Abstract
The paper defines various types of foreclosures: judicial, non-judicial, and strict. It examines reasons why people default and shows foreclosed properties as a high return with risks for the investor, such as the high cost of repairs.

From the Paper
"Buying Foreclosed Properties
1. Introduction
1 a. Reasons why people default
There are many reasons why people default on home loans, but the most common reason is that they cannot pay the mortgage anymore due to a reversal of fortune, most typically ..."

Abstract
The paper explains that anti-trust laws protect not only the small competitors from being taken out of business by predatory pricing attempts by the big league businesses, but also protects the consumer by protecting the free trade of competition in the market place. The paper examines the issue of below cost selling of products but notes the difficulty of proving that this is for the purpose of driving competition out of business. The paper discusses how small businesses must find other ways to compete and find their niche market in whatever field they are selling products and services.

From the Paper
"The American Dream is a concept that is followed around the world. It is a concept based on the premise that if one has a good idea, and is willing to work hard one can achieve great success. Years ago, when America was in its infancy this held true without government interference but in more recent history it has become entirely too competitive to achieve the American Dream in some areas of business without some protection of the marketplace. The anti-trust laws are in place for the purpose of protecting the market place. It protects not only the small competitors from being taken out of business by predatory pricing attempts by the big league businesses, it also protects the consumer by protecting the free trade of competition in the market place."

Tags:below-cost, small, business, consumer, monopolies

Abstract
This paper answers a series of questions about accounting and financial analysis of companies. First, the paper posits if a CEO ever decide to implement a suggested project when the financial analysis showed that its internal rate of return (IRR) was below the cost of capital. This question in analyzed from various perspectives.

From the Paper
" Internal Rate of Return (IRR) means determining the yield on an investment by calculating the interest rate that equates the cash outflow (cost) of an investment with the subsequent cash inflows (355). The IRR can also be defined as the discount rate at which the Net Present Value (NPV) of a project is zero. When the IRR is higher than the cost of capital, the project would be seen as worth undertaking and likely to be profitable. For this reason, a CEO would decide against implementing a suggested..."

Tags:buisness, accounting, questions

Abstract
This paper discusses Wal-Mart's use of loss-leader pricing strategies in their toy retailing operations and how it is detrimental to the long-term viability of the toy industry and ironically, to Wal-Mart itself. According to the paper, this loss-leader approach to pricing toys below their cost to drive up traffic in Wal-Mart's retail stores, is flattening the elasticity curve of newly-introduced toys and causing manufacturers to second-source and often move their manufacturing off-shore, where quality and safety standards are not nearly as rigorous as in the United States.

Outline:
Introduction
Wal-Mart's Pricing Yardsticks: Setting Loss Leaders In Motion
Evaluating Pricing Strategies in the Context of Marketing Strategies
Conclusion
Appendix:Wal-Mart's Supply Chain Efficiencies Pay For Losses on Loss-Leader

From the Paper
"For any business model or even the strategies that support them to survive, there has to be more of a balance between the 4 Ps of marketing which include promotion, place or distribution, and product in addition to price. In fact price is the most volatile and over-used of differentiators in many companies and entire industries, as Wal-Mart exemplifies in their loss-leader pricing strategies.
This has been exacerbated by toy manufacturers moving their manufacturing and production off-shore as a direct result of the loss-leader pricing strategies of Wal-Mart. These manufacturers are looking for the 40 - 70% reduction in costs to justify moving their services spending, manufacturing operations, or both offshore, which has been promised to them by companies who specialize in offshore manufacturing in the toy business. "

Tags:Accenture, planning, forecasting, toys, price, cutting, supply, chain, operations

Abstract
This paper explains that the portfolio of Perry Ellis International, Inc. includes men's and women's brands, which it designs, sources, markets, and licenses nationally and internationally at multiple price points and across all major levels of retail distribution. The author points out that during the fiscal year ended January 31, 2004, approximately 91% of the company's net sales were from branded products The company owns 13 and licenses five brands, such as Perry Ellis, Jantzen, Munsingwear, and Manhattan; has developed over 42 sub-brands, such as Perry Ellis Portfolio and Penguin Sport; and distributes the PING, Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, NAUTICA ,and Ocean Pacific brands under license arrangements. The paper reports that, for 2005, Perry Ellis expects to report record revenue and net income; earnings per fully diluted share are projected in the $2.10-$2.20 per fully diluted share range, below their previous guidance of $2.35. Tables and graph.

Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Background
Current Status of Perry Ellis (2004)
Perry Ellis 1999-2004
Total Revenues
Royalty Income
Cost of Sales
Gross Profit
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Depreciation and Amortization
Interest Expense
Long-Term Debt
Future Positioning
Perry Ellis Income Statement

From the Paper
"Perry Ellis' President acknowledged disappointment in the swimwear business for 2004, but plans to take actions such as a rationalization of product offering, changes in sourcing and overhead expense structure and a significant reduction in inventory levels. Perry Ellis intends that those measures will position the company for a profitable swimwear line in fiscal 2006. Perry Ellis predicts that the menswear brands, especially Perry Ellis, Original Penguin, Cubavera, PING, and PGA Tour will achieve record sales with a continuing momentum to continue into next year."

