Enjoy the winter recess and watch out for the potholes!

Blackwell Synergy is merging to Wiley InterSciencefrom

All journal content on Blackwell Synergyis merging into Wiley InterScience.

From June 30th 2008 the journal content currently available on Blackwell Synergy will be delivered through Wiley InterScience due to the merger of Wiley-Blackwell's online journal systems.
T

his is a first step in the development of a next generation online publishing platform, arriving early 2009, which will deliver Wiley-Blackwell journals, online books, reference works, databases, protocols and other electronic resources through one integrated service.

The benefits will begin immediately after June 30th:

One-stop access to a dramatically expanded range of relevant material
approximately 3 million articles

1400 journals

5000 online books, reference works and databases

Information for Registered Users of Blackwell Synergy

• No action is necessary — all active accounts will be migrated automatically. If you already have a Wiley InterScience account your information will be combined. You may be requested to accept new terms and conditions the first time you log in after June 30th.


• Blackwell Synergy will close at the end of June 27th. During the transition weekend of June 28th and 29th Wiley InterScience will be unavailable for a period. Look out for notes on this website nearer the time for more details.


• Journal content pages will look slightly different but you can still find them if you have bookmarked the page. You will be redirected to the equivalent page where it exists on Wiley InterScience or to the journal issues page. Once in Wiley InterScience we would suggest you re-save your bookmarks for your favourite journals.


• Access to articles and most functions will continue uninterrupted, although you will notice small differences in design and terminology. For a short period between 13 June - 1 July it will not be possible to register for new table of contents email alerts or save searches.

The changes ...
Journal content pages — will look slightly different but still be accessible at their current URL.

Table of contents email alerts — for your selected journals will continue. The sender will appear as "Wiley InterScience" instead of the journal title.
My Synergy — your personalized settings such as favorite journals, table of contents email alerts will now be stored in My Profile. Access to My Profile will be using your existing username and password.
Search alerts and saved searches — these can not be moved to your new Wiley InterScience My Profile area but if you re-run your searches on Wiley InterScience from 30th June you will get results not from 1400 journals but also over 5000 online books and reference works.
Online early articles — papers published online in advance of the print version will be available in the Early View section of the journal content page.
Searching — searches in Wiley InterScience will be across title, abstract and keywords. Full text searching will be temporarily unavailable until the launch of Wiley-Blackwell's new platform in early 2009.
A glossary of changes to terminology (PDF) is available to assist you.

Free 30 day access to The Journal of Futures Markets

The Journal of Futures Markets chronicles the latest developments in futures, options, swaps and other derivative securities and markets. It publishes timely, innovative, and scholarly articles written by leading finance academics and practitioners.

Coverage ranges from the applied to the theoretical. Topics include empirical studies and theoretical models of: derivatives pricing; hedging and risk management; financial engineering; trading; new financial instruments; market efficiency; and legal and regulatory issues, among others. The Journal of Futures Markets is essential reading for policymakers, academics and practitioners alike.

Start your The Journal of Futures Markets online trial today! Click here to activate your free 30-day trial subscription before July 1st, 2008.

In order to link to the free trial account, you must have an existing Wiley InterScience user login. If you are a new user, you should register and validate your login first, before accessing the free trial.

Launch of the new Quarterly Labour Force Survey

Stats SA is proud to announce that as of August this year, employment and unemployment statistics will be made available quarterly, instead of the six-monthly release that we’ve had to date.

Labour market data users would be familiar with the Labour Force Survey (LFS) that was conducted in March and September each year and released six months after the collection period. Over the past two years, Stats SA has re-engineered this survey to collect labour statistics on a quarterly cycle and report these results four weeks after the end of each quarter. Thus we witness the birth of the new labour market survey called the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS).

