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This case explores how the retail customers of the Bank of China lost an astounding RMB10bn (USD1.27bn) by investing in a structured product. The product, Crude Oil Treasure, was linked to West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures. These crude oil futures were traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange and were used as a benchmark in oil pricing. The negative futures price of -USD37.63 per barrel on 20 April 2020 was a "black swan" event. Never before had the price of oil futures plunged into the negative. Through the case, students will grapple with the practical questions of how to identify the characteristics of a structured product by reference to the traits exhibited in a standard futures contract. Students will also be asked questions on finance theories about contango, extreme contango, backwardation, extreme backwardation, normal contango, and normal backwardation.

In early 2020, the California-based utility PG&E filed a second amended plan of reorganization. PG&E had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the face of more than $30 billion of legal claims brought against it for its alleged role in causing California wildfires. The plan had the support of key creditors and shareholders and a court-appointed committee representing the wildfire victims. However, it faced strong opposition from California's governor, Gavin Newsom, who was concerned that PG&E's plan would leave it too highly leveraged, and unable to make necessary investments. Were Newsom's concerns valid ones? Did the plan as currently envisioned leave the reorganized PG&E with too much debt to meet its obligations to the wildfire victims while still making the necessary investments to update its equipment? And was PG&E prepared for the new reality of climate change?

For most of her career, Lucinda Stewart was a woman working in contexts-investment banking private equity, venture capital-largely dominated by men. Nonetheless, Stewart had been able, virtually from the beginning of her career, to obtain allies and mentors and, as a consequence, accelerate her career progress (e.g., she was a VC partner in her late 20s). The case describes Stewart's life, upbringing, and career trajectory, with a focus on the personal qualities/attributes and strategies she has used to attract allies and supporters. Attracting supporters is something crucial to building power, because allies are crucial for getting things done.

Ashiana Housing Ltd. (Ashiana) was a small real estate developer in India, specializing in mid-priced domestic housing. The company was tightly run and had attracted investment interest from large reputable firms, but its financial performance had recently deteriorated-a state that was reflected in the company's declining share price. The industry was also undergoing change with far-reaching reforms, which was leading to consolidation and the exit of smaller players. Did Ashiana have the right business strategy for the market and was this the right time to invest in the company?

Ashiana Housing Ltd. (Ashiana) was a small real estate developer in India, specializing in mid-priced domestic housing. The company was tightly run and had attracted investment interest from large reputable firms, but its financial performance had recently deteriorated—a state that was reflected in the company’s declining share price. The industry was also undergoing change with far-reaching reforms, which was leading to consolidation and the exit of smaller players. Did Ashiana have the right business strategy for the market and was this the right time to invest in the company?

The case proposes to evaluate an investment project in the private sphere of a Peruvian company called INVERSTATE. For this, the requirement is to make a series of decisions related to the best way to carry it out, in order to maximize profitability, specifically regarding three aspects: the location, the investment scale and the alternatives of asset replacement.

Spreadsheet supplement for case UP0027.

This note explains the workings of money and cryptocurrencies and introduces what money is, before briefly reviewing its history. The note elaborates on the workings of money today (i.e., fiat currencies such as the US dollar and the European euro) and the importance of debt in the financial system. It then explains what cryptocurrencies consist of, notably the workings of blockchain technologies and the goals that utopian currencies hope to achieve. The note concludes by describing three major cryptocurrencies: bitcoin, Äž1, and impak Coin.

This note explains the workings of money and cryptocurrencies and introduces what money is, before briefly reviewing its history. The note elaborates on the workings of money today (i.e., fiat currencies such as the US dollar and the European euro) and the importance of debt in the financial system. It then explains what cryptocurrencies consist of, notably the workings of blockchain technologies and the goals that utopian currencies hope to achieve. The note concludes by describing three major cryptocurrencies: bitcoin, Ğ1, and impak Coin.

In January 1933, German president Paul von Hindenburg confronted the dilemma of whom to appoint as chancellor in the midst of the Great Depression, polarization of voters, civil unrest, rumors of a pending revolution or coup d'état, and public distrust of the liberal democratic regime that arose out of the government collapse after World War I. His choice would determine the survival or demise of democracy in Germany. This case set explores why an economic crisis might prompt abandonment of a constitutional democracy, as well as how authoritarian behavior by participants in a democratic government can destabilize democracy. The main task for the students is to recommend a course of action for Hindenburg that might preserve the democratic republic. This requires an appreciation of the reasons for the fragility of the German government, including the economic crisis that it faced.

