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cometomecosette · 11 months

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Video Review: Les Misérables, 3rd National Tour, 2000, Act II (long)

Here’s the second half of my review of this complete Les Mis performance, which I wrote some time ago but I'm sharing again in honor of Barricade Day.

Main Cast

Jean Valjean: Ivan Rutherford

Javert: Stephen Bishop

Fantine: Joan Almedilla

Thénardier: J.P. Dougherty

Mme. Thénardier: Aymee Garcia

Marius: Tim Howar

Enjolras: Kevin Earley

Éponine: Sutton Foster

Cosette: Regan Thiel

Grantaire/Bamatabois: Trent Blanton

Young Cosette: Stephanie Mieko Cohen

Gavroche: Christopher Carlson

“Upon These Stones,” “On My Own,” “The Barricade,” “Javert at the Barricade,” “Little People”

Sometimes the smallest details can change our impressions of a character. For example, Sutton’s Éponine purposefully gets Marius’s attention by touching his back as she walks past him. Éponines who do this create a different sense of their desires and motives than Éponines who don’t. There’s also a big difference between Éponines who sing “Little you know! Little you care!” alone after Marius leaves and those who, like Sutton here, sing it as an outburst directly to Marius’s face, angrily snatching the letter from his hand. Every Éponine I ever saw in both the 3rd National Tour and the 2006 Broadway revival did the latter. Personally, I think it’s a bit petulant compared to singing the line alone. But if we assume she’s come to the barricade hoping Marius will finally love her for joining the battle – which her purposefully letting him know she’s there might imply – and yet he still doesn’t get it, I suppose an outburst to his face is understandable.

I like that neither Tim’s Marius nor Ivan’s Valjean are too harsh with Éponine. Tim strikes a good balance between stern and caring, while Ivan is nicely gentle instead of automatically treating her like a spy for Javert. His letter-reading is good too, though I wish the camera showed his face instead of focusing on Éponine as she eavesdrops.

I’ve written about Sutton’s “On My Own” before, but I’ll restate my feelings here. I honestly don’t think anyone has ever sung the song more beautifully; her voice is like flame and crystal combined in sound form. And her journey from happy dreams to raw anger and despair is vivid and deeply felt without a trace of sentimentality. I can’t fault it, even though I personally don’t care much for angry renditions of this song.

The barricade boys’ pledge to hold the barricade and defiance of the officer’s warning are gripping as they should be, especially the magnificent high A sung by Ben Davis’s Feuilly on “We’ll be there!” It’s no wonder that he went on to sing operatic roles as well as musical theatre.

Christopher’s Gavroche comes into his own in “Little People.” His Act I might have been slightly bland, but here I can fully believe in his spunk and cheek.

Kevin’s commanding presence as Enjolras and the rich-voiced stolidness of Stephen’s Javert are still outstanding.

The tone of the “Little People” scene definitely changes when the now usually-cut lines before and after “Shoot me now or shoot me later…” are included. Instead of just a few boys clamoring ineffectually in the background to shoot Javert, the barricade erupts into chaos after Javert is outed as a spy, with Courfeyrac, Feuilly and others forming an impromptu firing squad to shoot him in blatant defiance of Enjolras’s orders, and with Enjolras and Combeferre’s cooler heads just barely prevailing in the end. I still wonder why the scene was written this way, when it has no basis in the novel. I can only assume the musical’s authors thought it would be more moving to see the barricade boys come close to falling into bloodlust and anarchy under the stress of adversity, only to ultimately choose idealism, courage and unity, than if they were always disciplined and unified. Maybe on the stage, this is true.

At any rate, I like the detail of Gavroche grabbing a gun to join the impromptu firing squad and a woman trying to wrest the gun from him. It’s a welcome, subtle touch of comic relief and fully in character for the boy.

“A Little Fall of Rain,” Night of Anguish,” “First Attack, “Drink With Me”

Kudos to Sutton for remembering to act wounded even before she collapses, climbing very slowly down the barricade, having to stop and rest midway down, and then clutching Marius for support. Not all other Éponines do that. During the song she never cries out or writhes in pain, but I think it works. The motionless tension of her body makes me assume that her Éponine is hiding her pain from Marius, which fits with the lyrics, and of course lets us focus on the moment’s tender emotions. In the last verse, I like the way she gently fades away, loosening her grip on Marius’s arm and lying completely still except to move her lips as she sings, but then, at the very end, finding the strength to pull herself up and kiss him. It evokes the way Hugo’s Éponine lies so motionless that Marius thinks she’s already dead, only to open her eyes and utter her love confession.

Tim’s concern and tenderness compliment Sutton’s performance perfectly, and though his grief is quiet and understated, it’s still poignant.

The moment when Enjolras comforts Marius is understated yet touching too. Kevin’s Enjolras is clearly pained by Éponine’s death but seems at a loss for what to say or do for Marius. In the end, a silent shared arm-clasp is all that’s needed.

When Valjean arrives, the Amis take a fairly calm, wary yet respectful approach to interrogating him, lowering their guns as soon as they realize he’s not a real National Guardsman. I’m tempted to like this better than versions like the 2012 movie where they’re aggressive and almost ready to shoot him on sight, although the latter is valid too.

During the battle, I see another detail I remember reading about in reviews. When Kevin’s Enjolras kneels down to assist the student who’s been wounded by the sniper, only to be narrowly missed by another bullet from said sniper, he falls backward and sits paralyzed in shock, looking like “a frightened little blond boy” (as I remember one fan writing) until Valjean helps him up. I know that some fans can be touchy about Enjolras showing any weakness, but I personally don’t mind this detail. It’s only a brief moment, and like the above-mentioned moment with Marius, it’s a humanizing image that makes Enjolras believable not only as a staunch leader, but as a young man facing the threat of death for the first time. (Yes, I know Hugo’s Enjolras also fought in 1830, but the musical never mentions this.)

Besides, I love the way Grantaire snaps out of his motionless stupor to reach out to Enjolras when that brush with death occurs.

Stephen and Ivan are both excellent in the releasing scene. Stephen moves believably from rage and disgust at having Valjean as his executioner, to confusion when he’s freed, to smug disdain when he thinks he’s figured out Valjean’s motive, to a slow, speechless, dumbfounded exit, while by contrast Ivan’s Valjean remains staunchly calm, not losing his temper at Javert’s insults, but firmly committed to doing the right thing.

Moving on to “Drink With Me,” Trent’s Grantaire puts an interesting spin on his solo by addressing specific lines to specific individuals, to whom (if we know the Ami’s individual personalities in the novel) each line has the most meaning. “Can it be you fear to die?” he directs to Joly, the hypochondriac. “Will the world remember you when you fall?” is aimed at Feuilly, the orphan who has no family to remember him. And of course “Will your death be one more lie?” he addresses to Enjolras.