QLFS results for the first and second quarters of 2008 will be published on 28 August 2008. The historical continuity with previously published labour market results will be facilitated.
At the August 28th launch, Stats SA will also publish revised key labour market indicators for previous March surveys as far back as the year 2000. These indicators will be based on link factors computed using the QLFS first quarter results (January to March 2008) and the LFS conducted in parallel in March 2008.
In the build-up to the August launch, Stats SA will post documents on the web pertaining to various aspects of the re-engineering process. We would also like to interact with you on a more personal level. Please tell us who you are by registering your interest in the new QLFS release by clicking here…

New BER releases

The Bureau for Economic Research at the University of Stellenbosch has released The Manufacturing Survey with all the related sections:

Manufacturing Survey: Full Survey
1.Quarterly analysis of manufacturing activity - Full survey : second quarter Authors: University of Stellenbosch. Bureau for Economic Research.; Published: 2008From: BER : Manufacturing Survey : Full Survey, Vol 23, Issue 2, Pages: 1-62

Capital Goods Industry
Quarterly analysis of manufacturing activity - Capital goods industry : second quarter Authors: University of Stellenbosch. Bureau for Economic Research.; Published: 2008From: BER : Capital Goods Industries Survey, Vol 23, Issue 2, Pages: 1-25 Notes: This pdf, as supplied by the publisher, is unfortunately not searchable.

Consumer Goods Industry

Quarterly analysis of manufacturing activity - Consumer goods industry : second quarter Authors: University of Stellenbosch. Bureau for Economic Research.; Published: 2008From: BER : Consumer Goods Industries Survey, Vol 23, Issue 2, Pages: 1-28

Business Conditions in Manufacturing
Quarterly analysis of manufacturing activity - Executive summary : second quarter Authors: University of Stellenbosch. Bureau for Economic Research.; Published: 2008From: BER : Survey of Business Conditions in Manufacturing : An Executive Summary, Vol 23, Issue 2, Pages: 1-5

Intermediate Goods Industry

Quarterly analysis of manufacturing activity - Intermediate goods industry : second quarter Authors: University of Stellenbosch. Bureau for Economic Research.; Published: 2008From: BER : Intermediate Goods Industries Survey, Vol 23, Issue 2, Pages: 1-26

New edition of The Investment Analysts Journal available

The newest edition of The Investment Analysts Journal is now available in SAePublications:

1.Evaluating and constructing equity benchmarks in the South African portfolio management context Authors: Kruger, R.; Van Rensburg, P.; Published: 2008From: Investment Analysts Journal, Issue 67, Pages: 5-17
2.Forecasting volatility on the JSE Authors: Samouilhan, N.L.; Shannon, G.; Published: 2008From: Investment Analysts Journal, Issue 67, Pages: 19-28
3.Hedging employee stock options and the implications for accounting standards Authors: Taylor, D.; Van Zyl, W.; Published: 2008From: Investment Analysts Journal, Issue 67, Pages: 29-36
4.The profitability of CFD day trading on the JSE Authors: Venter, J.H.; Published: 2008From: Investment Analysts Journal, Issue 67, Pages: 37-47
5.Analysing some exotic options : EDS, instalments shares Authors: Swart, B.; Venter, A.; Published: 2008From: Investment Analysts Journal, Issue 67, Pages: 49-56

New issue of SA Journal of Economic & Management Sciences available

The June edition of the SAJEMS is available in SAePublications:

