By Ben Berkowitz

(Reuters) – Michael Dell once gave up day-to-day control of the computer company that bears his name – and everything began to go south. Now the billionaire is cementing his grip over the firm to try to restore it to its former glory.

The billionaire roped in private equity house Silver Lake and Microsoft Corp, to take his 28-year-old company private for $24.4 billion in the second-largest buyout in technology history.

Feb 5 (Reuters) – Michael Dell once gave up day-to-day
control of the computer company that bears his name – an
experiment that went poorly and ended relatively quickly. But
now he is putting up some of his own wealth to reverse the
company’s fortunes.

Dell Inc will go private in a $24.4 billion deal
led by Michael Dell and including capital from private equity
firm Silver Lake and a loan from Microsoft Corp, the
parties said on Tuesday.

By Ben Berkowitz

(Reuters) – Michael Dell once gave up day-to-day control of the computer company that bears his name – an experiment that went poorly and ended relatively quickly. But now he is putting up a big chunk of his own wealth to reverse the company’s fortunes.

Dell Inc will go private in a $24.4 billion deal led by Michael Dell and including capital from private equity firm Silver Lake and a loan from Microsoft Corp, the parties said on Tuesday.

By Ben Berkowitz

(Reuters) – Pension charges wiped out more than $20 billion in fourth-quarter earnings at major American companies, as persistently low interest rates leave some of those with the largest retiree burdens no choice but to assume they need more money now to cover liabilities later.

Actuaries warn there is little chance for improvement on the horizon for defined benefit pension programs, as rates linger at historically low levels and the Federal Reserve shows no inclination to raise them. The only hope, they say, is for rates to turn around – though when, no one really knows.

Jan 31 (Reuters) – Pension charges wiped out more than $20
billion in fourth-quarter earnings at major American companies,
as persistently low interest rates leave some of those with the
largest retiree burdens no choice but to assume they need more
money now to cover liabilities later.

Actuaries warn there is little chance for improvement on the
horizon for defined benefit pension programs, as rates linger at
historically low levels and the Federal Reserve shows no
inclination to raise them. The only hope, they say, is for rates
to turn around – though when, no one really knows.

By Scott Malone and Ben Berkowitz

(Reuters) – After four years of belt-tightening, American companies are good at squeezing more profit out of every dollar of sales – a skill that chief executives regard as critical in the face of an uncertain economy.

While the headline-making cuts of the last recession – when companies shed tens of thousands of workers as they scrambled to lower costs – have mostly passed, they have kept their focus on finding lots of small steps to improve earnings.

By Scott Malone and Ben Berkowitz

(Reuters) – After four years of belt-tightening, American companies are good at squeezing more profit out of every dollar of sales – a skill that chief executives regard as critical in the face of an uncertain economy.

While the headline-making cuts of the last recession – when companies shed tens of thousands of workers as they scrambled to lower costs – have mostly passed, they have kept their focus on finding lots of small steps to improve earnings.

Jan 27 (Reuters) – After four years of belt-tightening,
American companies are good at squeezing more profit out of
every dollar of sales – a skill that chief executives regard as
critical in the face of an uncertain economy.

While the headline-making cuts of the last recession – when
companies shed tens of thousands of workers as they scrambled to
lower costs – have mostly passed, they have kept their focus on
finding lots of small steps to improve earnings.

By Ben Berkowitz

(Reuters) – If the latest week of earnings season has told investors anything, it is that strong banks and energy companies are getting stronger, while weaker banks and technology companies are far from conquering the challenges they have faced in the last few years.

Any sense of optimism for 2013 has to be tempered by a steady decline in earnings growth forecasts, as well as a recent rise in companies making mass layoffs in attempts to get costs further under control.

Jan 18 (Reuters) – If the latest week of earnings season has
told investors anything, it is that strong banks and energy
companies are getting stronger, while weaker banks and
technology companies are far from conquering the challenges they
have faced in the last few years.

Any sense of optimism for 2013 has to be tempered by a
steady decline in earnings growth forecasts, as well as a recent
rise in companies making mass layoffs in attempts to get costs
further under control.