They aren’t broken, but to climb back in this series, they’ll need more from their marquee players. They’ll need to solve the Heat’s suffocating defense and avoid lulls like the 3:50 stretch of the fourth quarter when the Heat unleashed a 14-0 run after the score was tied.
“We’ve got to get better ball movement and get the ball to the right guys and that’s always on me,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “Today was tough because I didn’t know who the hell was healthy.”
Three Celtics played through discomfort Tuesday. First, it was Paul Pierce who went down with what he identified as a “strain in my Achilles,” apparently after being stepped on by Joel Anthony following a free throw. He left with 5:05 left in the first quarter and returned with 7:41 remaining in the second.
Pierce played through the injury in the second half but attempted only four shots after intermission and closed with 13 points – five below his average against the Heat this season. “Every step is like a slight pain,” he said. “But it didn’t affect me the rest of the game.”
Meanwhile, Rajon Rondo was bothered by a sore back that prompted him to lie on his stomach when he was out on the game. His play didn’t seem to be affected; he had 20 points and 12 assists.
“One time he asked to come out at the beginning of the fourth because it got tight,” Rivers said. “It was bothering him this morning.”
And Ray Allen went to the locker-room in the fourth quarter to receive treatment on a bruised chest before returning. “I took an elbow into the chest from LeBron James and I sat on the bench and started to get shortness of breath,” Allen said. “It is just something I have to deal with.”
Allen, who shot a ridiculous 21 for 36 on three-pointers against the Heat in the teams’ previous five meetings, had a lackluster night: seven points on 2 for 7 shooting, including 1 for 2 on threes.
Allen was one of a trio of Celtics players who shot 2 for 7, with Jermaine O’Neal and backup Glen Davis also in that group. Kevin Garnett scored 16, missing 12 of 20 shots.
Celtics starters shot 9 for 32 in the first half and 5 for 12 in the fourth quarter. “We didn’t have great fluidity down the stretch,” Allen said.
Said Rivers: “We’re not a one-on-one team. Paul is the only guy who can beat guys one-on-one on his own.”
And defensively, “we’ve got to look ourselves in the mirror and do a better job on LeBron James and Dwyane Wade,” Pierce said. “One part that’s killing us is finishing off quarters.”
Some other Game 2 postscripts:
• The Heat shot 14 more free throws than Boston for the second consecutive game and now holds a 53-31 edge at the line. “That’s hurting us as much as anything,” Rivers said. “We fouled a ton of jump shooters tonight, which we can’t do.”
• The Heat’s starting unit hasn’t played well, as a group, throughout this postseason and that continued Tuesday. Outscored by five as a unit in Game 2, Miami’s starters have now been outscored by 51 points in seven postseason games. Coach Erik Spoelstra never went back to that starting lineup in the second or fourth quarters.
• Allen made one thing clear: “Being down 2-0 doesn’t scare any of us, doesn’t make us nervous.”
• The Celtics did a much better job defending James Jones, who on Sunday set a playoff record for most playoff points without attempting a two-point shot. Jones, who scored 25 Sunday, was held to one shot (a missed two pointer) in 19 scoreless minutes.
2011年5月3日星期二
2011年4月24日星期日
And the Heat didn’t buy wholesale rus
For three games, Miami toyed with the Sixers in the same way a bully amuses himself by picking on the weak. In Game 4, the weak fought back. Rocky finally won a round.
The Heat lost its first game of the postseason Sunday at Wells Fargo Center, falling 86-82 to the overmatched yet underappreciated Sixers. Miami was hoping for a sweep. Now it must try and knock out a scrappy opponent who is gaining confidence.
Up 3-1 on the Sixers in this first-round, best-of-7 series, the Heat now returns to Miami for Game 5 on Wednesday. It brings home a few of problems that need fixing before a serious playoff run can be realized.
“It’s disappointing,” LeBron James said, “but we’re not going to hang our heads all the way to the ground about it. We were up six with a minute and a half to go and they made some plays down the stretch.”
The Heat trailed 84-82 with 8.1 seconds on the clock when James Jones inbounded to James, who drove to his right against Andre Iguodala. James got his shot off on Iguodala but Brand shifted over from his weak-side position and got just enough of his hand on James’ attempt to redirect it with 3.8 seconds remaining.
“I anticipated him being there,” James said, “and I thought I put enough loft on the ball that I could get over his outstretched hand, but he made a great play.”
