Ameritrade Business News

News and releases from metro area businesses

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Coyote
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Ameritrade Business News

Post by Coyote »

Ameritrade shareholders overwhelmingly approve TD Waterhouse deal
Omaha World Herald wrote:Ameritrade said shareholders cast votes representing 72 percent of the company's shares, with 97 percent of those shares in favor of the transaction.
OK - now how about consolidating services and building a new headquarters downtown?
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Post by MTO »

You know with this company It wouldn’t surprise me if they announced that some time soon or in the next few years.
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Post by StreetsOfOmaha »

My god that would be ginger!!!
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Post by Swift »

I'd vote yes on that one like I did on the TD Waterhouse deal.
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Post by MTO »

I talked to an employee at Ameritrade who happens to be my uncle. I tried to pry some info from him but all I could get is that they are as much likely to move to west Omaha as they are to downtown. And of course no official plans for moving or building as of yet.
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Post by StreetsOfOmaha »

I'd be upset if they moved out west.
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Post by adam186 »

StreetsOfOmaha wrote:I'd be upset if they moved out west.
Ya, me too. That's why we need Daub back in office so he can persuade them to go downtown instead; the same way he did it w/ FNB.
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Post by OmahaJaysCU »

pkiphd wrote:I talked to an employee at Ameritrade who happens to be my uncle. I tried to pry some info from him but all I could get is that they are as much likely to move to west Omaha as they are to downtown. And of course no official plans for moving or building as of yet.
So this means they are simply looking into possible sites for headquarters then? So in other words, we'll hear an announcement in pry 3-5 years? This could be huge, lets hope the city shows some muscle and pulls them downtown.
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Post by MTO »

I wonder if AF’s building was the keyhole and Ameritrade was the key….
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Post by DTO Luv »

I was watching the History Channel all weekend and every other commercial break was TD Waterhouse. Than every other other commercial break was an Ameritrade commercial. Oddly enough the DT background in the AmTrade promo wasn't Omaha. Hmm.

I think AmTrade/TD will go DT. From what I've heard about that Ricketts guy he seems like one to do something big DT. I have wondered if they were the AF tenant.
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Post by Zephyr »

I just hope something better comes out of this than the Commercial Federal-Bank of the West deal.
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Post by NovakOmaha »

I believe that this merger will probably closely follow along the lines of the Commercial Federal/Bank of the west merger.

If you read the details, Toronto Dominion has the right in a few years to buy the rest of the new company. Now, I don't know the good folks at Toronto Dominion any more than I know the folks at AFLAC or Pacific Life, but my gut tells me that none of those companies are seriously considering loading up the truck and moving thousands of employees here to Omaha, let alone build an extremely expensive office building in downtown Omaha. Would that they were. What some of you want to believe simply doesn't make economic sense. The only reason they would is if the city and/or state threw millions of dollars at them...and do you really believe that the State of Georgia is going to let AFLAC go without a fight? How about California with PacLife? They might expand some back office functions ala Bank of the West, but the whole company? Doubtful. For what it's worth, Bank of the West IS adding functions and employees, and that IS a good thing, considering the alternative.

Take a look at Des Moines for a minute. Both Allied Insurance and Wells Fargo are in Iowa because they bought out local companies. AND both are building new buildings and adding thousands of new jobs, both downtown and out west. So neither saw fit to move the whole company to Des Moines...no matter. How about Omaha's power players getting with the team & convincing Toronto Dominion that Omaha is a great place to expand?

I know I sound like a pessimist, but how about a little reality check? Additionally, while upon reflection and a rereading of the above I am prompted to think of the above rant as a lecture, I can live with it.
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Post by Zephyr »

And how about convincing those Bank of the West turkeys to build something of significance downtown?
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Post by adam186 »

Zephyr wrote:And how about convincing those Bank of the West turkeys to build something of significance downtown?
They're still finish up construction of their business park on 132nd & Dodge that ComFed was already building during the merger.
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Post by eomaha »

Rosy picture for TD Ameritrade ... but once again, I personally am very skeptical of Omaha remaining in this companies long term future. You could see it when the initial news of this merger came out... and it is outlined again in this most recent article.

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=46& ... rnd=129493
With the closing of the deal, Toronto Dominion Bank got 19.6 million shares of Ameritrade, making it the biggest shareholder with 32.6 percent of the stock.

It is now free, under acquisition terms announced in June, to begin buying enough Ameritrade shares to raise its ownership to 39.9 percent and, after three years, to 45 percent. After 10 years it can move to buy all the stock and become the outright owner
.

Even if it remains it's own entity... the Rickett's will have a very tiny piece of the pie, and subsequently, very little influence.
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Post by OmahaRules »

Ohh that is ugly. Doesn't sound too good.
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Post by Minneapolis Boy »

All along I've had the feeling that this would turn out like the Enron deal: The Omaha company "buys" the Houston company, but board control/stock options are tilted toward the purchased company. A few years down the road they move. I hope it doesn't happen, but this article only stirs up those suspicions.
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Post by Ingersoll1978 »

How long was it after the merger of what created Enron did they move to Houston? Didn't they build a building downtown before that? How long between the completion of that building and the move? I would hope that Ameritrade would stay in Omaha though. That would be a huge blow (especially for a friend of mine). Where else would they locate?
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Post by Swift »

I'd have to think operating costs would be less here than in Toronto. And what with it being a business based on "from wherever you are," I can't see a sufficient reason from a business stand point to move.

