The following is a list of 15 companies that could easily go under any moment in 2009, according to Moody's Investor Services. Some are a bit surprising (Trump Entertainment, Krispy Kreme, Sirius Radio), others are not (Blockbuster, Rite Aid).
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/15-Companies-That-Might-Not-usnews-14279875.html/print
Rite Aid.
(Ticker symbol: RAD; about 100,000 employees; 1-year stock-price
decline: 92%). This drugstore chain tried to boost its performance by acquiring
competitors Brooks and Eckerd in 2007. But there have been some nasty side
effects, like a huge debt load that makes it the most leveraged drugstore chain
in the U.S., according to Zacks Equity Research. That big retail investment came
just as megadiscounter Wal-Mart was starting to sell prescription drugs, and
consumers were starting to cut bank on spending. Management has twice lowered
its outlook for 2009. Prognosis: Mounting losses, with no turnaround in
sight.Claire's Stores.
(Privately owned; about 18,000 employees.) Leon Black's once-renowned private-equity firm, the Apollo Group, paid $3.1 billion for this trendy teen-focused accessory store in 2007, when buyout funds were bulging. But cash flow has been negative for much of the past year and analysts believe Claire's is close to defaulting on its debt. A horrible retail outlook for 2009 offers no relief, suggesting Claire's could follow Linens 'n Things - another Apollo purchase - and declare Chapter 11, possibly shuttering all of its 3,000-plus stores. [See 5 pieces missing from Obama's stimulus plan.]
Chrysler.
(Privately owned; about 55,000 employees). It's never a good sign when management insists the company is not going out of business, which is what CEO Bob Nardelli has been doing lately. Of the three Detroit automakers, Chrysler is the most endangered, with a product portfolio that's overreliant on gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs and almost totally devoid of compelling small cars. A recent deal with Fiat seems dubious, since the Italian automaker doesn't have to pony up any money, and Chrysler desperately needs cash. The company is quickly burning through $4 billion in government bailout money, and with car sales down 40 percent from recent peaks, Chrysler may be the weakling that can't cut it in tough times.
Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group.
(DTG; about 7,000 employees; stock down 95%). This car-rental company is a small player compared to Enterprise, Hertz, and Avis Budget. It's also more reliant on leisure travelers, and therefore more susceptible to a downturn as consumers cut spending. Dollar Thrifty is also closely tied to Chrysler, which supplies 80 percent of its fleet. Moody's predicts that if Chrysler declares Chapter 11, Dollar Thrifty would suffer deeply as well.
Realogy Corp.
(Privately owned; about 13,000 employees). It's the biggest real-estate brokerage firm in the country, but that's a bad thing when there are double-digit declines in both sales and prices, as there were in 2009. Realogy, which includes the Coldwell Banker, ERA, and Sotheby's franchises, also carries a high debt load, dating to its purchase by the Apollo Group in 2007 - the very moment when the housing market was starting to invert from a soaring ride into a sickening nosedive. Realogy has been trying to refinance much of its debt, prompting lawsuits. One deal was denied by a judge in December, reducing the firm's already tight wiggle room.
[See why "Wall Street talent" is an oxymoron.]Station Casinos.
(Privately owned, about 14,000 employees). Las Vegas has already been creamed by a biblical real-estate bust, and now it may face the loss of its home-grown gambling joints, too. Station - which runs 15 casinos off the strip that cater to locals - recently failed to make a key interest payment, which is often one of the last steps before a Chapter 11 filing. For once, the house seems likely to lose.
Loehmann's Capital Corp.
(Privately owned; about 1,500 employees). This clothing chain has the right formula for lean times, offering women's clothing at discount prices. But the consumer pullback is hitting just about every retailer, and Loehmann's has a lot less cash to ride out a drought than competitors like Nordstrom Rack and TJ Maxx. If Loehmann's doesn't get additional financing in 2009 - a dicey proposition, given
skyrocketing unemployment and plunging spending - the chain could run out of
cash.Sbarro.
(Privately owned; about 5,500 employees). It's not the pizza that's the problem. Many of this chain's 1,100 storefronts are in malls, which is a double whammy: Traffic is down, since consumers have put away their wallets. Sbarro can't really boost revenue by adding a breakfast or late-night menu, like other chains have done. And competitors like Domino's and Pizza Hut have less debt and stronger cash flow, which could intensify pressure on Sbarro as key debt payments come due in 2009.
Six Flags.
(SIX; about 30,000 employees; stock down 84%). This theme-park operator has been losing money for several years, and selling off properties to try to pay down debt and get back into the black. But the ride may end prematurely. Moody's expects cash flow to be negative in 2009, and if consumers aren't spending during the peak summer season, that could imperil the company's ability to pay debts coming due later this year and in 2010.
