Corporate Finance

Many articles included in McKinsey on Finance can also be found on McKinsey's Insights & Publications Web site.

Overcoming a bias against risk

August 2012—Risk-averse midlevel managers making routine investment decisions can shift an entire company’s risk profile. An organization-wide stance toward risk can help.more

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Avoiding a risk premium that unnecessarily kills your project

August 2012—Too high a discount rate can make good projects seem unattractive. How high is too high?more

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How strategists lead

July 2012—A Harvard Business School professor reflects on what she has learned from senior executives about the unique value that strategic leaders can bring to their companies.more

Not enough comps for valuation? Try statistical modeling

August 2012—Traditional approaches rely on data from comparable businesses—but such data aren’t always available. Statistical modeling can broaden the comparison while controlling for differences.more

A yen for global growth: The Japanese experience in cross-border M&A

August 2012—Japanese companies have embarked on an increasing number of international acquisitions in recent years. Can they learn from past failures and create value from cross-border deals?more

How to put your money where your strategy is

March 2012—Most companies allocate the same resources to the same business units year after year. That makes it difficult to realize strategic goals and undermines performance. Here’s how to overcome inertia.more

The power of an independent corporate center

March 2012—To develop a winning corporate strategy, you may need more muscle in your headquarters.more

Breaking strategic inertia: Tips from two leaders

April 2012—A CFO and a business unit head explain how they overcome the barriers that all too often separate capital, talent, and other resources from vital strategic goals.more

Why bad multiples happen to good companies

May 2012—A premium multiple is hard to come by and harder to keep. Executives should worry more about improving performance.more