Hong Kong―Hutchison Whampoa is more than happy to talk about its contingent liabilities in great detail, but putting that information in its annual report for all to see is something it says most shareholders wouldn't care about. Why be concerned about contingent liabilities? In a word: Enron. Contingent liabilities, which are only payable if a specific event should occur, helped to sink one of America's largest companies. Now, some of the world's most beloved companies, including General Electric, are being pressured into disclosing more financial information than ever before.
展开▼