1. Letter to reader and potential authors Authors: Koch, S.F.; Published: 2008From: South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences = Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Ekonomiese en Bestuurswetenskappe, Vol 11, Issue 2, Jun
2. A critical assessment of the perceptions of potential graduates regarding their generic skills level : an exploratory study : management Authors: Smith, E.E.; Kruger, J.; Published: 2008From: South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences = Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Ekonomiese en Bestuurswetenskappe, Vol 11, Issue 2, Jun, Pages: 121-138
3. The influence of length of relationship, gender and age on the relationship intention of short-term insurance clients : an exploratory study : management Authors: Steyn, T.F.J.; Mostert, P.G.; De Jager, J.N.W.; Published: 2008From: South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences = Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Ekonomiese en Bestuurswetenskappe, Vol 11, Issue 2, Jun, Pages: 139-156
4. Examining the ethical predisposition of the next generation of business leaders in China and the Republic of South Africa : management Authors: Fullerton, S.; Bisschoff, C.; Moore, D.L.; Published: 2008From: South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences = Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Ekonomiese en Bestuurswetenskappe, Vol 11, Issue 2, Jun, Pages: 157-171
5. Adapting the Macaulay duration for defaultable and option-embedded bonds : economics Authors: Van Vuuren, G.; Styger, P.; Published: 2008From: South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences = Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Ekonomiese en Bestuurswetenskappe, Vol 11, Issue 2, Jun, Pages: 172-189
6. Evaluating the macroeconomic impacts of IMF programmes in Latin America, 1975-2004 : a GEE analysis : economics Authors: Ozturk, I.; Published: 2008From: South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences = Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Ekonomiese en Bestuurswetenskappe, Vol 11, Issue 2, Jun, Pages: 190-202
7. Portfolio liquidity-adjusted value-at-risk : economics Authors: Botha, M.; Published: 2008From: South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences = Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Ekonomiese en Bestuurswetenskappe, Vol 11, Issue 2, Jun, Pages: 203-216
8. Bank lending, expenditure components and inflation in South Africa : assessment from bounds testing approach : economics Authors: Ziramba, E.; Published: 2008From: South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences = Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Ekonomiese en Bestuurswetenskappe, Vol 11, Issue 2, Jun, Pages: 217-228

9. South African price changes and inflation since 1974 : a note on the testing of inflation accuracy : economics Authors: Rossouw, J.; Padayachee, V.; Published: 2008From: South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences = Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Ekonomiese en Bestuurswetenskappe, Vol 11, Issue 2, Jun, Pages: 229-246

Emerging technologies in YOUR classroom

The annual Horizon Report describes the continuing work of the NMC’s Horizon Project, a research-oriented effort that seeks to identify and describe emerging technologies likely to have considerable impact on teaching, learning, and creative expression within higher education.

The report tracks the emerging technologies and their impact over a 5 year span. So, expect more of the following in your classrooms in the next ...

year:

• Grassroot Videos - Custom branding has allowed institutions to even have their own special presence within these networks, and will fuel rapid growth among learning-focused organizations who want their content to be where the viewers are.
• Collaboration Web - The newest tools for collaborative work are small, flexible, and free, and require no installation. Colleagues simply open their web browsers and they are able to edit group documents, hold online meetings, swap information and data, and collaborate in any number of ways without ever leaving their desks

2-3 years:

• Mobile Broadband -New displays and interfaces make it possible to use mobiles to access almost any Internet content—content that can be delivered over either a broadband cellular network or a local wireless network.
• Digital Mashups - custom applications where combinations of data from different sources are “mashed up” into a single tool— offer new ways to look at and interact with datasets that will transform the way we understand and represent information.
  These are evident in organizations at the leading edge of technology adoption, and are beginning to appear at many institutions.

4-5 years:

• Collective Intelligence - In the coming years, we will see educational applications for both explicit collective intelligence—evidenced in projects like the Wikipedia and in community tagging—and implicit collective intelligence, or data gathered from the repeated activities of numbers of people, including search patterns, cell phone locations over time, geocoded digital photographs, and other data that are passively obtained.
• Social Operating Systems - The essential ingredient of next generation social networking, social operating systems, is that they will base the organization of the network around people, rather than around content. This simple conceptual shift promises profound implications for the academy, and for the ways in which we think about knowledge and learning.

To paraphrase the movies ... Horizon Reports has seen the future, and the future is now.

