Publications

Article

Valuation Waves and Merger Activity: The Empirical Evidence

By: Matthew Rhodes-Kropf, David Robinson and S. Viswanathan

To test recent theories suggesting that valuation errors affect merger activity, we develop a decomposition that breaks the market-to-book ratio (M/B) into three components: the firm-specific pricing deviation from short-run industry pricing; sector-wide, short-run... View Details

Keywords: Valuation; Mergers and Acquisitions; Forecasting and Prediction; Price; Theory; Behavior

August 2004 (Revised September 2004)
Background Note

Note on Bond Valuation and Returns

All securities can be evaluated based on certain common characteristics: value, rate of return, risk, maturity, and so forth. This case examines how bonds are valued and how their rates of return are computed. It begins with basic definitions and features of... View Details

Keywords: Bonds; Valuation; Investment Return

November 1994 (Revised January 1995)
Background Note

A Note on Capital Cash Flow Valuation

By: Richard S. Ruback

Presents the capital cash flow method for valuing risky cash flows. In this method cash flows are calculated to include the benefits of interest tax shields. In a capital structure, with just ordinary debt and common equity, capital cash flows equal the flows available... View Details

Keywords: Capital; Cash Flow; Valuation

August 2006 (Revised December 2010)
Exercise

The Venture Capital Valuation Problem Set

By: William A. Sahlman and Evan Wade Richardson

To be used with (396-090). View Details

June 2005 (Revised November 2006)
Background Note

Valuation Methods and Discount Rate Issues: A Comprehensive Example

By: Marc L. Bertoneche and Fausto Federicic

Presents a comprehensive review of the valuation methods based on discounting cash flows or value creation metrics and shows, through simple example and a straightforward "how-to-do" framework, the perfect consistency and identity of their results under similar... View Details

Keywords: Valuation

June 1985 (Revised December 2002)
Background Note

Basic Ratio Analysis and Equity Valuation

By: David F. Hawkins

Describes the use of common financial ratios to analyze a firm's performance and financial condition. Discusses fundamentals of equity valuation. Based on an earlier note by the same author. View Details

Keywords: Valuation; Financial Condition; Equity

September 2012 (Revised June 2017)
Technical Note

Private Equity Valuation in Emerging Markets

By: Paul A. Gompers, Victoria Ivashina and Timothy Dore

This note provides an opportunity to understand how private equity investors need to adapt to emerging markets. View Details

Keywords: Finance; Private Equity; Valuation; Emerging Markets

2021
Working Paper

Connecting Expected Stock Returns to Accounting Valuation Multiples: A Primer

By: Akash Chattopadhyay, Matthew R. Lyle and Charles C.Y. Wang

We outline a framework in which accounting “valuation anchors" could be connected to expected stock returns. Under two general conditions, expected log returns is a log-linear function of a valuation (market value-to-accounting) multiple and the expected growth in the... View Details

Keywords: Expected Returns; Present Value; Investment Return; Accounting; Valuation; Information; Framework

SSRN

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October 1995
Exercise

Venture Capital Method - Valuation Problem Set

By: William A. Sahlman and Andrew S. Janower

Presents a short problem set designed as an introduction to the venture capital method of problem solving. View Details

Keywords: Venture Capital; Valuation

Article

Brand Values and Capital Market Valuation

By: Mary Barth, Michael B. Clement, George Foster and Ron Kasznik

Brand value estimates are significantly positively related to prices and returns, incremental to accounting variables. Questionable brand value estimate reliability underlies lack of financial statement recognition for brands. Findings suggest estimates are relevant... View Details

Keywords: Brands and Branding; Valuation

20 Jul 2023
News

The Rising Value of Brand Valuation

April 2023
Article

The Stock Market Valuation of Human Capital Creation

By: Ethan Rouen and Matthias Regier

We develop a measure of firm-year-specific human capital investment from publicly disclosed personnel expenses (PE) and examine the stock market valuation of this investment. Measuring the future value of PE (PEFV) based on the relation between... View Details

Keywords: Intangibles; Valuation; Human Capital; Investment Return

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August 2004
Class Lecture

Know Your Worth: Critical Valuations That Work

By: Richard S. Ruback

Keywords: Valuation

January 2010 (Revised March 2010)
Supplement

The Congressional Oversight Panel's Valuation of the TARP Warrants (B)

By: Carliss Y. Baldwin

The Congressional Oversight Panel wants to value the warrants issued to the government in connection with the TARP investments of 2008, in order to increase the transparency of options repurchases. The case describes the methodology used to value the warrants. This... View Details

Keywords: Financial Crisis; Investment; Public Opinion; Valuation; Banking Industry; Public Administration Industry; United States

30 Oct 2020
News

Billion-Dollar Valuations and Exits for Harvard-born Startups

2012. WHOOP, founded by Harvard College students at the i-lab in 2012, announced this week that it has raised a $100M Series E round at a valuation of more than $1 billion. "We will continue to make WHOOP the best product experience for... View Details

February 2002 (Revised October 2002)
Case

Venture Capital Method: Valuation Problem Set Solutions

Presents the solutions to questions 1 through 4 of the problem set. To be handed out in class. A rewritten version of an earlier supplement. View Details

Keywords: Venture Capital; Valuation