A merger deal of two Samsung group companies becomes a center of a corruption scandal. The merger of Cheil Industries and Samsung C&T was seen as a crucial step to transfer power to Lee Jae Yong, the heir of Samsung group. The deal was criticized to purposefully undervalue Samsung C&T's stocks to transfer wealth to Lee at the expense of the shareholders. Elliott Management, a New York-based hedge fund, launches a campaign urging shareholders to vote against the merger. However, the National Pension Service (NPS)-a major shareholder of Samsung C&T-votes in favor of the deal. The case sheds light on the political ties between the government and the family controlled conglomerates in South Korea, which have powered the country's economy for decades.
This case introduces students to the topic of mergers and acquisitions. At the time that Microsoft purchased aQuantive there was a mixed reaction by analysts and investors on whether this transaction would increase shareholder value. Ultimately the transaction turned out to be a colossal failure, and Microsoft received a substantial amount of bad press. This case allows students to discuss firm's grow strategies (through mergers and acquisitions vs. organic growth) from both an economic perspective and through the accounting lens. The case offers an opportunity to introduce accounting for mergers and acquisitions, i.e., purchase price allocation rules, and other specific accounting issues associated with mergers and acquisitions in the internet advertising setting.
The collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008 was the largest bankruptcy in US history. The case examines the economics of the off-balance sheet transactions Lehman undertook prior to the collapse, and highlights the corporate governance challenges in situations where firms face capital market pressure and market downturns. In particular, the case examines the financial accounting, auditing and internal management control practices around the Repo 105 transactions, which had a significant effect on the leverage position of the company. Based on the findings of the bankruptcy examiner's report, the case focuses on the role that management, external auditors, and the audit committee played in what amounted to a significant control failure.
Set in 2010, the case discusses the strategic directions Hong Kong could pursue, particularly vis-a-vis China, as it seeks to preserve its preeminence in the region. In 2010, the Hong Kong Exchange announced that it would allow listed Chinese companies to report using Chinese GAAP without reconciliation to IFRS The exchange was responding to the demands of its largely Chinese clientele and also coping with increased global competition to attract listings from Chinese companies. However, there were concerns around whether this change would undermine Hong Kong's position as a financial center in the long term. Hong Kong's position as a global financial powerhouse was due in part to its rigorous emphasis on compliance and enforcement; allowing companies to report under Chinese GAAP, the practice of which was highly variable, could compromise Hong Kong's high corporate governance standards.
Inconsistencies in accounting treatment across countries are a major obstacle for global equity investment. Adoption of a single accounting standard (IFRS) has been received with much excitement, where apples to apples comparison across countries will become easier. However, adopting a global accounting standard may not necessarily mean that financial reporting in all countries will become standardized. Taking an example from HOLT, a private sector that offers standardized data for global portfolio investment, the case examines i) HOLT's adjustment process for differences in local accounting standards and ii) how IFRS adoption could change HOLT's global valuation framework. The case offers an interesting setting to examine how harmonizing accounting standards can affect global equity valuation.