New edition of SA Journal of Business Management available

The March 2008 edition of SAJBM is available via SAePublications:

1.Chinese business negotiations : South African firm experiences and perspectives Authors: Horwitz, F.; Hemmant, R.; Rademeyer, C.; Published: 2008From: South African Journal of Business Management, Vol 39, Issue 1, Mar, Pages: 1-13

2.Is responsible investing ethical? Authors: Viviers, S.; Bosch, J.K.; Smit, E.v.d.M.; Buijs, A.; Published: 2008From: South African Journal of Business Management, Vol 39, Issue 1, Mar, Pages: 15-25

3. Securitisation in South Africa : 2000-2007 Authors: Moyo, Z.; Firer, C.; Published: 2008From: South African Journal of Business Management, Vol 39, Issue 1, Mar, Pages: 27-34

4.The drivers influencing the relationship between sales representatives and customers and the impact this relationship has on sales volume within Coca-Cola's Western Cape region Authors: Herbst, F.J.; Forrest, C.L.; Published: 2008From: South African Journal of Business Management, Vol 39, Issue 1, Mar, Pages: 35-43

5. Towards the development of a knowledge management practices survey for application in knowledge intensive organisations Authors: Steyn, C.; Kahn, M.; Published: 2008From: South African Journal of Business Management, Vol 39, Issue 1, Mar, Pages: 45-53

Web links for International Trade and Labour Issues

Are you searching for sources on the internet on international trade and labour issues?

Stuart Basefsky of the ResourceShelf compiled a list of WTO Trade & Labour Issues which is hosted on Cornell University's ILR Library website

Here is what his list covers:

• International cooperation on trade and labor issues.
• Labor-Related Reports for U.S. Free Trade Agreements
• Office of Trade and Labor Affairs (OTLA)
• North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC)
• NAALC Cooperative Activities
• Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB)
• MONITORING INTERNATIONAL LABOR STANDARDS (MILS) DATABASE
• WebMILS
• Commission for Labor Cooperation Congressional Research Service (CRS)
• NAFTA Regional Database
• General Accountability Office (GAO) GAO-08-59
• International Trade: An Analysis of Free Trade Agreements and Congressional and Private Sector Consultations under Trade Promotion Authority [November 2007]
• Human Resources Development Canada
• Globalization & the Workplace
• International Labour Organization (ILO)
• Globalization Mexican Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare
• Public Citizen
• Global Trade Watch
• This site include numerous useful links, projects, programs and includes the
• Trade Adjustment Assistance Database United States Trade Representative (USTR)
• Trade Agreements
• USTR Focus on LaborWorld Trade Organization (WTO)
• The WTO and International Labour Organization
• Federation of International Trade Associations (FITA)

Hottest articles in ScienceDirect

Every 3 months ScienceDirect distributes a list of the Top 25 Hottest articles published with in a specific subject area.

Here is the newest list available for Economics, Econometrics & Finance for the time period: Jan - March 2008.

(For some reason Accounting articles are grouped with Business & Management - for the list of hottest articles that include Accounting please click here.)

