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SEC Settles Microsoft Accounting Investigation

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the cooking-the-books dept.

guttentag writes "The Securities and Exchange Commission has wrapped up its two-year investigation into Microsoft's accounting practices. The investigation focused on "cookie jar" accounting practices in which a company reports that it earned less money than it actually did, secretly storing the unreported money to artificially boost earnings in the future. The SEC called off its investigation in exchange for Microsoft's promise that it will not break the rules in the future, though the company is not admitting that it broke rules in the past. Microsoft publicly states that it has $40 Billion on hand." Gates realized a long time ago that regardless of actual performance, if you "beat estimates" people will buy your stock. So, he's arranging it so that no matter what the actual performance is, Microsoft always "beats estimates". If your analyst estimate is low 61 out of 63 times, either A) you need a new analyst or B) someone is feeding the analyst bad numbers. In this case, probably both.

12 of 277 comments (clear)

  1. or maybe by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Or maybe the analysts were listening to the anti-Microsoft FUD that certain media outlets (cough cough) have been shoveling lately and expected MS to be going down the tubes fast... Not expecting MS to come out with an incredibly popular new version of windows as well as a moderately successful game system?

  2. ep by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

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  11. Re:Link not usable in Opera by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Happily, you're the zealot that loses out in this case.

    Don't try to push your religion on us.

  12. Re:Justice is served? Maybe on a plate. by ObviousGuy · · Score: 0, Troll

    The plural of moose is meese. Go back to grade school.

    --
    I have been pwned because my /. password was too easy to guess.