Then we have a beautiful Enjolras/Grantaire reconciliation, which unfortunately the cameraperson only shows us in part. Enjolras first stares at Grantaire, then angrily grabs his shoulder, with poor Grantaire shielding his face as if he expects to be hit. But then they gaze at each other, for a long time, and then finally, warmly clasp hands. It’s too bad that the cameraperson chooses to pan around the stage during their long shared gaze instead of showing us their expressions leading up to the hand-clasp. But I suppose the E/R relationship wasn’t quite at the fandom’s forefront in 2000 the way it is now (it was already a popular ship, if I remember correctly from my middle and high school days, but slightly less so than Éponine/Marius or Enjolras/female OCs).

Tim’s soft, sad delivery of Marius’s verse at the end is very touching and I like the consoling pat on the knee Trent’s Grantaire gives him before walking away

The ensemble work is excellent, as always.

“Bring Him Home,” “Dawn of Anguish,” “Second Attack (Death of Gavroche),” “The Final Battle,” “Dog Eats Dog”

Ivan’s “Bring Him Home” is beautiful.

I hope that someday, somehow I see a production of Les Mis that includes the “Drink With Me” reprise. It add so much more emotional weight than there is when the women simply hurry off and the battle commences. By the way, here’s a question for people who were fans before the cuts were made. Did the “Drink With Me” reprise always end with Enjolras and Marius clasping arms at the top of the barricade? Was this a universal part of Nunn and Caird’s staging? It’s a beautiful reinforcement of Enjolras and Marius’s friendship and Marius’s now-unwavering loyalty to his friends, but still, if I were to direct a new production, I’d be tempted to have Grantaire share that moment with Enjolras instead. I think it might be a better moment for their reconciliation than “Drink With Me.”

Christopher’s Gavroche is still less vivid than others I’ve seen, and the moment of his death looks slightly unconvincing (he breaks the fall with his hands a bit too obviously), but he still gives a solid performance overall.

To the very end, Kevin’s Enjolras is fully believable as the staunch, dignified, heroic leader, yet still a human being. His slow descent from the barricade after Gavroche’s death – the only movement onstage while everyone else is frozen in shock and grief – and seeming obliviousness to the offstage officer’s voice as he stands and ponders what’s happened and what’s to come is both poignant and true to the spirit of Hugo’s Enjolras. We can sense his pain, yet he faces it with stoic dignity and undying courage. His “Let others rise…” is powerful, even though he neither shouts nor goes for the high note on “…is free!”

And then there’s the heartbreaking moment after Marius falls, when Enjolras hurries to him, throws poor Grantaire aside, and tries vainly and irrationally to revive his seemingly dead friend before rushing off to his own death. Some might argue that this is out of character for Hugo’s Enjolras, and it’s definitely not realistic for the middle of a battle when, as Hugo repeatedly writes, you can’t stop for anything. But it’s moving, although I would have liked a more meaningful last interaction with Grantaire than just a quick glance.

The fall of the barricade and the tableau of Enjolras’s body on the barricade are epic and heartbreaking, as always. No other staging can surpass the original.

J.P.’s Thénardier definitely feels more alive in his sinister scenes than in the comedy scenes. I’m not quite sure why I always remembered him as being mainly a comic Thénardier. It was probably his looks, I’m sorry to say – it was too easy to mentally pigeonhole him as “the funny fat guy.” At any rate, his “Dog Eats Dog” is deliciously dark and mocking.

“The Sewers,” “Javert’s Suicide,” “Turning,” “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables,” “Every Day”

I remember one thing J.P.’s Thénardier used to do that annoyed fans back in the day was to silently break the fourth wall by visibly waiting for the audience to applaud after “Dog Eats Dog,” then shrug his shoulders when they didn’t. He did this the first time I saw the show. But thankfully he doesn’t do it here.

Kudos to Ivan for actually carrying Marius throughout the sewer sequence. We get none of the standard “Marius tries his best to look unconscious and disguise the fact that he’s actually walking while Valjean supports him” business seen in so many other performances.

Stephen gives a powerful rendition of “Javert’s Suicide,” both in his sumptuous voice and in his vivid rage and torment.

“Turning” is poignant, as it should be. The fact that the pregnant woman is played by a black actress instantly makes me think of the fandom’s widely-accepted headcanon of Musichetta as a woman of color – as far a my imagination is concerned, it’s her, and the unborn baby’s father was either Joly or Bossuet. I��ll also imagine that she’ll eventually meet Marius and Cosette and they’ll help to support her and provide for the baby.

Tim’s “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables” is beautiful and moving. His warm, darkly-shaded voice is wonderfully suited to the music, and while his grief is subtly conveyed, it can still be deeply felt. This is a trend throughout this particular performance, I think: the story is told with as little sentimentality as the material allows, and the male characters in particular are all played with a stoicism not seen in other portrayals, but their emotions can still be felt no matter how quiet they are.

The uncut “Every Day” is gently and sweetly performed by Regan, Tim, and Ivan when he joins them. The ending is adorable, with Marius and Cosette holding hands and almost face-to-face when they notice Valjean watching them, and being the modest 19th century pair they are, quickly draw apart and try to look “seemly,” only for Valjean to lovingly rejoin their hands. Unfortunately, Regan goes a bit off-pitch on her final note, but that note tends to be a hit-or-miss one for most Cosettes.

“Valjean’s Confession,” “Wedding Chorale/Beggars at the Feast”

Ivan and Tim are both spot-on in “Valjean’s Confession.” Ivan is more stoic than Hugo’s Valjean is in this scene, but this is true of his Valjean throughout, and as always, in his subtle way he still conveys his struggle and pain. I’ve heard other Valjeans be more forceful and demanding on “Promise me, M’sieur, Cosette will never know!” but the way Ivan’s voice becomes so soft and pleading instead is probably even more disarming to Marius.

Moving on to the wedding, it’s so nice to hear Marius’s exchange with the Thénardiers uncut. Éponine is remembered, her parents earn more hate with their cold, selfish response, and they build up their revelation about Valjean with just the right preamble to entice Marius – even if they do have to chase him around the ballroom to do it. I notice that Tim’s Marius tries to walk away before Thénardier brings up the “murder” (presumably he thinks they’re just going to reveal that Valjean is a convict, which he already knows), but a soon as Thénardier makes the murder claim, he becomes concerned and listens. This is different from Niklas Andersson’s London Marius in the same year (so far the only other video I’ve watched of the uncut scene), who stalked away in disgust after Thénardier made the murder claim, refusing to believe that Valjean could be a killer as well as a thief.

Regan’s Cosette looks appropriately startled and confused after Thénardier drags her into a wild spinning dance and then Marius punches him. I wonder if she recognized him in that moment?

J.P. and Aymee do a fine job with the Thénardiers’ final flourish. Just enough slapstick to get laughs (e.g. Aymee’s pantalette-flashing fall when she tries to curtsy, the business with the dropped silver later), but not enough to turn them into caricatures. “Beggars at the Feast” is just the right exuberant uplift (however cynical the lyrics) that we need before the finale.

