個案總覽

The proposed sale of Hershey Foods during the summer of 2002 captured headlines and imaginations. Six months after making its decision to explore a potential sale, the board of the Hershey Trust Company was examining two serious offers: a joint bid from Cadbury Schweppes PLC and Nestle S.A. and an independent bid from the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company. In essence, the board faced both an economic and a governance decision. On the economic side, the board needed to determine the value of Hershey as a stand-alone entity compared with the bids being offered. On the governance side, the board needed to decide whether selling Hershey compromised the board's original mandate from Milton Hershey.

The purpose of this case is for the student to build and evaluate a cash flow analysis of an investment proposal in an IT project. A central issue is the determination of the relevant costs for the analysis. The case also allows for the estimation of cost of capital for the company, which is decidedly less than the hurdle rate dictated for the project. The case provides information about the capital budgeting approval process within the firm and how incentives may not be aligned with shareholders for certain decisions.