Quote from HolyGrail:
There is no relationship between purchase price of an acquisition and operating losses. One hits the balance sheet and the other hits the income statement. If it was an asset sale they will have some depreciation expense on the income statement, but it will amount to a small amount of the 400 million, and if it was a stock sale they get no additional depreciation expense based on the acquisition price. Depreciation continues at the same rate it was for the acquired company. They can write off goodwill which would also be a small amount in relation to the 400 million.
Yes, that was a sloppy statement.