Thursday, December 26, 2019

Walgreens Fiancial Analysis - 2167 Words

Walgreens Corporations Financial Analysis Introduction Walgreens operates 7,907 locations in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico with over 247,000 employees serving customers. The company has seen an increase in revenues, but an end to its contract to participate in the Express Scripts pharmacy provider network on December 31, 2011 poses a threat to revenues and profits for 2012 and future fiscal periods. This analysis will discuss Walgreen’s business strategy, provide a current financial analysis of the company, risks associated with the company, address prospective analysis of Walgreens and provide a decision on future investments in the company stock. Business Strategy Analysis A differentiation strategy†¦show more content†¦The negative outlook also acknowledges the sizable level of debt maturities that Alliance Boots which is the largest drugstore in United Kingdom faces and that its interest expense may rise as a result of any potential refinancing of these maturities. This negative outlook shows the risk that both combined Walgreen and Alliance Boots entities may not be able keep the companies leverage as much as the companies currently anticipated (Taylor, M. 2012). Walgreens 8-K currently filed by Gregory Wasson who is the President and CEO of Walgreens filed a Statement of Change in Benefits Ownership pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public and the Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 financial statements that would indicate that the financial statements may be of dubious value (Wasson, G. 2012). Schedules and exhibits have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(b)(2) of Regulation S-K. Under the Investor Relation of company’s 8-K filing, the Company agreed to furnish supple-mentally to the SEC a copy of any omitted schedule upon request (Wasson, G. 2012). The above responses were reported by Walgreens to the Securities Exchange Commission on August 18 2012: Explanation of Responses: †¢ This transaction was effected pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted by the reporting person inShow MoreRelated Marketing Plan for a Cosmetics Company Essay6046 Words   |  25 Pages As the chart shows, the company follows a centralized structure Where all departments must respond directly to the CEO. Underneath the CEO there are 4 departments : production, RD, ? BUSNESS AND IND. NIKOLAS BUSINESS STRATEGY SWOT Analysis A scan of the internal and external environment is an important part of the strategic planning process. In the following points I will try to figure out the strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats. Strengths: After studding Cosmo in

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Differences Between Marx And Feuerbach s Conceptions Of...

The following essay will be considering the differences between Marx’s and Feuerbach’s conceptions of the relationship between philosophy and religion, as well as the implications this has for their thoughts on religion, which brief discussion on the criticisms one could pose to these thinkers for their theories. What is important to note before we begin is that both of these thinkers are reacting to the Enlightenment era of Philosophy which is the idea of a rational and scientific approach to religion and the self. Kant defined the enlightenment as a move to autonomy away from heteronomy, meaning that human thought moved from considering God to be central to everything to viewing God as an entity who was important but more on the back†¦show more content†¦Ultimately Descartes does return to the idea of god, as they are necessary for thought to be consistent as God holds the rules of the universe in place. And this is what Feuerbach wishes to avoid because he i s critical of the enlightenment criticism of religions. For Marx this isn t correct at all, instead, Marx sees religion to be a concept created purely by humans, in an effort to right their suffering and bad lives, and furthermore, Marx the relationship between religion and Philosophy is less clear. Marx first rejects past philosophy, stating that if we are to know the realities of the world then this is to be done through the natural sciences, not through philosophical questioning of the world. Instead, Marx takes a Hegelian take on philosophy and takes it to be more about the history of social thought and society itself. Though Different to Hegel, Marx wishes to question the claim that history is rationally ordered. To see how this relates philosophy to religion is to see that Marx has reduced the reach of philosophy to only consider subjects such as religion because metaphysic is not an extension of science. This is important because it leads to Marx attacking Feuerbach s idea that religion delivers self-knowledge through philosophy, something which I will come to explain in the following essay. In the following essay, we shall see that Marx and Feuerbach differ immensely in their take on religion and its relation to philosophy, but bothShow MoreRelatedSchool Violence Essay2314 Words   |  10 Pages INTRODUCTION Karl Marx and Emile Durkheim are some of the founding fathers in the Sociological discipline. Each developing the discipline in their respective area, contributed to the social science course becoming what it is today. Durkheim the man who coined the term social facts and some sociological theories on functionalism, division of labour in society, education and social solidarity, methodology, positivism and sociology, primitive classification, religion and suicide. Durkhiem believe thatRead MoreSocial Facts, Social Actions and Historical Materialism: a Theoretical Comparison3896 Words   |  16 Pageswill spot similarities and differences between them and summarize the sociological research strategies, which are coming from their ideas. In the concluding part of this essay, I will argue that Social Facts and actions are useful conceptions for the study of social phenomena, but Historical Materialism, provides a far more robust method of analysis. Identifying the causes of social phen omena in the material grounds of the process of production and class antagonism, Marx offers a rigorous scientificRead MoreBranches of Philosophy8343 Words   |  34 PagesBranches of philosophy The following branches are the main areas of study: †¢ Metaphysics investigates the nature of being and the world. Traditional branches are cosmology and ontology. †¢ Epistemology is concerned with the nature and scope of knowledge, and whether knowledge is possible. Among its central concerns has been the challenge posed by skepticism and the relationships between truth, belief, and justification. †¢ Ethics, or moral philosophy, is concerned with questions of how

