Commercial Due Diligence (CDD) is about telling the difference between superior businesses and poor businesses, which is why this book is a mixture of business strategy, marketing analysis and market research. However CDD is not about the bland application of analytical techniques, its about understanding how businesses and markets work, and what is really important for profits and growth. Commercial Due Diligence is written by someone with over twenty-five years experience of practical strategic analysis, who nonetheless has a strong academic grounding. For the first time here is a book that deals with the essentials of strategic analysis with the practitioners eye. If you are in the business of formulating company strategy and you want to see how to apply the theories, and understand in practical terms what works, when and what can go wrong, this is the book for you.

In this timely volume on newly emerging financial mar- kets and investment strategies, Arvin Ghosh explores the intriguing topic of initial public offerings (IPOs) of securities, among the most significant phenomena in the United States stock markets in recent years. Before the 2000-2001 market turndown, hardly a week went by when more than a few companies did not become public, either in the organized stock exchange or in the Over the Counter (OTC) market. In the often over-burdened, technology-heavy Nasdaq market, the role of IPOs was crucial for the market's new vigor and growth. Internet stocks were able to find a mode to supply key momentum to the market. In the so-called "New Economy" of the 1990s, it was the seductively accessible IPO that ushered in the world's information technology revolution.

Ghosh sets out to examine the pricing and financial performance of IPOs in the United States during the period 1990-2001. In the opening chapter he discusses the rise and fall of IPOs in the preceding decade. Chapter 2 further delineates the IPO process from the start of the prospectus to the end of the "quiet period" and aftermarket stabilization. In chapter 3 Ghosh analyzes the mispricing and deliberately deceptive underpricing, or "flipping," of Internet IPOs. Chapter 4 delves deeper into the pricing and operating efficiency of Nasdaq IPOs. Chapter 5 analyzes the pricing and long-run performance of IPOs both in the New York Stock Exchange and in the Nasdaq markets. In chapters 6 and 7 the author deals with the pricing and performance of the venture-blocked and nonventure-backed IPOs in general and Internet IPOs in particular. In chapter 8 he analyzes the role of underwriters as market makers. In chapter 9 Ghosh discusses the accuracy of analysts' earnings forecasts. In the concluding chapter, he summarizes the principal findings of the study and the recent revival of the IPO market and its place in capital formation as well as the latest developments in the realm of United States IPOs.

This work brings forth the true nature and consequences of the recent IPO phenomenon. It is a fascinating financial read and must-have for any future financier.

Arvin Ghosh is a professor in the Department of Economics, Finance, and Global Business at William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey.

This book examines the nature of the stock market and its implications for corporate management. It provides an introduction to core issues in finance and differs from traditional textbooks in its recognition that 'finance is not physics' - in the sense that how markets behave today is not necessarily how they will behave tomorrow. Nevertheless, a certain level of 'physics' can be recognized as underpinning the development of stock market valuations and corporate financial decision-making.In short, the objective of the text is to instill insight in regards to the functioning of markets and corporate behavior, as opposed to algebraic derivations from unrealistic assumptions. Rather than subscribe unthinkingly to an 'efficient market hypothesis', at each stage of the development of the text's conceptual framework, we also recognize the reality of market 'sentiment' and the fundamental uncertainty that managers face in their decisions.Based around a teaching programme with worked questions and solutions, Stock Markets and Corporate Finance is the perfect accompaniment for MBA, undergraduate and graduate students looking for a critical textbook on the nature of the financial sector and corporate finance.

In this book, Lawrence Hatab provides an accessible and provocative exploration of one of the best-known and still most puzzling aspects of Nietzsche's thought: eternal recurrence, the claim that life endlessly repeats itself identically in every detail. Hatab argues that eternal recurrence can and should be read literally, in just the way Nietzsche described it in the texts. The book offers a readable treatment of most of the core topics in Nietzsche's philosophy, all discussed in the light of the consummating effect of eternal recurrence. Although Nietzsche called eternal recurrence his most fundamental idea, most interpreters have found it problematic or needful of redescription in other terms. For this reason, Hatab's book is an important and challenging contribution to Nietzsche scholarship.