Epilogue

As is characteristic of this cast, Valjean’s death and heavenward ascent are depicted calmly and gently, with tears and sentimentality kept to a minimum, but with genuine love and warmth in abundance. Ivan’s Valjean infuses his last moments with quiet dignity and tenderness, as well as beautiful soft singing, while Joan’s Fantine is appropriately angelic, and Regan’s Cosette, Tim’s Marius and Sutton’s Éponine beautifully round out the scene. The moment when Fantine kneels before Valjean and he reaches out to take her hand, only for Cosette to take her mother’s place for their last reunion, is very touching. So is the way Regan’s Cosette lingers over her father’s lifeless body, staring into his face in utter disbelief until finally Marius gently draws her away. The little hug she gives Marius near the end of the final chorus is also as sweet as can be (as I’ve mentioned before, they were a couple in real life at the time).

The final chorus is magnificent, as it always should be. An excellent end to an excellent performance.

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lookwhatitis-blog · 4 years

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Remaining Deals

The remaining deals are:

• Burning Rock Biotech, a Chinese cancer test maker, which is aiming to raise up to $210 million by selling 13.5 million American depositary shares at $13.50 to $15.50 each. The company has applied to list on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “BNR.”

• Avidity Biosciences Inc. RNA, +58.33%, which specializes in muscle disorders, plans to offer 10 million shares priced at $14 to $16 each to raise up to $160 million. The company has applied to list on Nasdaq, under the ticker symbol “RNA.” Cowen, SVB Leerink, Credit Suisse and Wells Fargo are underwriters on the deal, with proceeds earmarked for the development of treatments for DMD and muscle atrophy, as well as for working capital.

• Generation Bio Co. GBIO, +29.94%, a biotech specializing in gene therapy treatments for rare diseases, plans to offer 7.4 million shares priced at $16 to $18 each to raise up to $133.2 million. The company has applied to list on Nasdaq, under the ticker symbol “GBIO.” J.P. Morgan, Jefferies, Cowen and Wedbush PacGrow are underwriting the deal. Proceeds will be used to fund R&D, to develop platform technologies and for general corporate purposes.

• uCloudlink, a Chinese mobile data marketplace, is aiming to raise $53 by selling 2.6 million American depositary shares priced at $18 to $20.50. The company has applied to list on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “UCL.” Proceeds of the deal, which is being underwritten by I-Bankers Securities, Valuable Capital Ltd., Tiger Brokers and Loop Capital Markets, will be used to fund R&DS, for general corporate purposes and for potential acquisitions.

• Lantern Pharma LTRN, -1.33%, a biotech working on cancer treatments, is aiming to raise $26.52 million by selling 1.56 million shares priced at $15 to $17 each. The company has applied to list on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “LTRN.” The sole bookrunning manager is ThinkEquity, with Dougherty & Co. and Paulson Investment Co. acting as co-managers.

• Rounding out the list is SPAC Hudson Executive Investment HECCU, +0.29%, which priced late Monday and was upsized to raise $360 million. That stock rose 2.5% on Tuesday in its trading debut. SPACs, or blank-check companies, have no set business until they acquire a company or companies with the money raised in an IPO. The company is aiming to acquire a fintech or health care business, according to its prospectus.

#remaining stock deals

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bigyack-com · 4 years

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Two Tax Strategies to Consider Ahead of the 2020 Election

Trying to guess how and when the tax code is going to change and plan for those changes now is an impossible task.Most prognosticators guessed correctly that President Trump was going to slash the corporate tax rate in 2017. But the doubling of the estate and gift tax exemption to more than $23 million a couple, from an already generous $11 million, was a bit of a surprise. More so was the elimination of deductions for state and local taxes, which disproportionately hit California and states in the Northeast that have high tax rates.But with a presidential election just a few months away, the game of predicting and analyzing proposals that might affect taxpayers has begun. Most candidates are talking about the big headline-grabbing moves, like health insurance, climate change and infrastructure, as well as the wealth tax that Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have pitched.What needs to be analyzed for affluent individuals are the potential changes no candidate is talking about: lowering exemptions and raising rates for the estate and gift tax and ending the valuation discount for closely held family businesses, a tax break that allows families to transfer a valuable asset for less than it is worth.The valuation discount can affect any small business that the owner expects to pass to heirs. The current exemption levels for the estate and gift tax are so high that the tax applies to very few people, but both the exemption level and the tax rate could change if the next president wants to raise revenue.This is the first of what I expect will be several columns this year looking at how tax provisions that can be quickly changed by a new president may affect high-net-worth individuals and what they can do to plan for them.First, the estate tax. The current exemption, in effect until 2025, is $11.4 million for an individual and $23 million for a couple. Everything above that is taxed at a rate of 40 percent. Lowering the exemption and increasing the tax rate are on the agenda of many progressive candidates, who see the changes as a way to raise revenue and make a statement against income inequality.The estate tax is high on the list for many candidates because it can fill the tax coffers without affecting a lot of people.Such changes could get pushed through only if the Democratic Party takes back the Senate and keeps control of the House. President Trump faced a similar situation in his first two years in office when the Republican Party held both chambers. Just as he got his 2017 tax overhaul through the budget reconciliation process, a Democratic president could do the same.Planning for what could happen with estate and gift taxes is a challenge. In 2012, the last time the estate and gift tax exemption was predicted to decrease, it was raised instead.“People say exemptions have never gone down,” said Chris Pegg, senior director of wealth planning for Wells Fargo Private Bank. “That’s true. But we’ve never had exemptions this large and we’ve never had candidates talking about wealth redistribution. If you look at some of the dials that are most likely to be turned, I think the estate tax is one of them.”Mr. Pegg said that taking advantage of the high estate tax exemption and the valuation discount around closely held businesses could allow business owners to pass more of their wealth to heirs free of tax. It could also help settle some business issues now, not later when the owners die.“You have a powerful, tax-free way to move money,” said Joanne Johnson, head of the wealth advisory group at J.P. Morgan’s private bank. “Just moving money for the sake of moving money, it’s not impactful. You have to identify your goals — that’s the most important thing.”In certain states, like Connecticut, it may not make sense to plan so aggressively because the state’s estate and gift tax exemption is lower than the federal one. (In Connecticut, those exemptions are set to become equal in 2023.)James Dougherty, a partner in the private client and tax team at the law firm Withers Bergman, advises clients to not rush. “Take a break and leave room in your plan for changes,” he said. “Every day, the I.R.S. is inventing new ways to go after tax planning.”What a Democratic president could do with a stroke of the pen is enforce a section of the Internal Revenue Code that ends valuation discounts for closely held family businesses. The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service under President Barack Obama had proposed regulations that would have disallowed these discounts, which were seen as being overly generous when it came to estate planning.A few months after taking office, Mr. Trump issued an executive order that told the Treasury Department to withdraw the regulations.But advisers have pointed out that the statute eliminating valuation discounts remains on the books and is easy to reinstate. “Those regulations were shelved; they weren’t unwritten,” Mr. Pegg said. “You could reinstruct the secretary of the Treasury to propose them again, and they’d become law in the form of regulations.”Eliminating valuation discounts also has support within the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. “If they have any way to scale back tax rules that benefit the 1 percent, they’re likely to do it,” said Bill Smith, managing director in the national tax office of at CBIZ MHM, an accounting firm. “This is certainly what they’d think of as a ‘1 percent rule.’ It isn’t, in my mind, because it affects all small business.”The discounts were meant to be used by a private business that was owned by several family members. For example: Five people each own a 20 percent stake in a $100 million company. The difficulty they would have selling a stake to a nonfamily member meant it was not really worth $20 million.Generally, 30 percent was considered a reasonable discount for this type of illiquidity. At that level and with the current gift tax exemption, a share in a business worth $33 million could be discounted and put in trust without paying any gift tax.Some planners pushed the discount limit to 40 percent and beyond. A few egregious examples drew the ire of policymakers, like ones where a family partnership was created to hold a basket of marketable securities, whose value was easy to ascertain.Ron Shepard, a small-business owner who lives in Orange County, Calif., is in the process of using various tax structures to pass his family business to his son and daughter. His business, Shepard Brothers, makes cleaners, sanitizers and water treatment products used for food safety.“The tax implications are all part of that equation,” he said. The company is based in California, which has high state taxes on top of federal taxes.The structures to protect those shares are also appealing to individuals. Irrevocable trusts, for example, can allow a business owner to give a share of a business at a discounted valuation and still have it protected from creditors. The business itself can be recapitalized so those shares do not carry a vote. This allows the business owner to have full control over day-to-day decisions while still saving on any future estate tax.Mr. Shepard said it took him nearly 10 years to get to the point where he was ready to begin passing on the business. He realized that he could continue building the business himself and leave it to his children later. But he chose to include them while they were still young, a decision that helped the family build mutual trust, he said. That made the transfer easier.“A lot of people will get the advisory side right, where they can put all kinds of things into all kinds of vehicles to protect it, but that doesn’t teach them how to spend the money,” he said. “The main thing I taught my kids about the business we have is you have to understand the asset and how it works because you’re going to own it one day, even if you don’t work in the business.”That’s easier to plan for than what a tax rate is going to be and when. Read the full article