Blockbuster.
(BBI; about 60,000 employees; stock down 57%). The video-rental chain has burned cash while trying to figure out how to maximize fees without alienating customers. Its operating income has started to improve just as consumers are cutting back, even on movies. Video stores in general are under pressure as they compete with cable and Internet operators offering the same titles. A key test of Blockbuster's viability will come when two credit lines expire in August. One possible outcome, according to Valueline, is that investors take the company private and then go public again when market conditions are better.
Krispy Kreme.
(KKD; about 4,000 employees; stock down 50%). The donuts might be good, but Krispy Kreme overestimated Americans' appetite - and that's saying something. This chain overexpanded during the donut heyday of the 1990s - taking on a lot of debt - and now requires high volumes to meet expenses and interest payments. The company has cut costs and closed underperforming stores, but still hasn't earned an operating profit in three years. And now that consumers are cutting back on everything, such improvements may fail to offset top-line declines, leading Krispy Kreme to seek some kind of relief from lenders over the next year.
Landry's Restaurants.
(LNY; about 17,000 employees; stock down 66%). This restaurant chain, which operates Chart House, Rainforest Café, and other eateries, needs $400 million in new financing to finalize a buyout deal dating to last June. If lenders come through, the company should have enough cash to ride out the recession. But at least two banks have already balked, leading to downgrades of the company's debt and the prospect of a cash-flow crunch.
Sirius Satellite Radio.
(SIRI - parent company; about 1,000 employees; stock down 96%). The music rocks, but satellite radio has yet to be profitable, and huge contracts for performers like Howard Stern are looking unsustainable. Sirius is one of two satellite-radio services owned by parent company Sirius XM, which was formed when Sirius and XM merged last year. So far, the merger hasn't generated the savings needed to make the company profitable, and Moody's thinks there's a "high likelihood" that Sirius will fail to repay or refinance its debt in 2009. One outcome could be a takeover, at distressed prices, by other firms active in the satellite business.
Trump Entertainment Resorts Holdings.
(TRMP; about 9,500 employees; stock down 94%). The casino company made famous by The Donald has received several extensions on interest payments, while it tries to sell at least one of its Atlantic City properties and pay down a stack of debt. But with casino buyers scarce, competition circling, and gamblers nursing their losses from the recession, Trump Entertainment may face long odds of skirting bankruptcy.
BearingPoint.
(BGPT; about 16,000 employees; stock down 21%). This Virginia-based consulting firm, spun out of KPMG in 2001, is struggling to solve its own operating problems. The firm has consistently lost money, revenue has been falling, and management stopped issuing earnings guidance in 2008. Stable government contracts generate about 30 percent of the firm's business, but the firm may sell other divisions to help pay off debt. With a key interest payment due in April, management needs to hustle - or devise its own exit strategy.
(© Copyright 2008 U.S.News & World Report, L.P)
Any history buffs out there? Well, anyone that knows me, Matthew or my dad knows there are history buffs in the Tobias family. I found this very interesting and wanted to share in case you missed it.
The infamous Nazi 'Doctor Death' who was said to be the most wanted Nazi thought to still be at large after Hitler's fall has been found. 'Doctor Death' (Aribert Heim) performed horrible experiments and acts on prisoner's at Mauthausen concentration camp during WWII. Here's an article from BBC News online.
Basically, documentation was found that he had lived in Cairo, Egypt under a different name and had died in 1992. He seems to have been truly an evil man and the only comfort from the fact that he was never brought to justice for his actions at Mauthausen is that he lived a life in hiding, having to be someone else.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7870923.stm
Nazi camp doctor 'died in 1992'
Aribert Heim, one of the most wanted Nazi criminals, has been dead since 1992, German's ZDF television reports.
It says Heim, known as Nazi Germany's "Doctor Death", lived under a pseudonym and died in Egypt's capital, Cairo.
ZDF says it found Heim's passport and other personal documents in a hotel where he lived.
Heim was a concentration camp doctor and was accused of killing hundreds of concentration camp victims in WWII, using horrific medical experiments.
In its report, ZDF quoted witnesses, including Heim's son, as confirming that he died in 1992.
The German TV channel also said Heim had converted to Islam.
Leading Nazi hunter Efraim Zuroff from the Simon Wiesenthal Centre said he had not seen the documents found by ZDF.
But he added that if confirmed, the news would be "earth shattering", the Associated Press reports.
Heim was one of the last major Nazi fugitives believed to be still at large. He is accused of carrying out horrible medical experiments on prisoners of the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria during World War II.
After the war he lived in West Germany, working as a doctor.
He disappeared in 1962 when police opened an investigation into his past.
Story from BBC NEWS
Published: 2009/02/04 20:38:37
GMT© BBC MMIX
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