The definitive question and answer guide to understanding corporate finance

From the team behind the popular corporate finance website, Vernimmen.com comes a concise guide to the subject, presented in an easy-to-use, highly accessible "question and answer" format. An essential reference for students of corporate finance and practising corporate financiers alike, "Frequently Asked Questions in Corporate Finance" answers key questions in financial engineering, valuation, financial policy, cost of capital, financial analysis, and financial management. Covering both the theory and practice of corporate finance, the book demonstrates how financial theory can be put to use solving practical problems.What advantages are there to a business looking to spin off its divisions into subsidiaries?Is there a formula that can be used to determine the change in normalised free cash flows?What are the possible reasons behind a share buyback? What are the pros and cons of off-market share buy-back?

Filled with the answers to all of the most common, and not so common, questions about corporate finance, the book presents authoritative, reliable information from a respected team of experts from the banking, corporate, and academic worlds.

Since his death in 1889 Nietzsche hs become one of the world's most influential and popular philosophers. Recent years have seen a passionate revival of interest, which is now at an all time high and attracting many readers broadly across disciplines and beyond academe. In this book Lawrence Hatab provides an accessible and provocative exploration of one of the best-known and still most puzzling aspects of Nietzsche's thought: the doctrine of eternal return, the claim that life endlessly repeats itself identically in every detail. The book will offer a readable treatment of most of the core topics in Nietzsche's philosophy, all discussed in the light of the consummating effect of eternal recurrence. Hatab is a leading interpreter of Nietzsche's philosophy, and probably one of the best-qualified scholars in the world to write this book. His 1976 dissertation, later published by University Press of America and now out of print, was on this very topic and so in a very real sense you could say he has been working on the subject now for more than 30 years.; Although Nietzsche himself called the doctrine of eternal recurrence his most fundamental idea, very little has been written on it a

An accessible guide to the essential issues of corporate finance

While you can find numerous books focused on the topic of corporate finance, few offer the type of information managers need to help them make important decisions day in and day out.

"Value" explores the core of corporate finance without getting bogged down in numbers and is intended to give managers an accessible guide to both the foundations and applications of corporate finance. Filled with in-depth insights from experts at McKinsey & Company, this reliable resource takes a much more qualitative approach to what the authors consider a lost art.Discusses the four foundational principles of corporate financeEffectively applies the theory of value creation to our economyExamines ways to maintain and grow value through mergers, acquisitions, and portfolio managementAddresses how to ensure your company has the right governance, performance measurement, and internal discussions to encourage value-creating decisions

A perfect companion to the "Fifth Edition" of "Valuation, " this book will put the various issues associated with corporate finance in perspective.

As European empires crumbled in the 20th century, the power structures that had dominated the world for centuries were up for renegotiation. Yet instead of a rebirth for democracy, what emerged was a silent coup – namely, the unstoppable rise of global corporate power.

Exposing the origins of this epic power grab as well as its present-day consequences, Silent Coup is the result of two investigative journalists' reports from 30 countries around the world. It provides an explosive guide to the rise of a corporate empire that now dictates how resources are allocated, how territories are governed, and how justice is defined.

Reducing variables and negotiating risk in lucrative emerging markets

"A timely book on the critical subject of valuation in emerging markets. Academics and practitioners have provided over the last few years many pieces of the puzzle, and Pereiro successfully puts them all together. With a broad overview of the underlying theory and many examples in which the theory is put to work, this book is bound to become one of the must-read references on the topic."
––Javier Estrada, IESE Business School (Barcelona, Spain), Editor-in-Chief, Emerging Markets Review

"Valuation is a key factor for success in the business of private equity. This is a fundamental book to be read by all professionals involved in private equity in emerging markets. Valuation of Companies in Emerging Markets: A Practical Approach contains a comprehensive set of valuation tools, and the book provides a very focused and pragmatic approach to the techniques that are applied in practice by private equity investors in nontraditional markets."
–– Carlos Wagener, HSBC Private Equity Latin America

"Two mistakes are common in the valuation of companies in emerging markets: inappropriate application of models originally developed for mature economies, and the use of black boxes–– displaying numbers without explaining the rationale behind them. Valuation of Companies in Emerging Markets: A Practical Approach adds value to the theory and practice of company valuation and helps to avoid these mistakes."
–– Ernesto Gaba, Chief Economist, BBVA Banco Franc`es