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jobsearchtips02 · 4 years

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IPO market gears up for another hectic week with 8 offers expected to raise $2 billion

The U.S. going public market is gearing up for another busy week with 8 deals on tap anticipated to raise about $2 billion, led by Azek Co., a maker of materials for outside living items.

Recently was the busiest of the year so far with 8 offers and 2 special function acquisition vehicles (SPACs) striking the market in stride.

” For the very first time considering that June 2018, all eight IPOs raised more than originally expected, either by prices above the variety or upsizing their offerings,” according to commentary from Renaissance Capital, a supplier of institutional research and IPO-related exchange-traded funds.

The marketplace went through a sleepy period throughout the coronavirus pandemic prior to last week’s reawakening. While the secondary market has actually been on fire– May’s dollar volume of share offerings is the biggest since 2014, according to BTIG, as companies transferred to strengthen liquidity positions after the pandemic set in– new companies have had to await an equity-market healing from its pandemic lows.

So far in 2020, there have actually been 43 IPOs, down 31%from the exact same time a year ago. But the Renaissance IPO exchange-traded fund. IPO,. -0.36% has actually performed highly, returning 22.6%in the duration, thanks to the addition in the index of recent IPOs of digital companies and others that are gaining from working-from-home products and services, such as Zoom Video Communications Inc. ZM,. -2.35%, Slack Technologies Inc. WORK,. -2.03% and biotech Moderna Inc. MRNA,. -1.53%, which is establishing a COVID-19 vaccine.

See now: Luckin Coffee demonstrates how risky Chinese IPOs can be, but financiers are just not listening

Last week’s offers consisted of the most significant IPO of the year to date, that of Warner Music Group Corp. WMG,. 3.16%, which went back to public markets after 9 years as a personal entity and raised $1.93 billion by selling 77 million shares priced at $25 each, the higher end of its $23 to $26 rate variety. That stock ended the week up 20%.

This week’s most significant deal will be Azek. AZEK,. , which will raise $625 million at the top end of its rate range.

” We are an industry-leading designer and maker of gorgeous, low-maintenance and environmentally sustainable items concentrated on the highly attractive, fast-growing Outdoor Living market,” the business states in its prospectus.

The offer is being financed by 14 banks, led by Barclays. Proceeds will be utilized to redeem outstanding debt and for general business functions. In the first six months of fiscal 2020 to March 31, the business had a net loss of $5.8 million that was narrower than the $208 million loss posted in the year-earlier period. Sales rose to $4116 million from $3574 million.

The prospectus acknowledges the challenges being presented by the coronavirus pandemic and says it has cut personnel and tapped credit lines to tide it over. It likewise concedes that it has a heavy financial obligation load at $1.2 billion.

The company’s primary peer is Trex Inc. TREX,. -0.39%, which pays. Trex had net income of $424 million in the first quarter on sales of $200 million. That was up from earnings of $316 million a year back and sales of $1796 million. Trex stock has held up through the pandemic, and is up 38%in the year to date, surpassing the S&P 500, which is down 0.8%.

The 2nd greatest offer of the week was online used car seller Vroom Inc. VRM,. 10020%, which priced late Monday and started trading Tuesday by quickly doubling. The offer priced at $22 a share, above its $18 to $20 cost range. The company raised practically $500 million at an appraisal of about $2.5 billion. The stock was last up 110%at $4634

Vroom is likewise loss-making, however profits is growing at a tidy clip. The company’s bottom lines struck $143 million in 2019, broader than the $852 million loss posted in2018 In the first quarter, it lost $411 million compared with a loss of $271 million in the very first quarter of 2019, its prospectus shows.

Income increased 39%to $1.2 billion in2019 For the 3 months ended March 31, sales rose 60%to $3758 million, Vroom stated.

For more, check out: Vroom IPO: Five things to understand about the online used-car seller

Vroom’s primary peer is Carvana Inc. CVNA,. 0.92%, Shares of Carvana are trading more than 600?ove the company’s 2017 IPO cost.

Vaccine maker Vaxcyte. PCVX,. is intending to raise $210 million on top end of its cost variety and will use the profits to fund medical research study.

” Its lead prospect, VAX-24, is a 24- valent investigational pneumococcal conjugate vaccine designed to supply broad-spectrum coverage of Merck’s Pneumovax 23 with an immunogenicity profile similar to Pfizer’s Prevnar 13,” according to Renaissance Capital.

The business is wishing to advance VAX-24 into medical trials in the 2021 2nd half.

The staying offers are:

– Burning Rock Biotech, a Chinese cancer test maker, which is intending to raise up to $210 million by selling 13.5 million American depositary shares at $1350 to $1550 each. The business has applied to list on Nasdaq under the ticker sign “BNR.”

– Avidity Biosciences Inc. RNA,. , which concentrates on muscle conditions, plans to offer 10 million shares priced at $14 to $16 each to raise as much as $160 million. The company has actually applied to list on Nasdaq, under the ticker sign “RNA.” Cowen, SVB Leerink, Credit Suisse and Wells Fargo are underwriters on the offer, with earnings allocated for the development of treatments for DMD and muscle atrophy, along with for working capital.

