General Discussion

econoclast

(543 posts)

15. Kind'a a straw man I think

Wed Jul 11, 2012, 02:22 PM

Jul 2012

While I hear a lot about the "pile of
Corporate Cash" sitting on the sidelines, and how it is nearly 2 trillion dollars .... I never hear about the other side of the balance sheet.

So I took a peek at the Fed's report Z.1

My back of the envelope calculations for non-financial corporations as of first quarter 2012.....

I get cash and securities of 1.76 trillion vs credit market debt of 8.14 trillion. That is a cash to debt ratio of about 21.6%

Looking back at 2005. .... The peak of the bubble..... And I get cash and securities of 1.55 trillion vs credit market debt of 5.74 trillion. That is a cash to debt ratio of about 27.2%

So, yeah, they have more cash. BUT they have even more debt. Since the ratio of cash to debt is lower than it was at the peak of the bubble, it seems that they are operating on a much thinner cash cushion than before. Much thinner than I would expect.

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If corporations are engaging in a "capital strike" [View all] Zalatix Jul 2012 OP

good luck getting it past the house leftyohiolib Jul 2012 #1

Who says they are engaging in a capital strike? nt hack89 Jul 2012 #2

They Do, Sir The Magistrate Jul 2012 #3

That cash is invested hack89 Jul 2012 #5

Not Really, Sir The Magistrate Jul 2012 #6

So where should they be investing hack89 Jul 2012 #7

I vote raising a valid point badtoworse Jul 2012 #11

Sometimes the board of directors would rather make no investment if that means the least loss. Selatius Jul 2012 #47

I vote "deliberately obtuse"! HughBeaumont Jul 2012 #8

What exactly should they be investing in? hack89 Jul 2012 #12

You're missing the point badtoworse Jul 2012 #13

Sociopathy is written into most corporate charters. Zalatix Jul 2012 #29

How so? badtoworse Jul 2012 #32

This link describes it as well as I could. Zalatix Jul 2012 #33

A slanted, broad brush generalization and basically, a crock of shit badtoworse Jul 2012 #37

With all due respect, pish tosh. Zalatix Jul 2012 #61

What makes you an expert? badtoworse Jul 2012 #77

And your way DOESN'T WORK and ISN'T WORKING. Greed is failing America. HughBeaumont Jul 2012 #14

Costco? A non-union corporation with $4 billion in cash reserves hack89 Jul 2012 #17

they should be using part of that capital to hire people and give back to the community librechik Jul 2012 #16

What about shareholder value and stock value? hack89 Jul 2012 #19

Hire just for the sake of hiring? hack89 Jul 2012 #20

Lots of companies are refusing to hire workers and instead working their existing forces harder. Zalatix Jul 2012 #18

This is common in a recovery hack89 Jul 2012 #21

Yes and no. Zalatix Jul 2012 #22

Part of the issue is that the US manufacturing economy has fundamentally and permanently changed hack89 Jul 2012 #23

Not true. We can use tariffs to bring back low-tech manufacturing. Zalatix Jul 2012 #24

If we were completely self sufficient in all necessary raw materials and components, maybe. hack89 Jul 2012 #25

Okay, so if the tariff us, they lose. Zalatix Jul 2012 #27

So the answer is to further impoverish the 3rd world? hack89 Jul 2012 #30

Better than they keep impoverishing us. Zalatix Jul 2012 #31

I have not seen such a continuous string of Chicago School-influenced Lydia Leftcoast Jul 2012 #34

No, we will lose too. Sen. Walter Sobchak Jul 2012 #35

We're losing already. Jobless Americans don't buy iPads. Zalatix Jul 2012 #36

Please explain the next step after imposing punitive tariffs. Sen. Walter Sobchak Jul 2012 #40

Two words to answer all of that: rising wages. Zalatix Jul 2012 #42

Because... Scrooge McDuck is going to throw open the doors to the money bin? Sen. Walter Sobchak Jul 2012 #44

Scrooge McDuck could just get the fuck out and move to China, renounce his citizenship. Zalatix Jul 2012 #45

China is more than compliant with their WTO tariff reduction obligations Sen. Walter Sobchak Jul 2012 #46

Too fucking little, too fucking late. Zalatix Jul 2012 #49

Perhaps you could identify these goods (preferably by HTS code) Sen. Walter Sobchak Jul 2012 #52

So your whole point is "if we hire Americans, we create severe inflationary madness". Zalatix Jul 2012 #54

No... sweeping tariffs are inflationary Sen. Walter Sobchak Jul 2012 #55

Wow, you just keep repeating the same errors and half-truths repeatedly. Zalatix Jul 2012 #56

