Publications

January 2013 (Revised April 2017)
Supplement

Maxum Petroleum, Inc.

By: W. Carl Kester

Maxum seeks an oil-price hedging strategy that yields substantial cash during oil price spikes, is affordable under ordinary circumstances, and is easily managed. It is striving to avoid a repeat of the challenging situation encountered in 2008 when spiking oil prices... View Details

Keywords: Hedging; Options; Commodities; Credit Derivatives and Swaps; Risk Management; Futures and Commodity Futures; Financial Strategy; Volatility

31 Aug 2021
Blog Post

Exploring the Art of Business: Social Enterprise Summer Fellow Felipe Ceron (MBA 2022)

answering that question five years from now. At this point, I decided the best I could do was work in a role that is at the intersection of my professional skills and personal interests. I usually bet more on what I think than what I feel, but for my summer internship,... View Details

06 Apr 2010
First Look

First Look: April 6

multiple). Main focus is to assess this as an entrepreneurial venture. Students do not need to be familiar with REITs. Purchase this case:http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/product/810102-PDF-ENG Saginaw Parts Co. and the General Motors Corp. Credit Default View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

13 Mar 2017
Research & Ideas

Hiding Products From Customers May Ultimately Boost Sales

Retailers routinely swap out the products they display to customers. It’s called assortment rotation, and it’s a popular business strategy for many brick-and-mortar and online stores alike. Retailing trends such as “fast fashion” (think... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Retail; Fashion

16 Jun 2023
Blog Post

The HBS Climate Rising Podcast Reaches 50 (Episodes)

summer interns conducted research and recommended topics and guests. Over the past year, we sought to broaden our exposure by pursuing cross-promotions and feed swaps with a few other climate-related podcasts, which also served to... View Details

January 1983 (Revised February 1988)
Case

Hospital Corp. of America (B)

By: W. Carl Kester

Focuses on HCAs financing options for reaching its target capital structure. The options include new equity conversion of convertible debentures, a debt-for-equity swap, the sale of assets, and fixed-rate debt. Students must address the problem of market timing and... View Details

Keywords: Assets; Capital Structure; Cash Flow; Equity; Debt Securities; Credit Derivatives and Swaps; Health Industry; United States

January 2008
Background Note

Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDOs)

By: Joshua Coval and Erik Stafford

This lesson integrated Merton's (1974) contingent claims model of debt and equity claims with the CAPM, which allows us to examine the risks and pricing of credit portfolios and the derivative claims issued against them. In particular, this model is used to make... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Borrowing and Debt; Credit Derivatives and Swaps; Investment Portfolio; Risk Management

November 1992 (Revised December 1994)
Case

BEA Associates: Enhanced Equity Index Funds

By: Andre F. Perold

BEA's enhanced index fund product uses derivatives and cash market securities to find the most efficient way to "track an index." The considerations involve transaction costs, custodial fees, withholding taxes on dividends, and fees from securities lending. In this... View Details

Keywords: Credit Derivatives and Swaps; Investment Portfolio; Management; Investment Banking; Competitive Advantage; Cost Management

August 1985 (Revised July 1991)
Case

Universal Circuits, Inc.

By: Thomas R. Piper

The manager of international finance of a major U.S. electronics company is concerned about the exposure of the firm to changes in exchange rates. Of particular concern is the exposure of operations to changes in real exchange rates. The teaching objectives include: 1)... View Details

Keywords: Credit Derivatives and Swaps; International Finance; Currency Exchange Rate; Business Plan; Risk and Uncertainty; Financial Management; Financial Strategy; Electronics Industry; United States

September 2002 (Revised October 2002)
Case

Corporate Inversions: Stanley Works and the Lure of Tax Havens

By: Mihir A. Desai, James R. Hines, Jr and Mark Veblen

In response to Stanley Work's announcement that it is moving to Bermuda--and the associated jump in market value--a major competitor sets out to determine how the market is valuing the consequences of moving to a tax haven and whether his company should invert to a tax... View Details

Keywords: Financial Management; Taxation; Financial Strategy; Credit Derivatives and Swaps; International Finance; Valuation; Financial Markets; Financial Statements; United States

01 Dec 2020
News

Two Truths and a Lie About 5G

manufacturing and smart cities. Video content will continue to expand significantly, and autonomous factories aren’t far down the road. As people swap out their devices for the latest generation, and billions of devices come online,... View Details

Keywords: Jen McFarland Flint

01 Sep 2024
News

The Road Less Traveled

the most popular worldwide choice for getting around—even for the short, solo trips that make up most of driving life in dense cities and sprawling suburbs. Swapping in smaller, energy-efficient electric vehicles, like bicycles and... View Details

Keywords: Janine White; illustrations by WACSO; Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation; Transportation

01 Apr 2001
News

Beyond the Rim: New Paths to Success in Asia

of mentor capitalism brought HBS professor Dorothy A. Leonard and Professor Walter Swap of Tufts University to Singapore and Hong Kong last fall. The pair had been studying Silicon Valley mentor-capitalists (successful entrepreneurs who... View Details

Keywords: Alejandro Reyes and Deborah Blagg; David Lane; Educational Services

October 2013 (Revised December 2013)
Teaching Note

Blackstone and the Sale of Citigroup's Loan Portfolio Teaching Note

By: Victoria Ivashina and David Scharfstein

Keywords: Derivatives; Bankruptcy; Credit Derivatives and Swaps; Private Equity; Restructuring; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Banks and Banking; Banking Industry; Financial Services Industry

27 Mar 2025
Blog Post

IFC India 2025: Driving India's EV Future: Insights from Ather Scooter and Exponent Energy

the need for battery swapping or extended downtimes, allowing fleet operators to maximize operational efficiency. This approach aligns with the needs of densely populated Indian cities, where commercial vehicles are integral to... View Details

October 2008
Teaching Note

Samoa Tala (TN)

By: Joshua D. Coval, Bhagwan Chowdhry and Konark Saxena

Teaching Note for [209053]. View Details

Keywords: Currency Exchange Rate; Risk Management; Credit Derivatives and Swaps; Microfinance; Strategy; Borrowing and Debt; Currency; Cash Flow; Samoa

November 2010
Supplement

Lessons Learned? Brooksley Born & the OTC Derivatives Market (B)

By: Clayton S. Rose and David Lane

This (B) case provides the 2009 reflections of former SEC Chairman Arthur Levitt on CFTC Chairman Brooksley Born's 1998 efforts to consider regulating the OTC derivative market. It also provides a summary of the aspects of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act that regulate these... View Details

Keywords: Financial Crisis; Credit Derivatives and Swaps; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Policy; Government Legislation; Business and Government Relations; Financial Services Industry; Public Administration Industry; District of Columbia

December 2001
Case

Natural Pork Production

By: Ray A. Goldberg and James M Beagle

An entrepreneurial hog farmer's creative use of contracts and capital structure drives very successful growth and returns in a depressed commodity industry. View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Capital Structure; Futures and Commodity Futures; Credit Derivatives and Swaps; Goods and Commodities; Knowledge Use and Leverage; Contracts; Success; Consumer Products Industry