Multinational Finance. Evaluating Opportunities, Costs, and Risks of Operations

Deep coverage and rigorous examination of international corporate finance Multinational Finance offers an advanced exploration of international corporate finance concepts and operations. Despite its status as one of the most rigorous texts on the topic, this book remains accessible and readable without sacrificing depth of coverage. Sidebars, key terms, essays, conceptual questions, and problems with solutions help aid in the learning process, while suggested readings and PowerPoint handouts reinforce the material and offer avenues for further exploration. This new sixth edition includes Excel templates that allow students to use real-world tools in a learning environment, and the modular structure facilitates course customization to individual objectives, interests, and preparatory level. The emphasis is on the basics of financial management, but coverage includes unique chapters on treasury management, asset pricing, hedging, options, and portfolio management in addition to traditional finance topics. International finance is a diverse field with myriad specialties and a vast array of possible interests. This book allows students to view the field through the lens of a financial manager with investment or financial options in more than one country to give them a practical feel for real-world application. Understand the nature and operations of international corporate finance Evaluate opportunities, costs, and risks of multinational operations See beyond the numbers and terminology to the general principles at work Learn the markets, currencies, taxation, capital structure, governance, and more Comprehensive, adaptable, and rigorously focused, this book gives students a solid foundation in international corporate finance, as well as a sound understanding of the tools and mechanics of the field. Designed for MBA and advanced undergraduate courses, Multinational Finance provides the deep coverage so essential to a solid education in finance.

Pension plans around the world are in a state of crisis. U.S. plans alone are facing a total accrued liability funding deficit of almost $4 trillion (of the same order of magnitude as the federal debt), a potential financial catastrophe that ranks among the largest ever seen. It has become clear that many government, corporate, and multi-employer pension sponsors will not be able to cope with this crippling debt and may default on promised benefits. And many of those sponsors that might be able to cope are exasperated by continuous, ongoing negative surprises-large unexpected deficits and higher-than-expected required contributions and pension expense-and are choosing to terminate their plans. But it need not be so. Pension Finance: Putting the Risks and Costs of Defined Benefit Plans Back under Your Control walks the reader through the conventional actuarial and accounting approaches to financing pension benefits and investing plan assets, showing that the problems described happen as a natural consequence of the dated methods still in use. It shows in detail how modern methods based on market value will easily minimize these risks: Pension plans can in fact be comfortable for employers to sponsor and safe for employees to contribute todepend on for their retirement needs. This book is must-read for defined benefit pension plan sponsors and employee representatives, plan executives, board members, accountants, fund managers, consultants, and regulators., Research sponsored by the CFA Institute, this book demystifies pension finance, previously accessible only to actuaries. It teaches the topic in lay terms by drawing complete analogies to ordinary transactions such as paying off a mortgage or saving for college. Armed with this book, anyone comfortable with finance and investments in any other context can be comfortable with pension finance and pension investment policy. And further armed with a handheld financial calculator, any layperson can quickly estimate the contributions needed to keep a given plan comfortably solvent, giving them a powerful tool for oversight.

A detailed look at the water industry and the trends that can lead to investment opportunities Water has quickly grown into a big global business, with annual revenues in the United States alone reaching over $200 billion. In the years ahead, companies as well as governments must find innovative ways to address important issues within this field without sacrificing basic needs, such as safety of drinking water or the reliability of water for energy production. Nobody understands this better than author Neil Grigg, a forty-year veteran of the water industry, and now, with Water Finance, he shares his extensive experience with you. Most of the water business operates under the radar, but with this reliable resource, Grigg shines a bright light on this essential area and offers comprehensive coverage of the public responsibilities and private opportunities associated with it. While Water Finance does contain many facts and figures, it also takes the time to pull together the various aspects of water, going far beyond water as just a commodity, to skillfully explain it as the integrated business that it is. Opens with a detailed discussion of the water industry before turning its focus to water handling, which includes water supply, wastewater, industrial water, storm water, irrigation and drainage, and instream flows Reveals the different driving forces, and issues, surrounding the water industry such as government involvement, privatization, law and regulations, financial structure, water and health, and workforce capacity Offers insights on water industry business, careers, and investments Organized around the idea that the water business is about all aspects of handling water, from the global environment to your tap, Water Finance contains the information you need to succeed in this dynamic field.

Cut warranty costs by reducing fraud with transparent processes and balanced control Warranty Fraud Management provides a clear, practical framework for reducing fraudulent warranty claims and other excess costs in warranty and service operations. Packed with actionable guidelines and detailed information, this book lays out a system of efficient warranty management that can reduce costs without upsetting the customer relationship. You'll dig into the whole spectrum of warranty fraud, from simple sloppy procedures to systematic organized crime, and get to know the fraudulent parties, the victims, as well as the objectives and methods of the fraudulent activities in different scenarios. You'll learn how to implement controls to detect and reduce fraudulent claims and decrease the overall warranty costs. The impact of fraudulent claims is plainly spelled out alongside detailed descriptions of typical symptoms and process gaps present in diverse companies. A comprehensive, multi-modal framework for robust warranty management is presented as a template for revamping your own company's strategy. Fraudulent warranty claims occupy an estimated 3-15 percent of the average company's warranty costs, which generally average between 1-4 percent of sales. Many companies are unaware of the issue or struggle to take action against the claims for fear of upsetting business partners, or because they lack tangible evidence. This book details a robust warranty control framework that institutes transparency and control over the whole warranty chain—supporting the process far beyond just fraud reduction. Understand the different actors (customers, sales channels, service agents, warranty providers, etc.) and different forms of warranty fraud Uncover issues in your company's warranty processes Learn methods to detect and prevent fraudulent activities Implement a robust system of warranty cost control Warranty fraud is a major cost-control issue for most companies, but the sensitive nature of the topic leaves most reluctant to share their experiences and divulge their strategies. Warranty Fraud Management brings warranty fraud out into the open, and provides a clear, actionable framework for cost-savings through fraud reduction.

