Real Options

Comprehensive in scope, Real Options reviews current techniques of capital budgeting and details an approach (based on the pricing of options) that provides a means of quantifying the elusive elements of managerial flexibility in the face of unexpected changes in the market. In the 1970s and the 1980s, developments in the valuation of capital-investment opportunities based on options pricing revolutionized capital budgeting. Managerial flexibility to adapt and revise future decisions in order to capitalize on favorable future opportunities or to limit losses has proven vital to long-term corporate success in an uncertain and changing marketplace. In this book Lenos Trigeorgis, who has helped shape the field of real options, brings together a wealth of previously scattered knowledge and research on the new flexibility in corporate resource allocation and in the evaluation of investment alternatives brought about by the shift from static cash-flow approaches to the more dynamic paradigm of real options—an approach that incorporates decisions on whether to defer, expand, contract, abandon, switch use, or otherwise alter a capital investment. Comprehensive in scope, Real Options reviews current techniques of capital budgeting and details an approach (based on the pricing of options) that provides a means of quantifying the elusive elements of managerial flexibility in the face of unexpected changes in the market. Also discussed are the strategic value of new technology, project interdependence, and competitive interaction. The ability to value real options has so dramatically altered the way in which corporate resources are allocated that future textbooks on capital budgeting will bear little resemblance to those of even the recent past. Real Options is a pioneer in this area, coupling a coherent picture of how option theory is used with practical insights in into real-world applications.

The study of investment under uncertainty was stagnant for several decades until developments in real options revitalized the field. The topics covered in this book include the reasons behind the under-investment programme.

Using real-world examples and clear case studies, the authors provide investors and managers with an innovative method for assessing a company's non-financial assets, allowing them to assess opportunities whose financial rewards are less than certain.

"Mun demystifies real options analysis and delivers a powerful, pragmatic guide for decision-makers and practitioners alike. Finally, there is a book that equips professionals to easily recognize, value, and seize real options in the world around them." --Jim Schreckengast, Senior VP, R&D Strategy, Gemplus International SA, France Completely revised and updated to meet the challenges of today's dynamic business environment, Real Options Analysis, Second Edition offers you a fresh look at evaluating capital investment strategies by taking the strategic decision-making process into consideration. This comprehensive guide provides both a qualitative and quantitative description of real options; the methods used in solving real options; why and when they are used; and the applicability of these methods in decision making.

This text addresses a wide range of issues in valuation using the Real Options technique. It covers the whole area of Real Options and looks closely at developments, especially in valuing technology companies. Authors in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Africa provide seven Real Options models and applications.

Business leaders are frequently faced with investment decisions on new and ongoing projects. The challenge lies in deciding what projects to choose, expand, contract, defer, or abandon, and which method of valuation to use is the key tool in the process. This title presents a step-by-step, practical approach to real options valuation to make it easily understandable by practitioners as well as senior management. This systematic approach to project valuation helps you minimize upfront investment risks, exercise flexibility in decision making, and maximize the returns. Whereas the traditional decision tools such as discounted cash flow/net present value (DCF/NPV) analysis assume a “fixed” path ahead, real options analysis offers more flexible strategies. Considered one of the greatest innovations of modern finance, the real options approach is based on Nobel-prize winning work by three MIT economists, Fischer Black, Robert Merton, and Myron Scholes.

Praise for Real Options Analysis Course "Dr. Mun's latest book is a logical extension of the theory and application presented in Real Options Analysis. More specifically, the Real Options Analysis Course presents numerous real options examples and provides the reader with step-by-step problem-solving techniques. After having read the book, readers will better understand the underlying theory and the opportunities for applying real option theory in corporate decision-making." -Chris D. Treharne, President, Gibraltar Business Appraisals, Inc. "This text provides an excellent follow up to Dr. Mun's first book, Real Options Analysis. The cases in Real Options Analysis Course provide numerous examples of how the use of real options and the Real Options Analysis Toolkit software can assist in the valuation of strategic and managerial flexibility in a variety of arenas." -Charles T. Hardy, PhD, Chief Financial Officer & Director of Business Development, Panorama Research, Inc. "Most of us come to real options from the perspective of our own areas of expertise. Mun's great skill with this book is in making real options analysis understandable, relevant, and immediately applicable to the field within which you are working." -Robert Fourt, Partner, Gerald Eve (UK) "Mun provides a practical step-by-step guide to applying simulation and real options analysis-invaluable to those of us who are no longer satisfied with conventional valuation approaches alone." -Fred Kohli, Head of Portfolio Management, Syngenta Crop Protection Ltd. (Switzerland)

Examines the ways in which real options theory can contribute to strategic management. This volume offers conceptual pieces that trace out pathways for the theory to move forward and presents research on the implications of real options for strategic investment, organization, and firm performance.