"A required reading for practitioners and everybody who deals with investment in emerging markets. This book contains a comprehensive set of tools and examples for tackling practical problems of valuation. Pereiro’s balanced exposition of theory and practice as it applies to the changing conditions of emerging markets fills an important gap in the literature."
–– Enrique R. Arzac, Professor of Finance and Economics, Graduate School of Business, Columbia University

"...a well-structured analysis of valuation in emerging countries. I find the conceptual framework attractive and the empirical applications excellent."
–– Bruno Solnik, Professor of Finance, HEC-School of Management (France)

"What I like about the book is that it delivers what it promises–– it is practical. Better yet, it achieves this without descending to the mere cookbook-recipe level. The user gets a good review of the defensible alternatives, with pros and cons; and where judgment is required, the recommendations reveal a great deal of common sense."
–– Piet Sercu, Professor of International Finance, PwC Chair "Value and Risk", DTEW, University of Leuven (Belgium)

First published in 1982, Bond Duration and Immunization is a collection of seminal papers featuring articles from high profile academics such as Frederick McCaulay, John Hicks, and F.M. Redington. This collection also features several articles published in British actuarial journals often unavailable outside of the UK, and a strong collection of articles which contextually offer a significant contribution to the field. This strong collection will appeal to anyone working or researching in the area of bond duration and immunization.

Originally published in 1997, Issues in International Capital Mobility addresses a few of the ambiguities arising in empirical investigations of capital market openness. It does this by taking existing empirical approaches and adapting them to new markets and to new assets. It also examines the properties of one statistical method used to assess the extent of international capital mobility. This book will appeal to those working or studying in the field of economics and finance.

Originally published in 1992, Capital Mobilization and Regional Financial Markets, argues that barriers to financial flows within regions may be as important in affecting capital flows as interregional barriers. The book conjectures that regional markets allow efficient mobilization of local funds and develops an analytical framework to motivate an investigation of region financial development in the Pacific Coast states between 1850 and 1920.

Originally published in 1994, Stock Exchange Automation addresses the pivotal role played by capital markets in the market economics. Capital markets are an essential component of the free market system. The book argues that the capital markets function as an allocator of investable funds among competing uses. The movement toward automated markets requires that we understand how automation changes market behaviour. The book also examines the concept of market microstructure theory, and the implication that some forms of automation should affect prices. Theories of price formation in the specialist based trading system hypothesise that the trading mechanism induces short term price volatility.

Originally published in 1973, Stock Exchange and Investment Analysis provides a detailed description of the London Stock Exchange and outlines both the principles and practice of finance, investment, and investment analysis. Split into four sections, the book provides critical analysis of the Stock Exchange and its functions, and the securities available to investors. It also addresses the latest developments in the field of investments and provides a detailed discussion on taxation and portfolio analysis. This book will be of interest to academics working in the field of finance and economics.

Originally published in 1985, Capital City: London as a Financial Centre proves in depth analytical description of the financial institutions of the City of London. The book describes in detail the operations of the banks, the stock market, the insurance world and other bodies that make up the world's largest international financial centre. The book also answers a series of questions on the City's performance, accountability and honesty and explains how the City reached its present position, discuss its future.

This book presents a set of conversations with five former Governors of Reserve Bank of India (from 1992 onwards) on the topic of financial inclusion. Two key aspects are introduced in the conversations with each Governor: the initiatives that were undertaken during their tenure and their responses to some of the current issues. Further, they examine the reasons and justifications for significant decisions and measures that were undertaken or withheld. The discussion captures the evolution and approach of the central bank in addressing a variety of questions pertaining to financial inclusion. The volume is an important contribution to the study of India's continuous but not entirely successful efforts in increasing the reach of its formal financial sector. It reconstructs how the policy approach to inclusive banking has progressed and resisted commercial and market imperatives to safeguard the deprived and dispossessed sections of society. With its wide-ranging blend of conversations, documentation, research and commentary coupled with its engaging style, the book will interest students and researchers in the areas of development, banking, macroeconomics, public administration and governance, as well as academics, analysts, policymakers, think tanks, journalists, media and those concerned with the Indian economic policy.