Seconds earlier, Sixers reserve Lou Williams swished a three-pointer from the top of the key to give Philadelphia the lead. The noise that followed was deafening, and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra called timeout to set up a play to tie or take the lead. Spoelstra went for the tie and drew up a play for James, who has often been used as a decoy at end of games.
James finished the game with 31 points on 11-of-20 shooting. He led the Heat with six assists and added seven rebounds, a block and a steal. Afterwards, James emphasized that his last-second miss “didn’t decide the game.” He pointed to mistakes in the first and third quarters that he thought had more impact.
Dwyane Wade tipped in James’ miss with 1:35 to play to give the Heat an 82-76 lead. The six-point lead seemed to be enough against a Sixers team not known for its outside shooting. A first-round sweep was in sight but Sixers rookie Evan Turner answered with a runner in the lane, and guard Jrue Holiday caught Wade out of possession for a three-pointer.
“The one with Jrue Holiday, he froze me, got off a good shot,” said Wade, who finished with 22 points on 9-of-21 shooting. “Probably not many people in the arena expected him to shoot.”
Holiday’s three-pointer dropped with 46.9 seconds to play, cutting the Heat’s lead to 82-81. Wade missed a 13-footer on the next possession, which set up Williams’ go-ahead three.
“We’ve always been a team that fought all the way to the end,” Williams said. “Leading up into the shot I made, Jrue made a big shot and Evan played a great game. So, I just wanted to give us http://www.buywholesalerus.com/ an opportunity to win the basketball game."
The Heat lost its first game of the postseason Sunday at Wells Fargo Center, falling 86-82 to the overmatched yet underappreciated Sixers. Miami was hoping for a sweep. Now it must try and knock out a scrappy opponent who is gaining confidence.
Up 3-1 on the Sixers in this first-round, best-of-7 series, the Heat now returns to Miami for Game 5 on Wednesday. It brings home a few of problems that need fixing before a serious playoff run can be realized.
“It’s disappointing,” LeBron James said, “but we’re not going to hang our heads all the way to the ground about it. We were up six with a minute and a half to go and they made some plays down the stretch.”
The Heat trailed 84-82 with 8.1 seconds on the clock when James Jones inbounded to James, who drove to his right against Andre Iguodala. James got his shot off on Iguodala but Brand shifted over from his weak-side position and got just enough of his hand on James’ attempt to redirect it with 3.8 seconds remaining.
“I anticipated him being there,” James said, “and I thought I put enough loft on the ball that I could get over his outstretched hand, but he made a great play.”
Seconds earlier, Sixers reserve Lou Williams swished a three-pointer from the top of the key to give Philadelphia the lead. The noise that followed was deafening, and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra called timeout to set up a play to tie or take the lead. Spoelstra went for the tie and drew up a play for James, who has often been used as a decoy at end of games.
James finished the game with 31 points on 11-of-20 shooting. He led the Heat with six assists and added seven rebounds, a block and a steal. Afterwards, James emphasized that his last-second miss “didn’t decide the game.” He pointed to mistakes in the first and third quarters that he thought had more impact.
Dwyane Wade tipped in James’ miss with 1:35 to play to give the Heat an 82-76 lead. The six-point lead seemed to be enough against a Sixers team not known for its outside shooting. A first-round sweep was in sight but Sixers rookie Evan Turner answered with a runner in the lane, and guard Jrue Holiday caught Wade out of possession for a three-pointer.
“The one with Jrue Holiday, he froze me, got off a good shot,” said Wade, who finished with 22 points on 9-of-21 shooting. “Probably not many people in the arena expected him to shoot.”
Holiday’s three-pointer dropped with 46.9 seconds to play, cutting the Heat’s lead to 82-81. Wade missed a 13-footer on the next possession, which set up Williams’ go-ahead three.
“We’ve always been a team that fought all the way to the end,” Williams said. “Leading up into the shot I made, Jrue made a big shot and Evan played a great game. So, I just wanted to give us http://www.buywholesalerus.com/ an opportunity to win the basketball game."
Lindsay Lohan is "angry" about her buy wholesale products
Lindsay Lohan is "angry" about her looming buy wholesale products jail sentence, but is willing to accept her punishment and serve out her time, according to her producer pal Nathan Folks.
The Mean Girls star was charged with probation violation by a judge in Los Angeles on Friday (22Apr11) and ordered back to jail for a fourth time.
The sentence - which also includes 400 hours of community service - came as she pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanour charge relating to the alleged theft of a necklace from a California jewellery store back in January (11). The judge decided the accusation constituted a violation of her probation stemming from a 2007 Dui charge and Lohan was booked into a California jail before being freed on bail to appeal the sentence.