1. Australian gold exploration 1976-2003 • ArticleResources Policy, Volume 30, Issue 1, 1 March 2005, Pages 29-37Huleatt, M.B.; Jaques, A.L.
2. Exploration and discovery of Australia's copper, nickel, lead and zinc resources 1976-2005 • ArticleResources Policy, Volume 30, Issue 3, 1 September 2005, Pages 168-185Jaques, A.L.; Huleatt, M.B.; Ratajkoski, M.; Towner, R.R.
3. Market efficiency, long-term returns, and behavioral finance • ArticleJournal of Financial Economics, Volume 49, Issue 3, 1 September 1998, Pages 283-306Fama, E.F.Cited by Scopus (381)
4. Investor protection and corporate governance • ArticleJournal of Financial Economics, Volume 58, Issue 1-2, 1 January 2000, Pages 3-27La Porta, R.; Lopez-de-Silanes, F.; Shleifer, A.; Vishny, R.Cited by Scopus (283)
5. Liquidity and market efficiency • ArticleJournal of Financial EconomicsChordia, T.; Roll, R.; Subrahmanyam, A.
6. How does foreign direct investment affect economic growth? • ArticleJournal of International Economics, Volume 45, Issue 1, 1 June 1998, Pages 115-135Borensztein, E.; De Gregorio, J.; Lee, J.-W.Cited by Scopus (246)
7. Is Globalization Reducing Poverty and Inequality? • ArticleWorld Development, Volume 32, Issue 4, 1 April 2004, Pages 567-589Wade, R.H.
8. The theory and practice of corporate finance: evidence from the field • ArticleJournal of Financial Economics, Volume 60, Issue 2-3, 1 May 2001, Pages 187-243Graham, J.R.; Harvey, C.R.Cited by Scopus (200)
9. Corporate governance and pay-for-performance: The impact of earnings management • ArticleJournal of Financial EconomicsCornett, M.M.; Marcus, A.J.; Tehranian, H.
10. Information asymmetry, corporate disclosure, and the capital markets: A review of the empirical disclosure literature • ArticleJournal of Accounting and Economics, Volume 31, Issue 1-3, 1 September 2001, Pages 405-440Healy, P.M.; Palepu, K.G.Cited by Scopus (162)
11. The price of innovation: new estimates of drug development costs • ArticleJournal of Health Economics, Volume 22, Issue 2, 1 March 2003, Pages 151-185DiMasi, J.A.; Hansen, R.W.; Grabowski, H.G.Cited by Scopus (508)
12. Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers: A New Convergence • ArticleWorld Development, Volume 31, Issue 1, 1 January 2003, Pages 53-69Craig, D.; Porter, D.
13. The curse of natural resources • ArticleEuropean Economic Review, Volume 45, Issue 4-6, 1 May 2001, Pages 827-838Sachs, J.D.; Warner, A.M.Cited by Scopus (109)
14. An analytical approximation to the option formula for the GARCH model • ArticleInternational Review of Financial Analysis, Volume 14, Issue 2, 1 January 2005, Pages 149-164Choi, Y.
15. Enchantment and Disenchantment: The Role of Community in Natural Resource Conservation • ArticleWorld Development, Volume 27, Issue 4, 1 April 1999, Pages 629-649Agrawal, A.; Gibson, C.C.Cited by Scopus (274)
16. Consumer acceptance, valuation of and attitudes towards genetically modified food: Review and implications for food policy • ArticleFood Policy, Volume 33, Issue 2, 1 April 2008, Pages 99-111Costa-Font, M.; Gil, J.M.; Traill, W.B.
17. Economic consequences of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 • ArticleJournal of Accounting and Economics, Volume 44, Issue 1-2, 1 September 2007, Pages 74-115Zhang, I.X.
18. Payout policy in the 21st century • ArticleJournal of Financial Economics, Volume 77, Issue 3, 1 September 2005, Pages 483-527Brav, A.; Graham, J.R.; Harvey, C.R.; Michaely, R.Cited by Scopus (40)
19. Capital markets research in accounting • ArticleJournal of Accounting and Economics, Volume 31, Issue 1-3, 1 September 2001, Pages 105-231Kothari, S.P.Cited by Scopus (129)
20. Volume, liquidity, and liquidity risk • ArticleJournal of Financial EconomicsJohnson, T.C.
21. The balance on the balanced scorecard a critical analysis of some of its assumptions • ArticleManagement Accounting Research, Volume 11, Issue 1, 1 March 2000, Pages 65-88Norreklit, H.Cited by Scopus (85)
22. Foreign direct investment and technology spillovers: Theory and evidence • ArticleJournal of Development Economics, Volume 85, Issue 1-2, 1 February 2008, Pages 176-193Liu, Z.
23. Testing the pecking order theory of capital structure • ArticleJournal of Financial Economics, Volume 67, Issue 2, 1 February 2003, Pages 217-248Frank, M.Z.; Goyal, V.K.Cited by Scopus (46)
24. In search of strategic management accounting: theoretical and field study perspectives • ArticleManagement Accounting Research, Volume 14, Issue 3, 1 September 2003, Pages 255-279Roslender, R.; Hart, S.J.Cited by Scopus (7)
25. The interplay of different levers of control: A case study of introducing a new performance measurement system • ArticleManagement Accounting Research, Volume 16, Issue 3, 1 September 2005, Pages 293-320Tuomela, T.S.Cited by Scopus (4)