Tags:brands, revenue, projections, statement, cost

Abstract
This paper states that interconnects and isolation has been, is and will continue to be the key factors that limit the performance and costs of integrated circuits. The author points out that as technology is scaled below a quarter micron, the problems associated with interconnect are ever more pressing and could potentially become the roadblock to progress. This paper concludes that technology is changing the physical size of circuitry, allowing an 11 Million transistors on an 80 mmz die, but this is only a short respite before other technologies allow more and more processing to be done in smaller spaces with less.

Table of Contents
Overview
The Need for Device Isolation Defined
The Evolution in Manufacturing and Deposition Technology
The Evolution in Materials Choice for Device Isolation
A Critical Review of Literature from 1997 through mid-1999
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Essential to chip fabrication is a process called lithography, which resembles the printing of a photograph by shining light through a negative onto a photosensitive surface. To produce features less than 0.1 mm wide, semiconductor companies face the task of developing methods that involve light or other electromagnetic radiation of wavelengths much shorter than those commonly used today. The shorter the wavelength, the finer the line can be sharply drawn."

Tags:limits, interconnectivity, performance, cost, micron

Abstract
This paper explains that Portugal's economic development is outstanding; however, its government is still struggling to bring the deficit below the European Union stability-pact ceiling of 3% of GDP. Sharing the Iberian Peninsula with the economic powerhouse of Spain, where growth has been above 3% in all but one of the past ten years, the author contends, makes Portugal's performance look worse than it is. The paper suggests that, because of the entire package of government support, the fiscal environment, economic growth, low inflation rate, low labor costs and it location at the crossroads of Europe and Africa, Portugal can exploit the benefit of its being the lowest-cost producer within the European Union in a prime position for exporting. The author includes several graphs and tables in the appendix.

Table of Contents:
Introduction to the Economy in Portugal
Macroeconomic Indicators
Unemployment
Inflation
GDP
Foreign Trade
Economic strengths and weaknesses
Fiscal policy
Conclusion
Appendix
Unemployment
Inflation
GDP
Foreign Trade
Exports
Imports

From the Paper
"With fiscal conditions tight and domestic demand still weak, real GDP growth expanded from 1.2% in 2006 to 1.4% in 2007 and is expected to rise up to 2% in 2008, driven by a recovery in export growth. This last year's GDP growth was the lowest not just in the European Union but in all of Europe. Since 2000, the Czech Republic, Greece, Malta and even Slovenia have all overtaken Portugal in terms of GDP per head. Portugal's account deficit widened to 9.3% of GDP in 2005, as a result of high oil prices."

Tags:exporting, european union, labor costs, government, foreign trade

Abstract
This paper first deals informally with the issues of how to decide where to site a plant, and then offers a costing analysis based on a comparison between a chase strategy and a level strategy. The paper explains that because of very high start-up costs, a chase strategy would be much more expensive than a modified level strategy, producing just below expected annual need.

From the Paper
"If the company is building a high-tech plant, personnel are one of the most important factors. For this reason it is critical to build in a place where high-tech skills are taught locally. The presence of a substantial research university is a resource which will repay any added costs. Location in a developing country, which has only a limited range of technical talent should not be considered an option, because of the limited availability of local talent and because of the problem that the talent is often quickly hired away. Although most people think of high-tech as not involving a good many..."

Tags:tech, pollution, costing

Abstract
The paper relates that flat screen television prices are rapidly decreasing and consumers are responding by buying more of the sets. The paper also discusses how although demand is up, there appears to be excess supply. The paper predicts that since the market is perfectly competitive, it is likely that a number of competitors will see prices fall below average variable costs and will exit the market. The paper shows, therefore, how excess supply will be eliminated and the market will move toward equilibrium.

Outline:
Introduction
Economic Theory
Strategic Planning and Implementation
The Flat-Screen Television Market
Long-Run Commercial Potential
Conclusion

From the Paper
"The laws of supply and demand are the most important determinant of market structures (Economics basics: demand and supply). The law of demand states that, if all other factors remain equal, the higher the price of a good, the less people will demand that good and vice versa. The law of supply states that when the price of a good rises, holding other factors constant, producers will be willing to supply more of the product. Price, therefore, is determined by supply and demand. Economic equilibrium refers to an equilibrium in a market where a market for a product has attained the price where the amount supplied of a certain product equals the quantity demanded."

Tags:prices, equilibrium, goods, quantity, costs

Abstract
In 2001 the newly elected Bush administration shocked the globe first by stating that it would not demand that its national industry be required to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, or greenhouse gases, and then in its harsh rejection of the Kyoto Protocol that had been ten years in the making. The Kyoto Protocol is intended to reduce greenhouse gases by as much as 5.2 percent below the 1990 levels but the Bush administration felt that ratification of the Kyoto Protocol would cost the Nation millions of jobs and billions of dollars in Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This paper discusses the context within which the Kyoto Protocol was designed to fit within the broader framework of sustainable development economic policies that would ensure continued economic expansion but would also ensure sound environmental policies.

Tags:kyoto, protocol, bush