Harvard Business Review

MARCH 10, 2011

When executives evaluate a potential investment, whether it's to build a new plant, enter a new market, or acquire a company, they weigh its cost against the future cash flows they expect will spring from it. To make sure they're comparing apples to apples, they discount those future cash flows to arrive at their net present value.

CAPM 14

CAPM Cost Discounted Cash Flow Cost of Capital 14

Harvard Business Review

AUGUST 21, 2015

In fact, determining price is one of the toughest things a marketer has to do, in large part because it has such a big impact on the company’s bottom line. “The higher the absolute value of the number, the more sensitive customers are to price changes,” explains Avery. What is price elasticity?

Price 8

Price Debt to Equity Ratio Marketing Metrics 8

Harvard Business Review

FEBRUARY 24, 2011

But why compare apples (book value) to oranges (share price and dividends)? Buffett explains that book value is the best proxy for "intrinsic value," the net present value of all estimated future cash flows. Consider that since 1965, Berkshire's book value grew 434,057% and the S&P index grew only 5,430%.

Letter 15

Letter P&L Net Present Value Insurance 15

Harvard Business Review

FEBRUARY 24, 2014

While on the surface, the dirty business of fossil fuels is nothing like Silicon Valley, many in the oil business have moved beyond the standard net present value (NPV) model for assessing the merit of investments. Consider the rapid progress Facebook has made on mobile, not only domestically, but in emerging markets.

NPV 8

NPV Net Present Value Industry Video 8

Harvard Business Review

JUNE 22, 2015

Marketers often have to make the call on whether a certain marketing investment is worth the cost. Can you justify the price tag of the ad you want to buy or the marketing campaign you’re hoping to launch next quarter? What is breakeven quantity (BEQ)? ” The company sells each pair of flip flops for $24.00.

Payback Period 8

Payback Period Fixed Costs Analysis Price 8

Harvard Business Review

OCTOBER 15, 2012

Applied to open innovation, it means framing conversations so decision-makers understand the future value ("the payoff"), how much investment is needed ("the exercise price"), and the associated risks of bringing an externally sourced technology or concept to market. Net Present Value ). You can invest iteratively.

Innovation 8

Innovation Execution Net Present Value Open-book 8

Harvard Business Review

DECEMBER 2, 2013

Take the example of child sponsorships, highly popular as a marketing tool for many NGOs. This point has gone relatively unheeded in the US and Europe as the economic cycle’s impact on the job market has left people willing to accept any paid work.

Trends 8

Trends Development Net Present Value NGO 8

Harvard Business Review

JUNE 18, 2015

We also know that private equity funds have outperformed public equity markets over the last three decades , even after the fees they charge are accounted for. Such investments carry significant equity risk, suggesting that equity-based benchmarks like public market equivalents (PMEs) are appropriate.

CAPM 8

CAPM Discounted Cash Flow Company Rate of Return 8

Harvard Business Review

FEBRUARY 7, 2011

For decades multinational corporations have poured hundreds of billions of dollars of foreign investments into emerging markets , sometimes preferring the investment climate of "stable" authoritarian regimes over "messy" democracies. Certainly the money at stake is substantial.

NPV 13

NPV Short-term Discount Politics 13

Harvard Business Review

SEPTEMBER 27, 2012

Employees frequently attribute breakdowns to incompetence or bad faith on the part of colleagues in other departments: "Those bozos in headquarters [or finance or marketing] screw everything up." Strategies often falter in execution because of insufficient coordination across the organization.

Strategy 8

Strategy Proposal Guidelines Net Present Value 8

Harvard Business Review

APRIL 27, 2017

But I long for actions that go beyond admonitions to managers and boards to do better, that give both parties a better chance to stand up to capital markets players, like activist hedge funds, pressuring them to become too short-term focused. The Refresher: Net Present Value. Related Video.

Hedge 9

Hedge Short-term Long-term NPV 9

Harvard Business Review

JANUARY 11, 2012

Can we get to the market without any technological miracles? Note what isn't part of the decision: an idea's net present value or return on investment. Consider some combination of the following criteria: Does what we hope to do fit our strategy? (If If you don't have an innovation strategy , go and create one.).

Company 15

Company Net Present Value How To Proposal 15

Strategy Driven

SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

Many conventional metrics we use to estimate value are based on faulty assumptions. Net present value [NPV] is a case in point. With Discovery-Driven Growth , Rita and Ian offer managers everywhere a time-tested blueprint for planning and executing a strategic growth agenda with confidence – in any market.

Innovation 50

Innovation NPV Business Model Constraint 50