Bristol-Myers Squibb

In August 2004, SEC files an enforcement action against Bristol- Myers Squibb alleging that Bristol-Myers used earnings management schemes to distort the true performance of the company and harmed the company’s shareholders. During 2000 and 2001 the company engaged in fraudulent schemes to inflate its sales and earnings in order to create the false appearance that the company had met or exceeded its internal sales and earnings targets and Wall Street analysts’ earnings estimates. The company inflated it’s 2001 revenue by $1.5B by channel stuffing (mainly two of its wholesalers McKesson and Cardinal). The company had to reduce reduced net sales by more than $1.4 billion for 2001, $678 million for 2000, and $376 million for 1999. The company increased sales for the six months ended June 30, 2002 by $653 million. It also reduced net earnings from continuing operations by $376 million, $206 million and $331 million in the years ended 2001, 2000 and 1999, while net earnings from continuing operations were increased by $201 million in the six months ended June 30, 2002. The company also agreed to pay $100 million civil penalty and $50 million to be set aside for shareholder’s who were harmed by the fraud.