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Is Competition Necessary in Leisure Activities, School, and Work free essay sample

Competition is the act of two or more people, or groups of people facing off against each other in order to attain a greater goal. It is used for many things from building team spirit, to enticing the best out of your employees. Through competition, people grow and improve themselves. Healthy competition makes people work harder and helps build self confidence. If on the winning side of a competition, people glow in the realization that their hard work has gotten them this far. On the other hand, those that finish later may learn new strategies for dealing with ideas and through healthy self criticism, learn ways to better themselves and their situation to the point of excelling. It is for these reasons that competition is important. Without a reason to compete, a society remains stagnate and devoid of progression. Matters, used a pumpkin carving contest at her sons school as an example of why competition is important. At the end of the contest, the judges gave every child a ribbon instead of announcing one winner. Silvert states that, it is as if we grown-ups believe that kids are too fragile to handle defeat (Silvert p. 12). While it is true that children may be upset at the idea of not coming in first, it is important to note that through each competition that they endure they are learning something new about themselves and the environment around them. While games and contests illustrate the importance of drive and determination, they also teach our children how to lose, (Silvert p. 12). Everyone enjoys positive feedback and affirmation as often as possible, but as life is fluid so are our experiences within it, and with that sometimes comes failure. As losing is as much a part of life as winning, it is important to teach the skills of sportsmanship and failing with grace early on. In Chiacos article, A Look at the Commercialization of Sport, it is said that, Games helped children develop the skills that they would need in adult life while grown-ups probably competed for status, entertainment, and social bonding, (Chiacos). This shows that while young, competition plays a vital role in the socialization of youth while preparing them for the challenges of being an adult. Signs of competition are everywhere in the natural world, as well as the artificial world that we as humans have created for ourselves. Initially competition was natures way of weeding out those unfit for continuation, but as we as a species evolved, competitions purpose became less dire and more symbolic. Humans have most likely competed in athletics since the inception of our species, (Chiacos). We have found pleasure in the conception of games that pit our abilities against other people. Through them, we learn about ourselves and each other. The techniques that we attain from others enable us to forge ahead in ways not possible without the insight of another. Because of this fact, competition has become an integral part of almost every part of human life. An example of the immersion and pay off of competition in society is college. Competition in school dictates a certain degree of success for the attending students and this in turn makes for better recruits for the job market. Students with higher grades often times have an easier time attaining their goals. There are companies that maintain a minimum GPA of 3. 0 requirement for graduating students to be considered for an interview. This ensures that those being considered have worked hard to be at the level of success that they are at. This is good for the company as well as for the prospective employee because both have/ and will benefit from the hard work of the student. A more personal example of this occurred while I was searching for a post graduate job in my major of Accountancy. Initially, I had a 3. 0 and through networking through classmates and peers of school organizations that I was a part of, I was able to score an interview with a prospective employer. To interview with this firm, the required GPA was a 3. 0 and because of my ties with others, I felt confident in my ability to acquire a job from them. However, having been my first interview ever, it didnt go as well as I had hoped and so I was unable to get the job. The following year, I re-applied but because my GPA dropped I was not even considered for an interview. My lack of competition and feelings of security through networking caused my grades to drop, barring me from my main goal. A lack of a grading structure or some other type of competition in school can cause a lackluster attitude towards studying. They are less likely to try their best because they feel that there is nothing to lose. An example of this is a credit/ no-credit class in which those enrolled, due to a lack of a grade and thus a less tangible consequence, do not try as hard. This is not to say that every tudent enrolled feels this way, but with a passing grade of a C being enough to get full credit, it is easy to see how this assumption can be made. The main goal of the grade trumps the idea of the knowledge gained. I have now come to realize that my greatest competitor is myself and I now strive harder than ever to work hard in the short term in order to reap better benefits in the future. In conclusion, healthy competition is necessary in almost all human activities rang ing from school and work to leisure time activities. It enables the growth of the people involved through interpersonal interactions as well as self assessments. Adequate pressure to succeed is the key in order to navigate through the society we have made for ourselves. We must be wary of hyper-competition and those who push to hard and too fast. Competition should always be looked at for what it is and not for what it is not. We must remember that while the overall desired effect is to win. people should not forget what lessons of win and lose that they have learned while enduring their struggle. Assimilating these lessons into their daily lives will enable them to forge ahead and better themselves and possibly the world in the future.