New edition of Studies in Economics and Econometrics available

1.Structural default models applied to South African banks Authors: Venter, J.H.; Styger, P.; Published: 2008From: Studies in Economics and Econometrics, Vol 32, Issue 1, Apr, Pages: 1-22

2. Estimating technical and scale efficiency and sources of efficiency change in banks using balance sheet data : a South African study Authors: Van der Westhuizen, G.; Published: 2008From: Studies in Economics and Econometrics, Vol 32, Issue 1, Apr, Pages: 23-46

3. An empirical analysis of the determinants of fertility in developing countries Authors: Dao, M.Q.; Published: 2008From: Studies in Economics and Econometrics, Vol 32, Issue 1, Apr, Pages: 47-56

4. The performance of value stocks and growth stocks : the Hong Kong stock market 1981-2005 Authors: Bo, L.; Krige, J.D.; Published: 2008From: Studies in Economics and Econometrics, Vol 32, Issue 1, Apr, Pages: 57-75

5. Interest rate derivatives in the South African market based on the prime rate Authors: West, G.; Published: 2008From: Studies in Economics and Econometrics, Vol 32, Issue 1, Apr, Pages: 77-87

6. A cointegration analysis of South African aggregate import demand function : assessment from bounds testing Authors: Ziramba, E.; Published: 2008From: Studies in Economics and Econometrics, Vol 32, Issue 1, Apr, Pages: 89-101

7. An explanatory model of South African white maize futures prices Authors: Auret, C.J.; Schmitt, C.C.; Published: 2008From: Studies in Economics and Econometrics, Vol 32, Issue 1, Apr, Pages: 103-131

New Journal Additions in ProQuest: ABI/Inform

ProQuest has recently added new journals to their ABI/Inform Global collection, they are:

1) The Tax Lawyer (full text coverage from Spring 2007)

The Tax Lawyer, the USA’s premier, peer-reviewed tax law journal, is published quarterly as a service to its members by the American Bar Association Section of Taxation.
The Tax Lawyer endeavors to provide scholarly articles by notable tax attorneys and professors, key reports by Section of Taxation committees and task forces, and student notes and comments on timely topics that the editorial board believes to be of professional interest to members of the Section and the tax profession.

2) Global Outlook Online (full text coverage from January 2008) published by The Bank of Nova Scotia. This journal covers the economic growth, conditions and statistics of Canada.

3) ICIS Chemical Business (full text coverage from October 2007) published by Reed Business Information, UK and covers the chemical industry news.

4) Telecommunications (full text coverage from July 2007) published by Horizon House, goes beyond superficial news headlines and plunges deeply into the business operations of service providers, the technologies they rely on and the applications they deploy to create competitive advantage.

New CPI Weights released

On 1 July 2008 Statistics South Africa will release the new weights for the Consumer Price Index.

The new weights will be released on their website and at an information session in Johannesburg, with a second information session in Cape Town.

In addition to an explanation of the new weights, Stats SA will also provide details on some methodological changes planned for the CPI. Both the new weights and the methodological changes only become effective with the January 2009 CPI release.

The sessions are open to the media and other users of the CPI.
Gauteng
Date: 1 July 2008
Time: 09h30 – 13h00
Venue: Indaba Hotel, Fourways
Cost: Free

Please RSVP with STATSSA before Wednesday 25 June 2008 by emailling rsvp@statssa.gov.za, indicating which meeting (Cape Town or Gauteng) you would like to attend. (Venue details will be forwarded once your RSVP has been received.)

New books @ the library!

I've sent out a list of all the new titles I've received in the last few days.

