Publications

02 Dec 2019
News

A Long-Standing Commitment to Global Understanding

motivated him and his wife Patricia to make an ongoing investment in HBS’s global efforts through their support of the HBS Fund, the School’s research outposts, and an endowed fellowship for international students. The View Details

December 2009
Article

Catering Through Nominal Share Prices

By: Malcolm Baker, Robin Greenwood and Jeffrey Wurgler

We propose and test a catering theory of nominal stock prices. The theory predicts that when investors place higher valuation on low-price firms, managers will maintain share prices at lower levels, and vice-versa. Using measures of time-varying catering incentives... View Details

Keywords: Stocks; Stock Shares; Investment; Investment Return; Price; Theory; Valuation

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March 2001 (Revised April 2002)
Case

Rent-Way, Inc. (A)

By: David F. Hawkins

The company uses the units of activity method to account for its rental inventory. A prominent hedge fund advisor recommends the company's stock be sold short. View Details

Keywords: Mathematical Methods; Stock Shares; Fair Value Accounting; Quality; Investment Funds; Service Industry

14 May 2019
Research & Ideas

Ethics Bots and Other Ways to Move Your Code of Business Conduct Beyond Puffery

lengthy document expressed six broad core values including “Client Value Creation,” “Integrity,” and “Respect for the Individual.” They sounded great, but in reality made it hard for its 400,000 global... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

01 Mar 2003
News

Books

around the globe spend nearly $10 trillion on project- related activities. Yet, as a new book by Cathleen Benko (MBA 1989) and HBS professor Warren McFarlan makes clear, project- and technologyrelated investments too often are made in a... View Details

Keywords: Deborah Blagg; Publishing Industries (except Internet); Information

February 2013 (Revised October 2013)
Case

Investindustrial Exits Ducati

By: Francois Brochet and Karol Misztal

In early 2012, Investindustrial, a European private equity group, publicly announced their intention to sell their 76.7% stake in Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A., an iconic Italian producer of sport performance motorcycles. The decision followed a six-year turnaround... View Details

Keywords: Cost vs Benefits; Private Equity; Valuation; Investment Return; Brands and Branding; Financial Services Industry; Motorcycle Industry; Hong Kong; Italy

28 Aug 2017
Research & Ideas

Should Industry Competitors Cooperate More to Solve World Problems?

already being done by business enough? George Serafeim: Think about the following: in the past two decades, most companies have established sustainability departments, hired more people for social impact, invested more resources, and... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Financial Services; Manufacturing; Agriculture & Agribusiness; Mining

October 2011
Teaching Note

Bridging the GAAPs (TN)

By: Gwen Yu

Teaching Note for 111-114. View Details

Keywords: Equity; Financial Reporting; Investment Portfolio; Valuation; Framework; Adoption; Standards; Globalization

01 Jun 2005
News

Contrarian and Proud of It

investors. From the fund’s inception in 1985, he has posted annualized returns of 13.4 percent, nearly two percentage points higher than other large-cap value funds. “Invariably, we’re looking at companies where investors are concerned... View Details

Keywords: Securities, Commodities, and Other Financial Investments; Securities, Commodities, and Other Financial Investments

April 2002 (Revised February 2003)
Background Note

An Economic Framework for Assessing Development Impact

By: Benjamin C. Esty, Frank J. Lysy and Carrie Ferman

Discusses the differences between private and social returns and describes an economic framework for assessing a project's social return [known as the economic rate of return (ERR)]. The framework begins by analyzing the impact of a new project on private financiers... View Details

Keywords: Cost vs Benefits; Microeconomics; Investment Return; Framework; Projects; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Valuation

October 2013 (Revised September 2014)
Case

The TELUS Share Conversion Proposal

By: Lucy White, Benjamin C. Esty and Lisa Mazzanti

On February 21, 2013, TELUS announced a proposal to convert the firm's non-voting shares into voting shares on a one-to-one basis, thereby eliminating the firm's dual class structure. Shareholders were scheduled to vote on the proposal at the firm's annual general... View Details

May 1968 (Revised January 1992)
Case

Graybar Syndications

By: William J. Poorvu

A potential investor evaluates a proposed offering—a major office building in downtown Manhattan. View Details

Keywords: Buildings and Facilities; Investment; Construction; City; Valuation; Real Estate Industry; Construction Industry; New York (city, NY)

Web

Emerging Topics - Institute For Strategy And Competitiveness

among the most important tools to drive shared value in practice. Shared Value & Investors Shared value investing represents an evolution in the... View Details

12 Mar 2018
Op-Ed

Op-Ed: Why BlackRock CEO Larry Fink Is Not a Socialist

rose from $400 million in 1985 to $60 billion by 2000. Today, thanks to the revival of long-term investments under CEO Omar Ishrak, Medtronic’s shareholder value has risen to $110 billion. The challenge to... View Details

Keywords: by Bill George; Banking

August 1999 (Revised January 2002)
Case

Brita Products Company, The

By: John A. Deighton

Clorox's Brita skillfully exploits a tide of water safety concerns, growing a home water (filtration) business from inception to a 15% U.S. household penetration in ten years. The dilemma in the case arises as the period of increasing returns seems to be drawing to a... View Details

Keywords: Customer Value and Value Chain; Acquisition; Retention; Safety; Natural Environment; Emerging Markets; Investment Return; Equity; Demand and Consumers; United States

Web

Business Analysis and Valuation Using Financial Statements - Course Catalog

to students seeking a career in consulting, corporate finance, hedge funds, venture capital, private equity, or investment banking. Educational Objectives The objective of the course is to provide hands-on experience in financial... View Details

September 2004
Teaching Note

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Valuation and Distribution in Private Equity (TN)

By: G. Felda Hardymon, Josh Lerner and Ann Leamon

Teaching Note to (9-803-161). View Details

Keywords: Valuation; Distribution; Private Equity; Venture Capital; Investment Portfolio; Stocks

March 2014 (Revised May 2014)
Teaching Note

The TELUS Share Conversion Proposal

By: Lucy White and Benjamin C. Esty

On February 21, 2013, TELUS announced a proposal to convert the firm's non-voting shares into voting shares on a one-to-one basis, thereby eliminating the firm's dual class structure. Shareholders were scheduled to vote on the proposal at the firm's annual general... View Details

October 1996 (Revised March 2011)
Background Note

Note on Valuation in Private Equity Settings, A

By: Josh Lerner and John Willinge

This note discusses several ways in which venture-backed firms can be valued, including comparables, net present value, decision-tree analysis, and the "venture capital method." View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Venture Capital; Private Equity; Investment; Valuation