Movie producer Folks has now spoken out about his close friend's situation, revealing the 24 year old feels disappointed as she was looking forward to getting her acting career back on track with a number of new film roles.
He tells People.com, "She is fine. Obviously, she is upset about (being sentenced to four months in jail)... She is angry because she has been working so hard on turning her life around. She didn't do what they said she did. She didn't steal that necklace."
Folks also claims Lohan - who was released from three months of court-ordered rehab in January (11) - is prepared to go to jail and attend drink and drugs therapy to cement buy wholesale cheap online her recovery.
He adds, "She is ready to do her time. She wants to go to A.A. (Alcoholics Anonymous) and N.A. (Narcotics Anonymous) and to serve her 400 hours (of community service). She has already been doing lots of charity work."
The Mean Girls star was charged with probation violation by a judge in Los Angeles on Friday (22Apr11) and ordered back to jail for a fourth time.
The sentence - which also includes 400 hours of community service - came as she pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanour charge relating to the alleged theft of a necklace from a California jewellery store back in January (11). The judge decided the accusation constituted a violation of her probation stemming from a 2007 Dui charge and Lohan was booked into a California jail before being freed on bail to appeal the sentence.
Movie producer Folks has now spoken out about his close friend's situation, revealing the 24 year old feels disappointed as she was looking forward to getting her acting career back on track with a number of new film roles.
He tells People.com, "She is fine. Obviously, she is upset about (being sentenced to four months in jail)... She is angry because she has been working so hard on turning her life around. She didn't do what they said she did. She didn't steal that necklace."
Folks also claims Lohan - who was released from three months of court-ordered rehab in January (11) - is prepared to go to jail and attend drink and drugs therapy to cement buy wholesale cheap online her recovery.
He adds, "She is ready to do her time. She wants to go to A.A. (Alcoholics Anonymous) and N.A. (Narcotics Anonymous) and to serve her 400 hours (of community service). She has already been doing lots of charity work."
2011年4月21日星期四
United Technologies was also strong with buy wholesale r us
Intel led the Dow with a jump of $1.55, or 7.8%, to $21.41, after the chip maker posted first Buy wholesale - Cheap products, Best buy wholesale online R Us -quarter earnings and revenue above analysts' expectations, along with a second-quarter revenue outlook that topped Wall Street estimates.
United Technologies was also strong with a gain of 3.54, or 4.3%, to 85.90, as the maker of elevators and airplane engines also posted first-quarter earnings above Wall Street expectations on strong revenue growth and margin expansion.
Earnings from International Business Machines also exceeded expectations, but the technology giant's shares slipped 65 cents, or 0.4%, to 164.75, as the company didn't lift its full-year forecast by as much as some investors had hoped and services signings disappointed.
The Nasdaq Composite jumped 57.54, or 2.10%, to 2802.51, and the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index added 17.74, or 1.35%, to 1330.36. The technology sector led the advance, as the stronger-than-expected earnings and revenue growth from Intel and IBM boosted sentiment for the quarterly results to come from others in the sector.
Nick Raich, director of research and senior vice president at Key Private Bank, said he was particularly encouraged to see more companies reporting revenue increases.
"Everyone's been saying earnings are coming from the cost cutting, but when you actually see the sales in the businesses start to improve, that's when investors say 'hey, things are improving.'"
U.S. economic data also provided a lift after the National Association of Realtors said existing-home sales increased 3.7% in March from February. Economists had expected a smaller increase.
Together, the latest earnings and housing data helped alleviate investors' concerns about the economy just two days after Standard & Poor's Ratings Services cut its outlook on U.S. Buy wholesale - Cheap products, Best buy wholesale online R Us government debt. It also helped U.S. stocks erase the declines that followed the S&P move on Monday, when the market suffered its biggest one-day drop in almost a month.
"There has been a growing worry that the economic momentum is slowing both domestically and globally and the economic data in terms of housing has helped to assuage those fears a bit and the earnings that have come out in terms of technology have offered positive reinforcement that global demand remains intact," said Quincy Krosby, chief market strategist at Prudential Financial. "Technology especially is crucial because it is an integral component of global growth."
Wednesday's climb in U.S. stocks followed gains in Asian and European markets, which rallied on the strong U.S. corporate earnings as well as a well-received Spanish bond auction.
Among stocks in focus, shares of DPL jumped 2.58, or 9.4%, to 30.17, after power company AES agreed to acquire the utility for an 8.7% premium over DPL's Tuesday closing share price. Shares of AES rose 41 cents, or 3.3%, to 12.88.
