Search

The case introduces the reader to a problem of a family business in the milk industry, Fundo Los Ulmos (FLU), which had to choose the best option between the two main alternatives available. One of the options was to sell all the land of the family business that has an emotional root with the decision maker. Instead, the second option was to perform an operational analysis that will improve dairy management based on a milk production optimization model. This case shows a typical family business problem where the decision maker must deal with decisions that mix analytical and socioemotional aspects. This case is especially relevant for a competitive strategy course in Latin American family businesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper tests whether financial leverage fluctuates in a way which is consistent with the existence of a target leverage or, on the contrary, it freely fluctuates with the observed changes on stock returns. Using a sample of non-financial publicly-traded firms of 5 Latin-American countries and the US in the period 2000-2007, we find that firms allow their leverages fluctuate almost one to one with stock returns variations. This evidence does not mean at all that firms are not involve in corporate debt issuing activity but they do not care too much about hit a particular target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]