Then again, that doesn't mean it won't happen.
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Post by Swift »

http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/ticker ... ol=US:AMTD
Company executives and analysts said this deal is not likely to be the last for Ameritrade as consolidation continues in the online brokerage industry. Buyers have been able to profitably reduce costs by moving customers onto merged trading platforms.
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Post by j4nu »

This is far from gloom and doom everyone is making it out to be. Although Rickets no longer hold majority shares, he does control a min. of 4 seats/votes on the board (his, his two sons and of course, the CEO is close to him as well).
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Post by Stargazer »

Well, no one has commented on it... and I'm too lazy to post articles... but I'd say the clock is beginning to tick on Ameritrade's eventual departure from Omaha.
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Post by jjjjhskr »

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1 ... id=2398251

yep

starting to feel like Internorth   HNG = Enron all over again.   I sure hope that isn't the case.
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Post by OmahaChef »

Becker said the fact that Tomczyk is a possible successor and that he will be based in Jersey City should not be interpreted as a sign that TD Ameritrade headquarters will move from Omaha.

"The headquarters is in Omaha and will continue to be," she said.


Doesn't exactly sound to me like they plan to leave.
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Post by jjjjhskr »

I obviously hope that is not the case however Enron/Ken Lay were saying the same things before they moved to Houston.  The more TD employees are in high level positions the greater chance of it happening as the TD staff have no reason for loyalty to Omaha.

I'm trying to be optimistic about the future of TDAmeritrade in Omaha and will not comment negatively anymore!
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Post by j4nu »

Although he doesn't have majority control any longer, Mr. Rickets still controls over 30% of the company and is an active member of the board.  He would certainly have something to say about the future of the company.  Also, the financial expenses of running the company in Omaha are significantly lower here and that does play a role in where they operate from.

Speaking of headquarters, I had spoke to a classmate of mine that works for them and she mentioned they heard as recently as last month that the company was seeking a new headquarters facility in Omaha.  Has anyone else heard more about this?
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Post by OmahaChef »

With last week's announcement, it looks like they are staying put where they are at today.

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1 ... d=10071664

Qoute...

With a new five-year commitment from its largest tenant, the 41-year-old Southroads Mall is poised to reinvent itself with a new name: Southroads Technology Plaza.

Officials from the Lund Co. announced the new TD Ameritrade lease Thursday. It commits the online stock-trading service to Southroads through 2013.

Southroads co-owner Ted Baer also announced the new name Thursday, though he said an official starting date for using the name has not been set.

"As soon as we can," he said.

With a recent five-year lease also committing PayPal to Southroads through 2013, the 450,000-square-foot mall is now 66 percent leased.

TD Ameritrade had explored other locations in the Omaha-area market before deciding to stay at Southroads, said John Lund, president and chief executive of the Lund Co., which is consulting with mall ownership to help Southroads transition from a retail center to a technology center.
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Post by Stargazer »

Or you could look at their lack of interest in investing in new digs as a bad omen.  A 5-year lease on the dump that is Southroads... would be peanuts to get out of.

Anyway, I'm not as concerned about a flat out move... as I am about the possibility of another merger and the consolidation which would likely come along with it.

I'll keep my fingers crossed though.
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Post by Brad »

Ricketts family reportedly interested in bidding for Chicago Cubs

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1 ... id=2401309
CHICAGO — The family that founded discount broker TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. has joined the list of potential bidders for the Chicago Cubs, the Tribune has learned.

People close to the situation said the Ricketts family of Omaha and Chicago has signed a non-disclosure agreement with Cubs owner Tribune Co. and is readying the application Major League Baseball requires of all parties wishing to bid on one of its franchises.

The Ricketts group is being led by Thomas Ricketts, the 41-year-old founder and chief executive of Chicago-based Incapital Holdings LLC, an investment banking firm.

He is the son of J. Joe Ricketts, an Omaha billionaire who founded Ameritrade and built it into one of the biggest Internet-based discount brokerages. His older brother is Pete Ricketts, who last year lost a bid to unseat Democratic incumbent Ben Nelson in the Nebraska race for the U.S. Senate.
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Post by djc311 »

Brad wrote:Ricketts family reportedly interested in bidding for Chicago Cubs

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1 ... id=2401309
CHICAGO — The family that founded discount broker TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. has joined the list of potential bidders for the Chicago Cubs, the Tribune has learned.

People close to the situation said the Ricketts family of Omaha and Chicago has signed a non-disclosure agreement with Cubs owner Tribune Co. and is readying the application Major League Baseball requires of all parties wishing to bid on one of its franchises.

The Ricketts group is being led by Thomas Ricketts, the 41-year-old founder and chief executive of Chicago-based Incapital Holdings LLC, an investment banking firm.

