Accounting and Valuation Guide


Book Description

Developed for preparers of financial statements, independent auditors, and valuation specialists, this guide provides nonauthoritative guidance and illustrations regarding the accounting for and valuation of portfolio company investments held by investment companies within the scope of FASB ASC 946, Financial Services —Investment Companies, (including private equity funds, venture capital funds, hedge funds, and business development companies). It features16 case studies that can be used to reason through real situations faced by investment fund managers, valuation specialists and auditors, this guide addresses many accounting and valuation issues that have emerged over time to assist investment companies in addressing the challenges in estimating fair value of these investments, such as: Unit of account Transaction costs Calibration The impact of control and marketability Backtesting




Fair Value Measurements


Book Description




Valuation Approaches and Metrics


Book Description

Valuation lies at the heart of much of what we do in finance, whether it is the study of market efficiency and questions about corporate governance or the comparison of different investment decision rules in capital budgeting. In this paper, we consider the theory and evidence on valuation approaches. We begin by surveying the literature on discounted cash flow valuation models, ranging from the first mentions of the dividend discount model to value stocks to the use of excess return models in more recent years. In the second part of the paper, we examine relative valuation models and, in particular, the use of multiples and comparables in valuation and evaluate whether relative valuation models yield more or less precise estimates of value than discounted cash flow models. In the final part of the paper, we set the stage for further research in valuation by noting the estimation challenges we face as companies globalize and become exposed to risk in multiple countries.




Accounting discretion of banks during a financial crisis


Book Description

This paper shows that banks use accounting discretion to overstate the value of distressed assets. Banks' balance sheets overvalue real estate-related assets compared to the market value of these assets, especially during the U.S. mortgage crisis. Share prices of banks with large exposure to mortgage-backed securities also react favorably to recent changes in accounting rules that relax fair-value accounting, and these banks provision less for bad loans. Furthermore, distressed banks use discretion in the classification of mortgage-backed securities to inflate their books. Our results indicate that banks' balance sheets offer a distorted view of the financial health of the banks.




Fair Value Measurement


Book Description

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENT Practical Guidance and Implementation "Writing Fair Value Measurement was a monumental task fraught with controversy not only in the U.S., but also abroad. Having coauthored a book with Mark as well as written one myself, I was even more impressed that Mark was able to navigate these fair value minefields and produce a work that will be a tremendous help to accountants and non-accountants alike. If you are looking for a 'one-stop' book on fair value measurement, this is it!" Neil J. Beaton, CPA/ABV, CFA, ASA, Managing Director, Valuation Services, Alvarez & Marsal "In recent years, the FASB and the IASB have added many requirements for various assets and liabilities to be measured at fair value. In this book, Zyla clearly describes how to implement fair value measurement and how investors and creditors should interpret it. The crisp writing and illuminating analysis will help readers to grasp the essence of fair value accounting and to apply it wisely." J. Edward Ketz, Associate Professor of Accounting, Pennsylvania State University "The focus of the book is on fair value measurement based on level 3 inputs. This is a critical area of valuations for financial reporting due to a false comfort given by routine application of evaluating models and assumptions without real possibilities of calibration. Mark Zyla offers an extraordinary help in understanding the reliability of the inputs and the outputs of the different methodologies and the inherent biases in each of them. The book is a precious support for better valuation both in U.S. GAAP and in IFRS fair value reporting." Mauro Bini, Full Professor of Corporate Finance, Bocconi University; Chairman, Management Board OIV (Organismo Italiano di Valutazione) Essential guidance on the fair value measurement process Now in a second edition, Fair Value Measurement: Practical Guidance and Implementation helps you succeed in understanding the fair value accounting rules that entities must follow. The result is a resource that you can rely on to understand the importance of valuation and the concepts that define it. In basic, nontechnical language, author Mark Zyla presents practical direction for best practices of financial valuation as well as for understanding the many FASB pronouncements involving fair value. An essential guide for auditors and valuation specialists, Fair Value Measurement: Practical Guidance and Implementation, Second Edition brings you up to speed on what fair value really means.







Fair Value Measurements


Book Description

A hands-on volume for financial executives with guidance on the fair value measurement process In today's dynamic and volatile markets, whether buying or selling, what corporate officers need to know is the worth of an asset today, a task that for many has become complex and at times confusing. Fair Value Measurements: Practical Guidance and Implementation demystifies this topic, offering you a nuts-and-bolts guide of the most recent developments in preparing financial statements using fair value measurements. This straightforward book covers the best practices on measuring fair value in a business combination and how to subsequently test the value of these assets for impairment. Filters complicated insider concepts into easy-to-understand information on the valuation specialist's function Discusses the many new FASB pronouncements involving fair value Instantly familiarizes you on the ins and outs of fair value financial disclosure Well-written, conversational in tone, and filled with valuable insights, Fair Value Measurements: Practical Guidance and Implementation lifts the veil of confusion from the substantial and growing requirements for fair value disclosures.




Codification of Statements on Auditing Standards, Numbers 122 to 138: 2020


Book Description

This 2020 edition delivers the current Statements on Auditing Standards (SASs) and related interpretations in a codified format, giving up-to-date information needed to conduct successful audits and provide high-quality services to clients. Issued directly by the AICPA, this authoritative guidance is essential to fully understand the requirements associated with an audit. This edition includes the following new standards: SAS No. 136, Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements of Employee Benefit Plans Subject to ERISA SAS No. 137, The Auditor’s Responsibilities Relating to Other Information Included in Annual Reports SAS No. 138, Amendments to the Description of the Concept of Materiality




Banking supervision and regulation


Book Description

2007 and 2008 saw the biggest financial crisis since the 1930s. Banks looking for better yields from plentiful, cheap money made much more use of complex financial instruments, without fully understanding the risks to which they were exposing themselves and the financial system. Defaults on subprime mortgages underlying some of the instruments shattered confidence and financial markets seized up. The framework of regulation and supervision in Britain failed to avoid or mitigate the crisis. The tripartite authorities in the United Kingdom - Bank of England, Financial Services Authority (FSA) and HM Treasury - failed to maintain financial stability and were found wanting, in part because the roles of the three parties were not well enough defined and it was not clear who was in charge. Too little attention was paid to macro-prudential supervision (oversight of the aggregate impact on financial stability of individual banks' actions). Only the Bank of England and the




Compensation and Restitution in Investor-State Arbitration


Book Description

This book examines the history, principles, and practice of awarding compensation and restitution in investor-State arbitration disputes, which are initiated under investment treaties. The principles discussed may be applied to all international law cases where damage to property is an issue. The book starts by tracing the roots of the applicable international legal principles to Roman law, and from there follows their evolution through the European law of extra-contractual liability and eventually through the Chorzów Factory case to principles of compensation and restitution in the modern law of international investment. The greater part of the book is then dedicated to examination of the modern application of these principles, focusing on the jurisprudence of international tribunals under various arbitral rules such as ICSID and UNCITRAL Rules. Monetary compensation as the prevalent form of remedy sought and awarded in investor-State disputes is discussed in more detail, including topics such as the amount of compensation for damage resulting from breach of investment treaties or for lawful expropriation of foreign investor's property, a brief overview of valuation methods, supplementary compensation for moral damages, interest, costs, and currency fluctuations as well as various principles that may limit the amount of recoverable compensation, such as causation. A full chapter is dedicated to the discussion of the theory and practice of awarding restitution in investor-State disputes. The book also covers the general principle of reparation in international law as applied in investor-State arbitrations. The topics discussed cover all the theoretical as well as practical issues which may be raised in awarding compensation and restitution in investment treaty disputes between States and foreign investors.