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High Expectations: Managing For Value In The Automotive Industry

Chief Executive

Since shareholder value is driven by investor expectations of future cash flow and EP growth (See S&P 500 Warranted Value of Discounted Economic Profits vs. Actual Traded Value chart, below), EP has been used as the profitability metric for AlixPartners’ Automotive Value Creation study.

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3D Printing Will Revive Conglomerates

Harvard Business Review

That gave it a steadier cash flow to cover the costs of its large fixed cost investments, but did not eliminate the unused capacity of plants dedicated to one kind of product. These regional production centers would reduce transportation costs and currency risks, while developing closer ties to their customers.

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We Can’t Study Short-Termism Without the Right Metrics

Harvard Business Review

Similarly, considering greater accruals (which represent the difference between reported income and operating cash flows) to measure short-term orientation has its difficulties. It assumes that a smaller proportion of cash flows in earnings indicates a myopic firm. Are all share repurchases myopic?

Metrics 11
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How Companies Can Use Investors to Their Advantage

Harvard Business Review

He asked one former major investor for a reaction to the company’s prediction (accompanying poor quarterly results): “that the [current] market contraction will bottom out soon and our profits will improve.” I assumed you had some further cost reduction up your sleeve.” What he heard was uncomfortable.

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The Challenges GM Is Facing, and the Reasoning Behind Its Plant Closures

Harvard Business Review

And the same applies to the affected workers: The tight labor market means there are opportunities for those who go through retraining. Capital-intensive factories have a high-fixed-cost, low-variable-cost operating model. Another issue involves reallocating resources in the face of fundamental market shifts.

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4 Types of Activist Investors and How to Spot Them

Harvard Business Review

market has witnessed a substantial rise of activist investors. is a top performing S&P 500 listed company whose two-year total return outperformed the market by over 60%. However, free cash flow per share remained impressive at both companies, and fixed cost ratios remained somewhat intact.