An Overview of Project Finance-2002 Update

Benjamin C. Esty; Irina L. Christov

Supplement | HBS Case Collection | April 2002 (Revised May 2003)

An Overview of Project Finance-2002 Update

by Benjamin C. Esty and Irina L. Christov

Abstract

This case introduces to the field of project finance and provides a statistical overview of the project-financed investments over the last five years. It consists of four sections. The first section defines project finance and contrasts it with other well-known financing structures. The second section describes the evolution of project finance from its beginnings in the natural resources industry in the 1970s to the U.S. power industry in the 1980s and to a much wider range of industry applications and geographic locations in the 1990s and 2000s. The third section provides a statistical overview of the project-financed investment over the last five years (1998-2002) in terms of industry, project, and participant data. The final section discusses current and likely future trends. Besides providing an overview of recent trends, the note provides terminology and institutional details for readers unfamiliar with project finance.

Keywords: Measurement and Metrics; Project Finance; Investment;

Format: Print

27 pages

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Citation:

Esty, Benjamin C., and Irina L. Christov. "An Overview of Project Finance-2002 Update." Harvard Business School Supplement 202-105, April 2002. (Revised May 2003.)

Teaching Note | HBS Case Collection | April 2019

The a2 Milk Company

Benjamin C. Esty and Daniel Fisher

The a2 Milk Company (a2MC) became the most valuable company listed on the New Zealand stock exchange in 2018 by capitalizing on a biochemical discovery related to the protein composition of cow's milk. Because many people find the A1 protein difficult to digest, and that protein may be related to other health problems (e.g., diabetes), a2MC sells dairy products containing the A2 protein only primarily in Australia and China. With sales of NZ$730 million in 2017 and a desire to grow, a2MC formed a strategic relationship with Fonterra, the world's sixth largest dairy company, in February 2018. But one month later, Nestle, the world's largest dairy company, confirmed that it had begun selling A2 infant formula in China and people speculated that it would start selling A2 products in Australia and New Zealand later in the year. a2MC's retiring CEO Geoffrey Babidge and newly appointed CEO Janyne Hrdlicka must decide how to respond to Nestle's entry. Can this successful entrant become an incumbent with a sustainable competitive advantage?

Keywords: Judo economics; Market entry; innovation; barriers to response; industry attractiveness; advantage horizon; sustainability; first-mover advantage; scope; strategy execution; strategic evolution; biochemistry; genetics; branding; commodity; milk; Dairy; infant formula; Farming; Porter's Five Forces; Market Entry and Exit; Disruption; Innovation and Invention; Competitive Advantage; Corporate Strategy; Value Creation; Competition; Brands and Branding; Five Forces Framework; Consumer Products Industry; New Zealand; Australia; China;

Citation:

Esty, Benjamin C., and Daniel Fisher. "The a2 Milk Company." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 719-428, April 2019. View Details

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In August 2017, MoviePass dramatically lowered its subscription price from $50 per month to just $10 for up to one movie per day. The idea was to rapidly scale the business to the point where they could generate incremental revenue streams from related businesses (e.g., a share of ticket and concession revenues from theaters, advertising revenue from movie studios, and revenue from ride-sharing companies). Within two days, Moviepass had gotten 150k new subscribers; within six months, they had more than 2 million. But as of February 2018, the company faced three challenges: theaters were resisting the concept, investors were shorting the stock in record numbers, and competitors were beginning to appear. Could CEO Mitch Lowe convince investors that they did, indeed, have a viable business model and could monetize their growing subscriber base? At the same time, Lowe had to decide whether to raise subscription prices to cover the growing losses or keep prices low to attract subscribers as quickly as possible.

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An Overview of Project Finance-2002 Update

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