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Mercedes/VW/BMW/Ducati

2913 Views 11 Replies 4 Participants Last post by sarnali2, Feb 15, 2012

jmdonald

Discussion Starter · Feb 14, 2012

Ducati up for sale, German automakers cited as potential suitors

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Well that's interesting. Usually Italian m/c makers get sold when they're at the brink of financial collapse. Unless they're snowing everybody, Ducati's been doing great for several years now...

Here's an article suggesting they may do an IPO out of Hong Kong. Man, what a great way to ruin a company...take them public and all of sudden instead of making motorcycles, their primary concern becomes quarterly EBITA and EPS.
Ducati Owner Said to Mull Sale or H.K. IPO - Bloomberg

Did you laugh out loud when you read HD might buy them? I did!

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jmdonald

Discussion Starter · #3 · Feb 14, 2012

Cashing Out

I really can't see the logic of selling the company other than the current owners becoming even more wealthy. The Ducati passion will only be diluted if any of the named prospects take over or the company offers an IPO. They bring nothing to the party as I see it. Especially H.D. Maybe I'm missing something.

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The Spaceman

· #4 · Feb 14, 2012 (Edited)

I don't think you're missing anything at all. This is the same pattern I've seen over and over here in the US.

Yoostabee a guy would build up a company and keep it going for his kids and grandkids to take over. And employ people for decades in the process, building equity for everyone in the process. Nowadays, the idea is spin it up, dress it up, and take it public. Then, if the the IPO goes well and you get a couple years of decent returns, sell it to the highest bidder and walk away; too bad what happens to the employees, community, etc.

It's not a good pattern for the long-term health of the economy or our society.

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Buzglyd

· #5 · Feb 14, 2012

The Spaceman said:
I don't think you're missing anything at all. This is the same pattern I've seen over and over here in the US.

Yoostabee a guy would build up a company and keep it going for his kids and grandkids to take over. And employ people for decades in the process, building equity for everyone in the process. Nowadays, the idea is spin it up, dress it up, and take it public. Then, if the the IPO goes well and you get a couple years of decent returns, sell it to the highest bidder and walk away; too bad what happens to the employees, community, etc.

It's not a good pattern for the long-term health of the economy or our society.

Yoostabee the inheritance tax wasn't 55%.

You can't pass along anything to the kids. The gov't "redistributes" it.

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The Spaceman

· #6 · Feb 14, 2012

Buzglyd said:
Yoostabee the inheritance tax wasn't 55%.

You can't pass along anything to the kids. The gov't "redistributes" it.

WRONG! Geez Buzz, at least google this stuff before you post. The inheritance tax has gone down from 77% during the years from 1942 to 1976, with a 15% drop from 65% in 1982 to under 50% in 2003. Amazing how we managed to build the strongest economy in the world with all those "crippling taxes," isn't it?

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Buzglyd

· #7 · Feb 14, 2012

The Spaceman said:
WRONG! Geez Buzz, at least google this stuff before you post. The inheritance tax has gone down from 77% during the years from 1942 to 1976, with a 15% drop from 65% in 1982 to under 50% in 2003. Amazing how we managed to build the strongest economy in the world with all those "crippling taxes," isn't it?

Yeah we should raise them all too 100% and things would rock!

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The Spaceman

· #8 · Feb 14, 2012

Buzglyd said:
Yeah we should raise them all too 100% and things would rock!

No, but 99% on the 1% is kinda catchy!

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Buzglyd

· #9 · Feb 14, 2012

The Spaceman said:
No, but 99% on the 1% is kinda catchy!

Hermen Cain is changing his party affiliation and running with that!

No infidelity worries when you're a Dem!

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jmdonald

Discussion Starter · #10 · Feb 14, 2012

Zero

There should be no inheritance tax whatsoever.

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The Spaceman

· #11 · Feb 15, 2012

jmdonald said:
There should be no inheritance tax whatsoever.

They've been around a while:

"Estate taxes are not a new phenomenon; they date back almost three thousand years. As early as 700 B.C., there appears to have been a 10 percent tax on the transfer of property at death in Egypt. In the first century A.D., Augustus Caesar imposed a tax on successions and legacies to all but close relatives."

Estate Taxes An Historical Perspective

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sarnali2

· #12 · Feb 15, 2012

jmdonald said:
There should be no inheritance tax whatsoever.

I agree, or 10% at most.

Regarding Ducati, maybe Ratan Tata should buy them, Tata Sons seems to own everything else these days. A modern 250 single for a reasonable price would knock Royal Enfield on their ears and probably sell like hotcakes, or garlic Naans as the case may be...

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