However, Wells Fargo dropped 1.24, or 4.1%, to 28.83. Investors were disappointed with a drop in revenue at the in the first quarter as its mortgage business cooled, a decline that tepid loan demand from corporations couldn't offset.
CIT Group jumped 2.81, or 7%, to 43.26. The commercial lender said regulators lifted a cease-and-desist order, now allowing the company to increase its brokered deposits. The go-ahead bolsters the small business lender's access to deposits, a cheap funding source, and underscores CIT's progress in winning back the confidence of regulators.
Wynn Resorts climbed 8.99, or 6.5%, to 147.92. The casino resort operator's first-quarter profit jumped as revenue surged on strength in Las Vegas and Macau.
Yahoo added 75 cents, or 4.7%, to 16.87. The Internet heavyweight's first-quarter earnings fell 28% as the company continues to contend with revenue-sharing costs, but its profit beat analysts' expectations. Yahoo's revenue outlook for the current quarter also came in line with analysts' expectations.
Amphenol Corp. gained 3.34, or 6.5%, to 54.92. The company, which makes fiber-optic and electronic connectors, cable and interconnect systems, reported first-quarter earnings above analysts' consensus estimate, benefetting from stronger demand for its interconnect products.
EMC Corp. rose 1.24, or 4.6%, to 27.96. The data-storage company's first-quarter earnings rose 28% on better-than-expected revenue growth, especially from its growing international markets.
Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold added 1.58, or 3.1%, to 53.30. The miner's first-quarter profit jumped 59% as higher production and surging prices boosted the top line.
Polaris Industries surged 19.10, or 21%, to 110.28. The producer of all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles more than doubled its first-quarter profit on sharp sales growth in all its major segments and expanded margins. The stronger-than-expected results prompted the company to raise its 2011 profit outlook.
United Rentals tumbled 3.13, or 9.9% Buy wholesale - Cheap products, Best buy wholesale online R Us, to 28.37. The equipment-rental company's first-quarter loss narrowed as revenue increased on higher rates and volume, but its adjusted loss was worse than analysts had expected.
United Technologies was also strong with a gain of 3.54, or 4.3%, to 85.90, as the maker of elevators and airplane engines also posted first-quarter earnings above Wall Street expectations on strong revenue growth and margin expansion.
Earnings from International Business Machines also exceeded expectations, but the technology giant's shares slipped 65 cents, or 0.4%, to 164.75, as the company didn't lift its full-year forecast by as much as some investors had hoped and services signings disappointed.
The Nasdaq Composite jumped 57.54, or 2.10%, to 2802.51, and the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index added 17.74, or 1.35%, to 1330.36. The technology sector led the advance, as the stronger-than-expected earnings and revenue growth from Intel and IBM boosted sentiment for the quarterly results to come from others in the sector.
Nick Raich, director of research and senior vice president at Key Private Bank, said he was particularly encouraged to see more companies reporting revenue increases.
"Everyone's been saying earnings are coming from the cost cutting, but when you actually see the sales in the businesses start to improve, that's when investors say 'hey, things are improving.'"
U.S. economic data also provided a lift after the National Association of Realtors said existing-home sales increased 3.7% in March from February. Economists had expected a smaller increase.
Together, the latest earnings and housing data helped alleviate investors' concerns about the economy just two days after Standard & Poor's Ratings Services cut its outlook on U.S. Buy wholesale - Cheap products, Best buy wholesale online R Us government debt. It also helped U.S. stocks erase the declines that followed the S&P move on Monday, when the market suffered its biggest one-day drop in almost a month.
"There has been a growing worry that the economic momentum is slowing both domestically and globally and the economic data in terms of housing has helped to assuage those fears a bit and the earnings that have come out in terms of technology have offered positive reinforcement that global demand remains intact," said Quincy Krosby, chief market strategist at Prudential Financial. "Technology especially is crucial because it is an integral component of global growth."
Wednesday's climb in U.S. stocks followed gains in Asian and European markets, which rallied on the strong U.S. corporate earnings as well as a well-received Spanish bond auction.
Among stocks in focus, shares of DPL jumped 2.58, or 9.4%, to 30.17, after power company AES agreed to acquire the utility for an 8.7% premium over DPL's Tuesday closing share price. Shares of AES rose 41 cents, or 3.3%, to 12.88.
However, Wells Fargo dropped 1.24, or 4.1%, to 28.83. Investors were disappointed with a drop in revenue at the in the first quarter as its mortgage business cooled, a decline that tepid loan demand from corporations couldn't offset.