– Generation Bio Co. GBIO,. , a biotech concentrating on gene treatment treatments for rare illness, prepares to offer 7.4 million shares priced at $16 to $18 each to raise as much as $1332 million. The business has actually applied to list on Nasdaq, under the ticker sign “GBIO.” J.P. Morgan, Jefferies, Cowen and Wedbush PacGrow are financing the deal. Profits will be utilized to fund R&D, to establish platform technologies and for general corporate purposes.

– uCloudlink, a Chinese mobile data marketplace, is intending to raise $53 by offering 2.6 million American depositary shares priced at $18 to $2050 The business has actually applied to list on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “UCL.” Profits of the deal, which is being financed by I-Bankers Securities, Belongings Capital Ltd., Tiger Brokers and Loop Capital Markets, will be used to fund R&DS, for basic corporate functions and for possible acquisitions.

– Lantern Pharma. LTRN,. , a biotech working on cancer treatments, is intending to raise $2652 million by offering 1.56 million shares priced at $15 to $17 each. The company has used to list on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “LTRN.” The sole bookrunning supervisor is ThinkEquity, with Dougherty & Co. and Paulson Investment Co. acting as co-managers.

– Completing the list is SPAC Hudson Executive Investment. HECCU,. 2.60%, which priced late Monday and was upsized to raise $360 million. That stock increased 2.5%on Tuesday in its trading debut. SPACs, or blank-check business, have no set company till they get a business or companies with the cash raised in an IPO. The company is aiming to acquire a fintech or healthcare company, according to its prospectus.

The Renaissance IPO ETF was flat Tuesday, while the S&P 500 was down 0.6%.

Read now: He offered his business for billions, then used nearly all the proceeds to buy 2 stocks– and just 2 stocks

from Job Search Tips https://jobsearchtips.net/ipo-market-gears-up-for-another-hectic-week-with-8-offers-expected-to-raise-2-billion/

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mastcomm · 4 years

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Two Tax Strategies to Consider Ahead of the 2020 Election

Trying to guess how and when the tax code is going to change and plan for those changes now is an impossible task.

Most prognosticators guessed correctly that President Trump was going to slash the corporate tax rate in 2017. But the doubling of the estate and gift tax exemption to more than $23 million a couple, from an already generous $11 million, was a bit of a surprise. More so was the elimination of deductions for state and local taxes, which disproportionately hit California and states in the Northeast that have high tax rates.

But with a presidential election just a few months away, the game of predicting and analyzing proposals that might affect taxpayers has begun. Most candidates are talking about the big headline-grabbing moves, like health insurance, climate change and infrastructure, as well as the wealth tax that Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have pitched.

What needs to be analyzed for affluent individuals are the potential changes no candidate is talking about: lowering exemptions and raising rates for the estate and gift tax and ending the valuation discount for closely held family businesses, a tax break that allows families to transfer a valuable asset for less than it is worth.

The valuation discount can affect any small business that the owner expects to pass to heirs. The current exemption levels for the estate and gift tax are so high that the tax applies to very few people, but both the exemption level and the tax rate could change if the next president wants to raise revenue.

This is the first of what I expect will be several columns this year looking at how tax provisions that can be quickly changed by a new president may affect high-net-worth individuals and what they can do to plan for them.

First, the estate tax. The current exemption, in effect until 2025, is $11.4 million for an individual and $23 million for a couple. Everything above that is taxed at a rate of 40 percent. Lowering the exemption and increasing the tax rate are on the agenda of many progressive candidates, who see the changes as a way to raise revenue and make a statement against income inequality.

The estate tax is high on the list for many candidates because it can fill the tax coffers without affecting a lot of people.

Such changes could get pushed through only if the Democratic Party takes back the Senate and keeps control of the House. President Trump faced a similar situation in his first two years in office when the Republican Party held both chambers. Just as he got his 2017 tax overhaul through the budget reconciliation process, a Democratic president could do the same.

Planning for what could happen with estate and gift taxes is a challenge. In 2012, the last time the estate and gift tax exemption was predicted to decrease, it was raised instead.

“People say exemptions have never gone down,” said Chris Pegg, senior director of wealth planning for Wells Fargo Private Bank. “That’s true. But we’ve never had exemptions this large and we’ve never had candidates talking about wealth redistribution. If you look at some of the dials that are most likely to be turned, I think the estate tax is one of them.”

Mr. Pegg said that taking advantage of the high estate tax exemption and the valuation discount around closely held businesses could allow business owners to pass more of their wealth to heirs free of tax. It could also help settle some business issues now, not later when the owners die.

“You have a powerful, tax-free way to move money,” said Joanne Johnson, head of the wealth advisory group at J.P. Morgan’s private bank. “Just moving money for the sake of moving money, it’s not impactful. You have to identify your goals — that’s the most important thing.”

In certain states, like Connecticut, it may not make sense to plan so aggressively because the state’s estate and gift tax exemption is lower than the federal one. (In Connecticut, those exemptions are set to become equal in 2023.)

James Dougherty, a partner in the private client and tax team at the law firm Withers Bergman, advises clients to not rush. “Take a break and leave room in your plan for changes,” he said. “Every day, the I.R.S. is inventing new ways to go after tax planning.”

What a Democratic president could do with a stroke of the pen is enforce a section of the Internal Revenue Code that ends valuation discounts for closely held family businesses. The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service under President Barack Obama had proposed regulations that would have disallowed these discounts, which were seen as being overly generous when it came to estate planning.

A few months after taking office, Mr. Trump issued an executive order that told the Treasury Department to withdraw the regulations.

But advisers have pointed out that the statute eliminating valuation discounts remains on the books and is easy to reinstate. “Those regulations were shelved; they weren’t unwritten,” Mr. Pegg said. “You could reinstruct the secretary of the Treasury to propose them again, and they’d become law in the form of regulations.”

Eliminating valuation discounts also has support within the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. “If they have any way to scale back tax rules that benefit the 1 percent, they’re likely to do it,” said Bill Smith, managing director in the national tax office of at CBIZ MHM, an accounting firm. “This is certainly what they’d think of as a ‘1 percent rule.’ It isn’t, in my mind, because it affects all small business.”

The discounts were meant to be used by a private business that was owned by several family members. For example: Five people each own a 20 percent stake in a $100 million company. The difficulty they would have selling a stake to a nonfamily member meant it was not really worth $20 million.

Generally, 30 percent was considered a reasonable discount for this type of illiquidity. At that level and with the current gift tax exemption, a share in a business worth $33 million could be discounted and put in trust without paying any gift tax.

Some planners pushed the discount limit to 40 percent and beyond. A few egregious examples drew the ire of policymakers, like ones where a family partnership was created to hold a basket of marketable securities, whose value was easy to ascertain.