The business world is undergoing dramatic change that is driven by tough new legislation, expanded market based incentives and increased consumer awareness of environmental issues (e.g., hazard ingredients in products, alternative energy, reduction in greenhouse gases). This is forcing companies to reassess the life cycle of their products and the efficiency of their supply chains. Environmental issues are becoming business critical. Good to Green provides the vital information, backed by case studies and examples, that gives progressive business leaders the strategic know-how to pro-actively manage environmental issues and realize the business benefits of going green.

A detailed, step-by-step book covering the entire hedge fund evaluation process Investing in hedge funds is different from investing in other asset classes. There is much less publicly available information about hedge funds performance than there is about mutual funds or individual stocks. Consequently, investing in this class requires more sophisticated investment knowledge, greater due diligence, and, in many cases, a better-developed ability to evaluate investment managers. Hedge Fund Analysis provides a broad framework of how to approach this endeavor, from initial screening to analytical techniques, interviewing skills, and legal and contract negotiations. Along the way, it demonstrates a variety of mechanisms for monitoring and tracking hedge funds and the underlying hedge fund portfolios—explaining each stage of the process in minute detail and providing specific examples which fully explain the opportunities and challenges you'll face each step of the way. Provides a detailed look at how to source hedge funds, screen through them, and rank their strengths and weaknesses Lays out a thorough process for evaluating funds, from initial interviews to performance analysis to onsite meetings Reveals what questions to ask by strategy in order to understand the underlying risk factors associated with each Highlights non-investment analysis, including operational due diligence and risk management, as integral elements in the process Written by a financial professional with over twenty years of experience conducting investment manager due diligence, this book will put you in a position to make more informed decisions when investing in hedge funds.

A comprehensive and fully up-to-date introductory textbook to Islamic finance and banking Islamic finance and banking is being used increasingly globally – especially in the regions of Middle East and North Africa, South East and South Asia. To cater to the need of trained Islamic finance staff, a large number of Educational institutions are beginning to offer courses, majors and minors in Islamic finance and banking. The major challenge faced by these institutions are suitable textbooks for both undergrad and post-grad levels and especially with the relevant instructor resources (PPTs, test bank, practice activities and answer keys). Luckily, Fundamentals of Islamic Finance and Banking is here to cover the most important topics related to Islamic finance and banking (IF&B) that are relevant for students of business, finance and banking. Offers an historical background of Islamic finance Covers the principles of Sharia Law as pertinent to finance and banking Provides in-depth discussion of the six key Islamic banking products: Murabaha, Mudaraba, Musharaka, Ijara, Salam and Istisna Discusses the Islamic insurance (Takaful) Gives an overview of Islamic investment, especially Sukuks Concludes with the global standing of the Islamic Finance and Banking industry Would-be colleges and universities offering this subject as a course within their finance and/or banking program can’t be without this invaluable guide.

Throughout banking, mathematical techniques are used. Some of these are within software products or models; mathematicians use others to analyse data. The current literature on the subject is either very basic or very advanced. The Mathematics of Banking offers an intermediate guide to the various techniques used in the industry, and a consideration of how each one should be approached. Written in a practical style, it will enable readers to quickly appreciate the purpose of the techniques and, through illustrations, see how they can be applied in practice. Coverage is extensive and includes techniques such as VaR analysis, Monte Carlo simulation, extreme value theory, variance and many others. A practical review of mathematical techniques needed in banking which does not expect a high level of mathematical competence from the reader

Recent Events -from September 11, to the anti-globalization protests to the collapse of the high-tech boom have accentuated the sense that the global economy is moving into uncharted waters Bringing together the leading authorities on globalization and international business The Future of the Multinational Company looks ahead to the new challenges facing multinational firms and predicts what the multinational company will look like in ten years time. Brings together the leading authorities in the field of global / international busi-ness. Accademically rigourous but accessible · Addresses a topic of concern to practitioners and academics alike

An in-depth look at how banks and other financial institutions manage treasury operations Created for banking and finance professionals with a desire to expand their management skillset, this book focuses on treasury operations in banking. It was written by the experts at the world-renowned Hong Kong Institute of Bankers, an organization dedicated to providing the international banking community with education and training. Offers a detailed look at treasury operations and how banks manage their relationships with various markets, including foreign exchange, bond markets, and derivatives Gives practitioners a thorough understanding of balance sheet management, settlement, and control Provides bankers with the specialised knowledge they need to undertake critical reviews of treasury operations in banks, manage a wide range of treasury activities, and identify risks