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The purpose of this paper is to assess the value and risks of Disney's 2009 $4 billion acquisition of the Marvel Entertainment Group (Marvel) in a case study utilizing the modern Graham and Dodd valuation approach.

The paper presents a detailed valuation of Marvel in 2009 drawing on previously published Graham and Dodd methodological materials and Marvel's publicly available financial reports.

Disney's $4 billion acquisition price for Marvel contained considerable risks based on certain valuation assumptions, which were identified in the context of our analysis.

This acquisition is a useful one for executives to study because it involves a situation many of them could face: evaluating the purchase of a great company that is seemingly a strategic fit and offered at what appears to be a reasonable price. Assessing such opportunities utilizing the modern Graham and Dodd valuation approach facilitates greater levels of insight into key assumptions, value drivers, and risks.

This is a methodology that has proved useful to successful value investors over time.

Lessons executives in many industries can learn from a Graham and Dodd‐based valuation of the 2009 Disney acquisition of Marvel include: better risk assessment, valuation of entertainment property assets and franchise assessment.

The purpose of this article is to provide commentary on the utility of Altman's Z‐score as a strategic assessment and performance management tool. This possibility is suggested in the recently published book Measuring Organizational Performance – Metrics for Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management Research (Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar, 2006) by Robert B. Carton and Charles W. Hofer.

This paper is a corporate manager's analysis of the utility of Altman's Z‐score as a strategic assessment and performance management tool based on published research, with suggestions for further research.

The analysis supports Carton and Hofer's findings with respect to the utility of the Z‐score as a strategic assessment and performance management tool.

While the Z‐score is both popular and widely used in the fields of credit risk analysis, distressed investing, M&A target analysis, and turnaround management it has received relatively little attention as a strategic assessment and performance management tool. The findings of Carton and Hofer's study, in conjunction with the impressive results achieved by GTI Corporation, suggest that applying the Z‐score in strategy and performance management may also be warranted, especially after more research is undertaken.

This article offers a manager's perspective on new research that indicates the potential of a popular financial distress metric to provide insight in the areas of entrepreneurship and strategic management.

This paper introduces the base‐case‐valuation pattern, which is derived from the modern Graham and Dodd valuation methodology, and it demonstrates how that pattern could be utilized in M&A by way of a case study.

The paper presents a case study of the 2004 acquisition of Sears by hedge‐fund manager Eddie Lampert. It draws on previously published Graham and Dodd methodological materials as well as Sears' publicly available financial information. The valuation calculations presented in the case is the sole work of the author.

The results of the case suggest that base‐case valuation could be practically utilized in M&A. Significantly, it could also be utilized in the formulation of an M&A‐negotiating strategy, shareholder‐communication plan, and performance‐improvement plan.

The paper demonstrates how that acquisition contained a reasonable margin‐of safety, or price discount to estimated value, even though it occurred at a multiple of 1.8x Sears' book value at the time.

This case demonstrates the practical utility of base‐case value in M&A by way of the 2004 Sears acquisition.

This work introduces the base‐case‐valuation pattern, and it is the first work, as far as we are aware, that applies the Graham and Dodd methodology to the Sears acquisition even though Eddie Lampert is a noted Graham and Dodd‐based practitioner.

This paper seeks to analyze the applicability of the time‐tested margin of safety principle from value investing to corporate strategy.

The main source of this paper is the book Margin of Safety, supplementation materials, including a discussion with the book's author, Seth Klarman, were also referenced.

The paper finds that the margin of safety principle is broadly applicable to corporate strategy in areas such as M&A, hedging, balance sheet management, share buybacks, special dividends, divestments, and cash management. Each of these areas is discussed in the paper and illustrated by way of timely examples as part of the analysis.

Further research could be conducted into valuation methods in general, including the method practiced by noted value investors. Research could also be conducted into the margin of safety principle and its applications in corporate strategy, corporate finance, strategic risk management, shareholder communications, and operations management.

This is the first paper that the author is aware of that analyzes the applicability of the investment‐based margin of safety principle to corporate strategy and strategy‐related initiatives.

This paper aims to illustrate the viability of distressed mergers and acquisitions (M&A) by way of case study utilizing the modern Graham and Dodd valuation approach.

The paper presents a distressed acquisition case study of the 1996 Marvel Entertainment Group (Marvel) bankruptcy. It draws on previously published Graham and Dodd methodological materials as well as a financial case study of Marvel that was prepared at the time. The valuation presented in this paper is the sole work of the author.

The case study supports the view that distressed M&A can be a viable corporate strategy alternative. It also demonstrates how a multi‐layered valuation approach such as Graham and Dodd can be ideal for identifying value that may be hidden in the confusion and distress of bankruptcy.

The case study illustrates the valuation insights that the modern Graham and Dodd approach can produce in a distressed setting.