As there are quite a few, please refer to my email for the individual
titles.

Alternatively, you are more than welcome to come and browse the titles @ my office.

Telecoms in Africa - a state affair

Forbes published an interesting article on the state of telecoms in Africa ...

Worldwide, 61% of formerly state-owned fixed network operators were in private hands by 2005, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Yet, the figure in Africa was just 44%. Almost all of Africa's governments still own some, and many own all, of what was once the national phone monopoly.

In the mid-1990s, African telecoms markets were dominated by state-owned fixed network (wireline) monopolies. African telecoms markets have been transformed since then by mobile networks. Fixed line teledensity is still under 4% and stagnant--according to latest ITU figures (published in May), 1.6% outside North and South Africa.

New mobile networks, by contrast, now cover most rural as well as urban areas:
--Continent-wide mobile teledensity has risen to 27%, with South Africa among countries achieving over 80%.
--Mobile phones now account for more than 90% of lines in most countries on the continent.
It is mobile rather than fixed networks that are expected to provide the platform for African broadband. Although many fixed incumbents have mobile businesses, this transformation has been led by private-sector competitors, mostly European, Middle Eastern and South African investors.
For more on this story, please go to Forbes or log in to Oxford Analytica

Find information on USA public companies

Searching for information on public companies in the USA?

All USA companies, foreign and domestic, are required to file registration statements, periodic reports, and other forms electronically through EDGAR. Anyone can access and download this information for free. Here you'll find links to a complete list of filings available through EDGAR and instructions for searching the EDGAR database.

Here's how to start: Go to the EDGAR home page. You will find a very thorough Quick EDGAR Tutorial and a Description of SEC Forms on the left side of the screen. To begin searching, click “Search for Company Filings” and then “Companies and Other Filers.” This will bring you to the Company Search page.

There are various other ways you can search:
- "Search Companies and Filings" allows you to retrieve real-time filings for a specific company and to find key company information — including its name, address, telephone number, state of incorporation, Central Index Key (CIK) number, Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code, and fiscal year end.
- You can also search for all SEC-registered companies in a particular state.
- Or you can search for all companies with a specific SIC code.
- Once you've found the company you want, you can limit the search results by date (for example, "Prior to 2002-01-01") or by the type of filing (for example, "10-K").
- Latest Filings is the most recent filings on the EDGAR system has received — from all SEC filers, including individuals and companies, paper filers and electronic filers. The list on this page features the most recent real-time filings from a broad range of companies and individuals for the current official filing date

You can also search in the Full Text, retrieve filings made the previous week, view prospectuses or proxy voting records for the mutual fund of your choice using the Mutual Funds Search feature, find Variable Insurance Products and associated filings for new filings with series and class/contract name and find Securities Act registration statements and post-effective amendments declared effective on the most recently completed business day.

Here is what a typical record looks like, it is a search for Microsoft:

In the left corner you will see the company name and below that the SIC code assigned to the company.

If you click on the code it will take you to a list of other companies operating in the same industry.

The SEC filings for the company is in the table form numbers, form formats, filing descriptions, and filing dates:

- Form 10-Q (contains unaudited quarterly financial statements)

- Form 10-K (contains audited annual financial statements)

- Form 8-K (current information including preliminary earnings announcements)

- Registration statements including Form S-1 (general registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933,used for new issuers) and

- Form F-6 (registration statement used by foreign issuers of American Depositary Receipts)

Executive compensation:

You can locate information about executive pay in:

- Schedule 14A (annual proxy statement)

- Form 10-K (audited annual report)

- Registration statements filed by the issuer

- Form 8-K (current company information)

Insider Transactions and Beneficial Ownership Interest

The specific forms are:

- Form 3 (initial statement of beneficial ownership)

- Form 4 (statement of changes in beneficial ownership)

- Form 5 (annual statement of changes in beneficial ownership)

For an extensive list on understanding the EDGAR search results, please read through the Researching Public Companies Through EDGAR:A Guide for Investors

Monetary Policy, Inflation Targeting and Inflation Pressures: Address by Mr T.T. Mboweni

The Monetary Policy, Inflation Targeting and Inflation Pressures address by Mr T.T. Mboweni, Governor of the South African Reserve Bank, to the Bureau for Economic Research Annual Conference of last Thursday is now available from the SARB's website.

