I present for you today one (just one) example of the accounting shenanigans at Overstock.com Inc. (NASDAQ:OSTK) to demonstrate the deception of management. This accounting concept is quite elementary, and it is called EBITDA.

EBITDA = Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization

Accountants and investors generally agree on what all of those items (earnings, interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization) are. So the computation of EBITDA is quite simple, if presented with accurate and complete financial statements. Continue reading