Publications

January 2021 (Revised March 2021)
Case

Juno (A): Leveraging Student Power

By: Joshua Schwartzstein, Kathleen L. McGinn and Amy Klopfenstein

In March 2020, Chris Abkarians and Nikhil Agarwal were in the midst of preparing the annual auction for their student loan assistance startup, Juno. Both current MBA students at Harvard Business School, the duo founded Juno in 2018 to leverage student bargaining power... View Details

13 Aug 2014
Lessons from the Classroom

Managing the Family Business: Entrepreneurs Needed for Long-Run Success

unproven, borrow resources they can't afford to buy, and build buyers' interest in their activity. Others may see them as risk takers, but good entrepreneurs are actually good at getting other folks to take... View Details

Keywords: by Michael J. Roberts

December 1999 (Revised November 2001)
Background Note

Note on Private Equity Securities, A

By: G. Felda Hardymon and Josh Lerner

Provides an overview of the primary securities used in private equity, their structures, and the economic motivation behind their designs. View Details

Keywords: Design; Private Equity; Debt Securities; Industry Structures; Motivation and Incentives

15 Aug 2006
First Look

First Look: August 15, 2006

Working PapersOptimal Reserve Management and Sovereign Debt Authors:Laura Alfaro and Fabio Kanczuk Abstract Most models currently used to determine optimal foreign reserve... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

November 1994
Case

Electrical Distributors, Inc.

By: David F. Hawkins

The owner of a small electrical supply firm has grown beyond his ability to fund growth with internally generated funds. He seeks a bank loan, which falls short of his needs. View Details

Keywords: Financial Management; Private Equity; Decision Choices and Conditions; Financing and Loans; Borrowing and Debt; Corporate Finance; Apparel and Accessories Industry

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28 Aug 2014
Op-Ed

Government Can Do More to Unfreeze Small Business Credit

most SBA lender and borrower fees and temporarily raised the guarantee on its largest loan program to 90 percent. The response was immediate. From February 2009 to September... View Details

Keywords: by Karen Mills; Banking

13 Oct 2015
First Look

October 13, 2015

doubles debt forgiveness, contagion causes the default rate to increase by 10.9% on average. Using an exogenous shock to the lender's forgiveness policy, I further show that as the lender learns about the extent of View Details

January 1987 (Revised March 1989)
Background Note

Note on the Pricing of Mortgage-Backed Securities

By: Jay O. Light and Jeremy C. Stein

An introduction to mortgage-backed securities, prepayment risk, and their market pricing. View Details

Keywords: Price; Debt Securities; Mortgages; Financial Services Industry

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January 2017 (Revised August 2017)
Case

Earl Gordon - Eastern Circle

By: Steven Rogers and Greg White

This case follows an African-American entrepreneur through the process of sourcing a potential acquisition, valuing a company, and securing the funding to purchase the company. This entrepreneur must decide if he should close the deal and which financing term sheet to... View Details

August 2014 (Revised March 2016)
Case

Thomas Cook Group on the Brink (A)

By: Benjamin C. Esty, Stuart C. Gilson and Aldo Sesia

Harriett Green, the newly appointed CEO of Thomas Cook Group, faces a daunting set of business and financial challenges at the 171-year old UK travel services company. The company has lost almost £600 million in the last three quarters; has seen its stock price fall... View Details

Keywords: Turnaround; Corporate Restructuring; Change Leadership; Female Ceo; Change Management; Communication Strategy; Borrowing and Debt; Cash Flow; Cost Management; Financial Liquidity; Financial Management; Executive Compensation; Leading Change; Crisis Management; Value Creation; Travel Industry; United Kingdom

29 Jan 2015
Op-Ed

The Fall of Greece

Editor's note. On Sunday, the left-leaning Syriza party and its leader Alexis Tsipra won a decisive national victory in Greece, partly on pledges to reduce current austerity measures and to seek a... View Details

Keywords: by George Serafeim

02 Jul 2015
Op-Ed

The Future of the Greek Economy

debt and served as Minister of National Planning and Economic Policy in her native Costa Rica from 2010 to 2012. Europe Needs More Europe The game of brinkmanship that the... View Details

Keywords: by Laura Alfaro, Dante Roscini & George Serafeim; Banking

30 Aug 2016
First Look

August 30, 2016

https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=51574 Fiscal Rules and Sovereign Default By: Alfaro, Laura, and Fabio Kanczuk Abstract—We provide a quantitative analysis of fiscal rules in a standard model of... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

12 Sep 2007
Op-Ed

Building Sandcastles: The Subprime Adventure

blurred vision of the credit rating agencies. Lenders are requiring better credit and more documentation. Brokers are facing governmental regulations. Borrowers must once again save for a down payment. This... View Details

Keywords: by Nicolas P. Retsinas; Banking; Construction; Real Estate

February 2006
Case

Fraikin SA

By: W. Carl Kester, Vincent Marie Dessain and Monika Stachowiak

Provides an example of a so-called "whole business" securitization. In early 2004, Fraikin, France's leading industrial vehicle rental company, compares several alternatives for refinancing a large bridge loan within a year. Presents three primary options: a classic... View Details

Keywords: Debt Securities; Transportation; Renting or Rental; Transportation Industry; Service Industry; France

December 2007
Case

Ruling the Modern Corporation: The Debate over Limited Liability in Massachusetts

By: David A. Moss and Eugene Kintgen

In 1830, Governor Levi Lincoln, Jr. urged the Massachusetts state legislature to introduce a limited liability regime for manufacturing corporations similar to that adopted in neighboring states. At least since 1809, shareholders in the state's manufacturing... View Details

Keywords: Capital; Debt Securities; Legal Liability; Production; Business and Shareholder Relations; Manufacturing Industry; Massachusetts