "I don't think that Index is what you think it is."

The New York Times tells us Kobi Alexander isn't pleased with his accommodations in "U.S. Fugitive in Options Case Displeased By His African Jail." Apparently it's not up to "Club Fed" U.S. White -collar crime lodgings standards.

And now, it's off to another birthday party for the Unknown Son. We did the in-family party yesterday, but today's involves the neighborhood kids and his classmates.

And it's off-site, so we don't have to clean up. So everyone's happy.