Publications

September 1992 (Revised March 1997)
Case

Summit Distributors (A)

By: William J. Bruns Jr. and Amy P. Hutton

Summit Distributors was in danger of violating loan covenants because of slow economic activity and forecasted losses and was faced with a choice. Changing the inventory valuation method from LIFO to FIFO would avoid default but would require higher future income... View Details

Keywords: Taxation; Cost Accounting; Cash Flow; Interest Rates; Economic Systems; Borrowing and Debt; Financial Statements; Valuation; Accounting Audits; Financing and Loans; Accounting Industry; Legal Services Industry

Web

HBS - Financials | Statement of Activity & Cash Flows

Cash Available from Capital Activities $107 $107 $72 Capital Expenses $(31) $(43) $(22) Change in Capital Project-Prefunding $2 10 (14) Use of Gifts for Capital Projects 3 5 6 Net Capital Expenses $(26) $(28) $(30) New Borrowings $0 $0 $0... View Details

11 Feb 2015
Research & Ideas

Politicians Benefited From Using Toxic Loans

their study on France, having gained access to two valuable data sets: The first contained the entire debt portfolio for most of the 300 largest French local governments as of December 31, 2007; and the... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Financial Services

November 1982 (Revised February 1985)
Case

Ruth M. Owades

By: Howard H. Stevenson, Richard O. von Werssowetz and Robert W. Kent

Ruth Owades developed a concept for a new mail order venture offering gardening products. Her current employer turned down the idea, so with permission to try it independently, she has begun the process of raising funds and preparing for a separate operation. She still... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Decisions; Entrepreneurship; Borrowing and Debt; Resignation and Termination; Operations; Risk and Uncertainty

22 Apr 2014
First Look

First Look: April 22

misvaluation for a firm's borrowing and investment decisions. Using an ex-post measure of the accuracy of credit ratings to capture debt market misvaluation, we find evidence... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

October 1991 (Revised November 1993)
Case

Dynashears, Inc.

By: Thomas R. Piper

A senior loan officer is reviewing the recent performance of a company that has failed to repay its loan as scheduled. The failure results from a cyclical downturn in sales, coupled with a lag in cutting back production. Inventory risk is minimal. Teaching objective:... View Details

Keywords: Borrowing and Debt; Business Cycles; Financial Condition; Risk and Uncertainty; Failure

14 Mar 2011
Research & Ideas

Keeping Credit Flowing to Consumers in Need

strengthen consumer protections. The risk they run is that too stringent regulation could make it harder for borrowers in need to get money. In today's challenging economic climate and with high... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Financial Services; Construction; Real Estate

Web

HBS - Financials | Statement of Activity & Cash Flows

Cash Available from Capital Activities $107 $72 $76 Capital Expenses $(43) $(22) $(43) Change in Capital Project-Prefunding 10 (14) 8 Use of Gifts for Capital Projects 5 6 5 Net Capital Expenses $(28) $(30) $(30) New Borrowings $0 $0 $0... View Details

04 Aug 2014
Op-Ed

Why Small-Business Lending Is Not Recovering

years during the crisis and subsequent recovery. In addition, collateral owned by small businesses lost value during the financial crisis, potentially making small business borrowers less creditworthy... View Details

Keywords: by Karen Mills; Banking; Financial Services

01 Mar 2009
News

Buddy, Can You Spare a Trillion

historic emergence of credit and debt was as important in the rise of civilization as technological invention. In the excerpt that follows, he explains the recently developed symbiotic financial relationship... View Details

Keywords: Finance; Publishing Industries (except Internet); Information

June 2002
Background Note

Convertible Securities

This case covers the general characteristics of convertible securities and briefly discusses their history, investors, issuers, and method of valuation. View Details

Keywords: Debt Securities

13 Jul 2009
Research & Ideas

Diagnosing the Public Health Care Alternative

multiplied by a marginal Federal borrowing cost of 3 percent), eliminating any price advantage of Medicare. The comparison between the administrative expenses of private insurers and Medicare also ignores... View Details

Keywords: by Staff; Health

March 2025
Case

Taylor Guitars: Making Employee Ownership Work the Taylor Way

By: Dennis Campbell, Petros Kusmu and Stacy Straaberg

In 2013, guitar manufacturer Taylor Guitars’ co-founders Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug were considering several exit options including selling to a competitor or to a private equity firm. The co-founders decided, instead, to embark on a seven-year process to transfer 100%... View Details

March 2010 (Revised May 2011)
Case

Dubai in Crisis

By: Noel Maurer

On November 25, 2009, the small city-state of Dubai shook financial markets across the world when the Dubai World holding companies announced that it would ask its creditors to standstill its debts. After three decades of phenomenal growth, something had gone off the... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Development Economics; Financial Crisis; Borrowing and Debt; Business History; Business and Government Relations; Dubai

Find at Harvard

04 Mar 2009
Op-Ed

Credit is Not the Bogey

their income for housing, and rejecting "credit-impaired" borrowers with less-than-stellar records. Credit card companies have raised fees and increased penalties.... View Details

Keywords: by Nicolas P. Retsinas & Eric S. Belsky; Construction; Real Estate; Financial Services

24 Jun 2014
First Look

First Look: June 24

clause in Argentinian sovereign debt instruments have generated considerable controversy. Some official-sector participants and academic articles have suggested that the rulings will disrupt or impede future... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

March 2005 (Revised May 2006)
Case

Buckingham Park

By: Arthur I Segel and Joshua A. Katzin

In September, 2004, Stephen Lebowitz, President of CBL, a $6 billion publicly traded shopping mall real estate investment trust (REIT) with over 70 million square feet, is considering acquiring 170 acres for a new retail development at a racetrack site in Southern New... View Details

Keywords: Buildings and Facilities; Debt Securities; Investment; Real Estate Industry; New Hampshire