financials

It's estimated that the Facebook IPO will create 1,000 new millionaires -- granted that's a small, ok, miniscule percentage in the scheme of things -- but still, we thought it prudent to give some words of wisdom to those burgeoning fat cats.

We know that some Facebook employees had grand visions of rocketing into space on Virgin Galactic or excavating Mayan ruins with their new-found fortunes, but Bill Harris of PersonalCapital.com says that cooler heads must prevail.

"The biggest thing is to resist it becoming an emotional decision as opposed to analytical decision," he … Read more

Facebook today revealed that it will have more shares than expected available to investors when it goes public on Friday. But the social network won't be the one cashing in on it.

Facebook will now offer up to 484.4 million shares of class A common stock, including overallotment, when it goes public on Friday. In a filing yesterday, Facebook revealed that it was only planning to go public with a maximum of 388 million shares. The increase has pushed the maximum amount of cash potentially secured in the offering up $3.66 billion from $14.7 billion to $… Read more

Facebook today revealed that it will be offering more Class A common stock than initially anticipated, in a move that bulks up its breathlessly awaited IPO by almost 25 percent.

In a revised S-1 Registration Statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission this morning, Facebook said that it will now offer 421.2 million shares of class A stock when it goes public on Friday. The company has also upped the amount of shares it will allow for overallotment from 50.6 million to 63.2 million. All told, the company could offer 484.4 million shares when it … Read more

Facebook's initial public offering is set to take place later this week. But a key component in that process -- accepting orders from investors -- is ahead of schedule, according to a new report.

The world's largest social network is planning to stop taking orders for its IPO as early as tomorrow, according to Bloomberg, citing a source. Facebook had initially anticipated calling off its orders on Thursday, but due to stronger-than-expected demand, it's pushing its schedule ahead somewhat.

Facebook last week set out on its roadshow across the U.S. Prior to an IPO, a roadshow … Read more

Panasonic has joined a growing list of Japan-based companies that suffered through a difficult 2011 and early 2012.

The company today announced that it generated 7.8 trillion yen ($97.6 billion) during the fiscal year ended March 31, down 10 percent compared to the prior year. What's worse, it lost 772 billion yen ($9.7 billion) during the 12-month period, reversing the 74 billion yen profit it generated in the prior year.

Although Panasonic said that the losses were due in part to natural causes, including the floods in Thailand and the earthquake in Japan, the company also … Read more

Sony's troubles during the fiscal year ended March 31 were major -- and its latest financials bear that out.

The company today announced its fiscal-year earnings (PDF), revealing that its revenue slipped by 9.6 percent compared to last year, ending the period at $79.2 billion. What's worse, Sony's fiscal-year loss hit a record $5.55 billion, effectively making it the worst fiscal year in the company's storied history.

Still, Sony tried to keep a brave face on its earnings, saying that its sales declines were primarily due to unforeseen circumstances, including a strong yen, … Read more

AOL has been getting hit from all sides by activist investor Starboard Value. But in a letter to shareholders, the company is hitting back.

"Starboard, and in particular its principal, Mr. Jeffrey Smith, have rebuffed AOL's numerous efforts to avoid a destructive and expensive proxy fight," AOL wrote in a letter to shareholders that was released today and dated yesterday. "We believe that Starboard's misleading proxy campaign not only prevents stockholders from making an informed vote at the Annual Meeting, but has created a destructive atmosphere for AOL and the long-term interests of all of … Read more

Although public libraries, university libraries, and other large lending institutions typically have fairly sophisticated software to manage their collections, there are smaller entities like churches, nonprofits, and even individuals who could use an electronic hand when it comes to keeping track of their holdings. Granthaalok: The Book-Library Manager aims to provide a simple solution for the user who needs a way to keep track of what gets checked in and out and by whom. Unfortunately, the program's unattractive interface and generally unintuitive functioning make it hard to recommend.

Granthaalok's interface consists of a large gray rectangle with a … Read more

Barnes & Noble's shares are skyrocketing today following its announcement of a strategic partnership with Microsoft.

The company's stock soared in early trading to $26, nearly doubling last week's closing price of $13.68. Since then, investors have started to cool, though not by much: as of this writing, the company's shares are up 63 percent to $22.29.

Under the terms of their partnership, Microsoft and Barnes & Noble will own part of a new company, currently known as Newco until a final name can be determined. Microsoft gave Barnes & Noble $300 million for … Read more