CIT Group jumped 2.81, or 7%, to 43.26. The commercial lender said regulators lifted a cease-and-desist order, now allowing the company to increase its brokered deposits. The go-ahead bolsters the small business lender's access to deposits, a cheap funding source, and underscores CIT's progress in winning back the confidence of regulators.
Wynn Resorts climbed 8.99, or 6.5%, to 147.92. The casino resort operator's first-quarter profit jumped as revenue surged on strength in Las Vegas and Macau.
Yahoo added 75 cents, or 4.7%, to 16.87. The Internet heavyweight's first-quarter earnings fell 28% as the company continues to contend with revenue-sharing costs, but its profit beat analysts' expectations. Yahoo's revenue outlook for the current quarter also came in line with analysts' expectations.
Amphenol Corp. gained 3.34, or 6.5%, to 54.92. The company, which makes fiber-optic and electronic connectors, cable and interconnect systems, reported first-quarter earnings above analysts' consensus estimate, benefetting from stronger demand for its interconnect products.
EMC Corp. rose 1.24, or 4.6%, to 27.96. The data-storage company's first-quarter earnings rose 28% on better-than-expected revenue growth, especially from its growing international markets.
Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold added 1.58, or 3.1%, to 53.30. The miner's first-quarter profit jumped 59% as higher production and surging prices boosted the top line.
Polaris Industries surged 19.10, or 21%, to 110.28. The producer of all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles more than doubled its first-quarter profit on sharp sales growth in all its major segments and expanded margins. The stronger-than-expected results prompted the company to raise its 2011 profit outlook.
United Rentals tumbled 3.13, or 9.9% Buy wholesale - Cheap products, Best buy wholesale online R Us, to 28.37. The equipment-rental company's first-quarter loss narrowed as revenue increased on higher rates and volume, but its adjusted loss was worse than analysts had expected.
2011年4月15日星期五
The market response to the Hui Xian REIT has been a bit
"The market response to the Hui Xian REIT has been a bit slow and the retail portion has not been fully subscribed yet," Alvin Cheung, associate director at Prudential Brokerage, was quoted as saying on Friday.
The retail offering will close on Tuesday.
As of April 14 - four days into bookbuilding - the public offering tranche was still not fully covered, based on margin financing and estimated orders, IFR said.
Hong Kong's main brokerages reported margin financing of about 602 million yuan, accounting for only 27 percent of the retail tranche, IFR said. Hui Xian REIT has set aside 20 percent of its IPO, or 2.09-2.23 billion yuan, for retail investors.
Prudential Brokerage has only lent out HK$30 million ($3.9 million) of margin loans for the IPO so far, well below the HK$1.5-10 billion it typically lends on other Hong Kong dollar-denominated IPOs.
Subscriptions in cash were taking time to come through, although about 100,000 copies of the prospectus and 400,000 white forms had been handed out, IFR said.
"It seems retail investors prefer to buy in cash than through margin financing. The reason may be that they are afraid to get more shares in hand than expected, as the chances of that are greater than in regular IPOs," said a Hong Kong-based fund manager. "What's more, the cost in margin financing is also a consideration."
Margin financing on Hui Xian's IPO is more expensive than usual, with brokers charging annualised interest rates of about 2 percent, compared with the usual less than 1 percent to compensate for the additional cost of swapping Hong Kong dollars to yuan, IFR said.
Some brokerages were charging as much as 2.8 percent for margin financing against 1-2 percent for Hong Kong dollar issues, according to Cheung at Prudential, which charges 1.8 percent, the report said.
The retail offering will close on Tuesday.
As of April 14 - four days into bookbuilding - the public offering tranche was still not fully covered, based on margin financing and estimated orders, IFR said.
Hong Kong's main brokerages reported margin financing of about 602 million yuan, accounting for only 27 percent of the retail tranche, IFR said. Hui Xian REIT has set aside 20 percent of its IPO, or 2.09-2.23 billion yuan, for retail investors.
Prudential Brokerage has only lent out HK$30 million ($3.9 million) of margin loans for the IPO so far, well below the HK$1.5-10 billion it typically lends on other Hong Kong dollar-denominated IPOs.
Subscriptions in cash were taking time to come through, although about 100,000 copies of the prospectus and 400,000 white forms had been handed out, IFR said.
"It seems retail investors prefer to buy in cash than through margin financing. The reason may be that they are afraid to get more shares in hand than expected, as the chances of that are greater than in regular IPOs," said a Hong Kong-based fund manager. "What's more, the cost in margin financing is also a consideration."
