What you see on top is a screenshot taken a couple of minutes ago (14:00 London time). It shows the market reaction after the latest ex CEO Woddofrd statement at Bloomberg: “The whole board is contaminated and that company needs to be cleaned up. The whole board have had discussions and vote unanimously and no one asks anything. It’s just complete and utter obedience to Kikukawa.” And “There were $800 million in payments to buy companies making face cream and Tupperware. What the hell were we doing paying $800 million for these companies?”. And there is more coming from W.: “The eventual cost of the Transaction to Olympus is extremely significant and is as a result of a number of actions taken by management which are questionable and which give cause for concern. We were unable to confirm that there has been improper conduct, however, given the sums of money involved and some of the unusual decisions that have been made it cannot be ruled out.” The end of MR.W interview sounds a bit dramatic: “I was extremely concerned for my safety and well-being, left Japan on the first available flight to London via Hong Kong on Friday afternoon.”
What I didn’t know until today is that Woodford recommended Kikukawa and Mori resign from the board in an Oct. 11 letter!!! And only three days later Woodford was fired.
No matter who is right, the market believes in Mr. Woodford story. Goldman Sachs Group Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Nomura Holdings Inc. cut Olympus’s ratings after the ouster. Something has to change inside Olympus, because many out there are not trusting them anymore!
[/shoplink]