The increasing capital flows in the emerging markets and developed countries have raised various concerns worldwide. One main concern is the impact of the sharp decline of capital flows - so-called sudden stops - on financial markets and the stability of banking systems and the economy. The sudden stops and banking crises have been identified as the two main features of most financial crises, including the recent Asian Financial Crisis and Global Financial Crisis. However, how capital flows and banking crises are connected still remains unanswered. Most current studies on capital flows are empirical work, which faces various challenges. The challenges include how data has been collected and measured in each country and how sensitive the results are to the data and the adopted methodologies. Moreover, the links between capital flows and banking systems have been neglected. This book helps provide some insight into the challenges faced by empirical studies and the lessons of the recent crises. The book develops theoretical analysis to deepen our understanding on how capital flows, banking systems and financial markets are linked with each other and provides constructive policy implications by overcoming the empirical challenges.

This book deals with risk capital provided for established firms outside the stock market, private equity, which has grown rapidly over the last three decades, yet is largely poorly understood. Although it has often been criticized in the public mind as being short termist and having adverse consequences for employment, in reality this is far from the case. Here, John Gilligan and Mike Wright dispel some of the biggest myths and misconceptions about private equity. The book provides a unique and authoritative source from a leading practitioner and academic for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers that explains in detail what private equity involves and reviews systematic evidence of what the impact of private equity has been. Written in a highly accessible style, the book takes the reader through what private equity means, the different actors involved, and issues concerning sourcing, checking out, valuing, and structuring deals. The various themes from the systematic academic evidence are highlighted in numerous summary vignettes placed alongside the text that discuss the practical aspects. The main part of the work concludes with an up-to-date discussion by the authors, informed commentators on the key issues in the lively debate about private equity. The book further contains summary tables of the academic research carried out over the past three decades across the private equity landscape including: the returns to investors, economic performance, impact on R&D and employees, and the longevity and life-cycle of private equity backed deals.

Originally published in 1987, British Non-Bank Financial Intermediaries the book is the diversification of and overlaps in the operations of UK financial intermediaries forms. The book provides a coherent analysis of the broader implications of ongoing developments in the financial services sector and an insight into the 'back-room activities of the non-bank institutions. The book also focuses on institutions offering some form of financial markets, within which many of the financial intermediaries operate. In doing this, the book outlines a theoretical framework of financial intermediation and provides an overview of the broader evolution of the UK financial system. This volume will be of use to students and practitioners studying in the financial services sector.

Originally published in 1991, Financial Market Liberalization in Chile, 1973-1982, analyses the liberalization of the financial market which took place during the 1973-1982 monetarist experiment. The book addresses the effect this had on the Chilean economy and how this affected effects of the behaviour of the firms which went bankrupt during this period. The book also presents a description of the policies implemented in the Chilean economy during this period and examines the impact that this had on the performance of the financial sector.

"One of the ways companies are looking for competitive advantage in this frenetic [business] environment . . . is through the use of a tactical technique called shared services. . . . In this book, we bridge [the] chasm between the theory of how a shared services operation 'ought to' work and the practical issues involved in how to make it work, how to carry out a successful implementation of a shared service operation in your business.—from the Preface.

Gaining competitive advantage in today's fierce business environment requires focus throughout the company on value, as measured by quality, cost, speed, and service. In the quest for superior performance, a growing number of companies are now turning to shared services, a tactical technique by which corporations can organize financial and other transaction-oriented activities to reduce costs and provide better service to business unit partners. Written by four authorities, three PricewaterhouseCoopers consultants and the executive who has directed the shared service efforts at Lucent Technologies, this comprehensive resource—the first of its kind—examines shared services from the macro issues that compel senior management to embrace this approach through the design and implementation of a shared services environment that leads to increased customer and shareholder value.

Of all the tools available for gaining competitive advantage, why shared services? One of the principal reasons is that it creates, through consolidation of often disparate activities, more of a "one company" feel among business units. The benefits of this are twofold: one, it enables companies to show a consistent face to clients and customers, vendors and suppliers, shareholders and potential shareholders; two, it provides increased flexibility to all of the business' operations, allowing corporate leaders to maintain a global perspective while at the same time allowing business unit leaders to take strong, customer-focused actions.

Providing both a domestic and global view, Shared Services addresses the full spectrum of issues, including:

• Assessing whether shared services is right for you—issues to consider, goals to be reached.
• Getting started—building support, establishing an effective organization, instituting continuous communication.
• Setting up the infrastructure—billing shared services to business units, dealing with tax and legal entity issues.
• International challenges—complexity, time zone, legal issues, currency stability, and security.
• Program and project management—structures, planning, execution, and control.

A groundbreaking book that examines a timely and important topic, Shared Services is an accessible and thorough guide to what could be a critical component in achieving long-term business success.

This comprehensive resource is the first to introduce, explain, and explore shared services, an innovative business strategy that involves centralizing various business units, including accounting and transactional operations, to reduce costs and increase customer satisfaction. Presenting a practical and easy-to-follow blueprint for the smooth and sound implementation of shared services in your organization, Shared Services: Adding Value to the Business Units covers all the fundamentals, from how to get started to proper management techniques.

The book is motivated by the disruptions introduced by the financial crisis and the many attempts that have followed to propose new ideas and remedies. Assembling contributions by authors from a variety of backgrounds, this collection illustrates the potentials resulting from the marriage of financial economics, complexity theory and an out-of-equilibrium view of the economic world. Challenging the traditional hypotheses that lie behind financial market functioning, new evidence is provided about the hidden factors fuelling bubbles, the impact of agents' heterogeneity, the importance of endogeneity in the information transmission mechanism, the dynamics of herding, the sources of volatility, the portfolio optimization techniques, the financial innovation and the trend identification in a nonlinear time-series framework. Presenting the advances made in financial market analysis, and putting emphasis on nonlinear dynamics, this book suggests interdisciplinary methodologies for the study of well-known stylised facts and financial abnormalities. This book was originally published as a special issue of The European Journal of Finance.

The principles of value investing have resonated with savvy practitioners in the world of finance for a long time. In Creating Strategic Value, Joseph Calandro Jr. explores how the core ideas and methods of value investing can be profitably applied to corporate strategy and management. Calandro builds from an analysis of traditional value investing concepts to their strategic applications. He surveys value investing's past, present, and future, drawing on influential texts, from Graham and Dodd's time-tested works to more recent studies, to reveal potent managerial lessons. He explains the theoretical aspects of value investing-consistent approaches to corporate strategy and management and details how they can be successfully employed through practical case studies that demonstrate value realization in action. Calandro analyzes the applicability of key ideas such as the margin-of-safety principle to corporate strategy in a wide range of areas beyond stocks and bonds. He highlights the importance of an "information advantage"-knowing something that a firm's competitors either do not know or choose to ignore-and explains how corporate managers can apply this key value investing differentiator. Offering expert insight into the use of time-tested value investing principles in new fields, Creating Strategic Value is an important book for corporate strategy and management practitioners at all levels as well as for students and researchers.

This definitive description and analysis of the Japanese main bank system describes a form of relationship banking of significant theoretical and policy interest. As well as being important in its own right, the system also has relevance for developing market economies and transforming socialist economies; the extent of this relevance is another aspect of this thorough empirical and theoretical analysis based on both Japanese and non-Japanese expertise. The basic characteristics of the main bank system are examined here - its roots, development, and role in the heyday of Japan's post-war rapid growth - and its performance, strengths, and weaknesses are observed. The volume goes on to examine how the system has changed and what its appropriate role is as deregulation, liberalization, and internationalization of Japan's financial markets have proceeded over the past two decades and a new issue securities market has blossomed. One conclusion that emerges is that banking-based systems are in most cases the most appropriate for industrial financing until a rather late stage of a country's economic and financial development. The volume aims to identify the conditions under which banks are better able than securities market institutions to evaluate the creditworthiness of borrowers and the viability of new projects, to monitor the ongoing performance of firms, and to rescue or liquidate firms in distress. This is the result of a major Economic Development Institute of the World Bank research project, in cooperation with the Center for Economic Policy at Stanford University and the Center on Japanese Economy and Business at Columbia University, that brought together some of the best scholars inthe field, and will be of interest to Japan specialists and those with a general interest in systems of finance.