Publications

August 1996 (Revised May 1997)
Case

First Investments, Inc.: Analysis of Financial Statements

By: David F. Hawkins

A summer intern is asked to perform a financial value analysis of a company's financial report for the period 1987-1994. View Details

Keywords: Analysis; Financial Statements

2014
Working Paper

Lobbying Behavior of Governmental Entities: Evidence from Public Pension Accounting Rules

By: Abigail Allen and Reining Petacchi

We examine the lobbying behavior of state governments in the development of recently issued public pension accounting standards GASB 67 and 68. Consistent with opportunistic motivations, we find that states' opposition to the liability increasing provisions embedded in... View Details

Keywords: Accounting; Accounting Industry; United States

SSRN

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April 2011 (Revised June 2014)
Case

Securities Lending After the Financial Crisis

By: Robert C. Pozen and Gayle Hameister

In April 2009, Wendy Jefferson had just returned to her office following a whirlwind day of meetings with her newest client, Star Advisor. Jefferson, a financial services consultant, was eager to dig into the information provided to her and her team about the Star... View Details

Keywords: Business Earnings; Debt Securities; Financing and Loans; Investment Funds; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Information

25 Jun 2009
Working Paper Summaries

Why Do Countries Adopt International Financial Reporting Standards?

Keywords: by Karthik Ramanna & Ewa Sletten; Accounting

Web

Admissions & Financial Aid | MBA

awarded an incremental $5,900 scholarship each academic year ($11,800 total). The scholarship will be incorporated into each financial aid package, if applicable. Half of the award will be disbursed to... View Details

September 2010 (Revised July 2012)
Case

Citigroup 2007: Financial Reporting and Regulatory Capital

By: Suraj Srinivasan, Edward J. Riedl and Sharon Katz

This case introduces 1) financial statements for banks, 2) basic regulatory capital calculations, and 3) actions Citigroup must consider under a scenario of continued losses/fair value declines in 2008 (leading to potential violation of regulatory capital). View Details

Keywords: Fair Value Accounting; Financial Reporting; Financial Statements; Financial Crisis; Capital; Financial Strategy; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Banking Industry; United States

Web

Accounting & Management Curriculum - Faculty & Research

this course provides a broad view of how accounting contributes to an organization. Students will gain: An understanding of the concepts and language of accounting so it can be... View Details

01 Sep 2016
News

Behind Apple’s Success, An Unprecedented Financial Model

May 1990 (Revised September 1994)
Background Note

Note on Financial Reporting Strategy and Analysis When Managers Have Proprietary Information

By: Krishna G. Palepu

Provides a framework that helps explain these real-world observations about accounting and financial statement analysis. When managers have superior information on firms' strategies, and when investors suspect that managers have incentives not to fully disclose this... View Details

Keywords: Financial Reporting; Strategy; Knowledge Management

September 2005 (Revised July 2006)
Case

Accounting for Pensions and Employee Benefits at Ford and Toyota

Uses Ford's and Toyota's financial statements to familiarize students with the information provided in pension footnotes. Allows students to combine that information with other financial statement information to create a greater understanding of the costs of each... View Details

Keywords: Accounting; Compensation and Benefits; Auto Industry

September 2021
Article

Did Technology Contribute to the Housing Boom? Evidence from MERS

By: Stefan Lewellen and Emily Williams

We examine the effects of the Mortgage Electronic Registration System, or MERS, on mortgage origination volumes and foreclosure rates prior to the Great Recession. MERS was introduced in the late 1990s and significantly reduced the cost and time associated with... View Details

Keywords: Credit Supply; Housing Boom; Financial Innovation; Nonbank Lenders; Mortgages; Credit; Expansion; Information Technology; Outcome or Result

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January 2022 (Revised March 2022)
Module Note

Analysis of Financial and Non-Financial Information for Forecasting Performance

By: Charles C.Y. Wang

This note describes the main themes and cases of a teaching module on the analysis of information from, and outside of, financial statements for forecasting firms’ future financial performance. The module’s pedagogical goal is to deepen students’ understanding of the... View Details

Keywords: Financial Reporting; Performance; Analysis; Valuation; Accounting; Finance

Web

Admissions & Financial Support - Doctoral

Admissions & Financial Support Your Journey Starts Now Application Requirements HBS admits a talented class of intellectually curious applicants from diverse backgrounds every year. We search for individuals who want View Details

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Financial databases: certification and training

email infoservices@hbs.edu and request instructions for creating your account. Once your account is created, you can login at CAPSIM to begin the... View Details

April 1993 (Revised October 1995)
Case

ALZA and Bio-Electro Systems (A): Technological and Financial Innovation

By: Josh Lerner and Peter Tufano

To develop the next generation of risky products, ALZA, a mature and profitable biotechnology firm specializing in drug delivery systems, must raise $40 million. Organizational constraints and competitive concerns demand that the work be done inside the firm. However,... View Details

Keywords: Risk and Uncertainty; Technological Innovation; Business Subsidiaries; Decision Choices and Conditions; Corporate Finance; Biotechnology Industry; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry

July – August 2008
Article

Reduce the Risk of Failed Financial Judgments

By: Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Edward J. Riedl

When crucial financial estimates rely on judgment, companies can minimize their risk by turning to appraisers, actuaries, and evaluators, whether internal, external, or a combination. View Details

Keywords: Financial Statements; Judgments; Financial Management; Risk Management

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2013
Book

Business Analysis and Valuation: Using Financial Statements, Text and Cases

By: Krishna G. Palepu and Paul M. Healy

This book provides a framework for business analysis and has been used by business schools throughout the world. It provides a foundation for analysis using four key steps: 1) Strategy analysis: Identifying a firm's strategy and understanding sources of its competitive... View Details

Keywords: Governance; Debt Securities; Valuation; Performance Evaluation; Financial Statements; Credit; Business Ventures; Strategy; Financial Condition; Mergers and Acquisitions; Forecasting and Prediction

May 2024
Article

Financial Innovation in the 21st Century: Evidence from U.S. Patents

By: Josh Lerner, Amit Seru, Nick Short and Yuan Sun

We develop a unique dataset of 24 thousand U.S. finance patents granted over the last two decades to explore the evolution and production of financial innovation. We use machine learning to identify the financial patents and extensively audit the results to ensure... View Details

Keywords: Banking; Investment Banks; Information Technology; Regulation; Patents; Innovation and Invention; Trends

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2011
Working Paper

Top Executive Background and Financial Reporting Choice

By: Francois Brochet and Kyle Travis Welch

We study the role of executive functional background in explaining management discretion in financial reporting. Taking goodwill impairment as our reporting setting, we focus on top executives (CEOs and CFOs) whose employment history includes experience in investment... View Details

Keywords: Financial Reporting; Goodwill Accounting; Experience and Expertise; Decision Choices and Conditions; Managerial Roles; Agency Theory