Ron Shepard, a small-business owner who lives in Orange County, Calif., is in the process of using various tax structures to pass his family business to his son and daughter. His business, Shepard Brothers, makes cleaners, sanitizers and water treatment products used for food safety.

“The tax implications are all part of that equation,” he said. The company is based in California, which has high state taxes on top of federal taxes.

The structures to protect those shares are also appealing to individuals. Irrevocable trusts, for example, can allow a business owner to give a share of a business at a discounted valuation and still have it protected from creditors. The business itself can be recapitalized so those shares do not carry a vote. This allows the business owner to have full control over day-to-day decisions while still saving on any future estate tax.

Mr. Shepard said it took him nearly 10 years to get to the point where he was ready to begin passing on the business. He realized that he could continue building the business himself and leave it to his children later. But he chose to include them while they were still young, a decision that helped the family build mutual trust, he said. That made the transfer easier.

“A lot of people will get the advisory side right, where they can put all kinds of things into all kinds of vehicles to protect it, but that doesn’t teach them how to spend the money,” he said. “The main thing I taught my kids about the business we have is you have to understand the asset and how it works because you’re going to own it one day, even if you don’t work in the business.”

That’s easier to plan for than what a tax rate is going to be and when.

from WordPress https://mastcomm.com/two-tax-strategies-to-consider-ahead-of-the-2020-election/

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ashleydpalmerusa · 5 years

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Hey Y’all, Let’s Get Salty About These 2018 Elijah Watt Sells Award Winners

Whelp it’s that time of year again, the time when we recognize the efforts of an elite handful of CPA exam candidates whose performance on one of the toughest professional examinations out there ranks the best of the best. The AICPA handed out 110 Elijah Watt Sells Awards for 2018 last week, and as is tradition around these parts, we will recognize each and every one of them.

In order to qualify for the award, candidates must score at least a cumulative 95.50 across all four parts of the exam and pass each part on their first try. Additionally, 2018 award winners completed testing in that year.

Now, let’s get to recognizing, shall we? At the end, we’ll tally up the firm totals so we can hold a brief dick measuring contest, as is also tradition around these parts. TL;DR straight to the bottom if you’re looking for that.

Kelsey M. Alexander (Colorado), a graduate of University of Colorado Boulder with a BS in Business Administration and MS in Accounting, is employed with KPMG in Denver, Colorado.

Ruicheng Richard Bai (California), a graduate of University of California, Berkeley with a BS in Business Administration and a BA in Statistics, is employed with Deloitte Tax LLP in San Francisco, California.

Hayden C. Bauer (Kansas), a graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a BBA in Accountancy and a Master of Accountancy from the University of Arkansas is employed with KPMG in Chicago, Illinois.

Michelle Bauer (Washington), a graduate of University of Washington with a BABA in Accounting and Information Systems, is employed with Moss Adams LLP in Seattle, Washington.

Bridget J. Bauman (Texas), a graduate of Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting & Business Honors and Master of Science in Accounting, is employed with Bray International, Inc., in Houston, Texas.

Alice M. Begovich (Virginia), a graduate of The University of Dayton with a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering and Master of Accountancy from The University of Tennessee is employed with Deloitte Tax LLP in McLean, Virginia.

Mary Kate Breese (Pennsylvania), a graduate of Grove City College with a BS in Accounting and in Finance is employed with Felix and Gloekler, P.C. in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Asher Brown (Oklahoma), a graduate of The University of Oklahoma with a BBA in Accounting and Masters of Accountancy is employed with Grant Thornton, LLP in Oklahoma City, OK.

Matthew Brooks (Texas), a graduate of Brigham Young University with a BA in French Studies and a MS in Accounting from The University of Texas at Dallas is employed with Deloitte Tax, LLP in Dallas, Texas.

John Browning (New York), a graduate of University of North Carolina at Asheville with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics in Economics; and Master of Science in Accountancy from Wake Forest University, is employed with KPMG in New York, NY.

Katherine Brunt (Texas), a graduate of Texas A&M University with a BBA in Accounting and Business Honors and a Masters of Financial Management is employed with EY, LLP in Dallas, Texas.

Emily Buzby (Florida), a graduate of the University of Florida with a BS in Accounting and MS in Accounting, is employed with KPMG in Jacksonville, Florida.

Guillermo Andrew Casay (Maryland), a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park with a BS in Accounting and Finance is employed with the FDIC in Arlington, VA.

Joseph S. Cassata (Illinois), a graduate of DePaul University with a BSC in Accounting and Management, is employed with Wellen Capital in Chicago, IL.

Jamie Castor (Texas), a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a BS in Mathematics and Sports Management and an Advanced Technical Certificate in Accounting from Austin Community College, is employed with EY, LLP in Houston, TX.

Michaela K. Christian (Iowa), a graduate of Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Bachelor of Science in Finance, is employed with RSM US LLP in Des Moines, IA.

Nathan Claflin (Wisconsin), a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a BBA in Accounting, is employed with EY in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Margaret Collins (North Carolina), a graduate of Wake Forest University with a BS in Accounting and MS in Accountancy employed with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Douglas Coons (Nebraska), a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Science in Accountancy from the University of Notre Dame is employed with Deloitte in Omaha, Nebraska.

Clare Creighton (North Carolina), a graduate of Rice University with a Bachelor of Arts in Cognitive Sciences and Master of Accountancy from University of North Carolina at Charlotte, is employed with Richey May & Co. in Charlotte, NC.

Christopher D’Agostino (Michigan), a graduate of Walsh College with a bachelor’s degree in accounting is employed with Rehmann in Troy, Michigan.

Thomas Deal (Oregon), a graduate of Santa Clara University with a BS in Accountancy is employed with KPMG LLP in Portland, OR.

William Joseph Donohue III (Ohio), a graduate of The Ohio State University with a BSBA in Marketing and Master of Accountancy from Cleveland State University is employed with KeyBank in Cleveland, Ohio.

Michael Dougherty (Florida), a graduate of The University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Master of Accounting from The University of Florida (if applicable) is employed with Dixon Hughes Goodman, LLP in Jacksonville, Florida.

Gogo Duale (California), a graduate of Aston University with a BSc in Economics and Management, an MSc in African Development from the London School of Economics and a Certificate in Accounting from UCLA Extension is employed with KPMG in Los Angeles, California.

Jesse Eles (Connecticut), a graduate of the University of Connecticut with a BS in Accounting is employed with Ernst & Young in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Timothy Fallon (Alaska), a graduate of University of Wisconsin – La Crosse with a BS in Accountancy, is employed with KPMG LLP in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Sijie (Jessie) Fang (Illinois), a graduate of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a BS in Accounting and Marketing and MS in Accounting, is employed with KPMG in Chicago, Illinois.

Marielle Fesmire (California), a graduate of University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a BA in Business Economics is employed with PwC, LLP in Los Angeles, CA.

Stephen Flessner (Maryland), a graduate of University of Maryland, College Park with a BS in Accounting and a BS in Finance is employed with EY, LLP in Baltimore, MD.

