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Zelig and the Art of Measuring Excess Profit

Author

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  • magni, Carlo Alberto
Abstract
This paper tells the story of a student of economics and finance who meets a couple of alleged psychopaths, suffering from the ‘syndrome of Zelig’, so that they think of themselves to be experts of economic and financial issues. While speaking, they come across the concept of excess profit. The student tells them that the formal way to translate excess profit is to apply Stewart’s (1991) EVA model and shows that this model is equivalent to Peccati’s (1987, 1991, 1992) decomposition model of a project’s Net Present (Final) Value. The ‘Zeligs’ listen to him carefully, then try to apply themselves the EVA model: Unfortunately, both She-Zelig and He-Zelig seem to feel uneasy with basic mathematics, so they make some mistakes. Consequently, each of them miscalculates the excess profit. Strangely enough, they make different mistakes but both get to the (correct) Net Final Value of the project and, in addition, their excess profits do coincide. Further, the (biased) models presented by the Zeligs, though different from the EVA model, seem to bear strong relations to the latter. The student is rather surprised. I give my version of this event, arguing that the Zeligs are offering us a rational way of measuring excess profit, alternative to the standard one (EVA) but equally valuable. As I see it, they are only adopting a different cognitive interpretation of the concept of excess profit, which is based on a counterfactual conditional that differs from Stewart’s and Peccati’s.

Suggested Citation

  • magni, Carlo Alberto, 2006. "Zelig and the Art of Measuring Excess Profit," MPRA Paper 5663, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:5663
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Carlo Alberto Magni, 2003. "Decomposition of Net Final Values: Systemic Value Added and Residual Income," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(2), pages 149-176, April.
    2. Magni, Carlo Alberto, 2004. "Modelling excess profit," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 595-617, May.
    3. Flavio Pressacco & Patrizia Stucchi, 1997. "Su Una Estensione Bidimensionale del Teorema di Scomposizione di Peccati," Decisions in Economics and Finance, Springer;Associazione per la Matematica, vol. 20(2), pages 169-185, September.
    4. Daniel Teichroew & Alexander A. Robichek & Michael Montalbano, 1965. "An Analysis of Criteria for Investment and Financing Decisions Under Certainty," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 12(3), pages 151-179, November.
    5. P. H. Karmel, 1959. "The Marginal Efficiency Of Capital," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 35(72), pages 429-434, December.
    6. Magni, Carlo Alberto, 2005. "On decomposing net final values: EVA, SVA, and shadow project," MPRA Paper 12357, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Carlo Magni, 2005. "On Decomposing Net Final Values: Eva, Sva and Shadow Project," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 59(1), pages 51-95, August.
    8. Gary C. Biddle & Robert M. Bowen & James S. Wallace, 1999. "Evidence On Eva," Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, Morgan Stanley, vol. 12(2), pages 69-79, June.
    9. Daniel Teichroew & Alexander A. Robichek & Michael Montalbano, 1965. "Mathematical Analysis of Rates of Return Under Certainty," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 11(3), pages 395-403, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Cited by:

    1. Magni, Carlo Alberto, 2009. "Splitting up value: A critical review of residual income theories," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 198(1), pages 1-22, October.
    2. Magni, Carlo Alberto, 2010. "Residual income and value creation: An investigation into the lost-capital paradigm," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 201(2), pages 505-519, March.
    3. Carlo Alberto Magni, 2007. "A Sum&Discount Method for Appraising Firms: An Illustrative Example," Department of Economics 572, University of Modena and Reggio E., Faculty of Economics "Marco Biagi".
    4. Carlo Alberto Magni, 2009. "Opportunity Cost, Excess Profit, and Counterfactual Conditionals," Frontiers in Finance and Economics, SKEMA Business School, vol. 6(1), pages 118-154, April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Excess profit; residual income; economic value dded; net final value; systemic value added; counterfactual;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G31 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Capital Budgeting; Fixed Investment and Inventory Studies
    • C0 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - General
    • M4 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting
    • G00 - Financial Economics - - General - - - General
    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • D46 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Value Theory
    • B40 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Economic Methodology - - - General
    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting
    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • A12 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Relation of Economics to Other Disciplines
    • M2 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Economics

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