During the speech, the large television projection screens of Lou Gerstner were switched off his grimacing face to show a generic title slide. IBM has been getting a nice kick to reported earnings from the robust state of its pension plans. This shot in the arm comes in several forms. Janet Krueger sends a letter to the editor of Forbes to point out a small error in their analysis of IBM's numbers . The Numbers Game.
Companies use every trick to pump earnings and fool investors.
Sure, companies have always tried to present themselves in the best possible light. Fading dot-coms, new tech giants, and venerable blue chips all hype their earnings. IBM lifts its earnings by assuming it would pay less into its pension fund, and Motorola Inc. boosts sales by lending huge sums to customers. Company pension plans can become a fruitful source of extra earnings. The Top 10 .