• Practice Management - QuickRead Featured

    “R” You Ready

    R Programming and Ivy League Classes—For Free There are a host of excellent statistical and optimization software packages available to valuation analysts and litigation support consultants. They are good, but also expensive. “R” is a programming language and software environment for statistical computing and graphics. The R language is widely used among statisticians and data miners for developing statistical software and data analysis. In this article, Lorenzo Carver introduces us to R and shows us how it can be integrated into one’s practice.

  • Healthcare - QuickRead Top Story

    Common Misconceptions Regarding Healthcare Entity Valuations

    Five Remaining Leading Misconceptions (Part II of II) The following discussion summarizes and responds to common misconceptions many analysts have with regard to the valuation of healthcare entity property and/or services transfers. These analyst misconceptions typically involve a misunderstanding of one or more of the relevant regulatory provisions. These analyst misconceptions typically relate to an erroneous understanding that “the Service only accepts this” or “the Office of Inspector General doesn’t accept that.” These analyst common misconceptions are addressed from the perspective of the regulatory compliance of the valuation analysis. In Part II of II, the article covers the remaining five…

  • Healthcare - QuickRead Featured

    Common Misconceptions Regarding Healthcare Entity Valuations

    Five of the 10 Leading Misconceptions (Part I of II) The following discussion summarizes and responds to common misconceptions that many analysts have with regard to the valuation of healthcare entity property and/or services transfers. These analyst misconceptions typically involve a misunderstanding of one or more of the relevant regulatory provisions. These analyst misconceptions typically relate to an erroneous understanding that “the Service only accepts this” or “the Office of Inspector General doesn’t accept that.” These analyst common misconceptions are addressed from the perspective of the regulatory compliance of the valuation analysis. In Part I of II, the article covers…

  • Healthcare - QuickRead Featured

    Appropriate Use of Extraordinary Assumptions and Hypothetical Conditions

    Healthcare Valuation Considerations when Valuing Outpatient Services With healthcare evolving, how can practitioners project the future benefit stream related to outpatient services? In this article, the authors discuss the use of hypothetical and extraordinary assumptions. They argue that use of these assumptions requires careful consideration as they can have a significant effect on value. In addition, the valuation analyst must adhere to the disclosure requirements set forth in USPAP which requires the valuation analyst to clearly and accurately disclose all assumptions used in the assignment

  • Case Law - QuickRead Featured - QuickRead Top Story

    Kardash v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 2015-51

    Assessing Solvency, Fraudulent Transfers, and Liability When Distributions are Made to Minority Shareholders The recent U.S. Tax Court case of Kardash v Commissioner, T.C. Memo, 2015–51 provides guidance regarding transferee liability and underscores how valuations are used to determine when and if a subject company is insolvent. The case also summarizes a number of defenses used (and rejected) to counter a claim of transferee liability.

  • QuickPress - Valuation/Appraisal

    Second Fairness Opinions

    Fairness opinions are offered by financial advisors, primarily, investment bankers on behalf of the Board of Directors who rely on them when considering a significant corporate event. The fairness opinion says that the impending transaction is fair from a financial point of view of the subject company’s stakeholders. As Jeff K. Davis, Managing Director of Mercer Capital’s Financial Institutions Group, explains, because most of the investment banker’s fee is contingent upon the successful closing of a transaction, the lead banker’s opinion has always had some taint. In 2007, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) issued Rule 2290, which requires the…

  • QuickRead Featured - Valuation/Appraisal

    50 Reasons for a Business Appraisal

    Creating Value for Business Owners and Board Members In this article, Edward Mendlowitz, CPA, ABA, CFF. shares his views regarding the importance of having a business valued. He identifies 50 ways that a valuation professional can provide something far more valuable than a number. While the valuation profession is under pressure to reduce costs or prepare a report, the business owner is better served in the long run retaining a valuation professional that provides greater insight to operations.

  • QuickRead Featured - Valuation/Appraisal

    Hospital Valuations–Market Approach

    Beware of the Limitations of Hospital Transaction Databases The market approach is one of three established valuation approaches. In this approach the valuation analyst will look for comparable companies. In this article the authors caution against the outright use of databases as a means of developing a Conclusion of Value for a hospital. Independent verification is time-consuming and essential. The authors discuss five common mistakes seen using the market approach.

  • QuickRead Featured - Valuation/Appraisal

    Eight Ways of Valuing a Family Owned Business

    Managing Expectations of Sellers and Buyers Using the Right Standard of Value The author presents eight standards of value that a valuation analyst may need to consider and discuss with a client. Each standard has a different set of rules and the valuations can vary greatly. Valuing a business is an art – not a science – even though careful calculations are made to arrive at an appraisal of the business. The author also provides some insight regarding how these are used and how the valuation analyst can protect their client.