So the greatest period of growth for the Chinese middle class was prior to 1997? Sen. Walter Sobchak Jul 2012 #62

No, I said that China's growth started prior to 1997. Zalatix Jul 2012 #64

These tariffs are political theater on both sides Sen. Walter Sobchak Jul 2012 #66

No, you don't know Americans very well. Zalatix Jul 2012 #67

I love DU... but... Sen. Walter Sobchak Jul 2012 #68

LOL, denial is your friend. You don't meet many friends of offshoring in real life, either. Zalatix Jul 2012 #69

Your recognition of sarcasm is as strong as your reading comprehension and or attention span Sen. Walter Sobchak Jul 2012 #70

Once again you fail to make a coherent argument. Zalatix Jul 2012 #71

I bet you won't even cringe at this. Zalatix Jul 2012 #72

Really dude, you need to read more than the first sentance before posting a link Sen. Walter Sobchak Jul 2012 #73

Your "you need to read" comebacks are getting weak. Don't you get tired of constantly being wrong? Zalatix Jul 2012 #74

You can post those links to your hearts content Sen. Walter Sobchak Jul 2012 #75

Now it's you who need to learn to read. Zalatix Jul 2012 #76

And again you demonstrate you don't actually read anything before posting it, Sen. Walter Sobchak Jul 2012 #85

Now you're discrediting a blurb by the SF Fed Reserve? And now you're fabricating stuff, too. Zalatix Jul 2012 #86

You are a liar Sen. Walter Sobchak Jul 2012 #90

Your argument is getting downright confused and frantic, not to mention weak and downrightdishonest. Zalatix Jul 2012 #91

So you now effectively admit you didn't read the article... internet cache is a wonderful thing Sen. Walter Sobchak Jul 2012 #97

Once again you admit you don't COMPREHEND what you say you thoroughly read. Zalatix Jul 2012 #98

Did you or did not not dishonestly attirubute his missive to the SF Fed? Sen. Walter Sobchak Jul 2012 #99

I didn't dishonestly do anything. Zalatix Jul 2012 #100

'Made In America' Policies Hugely Popular, Survey Shows - Yeah, we're hiding in our basements. Zalatix Jul 2012 #78

In fact, your argument also justifies replacing workers with prison labor, too. Zalatix Jul 2012 #50

Tarrifs arent punitive anymore than sales taxes are CreekDog Jul 2012 #81

Tariffs Should Be Used To Eliminate Benefit From Cross-Border Wage Differentials, Sir The Magistrate Jul 2012 #26

This is not a common recovery CreekDog Jul 2012 #80

The uncertainty in Europe is real hack89 Jul 2012 #82

In the late 70s, early 80s... meaculpa2011 Jul 2012 #48

One look at his favorite group tells you that. UnrepentantLiberal Jul 2012 #58

An aside. 2ndAmForComputers Jul 2012 #65

There is no demand for additional goods and services Cary Jul 2012 #51

I don't know that it's a strike. rrneck Jul 2012 #4

extortion, i'd call it. "we control the money spigot and we're going to keep it shut until you HiPointDem Jul 2012 #10

+1000000. nt rrneck Jul 2012 #28

If FDR were smart,... badtoworse Jul 2012 #9

he was obviously much much wiser than you will ever be, Chumly fascisthunter Jul 2012 #38

I'm comfortable in my own skin; I contribute substantial time and money to charitable causes badtoworse Jul 2012 #41

Do you think the WPA was a good idea? UnrepentantLiberal Jul 2012 #60

I don't have an informed opinion on the WPA badtoworse Jul 2012 #83

That tells me all I need to know. UnrepentantLiberal Jul 2012 #84

Are you serious? sabrina 1 Jul 2012 #87

Kind'a a straw man I think econoclast Jul 2012 #15

eeeek. lonestarnot Jul 2012 #93

Post removed Post removed Jul 2012 #39

I skimmed through this thread and limpyhobbler Jul 2012 #43

amen B Calm Jul 2012 #57

Maybe they should have a responsibility to the community SickOfTheOnePct Jul 2012 #63

that's why we need corrective action fascisthunter Jul 2012 #79

Capital Punishment MNBrewer Jul 2012 #53

Not really--they've just succeeded at one of their major long-term goals eridani Jul 2012 #59

Nationalize and seize all corporate assets. ananda Jul 2012 #88

Now, somebody is finally talking revolutionary action! Zalatix Jul 2012 #89

People and institutions are going to sell off any company spending cash assets RB TexLa Jul 2012 #92

How's that doing against inflation? Zalatix Jul 2012 #94

By savings I don't mean exclusively DDAs RB TexLa Jul 2012 #95

Pity that those who lost their jobs to offshoring have no money to save. Zalatix Jul 2012 #96