A strategy to be the industry's overall low-cost provider tends to be more appealing than a differentiation or best-cost or focus/market niche strategy when
a. there are many ways to achieve product differentiation that buyers find appealing.
b. buyers use the product in a variety of different ways and have high switching costs in changing from one seller's product to another.
c. the offerings of rival firms are essentially identical, standardized, commodity-like products.
d. entry barriers are high and competition from substitutes is relatively weak.
e. the market is composed of many distinct segments with varying buyer needs and expectations.

Which of the following mechanisms would be most likely to motivate managers to act in the best interests of shareholders? a) decrease the use of restrictive covenants in bond agreements, b) take actions that reduce the possibility of a hostile takeover, c) elect a board of directors that allows managers greater freedom of action, d) increase the proportion of executive compensation that comes from stock options and reduce the proportion that is paid as cash salaries, e) eliminate a requirement that members of the board directors have a substantial investment in the firm's stocks

Granby foods' (gf) balance sheet shows a total of $25 million long-term debt with a coupon rate of 8.50%. the yield to maturity on this debt is 8.00%, and the debt has a total current market value of $27 million. the company has 10 million shares of stock, and the stock has a book value per share of $5.00. the current stock price is $20.00 per share, and stockholders' required rate of return, r s, is 12.25%. the company recently decided that its target capital structure should have 35% debt, with the balance being common equity. the tax rate is 40%. calculate waccs based on book, market, and target capital structures. what is the sum of these three waccs?

Insurance companies have internal controls in place to protect assets, monitor the accuracy of accounting records and encourage operational efficiencies and adherence to policies. these internal controls are generally of two types: administrative controls and accounting controls. administrative controls are the policies and procedures that guide the daily actions of employees. accounting controls are the policies and procedures that delineate authorizations of financial transactions that are done, safeguard assets, and provide reports on the company’s financial status in a reliable and timely manner. internal controls should include both preventative and detective controls. the purpose of preventative controls is to stop problems and errors before they occur. detective controls identify problems after they have occurred. preventative controls are usually more effective at reducing problems, but they also tend to be more expensive. internal controls must be flexible to adjust for changes in laws and regulations in addition to adding new products or modifying current ones. companies must also do regular analyses to ensure that the benefits of implementing the controls are worth their costs. when concerned about paying unwarranted insurance claims which type of control would be useful?