The case study illustrates the viability of distressed M&A as a corporate strategy alternative.

This is the first paper that we are aware that applies Graham and Dodd‐based distressed M&A valuation to corporate strategy.

This paper seeks to propose a definition of strategic mergers and acquisitions (M&A) that is illustrated by way of case study. It also aims to introduce the strategic concept of “nascent franchise.”

The proposed definition is based on existing strategic theory, which was extended to the field of M&A. The supporting case analysis is based on the Berkshire Hathaway‐led acquisition of MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company (“MidAmerican”) in 1999, and was prepared from publicly available financial information.

Defining strategic M&A in the manner proposed in this paper proved useful in explaining the dynamics of, and post‐acquisition performance of, the MidAmerican acquisition. It also helped to frame the analysis leading to the concept of nascent franchise.

The paper's definition of strategic M&A could help reframe deal deliberations for practitioners, and spur research by strategy scholars. Additionally, the concept of “nascent franchise” could be developed in future research conducted by either practitioners or academicians.

Strategic M&A is defined in a manner consistent with the literature, but extended and illustrated in a unique manner. The valuation presented in this paper, and the concept of nascent franchise derived from the valuation, are based solely on the author's work.

This paper aims to acquaint managers with a little known mergers and acquisitions (M&A) diagnostic tool that made its debut in the book Deals from Hell – M&A Lessons that Rise Above the Ashes (NY: Wiley, 2005) by Robert Bruner.

This paper offers a retrospective case study using Bruner's risk assessment framework to examine Berkshire Hathaway's 1998 Gen Re acquisition by CEO Warren Buffet, which proved to be a problematic deal. The case study makes use of recent post‐deal reports.

The case study supports the findings of Bruner's research regarding the utility of the M&A risk assessment framework presented in his book.

Tthe field of real disasters could be the subject to further strategy‐based research.

Bruner's disaster‐based M&A risk assessment framework could be practically utilized in M&A.

This paper is practically‐oriented commentary on recently published M&A risk assessment research, which is analyzed via case study.

This paper aims to consider how top corporate executives in a variety of industries can find important lessons in the recently published sixth edition of Benjamin Graham and David Dodd's Security Analysis (New York: McGraw‐Hill, 2008).

This paper includes an interview with the lead editor of the book, value investor Seth Klarman. He explains key strategic lessons that non‐financial executives can learn from the value investing concepts and methodology.

The insights contained within Security Analysis can and should be leveraged by business leaders and strategists to create value for their firms.

Graham and Dodd‐based valuation and investment is a viable method with which to assess corporate strategic initiatives (such as mergers and acquisitions, share buy‐backs, etc.).

This paper, the first in a business strategy journal, explains how business leaders can become adept at using modern applications of Graham and Dodd‐based valuation insights and technology to inform their strategic decision‐making.

Risk management has grown increasingly popular in recent years due to the recognition that risk should be as actively managed as performance. A key objective of risk management is to evaluate performance in the context of the relative volatility in which business operations are undertaken. However, accomplishing this has generally proven difficult. This paper aims to present a practical approach for risk‐adjusting performance.

This paper presents a practical risk‐adjustment methodology that is based on a popular statistical measure. The utility of the approach is demonstrated in two practical examples: the first is an industry example and the second is an M&A example.

The results of the research suggest that the risk‐adjustment approach presented here could become an important part of both performance management and risk management programs.

The approach detailed in this paper facilitates the practical risk‐adjustment of select performance measures and risk measures. As this is an introductory paper, further research could be conducted on the specifics of the risk‐adjustment process as well as the strategic context in which measures are risk‐adjusted.

This paper introduces a practical approach of risk‐adjusting performance that was inspired by a popular statistical measure, which is demonstrated in two practical examples.

The purpose of this article is to introduce the “Financial Strategy Framework”.

During the course of the authors' ongoing financial management research, it was observed that leading academicians frequently integrate finance and strategy in interesting ways. Similarly, many top executives and firms tend to blend strategy and finance in highly productive ways. Nevertheless, the critical functions of finance and strategy are regularly practiced in isolation. This disconnect led the authors to design the framework presented here.

The key insight of the approach is that the efficient management of the interactions of strategy, resource allocation and performance measurement can generate more value over time than any of these disciplines taken in isolation. The approach presented is not merely the linkage of three critically important disciplines, but rather a way of capitalizing on the interactions of each within a comprehensive framework.

The practical implications of the approach presented are a strategy that clearly guides production, resources that are allocated to efficiently execute strategic initiatives and performance measurement that serves as a cohesive management and feedback system rather than simply a method of reward/punishment. The research implications could be significant in that they could lead to interdisciplinary case and statistical studies.

While this article builds on earlier theoretical and practical work, it is the first to the outline the approach to financial strategy in the manner presented here.