Case Study 1: Setting Some Themes (Case 1: Warren Buffett, Case 2: Bill Miller and Value Trust

Valuations depend on forecasts. The reliability of the forecasts will then depend heavily on complete analysis of the industry, in addition to the evolving changes in the economy. It also requires understanding of the business and financial characteristic of the industry.

Netscape grow on an annual basis over the next ten years to justify a $28 share value?

Advisors and investors would do well to pay as much attention to the expected volatility of any portfolio or investment as they do to anticipated returns. Moreover, all things being equal, a new investment should only be added to a portfolio when it either reduces the expected risk for a targeted level of returns, or when it boosts expected portfolio returns without adding additional risk, as measured by the expected standard deviation of those returns. Lesson 2: Don’t assume bonds or international stocks offer adequate portfolio diversification. As the world’s financial markets become more closely correlated, bonds and foreign stocks may not provide adequate portfolio diversification. Instead, advisors may want to recommend that suitable investors add modest exposure to nontraditional investments such as hedge funds, private equity and real assets. Such exposure may bolster portfolio returns, while reducing overall risk, depending on how it is structured. Lesson 3: Be disciplined in adhering to asset allocation targets. The long-term benefits of portfolio diversification will only be realized if investors are disciplined in adhering to asset allocation guidelines. For this reason, it is recommended that advisors regularly revisit portfolio allocations and rebalance

“The Benefits of diversification are clear. Portfolio theory has played a crucial role in explaining the relationship between risk and return where more than one investment is held. It also enables us to identify optimal and efficient portfolios.”

Diversification is a basic principle in investing the idea being that since you cannot possibly know beforehand which stocks will perform better or worse than the average, you cannot afford to put all of your money into one company, or even in companies within a single industry. One resorts to diversification to spread the risk -- and opportunity. The average returns are obtained by diversifying.

I. Rate of Return on Total Assets: Measures the company’s profitability relative to total assets. A percentage increment for Company G, from 12.30% to 13.68% (2011-12) keeps them above industry benchmarks (8.60% and 12.30%). Rate of Return on Total Assets represents strength for Company G.

A firm’s intrinsic value refers to the true worth of stock in that firm which is calculated on return data and accurate risks. On the other hand, a firm’s current stock price talks about its market price as a whole as perceived by an

The internal and external factors of an organization can affect the stock prices, which leads to perceived valuation of the company. The valuation of an organization’s worth compared to its financial statements is useful to introduce company changes if necessary. There are various factors that can lead to the valuation of a company influenced by the external and internal factors. Proceedings are some internal and external factors that may influence the investor’s decisions to invest in any organization.

To place a permanent definition on intrinsic values is extremely hard to accomplish due to the many endless amounts of opinions that occur throughout the world. Due to the many perspective that occur throughout the world, it is very difficult to determine the most common definitions because almost every definition is different. In many people's eyes, they believe the true definition belongs to the eyes of the beholder. Although these ideas for the definition aren't incorrect, they don't accurately display the true meaning of intrinsic values. The true definition for intrinsic value is the emotional or cultural value that a location, object, or item possess to someone, and this value cannot be quantified, unless by the person who has this attachment.

Correct valuation of real assets can present challenges to financial analysts. Different models can be used to arrive at the closest estimate of value and yet certain issues will always arise.

Dividend Discount Models 1. The intrinsic value, denoted V0, of a share of stock is defined as the present value of all cash payments to the investor in the stock, including dividends as well as the proceeds from the ultimate sale of the stock, discounted at the appropriate risk-adjusted interest rate, k. Whenever the intrinsic value, or the investor’s own estimate of what the stock is really worth, exceeds the market

Value investing is a way of investing in company stocks that are considered either undervalued or out-of-favor by the market. In other word, a value investment is one where the intrinsic value of the stock is not accurately reflected in the current market valuation. The underlying reason of too much decreasing in the stock price is that the company may be losing market shares or even in trouble due to market’s panic attributed to negative rumors as well as having management problems. Since the market price

On May 24, 2005, Warren E. Buffett, the chairperson and chief executive officer (CEO) of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., announced that MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, would acquire the electric utility PacifiCorp. In Buffett’s largest deal since 1998, and the second largest of his entire career, MidAmerican would purchase PacifiCorp from its parent, Scottish Power plc, for $5.1 billion in cash and $4.3 billion in liabilities and preferred stock. “The energy sector has long interested us, and this is the right fit,” Buffett said. At the announcement, Berkshire Hathaway’s Class A shares closed up 2.4% for the day, for a gain in market value of $2.55

It is importance because it can be measure the ability to earn returns in excess of the cost of capital, rather than the accounting profit, which can know the attractiveness of a business. Furthermore, the gain in intrinsic value could be modeled as the value added by a business above and beyond the charge for the use of capital in that business. On the other hand, the alternatives to intrinsic value are accounting profit, performance, firm size, etc. But, Buffett reject accounting profit as a measurement mainly because the accounting reality was conservative, backward looking, governed by GAAP, ignore the market value of a business and the performance of a business, also ignore the intangible assets for a business such as patents, trademarks, expertise, reputation, etc. He believed that investment decision should be based on economy reality, which included many items that accounting profit had ignored.

As a result, many different factors have been tested across different markets. Historically, most studies have relied on general economic theories or empirical observations in selecting Factors. Benaković and Posedel (2010) emphasize Interest rates, oil prices, and industrial production. Chen, Roll and Ross (1986) use industrial production growth, inflation, bonds spread, NYSE stock market returns, oil prices, interest term structure, and consumption to decompose returns of a portfolio with general securities. Bodurtha, Cho and Senbet (1989) even uses international factors. Most of literatures have focused on applying different factors with a portfolio of many securities, as it is widely known that idiosyncratic risks diversifies away as the number of