Monday, December 2, 2019

The End Of Illusions Essay Research Paper free essay sample

The End Of Illusions Essay, Research Paper The terminal of illusionsMichael March: If you were a painter, how would you paint the twentieth century? What colors would you utilize? Arthur Miller: Red, truly, for the blood. I don # 8217 ; t believe there # 8217 ; s any other clip in history when so many were killed. Murdered by ground forcess, by province forces, and so on. Look at the 2nd universe war. Look at Vietnam, Korea, Rwanda, the Balkans # 8230 ; We # 8217 ; rhenium barbarians. Yet scientific discipline has achieved unbelievable efforts of imaginativeness within shouting distance of the violent death Fieldss. The head can # 8217 ; t absorb this ; we # 8217 ; ve managed to set it aside. The films get made and the stone music goes on, painters are painting images and I # 8217 ; m composing dramas and everybody # 8217 ; s traveling about as though it # 8217 ; s OK. I don # 8217 ; t believe it # 8217 ; s OK. I truly do believe that there are plentifulness of motives available to warrant the devastation of this c ivilisation. We will write a custom essay sample on The End Of Illusions Essay Research Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page MM: What are your feelings for this new century? AM: I can # 8217 ; t acquire rid of the thought that it is within the scope of possibility for person in a little boat to convey an atomic bomb into New York seaport, calculating he # 8217 ; s traveling to travel directly to heaven. To me, this is possible. About 50 old ages ago this could non be thought, except by a moonstruck. Surely a lunatic like Saddam Hussein is absolutely capable of warranting this act. You know, they # 8217 ; re messing around with Israel, which has atomic bombs. And the Israelis are non traveling to be destroyed before they destroy person else. We # 8217 ; re standing on the border with India and Pakistan. In my dramas I search for light, but I # 8217 ; ve lost any semblance of safety. I # 8217 ; m non paranoid, it # 8217 ; s absolutely existent. You have a billionaire at the terminal of the Arabian desert pouring money into developing people to make this. The point is that they have an ideological and spiritual justification for the whole thing. So they # 8217 ; re every bit sensible as we are.MM: Yasunari Kawabata, the Nipponese author, said that # 8220 ; the grave is a work of art # 8221 ; .AM: I know a twosome in Connecticut who had bought a grave, a infinite, in a peculiar little graveyard up in the state, because they liked the position. And it was serious. They wanted the good position. My gramps asked to be buried in one of the graveyards in Brooklyn, jammed, really crowded, and he asked that he non be buried on the aisle, because he didn # 8217 ; t want people stepping over him to acquire to where they were traveling. He would instead be off in a corner someplace where cipher would be trouble oneselfing him. What eldritch things we are.MM: What decease would your salesman impact today? AM: First of all, Death of a Salesman is produced more now than it of all time was, and people say it # 8217 ; s more brooding of world now. In the old yearss the chief character merel y represented an extreme to which the bulk was remotely connected: now it # 8217 ; s the bulk. And, furthermore, there # 8217 ; s an interesting thing here. One of the proposals of Mr Bush is that money be removed, one million millions of dollars, from the pension financess, to be invested in the stock market at the behest of the proprietors of such financess. So Bush would do gamblers out of everyone who had non yet tuned into this # 8211 ; people who merely wanted to be reassured that they would non hunger in their ulterior old ages. They want to liberate up that money so that these people become investors, which is truly a nice word for chancing. Now, in the last twelvemonth the market has lost a significant sum of its value. So what would hold happened to all these people and their pensions if the authorities had already done this? Millimeter: We travel from