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The president of a natural-resource exploration company has to decide whether to invest in a new drilling opportunity. He already has a spreadsheet that projects the most likely scenario for the well and calculates the NPV and internal rate of return. However, six uncertainties are discussed by the president and another potential investor. He also has prepared a spreadsheet for a couple of downside scenarios--one where gas is not able to be produced after the well is drilled and a second where gas is produced but all other uncertainties are at their 1% worst possible values. A student worksheet file is available for use with this case.

Charles Hugel, the chairman of RJR Nabisco, receives a call from RJR Nabisco's CEO, Ross Johnson; Johnson plans to present an LBO plan to the board of directors at the board meeting the following week. The case details Hugel's actions as chairman, and describes the events leading up to the bidding deadline for the company. The special committee of RJR Nabisco's board must decide which of the three groups vying for the company submitted the best bid.

Involves the design and creation of a company with no formally-defined hierarchy. Describes the steps the founder takes to avoid the organizational politics he perceives as crushing the human contributions they were designed to harness. Fifteen years later, the company has achieved widespread recognition in the industry for its innovative designs, its quality products, and its highly ethical standards for business dealings. Describes the organization, the plant, and current concerns.

This case describes two shipping firms in the midst of a price war over the market for containerized shipping to and from a small Caribbean island. The situation is a classic duopoly. The case presents a table of contributions to both firms as a function of their prices. This table serves as a basis by which the class can explore the concepts of Nash equilibrium, price leadership, and prisoners' dilemma. See also ''Lesser Antilles Lines (B)'' and ''Lesser Antilles Lines (C).''

Describes the history and management of a startup plant that manufactures guided missile canisters for the U.S. Navy. The plant is rare in that management is minimized; most of the work is done by self-directed work teams. The decision maker is the Green River, Wyoming, FMC plant manager, who is trying to assess whether the unusual management approach at Aberdeen would suit his facility, which is larger, older, in a different industry, and unionized. Includes data on the Aberdeen plant's history, philosophy, recruiting methods, evaluation procedure, reward mechanism, career development, and information systems.

This self-assessment instrument helps students assess their current level of development and then examine their allocation of time to see whether the daily and weekly structure of time allocation is consistent with their personal definition of success. It can be used alone or with such cases as "The Life and Career of a Senior Executive Officer" (UVA-PACS-0023).

Perdue Farms, the highly successful marketer of brand-name chicken, is considering the introduction of a chicken hot dog to the market. The decision is complicated by a variety of factors, including top management's concerns and conditions, potential ramifications of the hot dog for the company's high-quality image, the uncertainty of market response, uncertainties about how to position the new product, potential consumer objections to use of mechanically deboned meat, and the uncertainty of profitability at recommended levels of marketing costs.

This case depicts the history of an unusual brand in the "super premium" segment of the vodka market. The top-of-line positioning is supported with creative advertising, narrow distribution, point-of-purchase advertising, and expensive advertising production. Absolut has used very expensive inserts as advertisements in print vehicles during the Christmas season. The last inserts described in the case cost approximately $1 each to manufacture and distribute via the media vehicle (The New Yorker). The case asks students to decide whether such expensive advertising should be continued and, if so, how. The societal effects of advertising alcoholic beverages and the implications of pursuing such exclusive positioning strategies may also be explored.

A government official in a developing country requests cash to purchase an air ticket to make a personal trip and to purchase the services of a prostitute in return for overlooking a safety and environmental violation.

As the maturity date for General Motors' Class E contingent notes approaches, the GM treasury staff must estimate the potential impact of the liability on corporate cash flows. The student is asked to value the contingent notes and express the value in terms of the cash flows GM might have to pay. The primary objective of the case is for students to draw the parallel between the determinants of value for exchange-traded options and for such nontraded options as the contingent notes. A student worksheet file is available for use with this case.

In January 1990, the chief executive of this small yarn-production company must resolve a surprising cash shortage. The tasks for the student are to evaluate the causes of this shortage (using a complete base case forecast given in the case) and then to assess the usefulness of various possible remedies suggested by company managers. In essence, the company is unable to liquidate a seasonal working-capital loan for the requisite 30 days each year. This situation arises from two classic causes: secular growth of the company, and declining profitability. Possible remedies include reducing finished-goods inventory through more efficient transportation and warehousing, reducing credit terms to customers, just-in-time (JIT) raw-materials supply, and switching from seasonal to level production. This case provides a thorough exercise of working-capital analysis and concepts.

Students must estimate the selling price of Colt stock on the day following the announcement of a drastic financial restructuring, estimating the value of the debt's tax shield. Colt stock has been selling for $66.75 per share, and Colt has just announced a plan calling for shareholders to receive $85 and one new share of stock in the recapitalized Colt for each share of existing stock held. The cash payout is to be financed by issuing $1.5 billion of new debt.

Using Chrysler's U.S. government warrants and loan guarantee, students learn to establish the determinants of an option's value, assess the correspondence of an option to loan guarantees and other financial phenomena, and apply the Black-Scholes option-pricing model.

This note provides an interactive illustration of the Modigliani-Miller theory of the effect of debt tax shields on the value of the levered firm. Students must calculate (1) the effect of hypothetical changes in capital structure on firm value, and (2) the effect of a major recapitalization on the share price of Koppers Company using a set of incomplete worksheets. After completing the worksheets, students compare results among the problems.

This case introduces the topic of convertible securities. A branded-foods CFO must decide whether to issue $50 million as convertible subordinated debentures rather than straight debt or equity faces. In evaluating the proposed terms of the convertibles offering, students must value the securities by valuing the call option (using option pricing theory) and the bond component. Figuring importantly in the decision is the company's strategy of growth by acquisition.

Acting as management, students determine the effects of different degrees of leverage and review this company's current leverage in light of inherent industry risks and company goals.

This case calls for the valuation of a small, closely held U.S. firm for potential sale to a French firm.

An introduction to estimating the cost of capital, this case provides sufficient data for using a variety of methods for estimating the cost of equity, including the capital-asset-pricing model, and allows students to use their cost of capital in analyzing several investment projects. See also the B case (UVA-F-0684).

This case describes management's sequential reevaluation of Marriott's debt capacity and the decision about how to invest this unused debt. Videotape #5556, "Strategic Leadership," is designed for use with this case (see Videotape Bibliography).

Management is faced with the evaluation and pricing of Seven-Up. The case describes Philip Morris since its acquisition of Miller Beer and Seven-Up as an acquisition candidate. (The B case is UVA-F-0479, and the C case is UVA-F-0480.)