Margin financing on Hui Xian's IPO is more expensive than usual, with brokers charging annualised interest rates of about 2 percent, compared with the usual less than 1 percent to compensate for the additional cost of swapping Hong Kong dollars to yuan, IFR said.
Some brokerages were charging as much as 2.8 percent for margin financing against 1-2 percent for Hong Kong dollar issues, according to Cheung at Prudential, which charges 1.8 percent, the report said.
2011年4月11日星期一
Shares of CHS plunged more than 35 per cent on Monday
The lawsuit represents Tenet’s latest effort to scupper a potential deal with CHS, which operates 130 hospitals in the US and had $13bn in revenues last year.
Tenet claims in the suit that CHS made between $280m and $377m through improperly admitting Medicare patients between 2006 and 2007.
It estimates that the liability and damages for these practices could exceed $1bn because many of these patients could have been placed under observation, or short-term, outpatient monitoring.
CHS called the allegations “baseless” and accused Tenet of using a “scorched earth” defence without regard for the interests of its shareholders.
“The bottom line is that these self-serving allegations are an attempt by Tenet’s management and board to continue their entrenchment strategy and to distract Tenet shareholders from CHS’s pending offer,” the company said.
The lawsuit comes after CHS made a $3.3bn hostile bid for Tenet last December, offering to pay $6 a share, including $5 cash for Tenet – a 40 per cent premium. It rebuffed the offer as too low, adopted a poison pill and delayed its annual shareholder meeting.
Tenet said it uncovered the irregularities as it was carrying out due diligence on CHS. It pointed to research that it commissioned from Avalere Health, a consultancy, that showed CHS placing half as many patients under observation than hospitals in the same markets.
CHS disclosed in its 10-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that the Office of Inspector General of the US Department of Health and Human Services had previously requested documents relating to its admission criteria and the attorney-general in Texas had requested information about its emergency department procedures and billing.
Tenet said that CHS had touted its ability to find synergies through acquisitions, such as its acquisition of Triad Hospitals in 2007.
It alleges that additional revenues were generated by cutting the use of observation at the hospitals it acquired by more than 50 per cent and admitting more patients to “needless hospital stays”.
“As a result of the revenues generated from these improper admissions, CHS’s stock price has for many years been artificially inflated,” the Tenet lawsuit said. “CHS now seeks to use its artificially inflated stock price to pay, in part, for the proposed acquisition of Tenet.”
Tenet said CHS’s alleged tactics meant that its stock was worth less than it stated when proposing the acquisition and that its ability to finance the cash portion of the deal could be hampered.
It argues CHS could also be excluded from Medicare for practices that overbilled the programme.
Tenet claims in the suit that CHS made between $280m and $377m through improperly admitting Medicare patients between 2006 and 2007.
It estimates that the liability and damages for these practices could exceed $1bn because many of these patients could have been placed under observation, or short-term, outpatient monitoring.
CHS called the allegations “baseless” and accused Tenet of using a “scorched earth” defence without regard for the interests of its shareholders.
“The bottom line is that these self-serving allegations are an attempt by Tenet’s management and board to continue their entrenchment strategy and to distract Tenet shareholders from CHS’s pending offer,” the company said.
The lawsuit comes after CHS made a $3.3bn hostile bid for Tenet last December, offering to pay $6 a share, including $5 cash for Tenet – a 40 per cent premium. It rebuffed the offer as too low, adopted a poison pill and delayed its annual shareholder meeting.
Tenet said it uncovered the irregularities as it was carrying out due diligence on CHS. It pointed to research that it commissioned from Avalere Health, a consultancy, that showed CHS placing half as many patients under observation than hospitals in the same markets.
CHS disclosed in its 10-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that the Office of Inspector General of the US Department of Health and Human Services had previously requested documents relating to its admission criteria and the attorney-general in Texas had requested information about its emergency department procedures and billing.
Tenet said that CHS had touted its ability to find synergies through acquisitions, such as its acquisition of Triad Hospitals in 2007.
It alleges that additional revenues were generated by cutting the use of observation at the hospitals it acquired by more than 50 per cent and admitting more patients to “needless hospital stays”.
“As a result of the revenues generated from these improper admissions, CHS’s stock price has for many years been artificially inflated,” the Tenet lawsuit said. “CHS now seeks to use its artificially inflated stock price to pay, in part, for the proposed acquisition of Tenet.”
Tenet said CHS’s alleged tactics meant that its stock was worth less than it stated when proposing the acquisition and that its ability to finance the cash portion of the deal could be hampered.