Brian P. Frey (District of Columbia; Virginia), a graduate of the University of Maryland with a BS in Accounting and a BS in Information Systems, is employed with KPMG LLP in Washington, DC.

Amy Fursa (Minnesota), a graduate of College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University with a BA in Accounting is employed with Ernst & Young, LLP in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Natalie Gilbert (Texas), a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin with a BBA in Accounting and a Masters in Professional Accounting, is employed with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Houston, Texas.

Sanyam Goel (New Hampshire), a graduate of Delhi University with a Bachelor of Commerce, is employed at Shyam Goel and Associates in New Delhi.

Katherine Griesemer (Tennessee), a graduate of Lee University with a BS in Accounting and Finance and is employed with Unity Dance Troupe in Cleveland, Tennessee.

Johnathan Grimaldi (New York), a graduate of Boston College Carroll School of Management with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance is employed with PwC in New York, New York.

Alex Gunnerson (Oregon), a graduate of Brigham Young University with a Bachelors Degree in Accounting and Masters of Taxation (also Brigham Young University) is employed with KPMG in Portland, Oregon.

Wesley Davis Guymon (California), a graduate of Utah Valley University with a BS in Accounting and MS in Accounting from Southern Utah University, is employed with CVF Capital Partners in Davis, California.

Caleb Guzman (Texas), a graduate of Texas A&M University with a BBA in Accounting and MS in Accounting is employed with EY, LLP in Houston, Texas.

Justin Henry (Wisconsin), a graduate of University of Wisconsin – Whitewater with a Bachelors of Business Administration in Accounting and Masters of Professional Accountancy from University of Wisconsin – Whitewater (if applicable) is employed with CliftonLarsonAllen in Madison, WI.

Tori Hardiek (Indiana), a graduate of Butler University with a BS and MS in Accounting, is employed with Somerset CPAs and Advisors in Indianapolis, IN.

Lauren Heller (Hawaii), a graduate of Rice University with a B.A. in Mathematical Economic Analysis and Master of Accounting is employed with J.P. Morgan in Houston, Texas.

Sarah Henderson (West Virginia), a graduate of University of Charleston with a BS in Accounting and Finance is employed with Suttle & Stalnaker, PLLC in Charleston, West Virginia.

Nathan Herrmann (Colorado), a graduate of Oklahoma State University with a B.S. and M.S. in Accounting, is employed with KPMG, LLP in Denver, CO.

Adam Heussner (Minnesota), a graduate of University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a BBA in Accounting, is employed with PricewaterhouseCoopers of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

James P. Hodson (Pennsylvania), a graduate of West Chester University of Pennsylvania with a BS in Accounting and Finance, is employed with EY in Philadelphia, PA.

Timothy Hubner (Illinois), a graduate of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor’s in Accounting and a Bachelor’s in Finance and is employed with KPMG in Chicago, Illinois.

Brenden Hull (Georgia), a graduate of the University of Georgia with a BBA in Accounting and International Business and a Master of Accountancy, is employed with CohnReznick LLP in Atlanta, Georgia.

Michael Janenko (Pennsylvania), a graduate of DeSales University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and Finance and MBA from DeSales University is employed with Olympus America Inc in Center Valley, PA.

Laura Elise Jones (Texas), a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Master in Professional Accounting is employed with KPMG in Dallas, Texas.

Szu Yin Chen Keen (Oregon), a graduate of National Chiao-Tung University with a BA in Management Science and MBA from Willamette University is employed with Doty, Pruett, Wilson PC in Salem, Oregon.

Minjae Kim (Texas), a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin with a BBA in Accounting/Business Honors Program and Master in Professional Accounting, is employed with Analysis Group in Dallas, Texas.

Michael Kimble (Kentucky), a graduate of University of Louisville with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Accounting and a Master of Accounting from William & Mary, is employed with BKD CPAs & Advisors in Louisville, KY.

Mizuki Kio (California), a graduate of University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a BA in Business Economics is employed with Deloitte Tax, LLP in Los Angeles, California.

Katherine Kress (Wisconsin), a graduate of University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh with a BBA in Accounting, is employed with CliftonLarsonAllen LLP in Appleton, WI.

Collin Kuntz (Missouri), a graduate of Truman State University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Master’s in Accountancy is employed with Bayer in St. Louis, Missouri.

Mike Lamers (Wisconsin), a graduate of University of Wisconsin-Madison with a BBA in Accounting and Finance, is employed with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Nathaniel Levy (Arizona), a graduate of Northern Arizona University with a Bachelors of Accountancy and Master of Business Administration (Accounting focus) from Northern Arizona University is employed with KPMG in Phoenix, Arizona.

Xiaoxuan Li (California), a graduate of UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics, is employed with Pricewaterhouse Coopers in Los Angeles, California.

Corey Lockridge (Tennessee), a graduate of Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and Economics and a Master of Accountancy, is employed with PwC in Atlanta, GA.

Michael Lundberg (Utah), a graduate of Brigham Young University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and Master of Accountancy Degree from Brigham Young University is employed with Grant Thornton LLP in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Benjamin C. Lyford (Missouri), a graduate of Missouri State University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Accounting and Master of Accountancy from Missouri State University is employed with BKD LLP in Springfield, Missouri.

Ziheng Ma (New York), a graduate of Hainan University with a BS in Accounting and a MS in Accounting from Fordham University, is employed with KCH & Co., P.C. in New York, NY.

Matthew Maley (Minnesota), a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a BBA in Accounting and a Master of Accountancy is employed with General Mills in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Philip Mann (Texas), a graduate of Texas A&M University with a BBA in Accounting and MS in Accounting is employed with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Fort Worth, Texas.

Caleb Martin (Indiana), a graduate of IUPUI with a BSB in Accounting, Finance, and International Studies, is employed with Katz, Sapper & Miller, LLP in Indianapolis, IN.

Jennifer Mason (Arizona), a graduate of University of Phoenix with a Bachelor of Science in Business with a concentration in Accounting and Master of Science in Accountancy from University of Phoenix is employed with Kindly Care, Inc. in Gilbert, Arizona.

Ashley McDowell (Colorado), a graduate of University of Nebraska – Lincoln with a BS in Accounting and a Master of Professional Accountancy is employed with BKD, LLP in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Jake McElmury (Minnesota), a graduate of University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with a BSB in Accounting and Finance, is employed with Deloitte in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Ryan McMillen (Illinois), a graduate of University of South Carolina with a BS in Accounting and Finance and Master of Accountancy is employed with Ernst & Young, LLP, in Chicago, IL.

Max Michaels (California), a graduate of University of San Diego with a BA in Accountancy is employed with EY LLP in San Diego, CA.

Scott Mikus (Pennsylvania), a graduate of University of Pittsburgh with a BS in Accounting and Finance, is employed with BNY Mellon in Wilmington, Delaware.

Matt Moran (Illinois), a graduate of the University of Iowa with a BBA in Accounting and Finance, is employed with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Chicago, Illinois.

Joel Morris (Oregon), a graduate of Portland State University with a B.S. in Accounting and Finance, is employed with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Portland, Oregon.