immorality to power: forces that deprive adult male of his self-respect and work, impoverished through this dream, thro ugh the semblance of wealth, a signifier of immorality in the investing of power.AM: I agree with that. It # 8217 ; s what they # 8217 ; re making or seeking to make, it # 8217 ; s non yet been done, but it could really good go on pen. They’re trying to make unreal what at least had a certain amount of reality. This spreads unreality into the masses from the smaller class of people who are gambling on the stock market.MM: And social security?AM: The more detailed you get about this system, the more illusionary, and in many cases the more hallucinatory, it becomes. The big resistance to this new tax proposal – which would give even more benefits to the wealthiest 1% of the population – is coming from a small group of extremely rich people, like Bill Gates, probably the richest man in the world, who object to this proposal on the grounds that it would make them somewhat richer, but reduce the amount of charitable donations. That way it will create a class of heirs who, no doubt, will be idle and unworthy. MM: For the moment they feel secure in their wealth. AM: They feel that this will cause a degeneration of the system from which they benefited so greatly, and that it will create a class of people who simply stand with a big basket and all the money falls in – who are not necessarily moved to invent or work or do anything else. The question you have to ask yourself is: whence comes this idea? From a brand-new president. And I can only imagine that, since he is in the oil business, and the oil business is notoriously predatory – don’t go where the oil is, even if it’s in your bathroom – they figured that their man could extract more money from the tax department. And to hell with everybody else. MM: Travelling backwards, we could say that art mummifies life. Through mummification, we receive a sense of reality. It’s extremely ironic.AM: Basically, that is what its function is now. It’s just to stop time. You stop time. That massive flow of images that floods every country, with no meaning, no definition – art stops it. Long enough for you to say, â€Å"Oh, that’s what the hell it is!† It gives you a moment of recognition. But all you get is that moment. If I can generalise from my small experience with younger people, they know something is missing. They’re quite conscious of it. They think – in relation, let’s say, to my work or the work of my generation – that this something once existed. They long for an emergency. An emergency that will give them values; in other words, things you have to do. Ideas you have to understand in order to survive. They don’t have any such ideas. Every idea is something they choose to have or not have. Everything they do is arbitrary. There’s no necessity in anything. That’s a very common situation now, probably the most common situation, really forced upon us by an apparent culture which throws up an endless string of meaningless images. MM: We’ve reached a state where the communicable world is lost.AM: I don’t know what the reason is, but I do know what the effect is: that economic man is all there is. There isn’t a culture. And I’m wondering whether it was destroyed by the many wars of the last 100 years or so. A religion, for example, which offers itself as a means of dignifying humanity, and blesses, but does not condemn a Holocaust, finally evolves into vapour in the human mind. Religion in this country is like a football game. People get together in large institutions and cheer the minister. The idea of changing one’s life by turning towards some set of values is very remote. The only value is that we’re all together. That’s the value. We’re all together. We’re all singing together and we’re all praying together.MM: We’re all together on a sinking ship.AM: Yes. The one thing about this country which you can be sure of is that it’s gonna change. That’s the only certainty I know. Whatever is today will be somewhat different tomorrow.? Michael March, 2001 · Michael March runs the Prague Writers’ Festival.