Here is what he addressed:

• the SARB's response to recent criticism and comments on their handling of the inflation developments
• the inflation targeting framework
• dealing with economic shocks such as rising oil price; supply side inflation; electricity pricing etc
• should the SARB change the inflation target range or redefine the inflation target basket
• should the SARB invoke the explanation clause as a means to avoid further monetary policy tightening

New issue: AfricaGrowth Agenda

The new issue of AfricaGrowth Agenda (April/Jun 2008) is available via SAePublications.

Scope of the publication:
The Africagrowth Agenda is a quarterly Magazine which publishes high quality articles covering development issues in Africa. Special focus of the magazine is on:
* Investment Climate in Africa
* Intra-African trade
* African capital markets
* Development finance/economics
* Issues surrounding African Development Institutions
* Best practice articles

Here is the table of content for the April/Jun 2008 issue:
1. Oiling the growth engine of Africa : editor's letter Authors: Biekpe, Nicholas, Pages: 4-5
2. Globalization of microfinance markets : some conditions for success Authors: Morales-Nieto, Jairo; Pages: 6-8
3. When Iceland was Ghana Authors: Gylfason, Thorvaldur; / Jun, Pages: 11-13
4. 5th African Finance Journal Conference Pages: 15
5. Interest rate deregulation policy in developing countries - some controversies Authors: Odhiambo, Nicholas M.; Pages: 16-18
6. Reparations for apartheid human rights abuses : the case of Khulumani Authors: Bohler-Muller, Narnia; Pages: 20-22
7. Developing financial architecture for small scale enterprises in Africa : a proposal on formal-informal sector linkages Authors: Tella, Sheriffdeen A.; Pages: 24-27
8. Inward foreign direct investment and Ghana's employment generation Authors: Abor, Joshua; Harvey, Simon K.;Pages: 28-29
9. Characteristics of Kenya's informal ("Jua Kali") economy and the unbanked : a briefing for the banking and financial markets Authors: Owino, Alexander George; Pages: 30-34
10. Africa SMME Conference and Awards 2008 Jun, Pages: 36
11. Success story : Staza cleaning services AuthorsPages: 37-38
12. Success story : House of Tara International Pages: 40

Which parts of the CPI publication do you use?

As many of you already know StatsSA is changing the CPI publication effect as from January 2008 and the new CPI index will highlight shifts in the consumer basket.

They would like your input on what parts of the CPI publication you actually use - to make the new CPI publication more user friendly. Please complete the survey on their website.

This June, Stats SA will release the new CPI weights - derived largely, but not exclusively, from the results of the income and expenditure survey released last month.

The release of the weights follows the publication last year of the draft CPI basket.

In new CPI basket certain products will move category and new products will be introduced.

New products include:

• minibus taxis, which account for over 60% of public transport. Collection of these prices is now possible as a result of the establishment of a national team of price collectors for CPI;


• funeral costs and funeral insurance enter the basket as expenditure on these items increases;


• restaurants, take-aways and hotels, now appear as a distinct category in the new CPI classification and Stats SA proposes to publish their price change explicitly;


• internet service provider fees and laptops enter the basket as this technology becomes more pervasive;


• DVD and CD players and disks replace VHS and audio tapes and players as a result of changes in technology;


• tickets to sporting events are added to the entertainment basket; and


• the lottery will be included in the basket if it is operational on 1 January 2008.

The CPI will continue to be published on the basis of the current basket and weights until the December 2008 release (in January 2009). The January 2009 CPI (published in February 2009) will be the first to be published on the basis of the new basket and weights.