Articles

We could chalk it up to the luck of the draw or extraordinary skill in the courtroom.  Either way, the victory by the taxpayers David Litman and Robert Diener in Litman…more

The impact on valuations from proposed changes to Rule 144 is uncertain, but reductions in illiquidity discounts are expected.  When rule 144 was introduced in 1972, it helped reduce the…more

WASHINGTON (HedgeWorld.com)—The Securities and Exchange Commission voted unanimously on Thursday [Nov. 15] to change the rules that govern public resale of restricted and control securities, a move that may affect…more

Even after a tumultuous summer, valuation remains a work in progress for many managers, but with new regulations and rising pressure from investors, experts say the outlook is improving. If…more

Professors Nicolas Bollen and Veronika Pool researched why hedge fund managers seemingly lean to the upside when placing value on their underlying assets – in turn both boosting and smoothing…more

Are estate planners shortchanging their clients by applying obsolete and inappropriate valuation rules that overvalue transferred stock options?Regardless of how you feel about the ability of older valuation methods to…more

Proposed reductions in the holding periods for Reg 144 restricted securities will likely shrink pricing discounts significantly only on the most volatile and thinly traded issues. A proposed change in…more

In the ongoing debate over how to unravel unnecessarily complicated accounting rules, nobody wants to hit the "delete" key for valuation standards. Instead, much of the market is crying for…more

US regulator the Securities and Exchange Commission last week approved the launch of Nasdaq’s Portal Market Trading System for Rule 144a securities, despite concerns raised by industry association the Securities…more

Uncertainty over the future of applying “blockage discounts” when valuing thinly traded securities needs to be resolved urgently if firms are to meet the deadline for compliance with the Financial…more

After meeting three times to discuss their joint project on Business Combinations (Applying the Acquisition Method), both the FASB and IASB (the Boards) have decided that no new issues or concerns…more

Valuation expert observes "staggering amount of inconsistencies in how hedge funds mark their portfolios," warns "NAV valuations may be all wrong," publishes White Paper Valuation expert observes “staggering amount of…more

The SEC's interpretation of Rule 415 is forcing PIPE investors to prepare for the possibility that they'll be stuck with restricted shares longer than they had planned.  Unfortunately, outside of…more

Until now, many hedge fund managers have used methods to value restricted securities that are a step above reading tea leaves or picking numbers out of a hat. However, new…more

Private equity's debate over fair value accounting refuses to die. It was sparked anew last September, when the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued SFAS 157, clarifying its definition and…more

As Zions Bancorp prepares to introduce a new financial instrument to let the open market establish an expense value for employee stock options, the market itself is watching with guarded…more

Tax cases offering guidance on the valuation of restricted securities are few and far between. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in its 1998 McClatchy decision1 treated the…more

The starting point for any analysis of the discount for lack of marketability (DLOM) should be the best available evidence—and this has traditionally been the restricted stock data, which provide…more

This issue is addressed by Espen Robak, President of Pluris, in the cover story of Valuation Strategies (January 2007).  “Lemons or Lemonade?  A Fresh Look At Restricted Stock Discounts,” presents a ground-breaking…more

NEW YORK (HedgeWorld.com)—Later this month, the Financial Accounting Standards Board is expected to release a revised statement about fair value measurements, thus moving closer to adopting new guidelines for valuing…more