In January 1933, German president Paul von Hindenburg confronted the dilemma of whom to appoint as chancellor in the midst of the Great Depression, polarization of voters, civil unrest, rumors of a pending revolution or coup d'état, and public distrust of the liberal democratic regime that arose out of the government collapse after World War I. His choice would determine the survival or demise of democracy in Germany. This case explores why an economic crisis might prompt abandonment of a constitutional democracy, as well as how authoritarian behavior by participants in a democratic government can destabilize democracy. The main task for the students is to recommend a course of action for Hindenburg that might preserve the democratic republic. This requires an appreciation of the reasons for the fragility of the German government, including the economic crisis that it faced.

This case describes the increasing investment by private equity (PE) firms in patient care and other healthcare services. The case focuses on investments in physician staffing firms and roll-up strategy investments in physician practice management (PPM). Included in the case is discussion of the practice of surprise billing, i.e., when staffing firms and insurance companies fail to reach agreement on adequate reimbursement for physician services, resulting in patients' being responsible for paying the entire bill. The case includes material on the debate over whether surprise billing is part of a deliberate strategy on the part of the staffing companies and their PE owners. The case also includes discussion of PE firms' fiduciary duty to generate returns for their LPs and how that might affect the cost of care to patients and insurers.

In 2020, Triodos Investment Management had approximately EUR 4.9 billion in assets under its management (impact investment). Triodos motto was "Financing for change. Change Finance" and understood sustainable finance as a driving force in the transition to a more inclusive and sustainable world. Triodos took a comprehensive view of the companies following the "4P" approach: Product, People, Process, and Planet. Tesla, a clean energy company that produced electric cars, batteries and renewable energy generation, could be part of Triodos's investment. Henk Jonker, Triodos´s Senior Investment Analyst needed to evaluate Tesla's inclusion in the investment universe. He decided to pose the challenge to Clarissa Diaz, a high potential Triodos' researcher. Having in mind Tesla´s mission, "to accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy," Diaz had to evaluate Tesla´s impact on people and planet. She must review the ESG data along with a financial analysis of the company. Diaz was aware that Elon Musk was a visionary promising to help expedite the move from a mine-and-burn hydrocarbon economy towards a solar electric economy. Still, she was aware that Tesla and Musk were publicly involved in governance, labour, and human rights controversies. Diaz had to weigh the ESG controversial issues that merited the exclusion of Tesla. The case challenges the students to evaluate a company that do not fully meet all ESG standards and to reflect on the responsible leadership role of financial institutions.

When Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) acquired Celgene Corporation in November 2019, Celgene shareholders received cash, BMS stock, and a contingent value right (CVRs) that would pay $9 if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved three of Celgene's late stage drugs by March 31, 2021. Akari Tanaka, a portfolio manager at Kendall Square Advisors, held 400,000 CVRs in her $1.2 billion Health Science Opportunities Fund, and must decide what to do with this holding given the rising concerns about the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020. The tradable CVR's peaked at $3.70 in mid-February, fell to a low of $2.15 in mid-March, and were currently trading at just under $3.00 in late March. As part of her decision, Tanaka must value the CVRs using discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis which required an estimate of the expected cash flow and a risk-adjusted discount rate. Given this analysis, she must then decide what to do with her holding-should she sell the CVRs, hold them, or buy more?

Spreadsheet supplement for case 221031.

When the COVID pandemic hit developed economies in full swing in the spring of 2020, companies scrambled to make sense of the implications for their business models. In most cases, reactions were defensive, aimed at ensuring the survival of the firm to the end of the epidemics. Cimpress, better known for its B2C brand Vistaprint, the world leader in e-printing, took a very different stand: it resorted to very creative finance to not only address the downside of the crisis (making sure it raised enough capital to weather the likely difficult quarters and renegotiating preventively loan covenants that could get breached in the worse scenarios from a position of strength) but also to possibly take advantages of emerging M&A opportunities. Competitors in less favorable financial shape would likely be put in situations of distress by the crisis: this could create extremely interesting opportunities for Cimpress. This aggressive use of refinancing during times of crisis for both risk mitigation and opportunistic gains is discussed.

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Yuser Inc. (Yuser) was a young Canadian start-up based in London, Ontario, and focused on developing a gamified media sharing mobile application to help connect businesses with influencers. Yuser’s co-founders had released a marketable version of their app at the end of 2019, and in 2020, the company had nearly exhausted its seed funding. Yuser’s top priority at this time was to secure outside funding to grow the company fast without breaking it. The available options for funding consisted primarily of three sources: venture capital, equity crowdfunding, and token issuance. As each funding option had its own benefits and drawbacks, Yuser’s co-founders had to determine which option or combination of options would work best for their company.