  • QuickPress - Valuation/Appraisal

    Why Quality Matters in Valuation for Equity Compensation Grants

    Privately held companies can expect the level of scrutiny over equity compensation-related valuation to increase with the size of the equity compensation grant. Getting the valuation process right the first time for equity compensation grant compliance is always the least expensive route says Sujan Rajbhandary, vice president, and senior member of Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Valuation Group. In this article, he discusses the impact of the Auditor Review, SEC Scrutiny, and IRS Review on the valuation process. [button color=”blue” link=”http://mercercapital.com/financialreportingblog/valuation-equity-compensation-grants/” target=”_blank” font=”arial” align=”left”]To learn more about the valuation for equity compensation, click here.[/button] This article is republished from Mercer Capital’s…

  • Expert Witness - QuickRead Featured

    Experts as “Mouthpieces” Are Not Experts at All

    The Importance of Being Truly Independent The rise of Daubert challenges to valuation experts has resulted in more than just the exclusions of valuation experts. When an expert is excluded for “subjective belief” and “unsupported speculation” by the court, a closer examination into such commentary made by courts reveals the increasingly problematic trend of experts failing to perform independent analyses.

  • Mergers and Acquisitions/Exit Planning - QuickPress

    Valuation of Contingent Consideration in M&A Transactions

    Companies often use contingent consideration when structuring M&A transactions to bridge differing perceptions of value between a buyer and seller, to share risk related to uncertainty of future events, to create an incentive for sellers who will remain active in the business post-acquisition, and other reasons says Lucas M. Parris, a senior member of Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Valuation Group.  In this article, he discusses the requirements of ASC 805, fair value, and the complexity of the procedures necessary to estimate future payment. [button color=”blue” link=”http://mercercapital.com/financialreportingblog/valuation-contingent-consideration/” target=”_blank” font=”arial” align=”left”]To learn more about the valuation of contingent consideration, click here.[/button] This…

  • QuickPress - Valuation/Appraisal

    If Valuation Were an Olympic Sport

    There are clear signs that the “easy” portfolio valuations that have existed in 2013 and 2014 may be coming to an end in 2015.  Travis W. Harms who leads Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Valuation Group, discusses the expansion in multiples and their role in the favorable equity market returns over the past two years.  He also discusses the impact of high-yield credit spreads, the energy sector, and loan covenants on credit valuations. [button color=”blue” link=”http://mercercapital.com/financialreportingblog/if-valuation-were-an-olympic-sport/” target=”_blank” font=”arial” align=”left”]To learn more about equity and credit valuation, click here.[/button] This article is republished from Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Blog. It is reprinted…

  • Healthcare - QuickRead Featured

    The Imperative of Considering the Concept of Highest and Best Use in Healthcare Valuation (Part 1 of 2)

    Traditional valuation methodologies have relied upon the analysis of historical accounting and other data as predictive of future performance and value. However, this may not hold true with every economy, industry, or even every enterprise within an industry, over time. For example, the turbulent status of the healthcare industry over the last five decades, since the passage of Medicare in the 1960s, has introduced intervening events and circumstances that have had a dramatic effect on the revenue, expense, and subsequent net economic benefit stream of enterprises operating in the healthcare marketplace. Accordingly, the “road map of historical performance” of healthcare…

  • Intellectual Property - QuickRead Featured - QuickRead Top Story

    Intellectual Property Valuation for Bankruptcy Purposes

    Part I: Three of the 12 Reasons a Valuation Is Needed in Chapter 7, 9, and 11 This two-part article summarizes the various types of intellectual property that valuation analysts (“analysts”) may encounter within a commercial bankruptcy controversy, lists the generally accepted intellectual property valuation approaches, and presents the reasons why analysts may be asked to value intellectual property within a commercial bankruptcy environment. In Part I, Mr. Reilly identifies three of the 12 reasons why a valuation is needed in a bankruptcy proceeding.

  • Mergers and Acquisitions/Exit Planning - QuickPress

    Fairness Opinions: Evaluating a Buyer’s Shares from the Seller’s Perspective

    M&A activity has accelerated substantially in 2014 following the financial crisis.  When an acquisition proposal is being weighed, there needs to be a thorough vetting of the buyer’s shares.  A fairness opinion evaluates the investment merits of the shares before and after a transaction is consummated says Jeff K. Davis, CFA with Mercer Capital.  This article discusses the key questions you need to ask about the buyer’s shares. [button color=”blue” link=”http://mercercapital.com/financialreportingblog/fairness-opinions-evaluating-buyers-shares/” target=”_blank” font=”arial” align=”left”]To learn more about fairness opinions, click here.[/button] This article is republished from Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Blog. It is reprinted with permission. To subscribe to the…