It argues CHS could also be excluded from Medicare for practices that overbilled the programme.
2011年4月5日星期二
Although NBC News executives proved adept at the host transition
“There is going to be an opening; she’s done,” says one source with knowledge of the situation. Another suggests she is still making her decision but that re-upping looks unlikely.
Although NBC News executives proved adept at the host transition when 15-year veteran Katie Couric stepped down in 2006, Vieira’s departure would nonetheless create a void at the dominant morning franchise — and an opportunity for rivals to pounce. In addition to being among the longest-running programs, Today has been the top-rated morning show for nearly 800 consecutive weeks (or more than 15 years). That longevity, coupled with its airtime — four hours Monday-Friday and three hours on the weekend — has made the show a profit center for NBC News. Today generated $454 million in ad revenue last year for its weekday broadcasts alone, according to estimates provided by Kantar Media. (By comparison, ABC’s Good Morning America, a perennial No. 2, took in $314 million, and CBS’ Early Show, a distant third in the ratings, earned $178 million.)
Vieira, who still hosts the syndicated game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, could decide to extend her contract for another 12 months as she did last year. But sources say the Today team has already started weighing replacement options. Potential heirs apparent to Vieira are said to include Today’s Ann Curry and Natalie Morales, Washington correspondent Savannah Guthrie and CNBC’s Erin Burnett. (Lauer, who has co-hosted Today since 1997, is locked in longer than Vieira, but his potential departure has NBC News eyeing its male anchor crop, including MSNBC’s Willie Geist and CNBC’s Carl Quintanilla.)
An NBC News spokesperson declined comment on possible anchor changes, except to say, “The Today show anchors are currently under contract and firmly in place.” Reps for Vieira declined comment.
Curry and Morales have the advantage of being familiar to NBC’s morning viewers. Curry, in particular, has paid her dues at Today, where she has been the show’s news anchor since 1997. Whether she’ll walk if the job doesn’t become hers is a concern that will inevitably be factored into the decision-making process.
For her part, Burnett has seen her profile steadily rise at the company. She hosts CNBC’s Squawk on the Street and Street Signs and appears on various NBC News programs to comment on financial stories. But while she sometimes turns up on Today, one source suggests NBC higher-ups are not convinced she’s a good fit for morning television.
Guthrie is said to have executives at the network most excited. The 39-year-old lawyer by training has proved a natural at traversing hard news and features — a requirement for a network morning show — when she has filled in for Vieira.
If Vieira does decide to bolt, it won’t come as a major surprise to anyone who has paid attention to her comments through the years. “A couple months into it, a little voice in my head said at 3:30, ‘You’re mentally ill; don’t get up,’ ” Vieira told the New York Daily News in 2006.
She has been similarly candid about having to navigate the personal burden of her husband Richard Cohen’s long battle with multiple sclerosis. “I’ll know when it’s time to go, and I’m not afraid,” she told Ladies’ Home Journal in October. “If I were to leave Today at the end of next year because it’s time for me, I wouldn’t jump to another show. I would look forward to not working, to traveling with Richard and carving out time for us.”
The possible Today transition comes in the wake of continued ratings erosion for broadcast news in general as well as a shakeup at CBS’ The Early Show and tinkering at ABC’s Good Morning America. While the broadcast morning shows still command significant audiences compared to their early hours competition – programs on NBC, ABC and CBS averaged 12.4 million viewers in aggregate last year– they have largely failed to build viewership among the younger demographics favored by advertisers. According to the Project for Excellence in Journalism’s annual State of the News Media report, morning news fell another 3% in 2010, the sixth consecutive year of losses.
In January, CBS News put in place an entirely new team led by Chris Wragge and Erica Hill. In the months since, the news division has seen 60 Minutes executive producer Jeff Fager named chairman and former Fox News and Bloomberg executive David Rhodes coming aboard as president. While the pair’s top priority at the moment is Couric and a potential transition at the CBS Evening News desk, both men also need to be assessing the division’s other broadcasts.
More recently, ABC News president Ben Sherwood announced a major personnel change on Good Morning America, the No. 2 morning show. ESPN’s Josh Elliott will be joining GMA as newsreader, replacing JuJu Chang, which has sent to Nightline where she will be a fill-in anchor Nightline and helm many of this summer’s primetime Nightline hours.
