Diversification, Refocusing and Corporate Performance
Abstract: Diversification in capital markets is an accepted investment strategy. On the other hand Corporate diversification has drawn many opponents especially agency theorists who argue that executives must not diversify their firms. Instead, they must pay out the ‘free cash flows’ used to make acquisitions as dividends so that shareholders can diversify on their own. The ‘conglomerate discount’ of diversified firms in stock markets confirmed this argument and compelled many firms to refocus by selling-off non-core units from the 1980s.
Through a case study of Zimbabwe Stock Exchange listed Delta Corporation Limited which spun-off its unrelated subsidiaries to focus on its core cold beverages business in 2001, this thesis investigates if by refocusing conglomerates improve shareholders’ returns.
Using inflation adjusted share returns and factoring in risk by adopting the Sharpe index, the study results show that Delta under-performed the market and its peers as a diversified conglomerate but outperformed both benchmarks after refocusing. Click here to read more…
- diversification refocusing and corporate perfomance: a case study of delta corporation limited
- refocusing conglomerate
Related Case Studies:
- A Case Study on United Guaranty Corporation Overview: United Guaranty Corporation, provides lenders across the country with...
- A Case Study on Advantage Finance Limited Advantage Finance Limited is one of the UK’s leading providers...
- Case Study on Kirkcaldie & Stains Limited (KRK) Kirkcaldie & Stains Limited (Kirkcaldie) is a department store. It...
- Case Study on CNA Financial Corporation Stuart: There’s a couple ways I think. I think the...
- Case Study for Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, better known as “Freddie...