Yusi Mu (California), a graduate of Nankai University with a Bachelor of Management and a Master of Accounting from University of Southern California, is employed with EY in Los Angeles, CA.

Patrick Nanna (Massachusetts), a graduate of Northeastern University with a BSBA in Accounting and MS in Accounting, is employed with Deloitte & Touche LLP in Boston, Massachusetts.

David Newell (Missouri), a graduate of Truman State University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and is earning a Master of Accounting with Data Analytics from Villanova University and is employed with KPMG in St. Louis, Missouri.

Tom Neyer (Missouri), a graduate of University of Missouri–Columbia with a BS and MS in Accountancy, is employed with Grant Thornton in St. Louis, Missouri.

Sarah Olson (Illinois), a graduate of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a BS and MS in Accountancy is employed with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Chicago, Illinois.

Aaron Pannell (Florida), a graduate of Florida State University with a B.S. Accounting and a Master of Accounting from Florida State University is employed with EY in Tampa, FL.

Joseph Pearson (South Carolina), a graduate of Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Master of Accountancy is employed with Deloitte in Phoenix, Arizona.

Dustin S. Peck (Pennsylvania), a graduate of Messiah College with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting is employed with Trout, Ebersole & Groff, LLP in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Steven Pochini (Michigan), a graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a BBA in accountancy and theology and an MS in accountancy is employed with Plante Moran in Ann Arbor, MI.

Allyson Randle (South Carolina), a graduate of Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Master of Professional Accountancy from Clemson University is employed with Ernst & Young in Greenville, SC.

Kelsey Ray (Oklahoma), a graduate of Oklahoma State University with a BS and MS in Accounting is employed with EY in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Matthew Reid (Georgia), a graduate of Purdue University with a BS in Management, an MBA from Indiana University, and an LL.M. in International Finance from Goethe University Frankfurt, is employed with BrandSafway in Atlanta, Georgia.

Nicholas Reilly (Illinois), a graduate of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a BS and MS in Accountancy, is employed with BDO USA, LLP in Chicago, Illinois.

Oscar Ryland (Ohio), a graduate of Miami University with a BS in Accounting and Finance is employed with Grant Thornton LLP in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Anthony Salazer (Louisiana), a graduate of Tulane University with a Finance and Marketing Undergraduate Degree and a Master of Accounting Degree is employed with EY in New Orleans, LA.

Brandon Salk (Rhode Island), a graduate of Bryant University with a BS in Business Administration and MS in Taxation, is employed with Grant Thornton, LLP in Westborough, Massachusetts.

Anne Salloom (New York), a graduate of Holy Cross with a Bachelor of Arts in Classics and a Master of Science in Accounting and MBA from Northeastern University, is employed with PwC in New York, New York.

Matthew Sorensen (Minnesota), a graduate of The University of Minnesota – Twin Cities with a BSB in Accounting and Finance is employed with KPMG in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Andee Soza (Arizona), a graduate of Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy and Master of Accountancy from Brigham Young University is employed with KPMG, LLP in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Ted Spilde (Minnesota), a graduate of Hamline University with a BBA in Accounting and Master of Accounting with Data and Analytics from the University of Missouri is employed with KPMG in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Lawrence Stark (MA), a graduate of University of Vermont with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Master of Accountancy from University of Vermont is employed with PwC in Boston, MA.

Regan B. Stewart (Texas), a graduate of Brigham Young University with a BS in Accounting and MS in Accounting is employed with EY LLP in Dallas, Texas.

David Stone (Maine), a graduate of the University of Southern Maine with a BS in Accounting and Economics and MBA from Thomas College, is employed with BerryDunn in Portland, Maine.

Cailin Yoho Thompson (West Virginia), a graduate of West Virginia University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Accounting and a Master of Accountancy from West Virginia University is employed with Suttle & Stalnaker, PLLC in Parkersburg, WV.

Ryan Thorsen (Colorado), a graduate of Brigham Young University with a BS in Accounting and MS in Tax, is employed with KPMG in Denver, Colorado.

Sharon Tucker (Illinois), a graduate of Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor’s of Science – Accountancy, and Masters of Accounting Science, is employed with Tighe, Kress & Orr in Elgin, Illinois.

Kurt Urbanski (Indiana), a graduate of Purdue University North Central with a BS in Accounting is employed with Crowe LLP in South Bend, Indiana.

Vanessa Vandamas (Florida), a graduate of Florida International University with a Bachelor of Accounting and a Master of Accounting is employed with Deloitte in Miami, FL.

Kerry Walley (Illinois), a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting is employed with True Partner’s Consulting, LLC in Chicago, IL.

Austin Wang (New Jersey), a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis with a BA in Japanese and Economics and MA in East Asian Studies and a Master in International Economic Policy from Sciences Po Paris, is employed with Inteplast Group in Livingston, New Jersey.

Kaylie Windham (Texas), a graduate of Texas A&M University with a BBA in Business Honors and Accounting and an MS in Accounting is employed with EY, LLP in Houston, Texas.

Warren Wolf (Arkansas), a graduate of Louisiana Tech University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Accounting and a Master of Accountancy is employed with the Louisiana Legislative Auditor in Monroe, Louisiana.

Siying (Clara) Yang (Illinois), a graduate of University of Notre Dame with a BBA in Accountancy and ACMS (Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statics) is employed with Deloitte in Chicago, Illinois.

Xiaoqing Ye (California), a graduate of Shanghai University with a BA in Economics and MS in Accountancy from San Diego State University is employed with BDO USA, LLP in San Diego, California.

Alexandra Yunker (New York), a graduate of Fordham University with a BS in Accounting and MBA, is employed with Grant Thornton LLP in Boston, Massachusetts.

Joe Zywicki (Michigan), a graduate of Michigan State University with a B.A. in Accounting and is employed with KPMG Deal Advisory in Chicago, IL.

Totals: Deloitte 10 EY 4 KPMG 20 PwC 5

Well dang, who saw that coming? I certainly didn’t. Good work, House of Klynveld!

Now, inb4 someone chimes in that the Watt Sells Award is stupid and its winners dumb for aiming for anything above a 75 since passing is all that matters in the grand scheme of things, it’s kind of cool that the AICPA recognizes exceptional performance on the exam. As they mention in their press release, it’s a prestigious award few achieve, one earned solely through effort. Award winners, you should be proud.

Plus there’s a $20,000 bonus for Elijah Watt Sells winners at some firms, at least there used to be. I’m gonna go ahead and assume that’s still the case as I’m too lazy to pick up the phone and call around to ask. Yeah, let’s go with that.

Congrats winners!

The post Hey Y’all, Let’s Get Salty About These 2018 Elijah Watt Sells Award Winners appeared first on Going Concern.

from Accounting News https://goingconcern.com/hey-yall-lets-get-salty-about-these-2018-elijah-watt-sells-award-winners/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hey-yall-lets-get-salty-about-these-2018-elijah-watt-sells-award-winners

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lisarprahl · 5 years