The tweaks have yet to push either broadcast ahead of Today, of course. For the first quarter, Today averaged 5.6 million viewers, followed by GMA (4.9 million) and The Early Show (2.6 million), according Nielsen. And in the all-important 25-54 demographic, Today posted its largest margin over GMA since 2004, luring 2.5 million compared to the latter’s 1.8 million.
Although NBC News executives proved adept at the host transition when 15-year veteran Katie Couric stepped down in 2006, Vieira’s departure would nonetheless create a void at the dominant morning franchise — and an opportunity for rivals to pounce. In addition to being among the longest-running programs, Today has been the top-rated morning show for nearly 800 consecutive weeks (or more than 15 years). That longevity, coupled with its airtime — four hours Monday-Friday and three hours on the weekend — has made the show a profit center for NBC News. Today generated $454 million in ad revenue last year for its weekday broadcasts alone, according to estimates provided by Kantar Media. (By comparison, ABC’s Good Morning America, a perennial No. 2, took in $314 million, and CBS’ Early Show, a distant third in the ratings, earned $178 million.)
Vieira, who still hosts the syndicated game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, could decide to extend her contract for another 12 months as she did last year. But sources say the Today team has already started weighing replacement options. Potential heirs apparent to Vieira are said to include Today’s Ann Curry and Natalie Morales, Washington correspondent Savannah Guthrie and CNBC’s Erin Burnett. (Lauer, who has co-hosted Today since 1997, is locked in longer than Vieira, but his potential departure has NBC News eyeing its male anchor crop, including MSNBC’s Willie Geist and CNBC’s Carl Quintanilla.)
An NBC News spokesperson declined comment on possible anchor changes, except to say, “The Today show anchors are currently under contract and firmly in place.” Reps for Vieira declined comment.
Curry and Morales have the advantage of being familiar to NBC’s morning viewers. Curry, in particular, has paid her dues at Today, where she has been the show’s news anchor since 1997. Whether she’ll walk if the job doesn’t become hers is a concern that will inevitably be factored into the decision-making process.
For her part, Burnett has seen her profile steadily rise at the company. She hosts CNBC’s Squawk on the Street and Street Signs and appears on various NBC News programs to comment on financial stories. But while she sometimes turns up on Today, one source suggests NBC higher-ups are not convinced she’s a good fit for morning television.
Guthrie is said to have executives at the network most excited. The 39-year-old lawyer by training has proved a natural at traversing hard news and features — a requirement for a network morning show — when she has filled in for Vieira.
If Vieira does decide to bolt, it won’t come as a major surprise to anyone who has paid attention to her comments through the years. “A couple months into it, a little voice in my head said at 3:30, ‘You’re mentally ill; don’t get up,’ ” Vieira told the New York Daily News in 2006.
She has been similarly candid about having to navigate the personal burden of her husband Richard Cohen’s long battle with multiple sclerosis. “I’ll know when it’s time to go, and I’m not afraid,” she told Ladies’ Home Journal in October. “If I were to leave Today at the end of next year because it’s time for me, I wouldn’t jump to another show. I would look forward to not working, to traveling with Richard and carving out time for us.”
The possible Today transition comes in the wake of continued ratings erosion for broadcast news in general as well as a shakeup at CBS’ The Early Show and tinkering at ABC’s Good Morning America. While the broadcast morning shows still command significant audiences compared to their early hours competition – programs on NBC, ABC and CBS averaged 12.4 million viewers in aggregate last year– they have largely failed to build viewership among the younger demographics favored by advertisers. According to the Project for Excellence in Journalism’s annual State of the News Media report, morning news fell another 3% in 2010, the sixth consecutive year of losses.
In January, CBS News put in place an entirely new team led by Chris Wragge and Erica Hill. In the months since, the news division has seen 60 Minutes executive producer Jeff Fager named chairman and former Fox News and Bloomberg executive David Rhodes coming aboard as president. While the pair’s top priority at the moment is Couric and a potential transition at the CBS Evening News desk, both men also need to be assessing the division’s other broadcasts.
More recently, ABC News president Ben Sherwood announced a major personnel change on Good Morning America, the No. 2 morning show. ESPN’s Josh Elliott will be joining GMA as newsreader, replacing JuJu Chang, which has sent to Nightline where she will be a fill-in anchor Nightline and helm many of this summer’s primetime Nightline hours.
The tweaks have yet to push either broadcast ahead of Today, of course. For the first quarter, Today averaged 5.6 million viewers, followed by GMA (4.9 million) and The Early Show (2.6 million), according Nielsen. And in the all-important 25-54 demographic, Today posted its largest margin over GMA since 2004, luring 2.5 million compared to the latter’s 1.8 million.
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