He is the son of J. Joe Ricketts, an Omaha billionaire who founded Ameritrade and built it into one of the biggest Internet-based discount brokerages. His older brother is Pete Ricketts, who last year lost a bid to unseat Democratic incumbent Ben Nelson in the Nebraska race for the U.S. Senate.
How many guys out there own baseball teams at 41?
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Post by OmahaChef »

Excellent idea, Big E!!  I'll second that motion!
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Post by Coyote »

Ricketts family among those lining up for Cubs
Action 3 News wrote:An emerging lineup of deep-pocketed bidders has put the Tribune Co. in position to net a record sale price for the Chicago Cubs franchise.  Tribune put the team and historic Wrigley Field on the block in April.

The Cubs' package includes not only Wrigley but Tribune's 25% stake in the Comcast sports channel in Chicago, fueling speculation the total could reach $1 billion.  That wouldn't scare off Internet billionaire and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban or the family of TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts of Omaha, Neb., both listed among the world's richest people.
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Post by UNOstudent »

With E Trades market cap drop of around 50% in the last few days, talks renewed of it becoming a target for takeover.
E*Trade Financial's writedown woes that sent the stock spiraling Monday have renewed analyst speculation about the possibility the online broker could sell itself.

E*Trade shares were rebounding almost 14% on Tuesday, after dropping nearly 60% on a string of bad news Monday and late Friday, including a Citigroup downgrade and accompanying note that said the company's bank was in danger of failing and the company's warning that it expected writedowns to its $3 billion asset-backed securities portfolio.

One possible buyer is rival TD Ameritrade; market chatter this spring indicated it was in discussions with E*Trade over a possible merger. TD Ameritrade has been pressured by two big activist hedge funds to merge with an industry peer -- namely E*Trade or Charles Schwab.
http://www.thestreet.com/_yahoo/newsana ... &cm_ite=NA
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Post by Coyote »

Tribune Co. puts Chicago Cubs on sale
The sale of the Cubs has been delayed for more than a year because Tribune Co. is trying to sell landmark Wrigley Field separately to the Illinois Sports Authority. Leading the pack of potential owners is a group headed by John Canning, chairman of Madison Dearborn Partners and an 11 percent owner of the rival Milwaukee Brewers. Five other groups are expected to receive packets including those headed by Omaha's Ricketts family and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.
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Post by Ben »

Coyote wrote:Tribune Co. puts Chicago Cubs on sale
The sale of the Cubs has been delayed for more than a year because Tribune Co. is trying to sell landmark Wrigley Field separately to the Illinois Sports Authority. Leading the pack of potential owners is a group headed by John Canning, chairman of Madison Dearborn Partners and an 11 percent owner of the rival Milwaukee Brewers. Five other groups are expected to receive packets including those headed by Omaha's Ricketts family and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.

Hmmm..... this has me thinking.  I know its a long shot, but is anyone else thinking along the same lines as me?  An Omaha connection to the Cubbies with Rickett's as potential buyer.  I wonder if the Omaha big wigs would align powers, and Scott and Buffett (who partially own the Royals) would force a partnership with their fellow billionaire and change affiliations of the Omaha AAA club??  Would this have any potential effect as a potential tenant in the North Downtown stadium?
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Post by DTO Luv »

I don't see it having any affect on the Royals.
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Post by thenewguy »

i suppose that they could just add them to their list of minor league affiliates, but i don't see it making much sense keeping their name as Omaha Royals.  It'd be f-in cool to have the Omaha Royals become the Omaha Cubs (I'd probably |expletive| my pants...literally).  Then again, that wouldn't make much sense, having 2 teams with the same name, less than 2 and a half hours apart.  It'd help out big time for attendance (i know that I'd be at a lot more games!)  It's cool to dream, but realistically, i don't see it happening.

List of Cubs' minor league affiliates:

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/mlb/minorle ... p?c_id=chc
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Post by Big E »

I'd say it would increase the odds of the Chicago Cubs playing a series or two a year in Omaha from 0.00% to 0.05%.

-Big E

(OK, those aren't odds.  Whatever.)
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Post by OmahaBen »

Big E wrote:I'd say it would increase the odds of the Chicago Cubs playing a series or two a year in Omaha from 0.00% to 0.05%.

-Big E

(OK, those aren't odds.  Whatever.)
People don't seem to understand how Minor League Baseball works. The Cubs are not going to move their AAA franchise from Des Moines. For one, it's 2 hours closer to Chicago when they need to call someone up. Besides that, I don't think Des Moines would just allow the Cubs to up and leave without a fight. And they sure as heck won't trade the Royals for the Cubs straight up, you'd be a freaking idiot to do that.

And they can't just add them to their list of affiliates. Big League teams have one AAA team. The Cubs already have that in Des Moines. They don't need a second one.

And the Cubs chances of playing a series or two in Omaha would still be zilch, nada, not in a million years. They get 40,000/game every game at the world's largest outdoor beer garden. And if they were to play Kansas City in interleague play, the Royals are not going to move one of their biggest drawing series out of town.
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Post by Brad »

Apparently The Ricketts family is in the final three to buy the cubs.
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