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Views and information on the Irving family and their businesses are presented. The empire was started by oil-and-forestry mogul K. C. Irving and his since grown into a conglomerate of 250 privately owned companies that is estimated to be worth $7.1 billion. The Irving family's businesses include service stations, pulp and paper mills, and shipyards.

The Gehr Group reported it secured $20 million in financing from MidFirst Bank for the leasehold interest in the Fairfield Inn & Suites Manhattan / Times Square, completing the $181 [...]

A comparative analysis of successful Korean business groups known as Chaebol and Japanese conglomerates known as Keiretus is conducted to gain insight into their features, finance, government relations, and cultural factors.

General Electric is a conglomerate of companies that are affected differently by the downturn in the economy. Some analysts believe the company's stock price is undervalued, and that purchasing stock will prove to be a wise investment over time for investors. An in-depth company analysis provides support for the conclusion.

Arcadia Group PLC, a clothing conglomerate, showed increase in total sales by 32.5% for the 20 weeks ending January 15, 2000. The group plans to sell off about 500 of its 2,000 high street outlets to reduce shop rent expense.

India's most important business group is socially responsible but financially disappointing CHIEF executives in the West share some familiar gripes: quarterly-results-obsessed analysts who make it impossible to think about the [...]

Businesses can save on costs during times of financial crisis by conducting reviews of its internal and external organization such as banking relationships. The Cookson Group, which has about $3 billion in international sales, is a case in point. Review of its US operations resulted in the streamlining of its banks to two, Fleet Bank and Mellon Bank. The action was estimated to have saved $2 million dollar in banking costs.

Hewlett-Packard reported orders sharply down for the third fiscal quarter of 1996, which ended Jul 31. Divestiture of its disk-drive arm caused HP to take a large charge. The company's various businesses and financial forecasts are discussed.

Conglomerate corporation securities are a traditionally high attraction to many investors and while many have proved to be profitable, care must be taken in selecting the right companies in which to invest. Investors who anticipate purchasing conglomerate stocks at relatively low prices and cashing in when the corporations restructure or spin off sections, must be aware as to the profitability of all of a conglomerates operations before investing.

More diversified companies are trying to generate shareholder value by concentrating on basic goods and services, instead of spinoffs and other financial activities. Notable examples include AlliedSignal, Alco Standard and United Technologies. Investors should choose companies accordingly. Historically, the industry has done well during periods of economic uncertainty.

Financial management of conglomerate companies has changed drastically from the 1980s to the 1990s. In the 1980s, shareholder wealth seemed to be generated by the chief financial officer in spinoffs, share buybacks and recapitalizations. However, in the 1990s, companies that restructure are usually finding ways to enhance their operations. Companies are divesting subsidiaries that are not in their main line of business. The diversified companies that are more focused on earnings growth are a better investment than those that retain the financial management strategies of the 1980s.

Diversified company stocks are reaching a respectability not seen since the 1960s. Improvements since the mid-1980s have put the medium price-earnings multiple for industry stocks on par with other industry stocks. However, since these stocks show the best results during economically uncertain times, the outlook is not clear in the midst of economic upturn. Potential investors should carefully examine individual stock timeliness rankings and earnings potential.

Conglomerate company stocks were once thought of as highly desirable during times of economic weakness but may not fulfill investors' expectations. In the 1980s, many diversified companies weakened and restructured. The restructuring has caused many companies to improve since 1991, yet their growth may be slower than cyclical stocks.

One year on from the shock revelations that the prominent Saudi conglomerate, AH al-Gosaibi & Brothers, had defaulted on about $1bn of loan repayment obligations, Saudi Arabia's powerful family-owned business [...]

More large, diversified organizations are establishing in-house banking systems, which are internal treasury systems that centrally manage liquidity and risk. In-house banks can optimize investment returns while minimizing borrowing from outside sources. Organizations establishing in-house banks should consider several factors, including the structure of the organization, the organization's money management policies, and the expertise of corporate treasurers., High-torque treasury: in-house bank drives powerful money machine Managers of complex corporations are recognizing that centralized management of liquidity and risk are as important and potentially profitable to an enterprise [...]