Other factors relate to discontinued operations (booking a one-time gain from selling a business is bad), corporate governance (companies get black marks for having poison pills), inventory (if it piles up faster than sales, then business may be weakening) and free cash flow (a declining number is bad).

FORBES

This week, Hollinger International's board launched a campaign, including the creation of a poison pill, to stop Lord Black selling control of the firm to the wealthy Barclay brothers.

ECONOMIST: A new use for the poison pill