I attended an M&A seminar today, and I learned something. The market may be wounded and questionable, but it's not dead. The mega-deals may have gone away for awhile, but we are living proof that we aren't going away anytime soon. Okay, the market has taken a big hit, but even as I write this, the market shows signs of life and the government's bail out plan is yet implemented. The market may bounce like a ball for awhile. We aren't holding our breath though. Public ownership aside, there... Read Full Story

The Wall Street whack over the weekend of September 14-15th -- couldn't you just feel it coming? Yes, the proof that Bears make money, Bulls make money and Pigs get slaughtered is right there on the news channels today. Not that major funding mismanagement has anything to do with it, I'm sure, but the Bureau of Labor Statistics ,PPI, August 2008, and out Sept. 12, 2008 show a goods decline by 0.9 percent in August "seasonally adjusted." Further, the "index for finished energy goods declined... Read Full Story

Swim with the Fishes? By: Alan C. Iannacito Think of a school of fish all rushing for the same bait. You understand how fast a single, voracious, cold blooded, torpedo like, vertebrate can target and devour its prey. Just imagine what a whole school of barracuda could do. Now think of adjectives like “cold blooded” that can have double meanings. Cold blooded can define an animal with internal body temperatures that vary with the temperature of its surroundings. Or, cold blooded as in a... Read Full Story

Wikizines are interactive magazines that anyone can create or edit - and this one is called "Industrial Machinery and Equipment Valuations". Here you can find fresh voices and respond in real time. Some members write articles about recent news and trends related to the wikizine's topic, others recount relevant personal stories or share their favorite pictures and video clips. Got an interesting idea or story to share with other members of this wikizine? Well, then put on your journalist's... Read Full Story

OIL as an Economic Indicator By: Alan C. Iannacito Oil, a most loved and maligned commodity. What makes it so? We know the answer, but we’re too self-centered and impatient to own up. If we didn’t consume so much we’d find the stuff more reasonably priced. Ahem, is this the law of supply and demand? That’s much too easy an explanation and one that we are tired of hearing. There’s more to it than supply and demand. In our ever clever inventiveness, we’ve created a need. We are good at... Read Full Story

Valuations of Personal and Business Assets Nature leaves us reeling with a mass destruction of personal and business assets. Many of these assets will not have been accounted for or insured. Those whose lives are affected by disaster and disorder plod the road to recovery. Damaged or lost properties are reconciled to their losses. There was not adequate insurance or there was no insurance. The property owner is in a fix, and realizes that it is up to them or the affected businesses to... Read Full Story

Valuations of Personal and Business Assets Nature leaves us reeling with a mass destruction of personal and business assets. Many of these assets will not have been accounted for or insured. Those whose lives are affected by disaster and disorder plod the road to recovery. Damaged or lost properties are reconciled to their losses. There was not adequate insurance or there was no insurance. The property owner is in a fix, and realizes that it is up to them or the affected businesses to... Read Full Story

Appraisals for Non cash Charitable Deductions? There is a nasty wrinkle in IRS document 8283. The next time you are contemplating an appraisal requiring form 8283 please be familiar with “Part III, Declaration of Appraiser.” Read the fine print before you sign, second paragraph about half-way through which states: Furthermore, I understand that a false or fraudulent overstatement of the property values describe in the qualified appraisal or this Form 8283 may subject me to the penalty under... Read Full Story

Appraising CLUTTER By: Alan C. Iannacito, ASA Clutter: we’ve all seen it, been stuck between it and worried exceedingly -- how to value the stuff? Stuff in the corners, stuff in the back room, stuff in the warehouse, stuff in the bone-yard. In many cases the bone-yard is a temporary place for seasonable equipment. For example, the photo below shows a mix of seasonal items, obsolete equipment and scrap. (photo not available) Seasonal fish net/pots, tables and conveyors with the... Read Full Story

The Practicality of Value-In-Use and Value-in-Exchange. A visual and cognitive example of value-in-use is equipment installed in a manufacturing plant, and operating. Conversely, for value-in-exchange, what could the same item sell for removed from the installation; compared to other like and kind items? Value-In-Use: For value-in-use consider a dust collector, installed in southeastern U.S. pipe plant. Estimated 1200 SF Area. The dust collector is part of a working plant. For value-in-use... Read Full Story