Monday, January 27, 2020

The Financing Structure Of Unilever Plc Finance Essay

The Financing Structure Of Unilever Plc Finance Essay Unilever Plc (Unilever) operates as a single business entity. It was formerly known as Lever Brothers Limited. Unilever NV and Unilever Plc are the two parent companies of the Unilever Group having separate legal identities and separate stock exchange listings for their shares. Unilever Plc (Unilever) is a leading food and personal care product offering company in the world. The company is engaged in the manufacturing and distributing foods, home care and personal care products. The company along with a strong and well differentiated portfolio of 400 global and regional brands operating across 14 categories operates in 150 countries with around 174,000 employees. BUSINESS DESCRIPTION Unilever operates in four business segments namely, Personal Care; Home Care; Savoury, Dressings Spreads; and Ice Cream Beverages. The company also offers solutions for professional chefs and caterers. It has around 270 manufacturing facilities worldwide. The Personal Care segment includes business in the mass skin care, daily hair care and deodorants product areas. These products are sold under Dove, Lux, Rexona, Sunsilk, Axe and Ponds, Suave, Clear, Lifebuoy, Vaseline, Signal and Close Up. Its Home Care segment includes laundry products such as tablets, powders and liquids for washing of clothes by hand or machine. It also offers soap bars. In this segment, the principal brands are Omo, Surf, Comfort, Radiant, Skip and Snuggle. The household care products include surface cleaners and bleach that are marketed under the Cif, Domestos and Sun/Sunlight brands. The companys new products include Dove pro-age range of products, Dove Summer Glow self-tanning and body lotions, Clear antidandruff shampoo and Small Mighty concentrated liquid laundry detergents. The Savoury, Dressings and Spreads segment includes sauces, soups, salad dressings, bouillons, snacks, mayonnaise, spreads, olive oil, margarines and cooking products like liquid margarines, and frozen foods. These products are sold worldwide under Calve, Knorr, Hellmanns, Becel, Flora, Wish- Bone, Rama, Blue Band, Amora, Ragu and Bertolli brands. The Ice cream and Beverages division includes ice cream, tea-based beverages, weight management products, and nutritionally enhanced products. These products are marketed worldwide under various brand names such as Magnum, Cornetto, Carte dOr and Solero, Walls, Kibon, Ola and Algida, Ben Jerrys, Breyers, Klondike and Popsicle. The tea-based beverages are sold under Lipton, Brooke Bond and PG Tips brands. The weight management products are sold under Slim-Fast, and nutritionally enhanced products are marketed under Annapurna and AdeS/Adez brands. In the the Home Care division, it holds the global number two position in laundry, with a number one position in man developing and emerging markets. The company holds global number one position in mass skin care and deodorants, and the number two position in hair care where as in oral care and household care the companys strategy is focused on strong regional and local leadership positions in selected markets in Europe, Asia and Latin America. In the Foods division, it holds number one position in savory and dressings, spreads, tea-based beverages and ice cream. Unilever is the category leader in margarine and spreads in most European countries and North America. The companys UKs foods division is the number one producer of savory and dressings business. Products and Brands Unilever owns more than 400 brands as a result of acquisitions, however, the company focuses on what are called the billion-dollar brands, 13 brands, each of which achieve annual sales in excess of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1 billion. Unilevers top 25 brands account for more than 70% of sales. The brands fall almost entirely into two categories: Food and Beverages, and Home and Personal Care. Unilevers billion$ brands are Axe/Lynx Lipton Blue Band[14] Lux (soap) Dove Omo/Surf (detergent) Flora/Becel Rexona/Sure Heartbrand Sunsilk Hellmans TIGI (haircare) Knorr Products of the company are distributed through distribution centers, group-operated facilities, satellite warehouses, and public storage depots, wholesalers, independent grocery stores, co-operatives, and various food service providers. Unilever invests around EUR 1 billion in research and development activities through five laboratories to develop new products and technologies. Geographic Presence Unilever has geographically diversified operations. It is engaged in manufacturing and distributing foods, home care and personal care products. Its products are sold in more than 150 countries which include Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa. During the fiscal year 2008, the company generated 32% revenue from Western Europe, 32% from the Americas and 36% from the Asia, Africa and Central Eastern Europe. It is the category leader in margarine and spreads in most European countries and North America. The companys UKs foods division is the number one producer of savory and dressings business. Thus, wide geographic presence decreases the business risk of the company. This also acts as an easy way for the expansion plans of the company, as wider reach in terms of geography would mean reaping more benefits eventually improving the profit margins, attaining economies of scale and recognition on a worldwide basis. following are the name of some of the countries with Unilevers presences. Ireland Sudan Italy Sweden Japan Switzerland Pakistan Thailand Singapore Tunisia Spain United States Sri lanka United Kingdom Industry Comparison Revenue Growth Rate The companys compounded annual growth rate for revenue was 1.39% during 2005-2009. This was below the SP 500 companies average* of 9.67%. A lower than sector average* revenue CAGR may indicate that the company has underperformed the average sector growth and lost market share over the last years. The companys underperformance could be attributed to a weak competitive position or inferior products and services offering or lack of innovative products and services. Return on Equity The companys return on equity (ROE) was 30.62% for fiscal year 2009. This was above the SP 500 companies average* of 18.69%. A higher than sector average ROE indicate that the company is efficiently using the shareholders money and that it is generating high returns for its shareholders compared to other companies in the sector. