Harvard Business Review

APRIL 5, 2017

While a laudable effort in principle, measuring a company’s tendency to make myopic operating and investing decisions is fiendishly complex. But the other indicators probably pick up legitimate differences in how companies in the sample operate, as opposed to whether they are myopic. What would better measures be?

EPS 9

EPS Metrics Depreciation Short-term 9

Harvard Business Review

APRIL 16, 2012

To enhance financial flexibility, companies have been retaining unprecedented amounts of cash on their balance sheets, calling it "strategic" cash to distinguish it from the "operating" cash that is needed to run the business. Barring a tax holiday, this cash is effectively "trapped" offshore. Facilitate Acquisitions. Facilitate Investments.

Company 13

Company Cost of Capital Finance Long-term 13

Harvard Business Review

OCTOBER 25, 2018

To analyze the superstar dynamics of firms, our metric was economic profit, a measure of a firm’s profit above and beyond opportunity cost. (To To do this, we take the firm’s returns, deduct the cost of capital, and multiply by the firm’s total invested capital.)

Industry 14

Industry Company GDP Bottom-up 14

Harvard Business Review

APRIL 26, 2017

Banks’ cost of capital is typically 50 basis points or less. These low-cost and reliable sources of funds are from taxpayer-insured deposits and the Federal Reserve’s discount window. This amounts to putting a toe in the water, while keeping current operations relatively separate and pristine.

Banking 13

Banking Stage-Gate Credit Scoring Competitive Advantage 13

Harvard Business Review

MARCH 31, 2015

While consumers are rightfully worried that their personal information may be compromised, shareholders and companies’ management have a wider set of concerns, including loss of intellectual property, operational disruption, decreased customer trust, tarnished brand, and loss of investor commitment.

Price 8

Price Long-term Banking Short-term 8

Harvard Business Review

NOVEMBER 25, 2013

Creating transparency into its operations is the starting point for marketing to help CFOs understand where and how value is being gained or lost, which makes budgeting discussions much more productive. The experience at one global insurance company is illustrative.

CFO 8

CFO Short-term Long-term Benchmarking 8

Harvard Business Review

MAY 25, 2018

Discovery, the South African insurer, has formed strategic alliances with leading insurers around the world to license its Vitality platform—a quick, low-cost way to gain access to new markets. These new organizations are likely to operate quite differently from traditional corporations.

Incubator 8

Incubator Insurance Cost of Capital Competitive Advantage 8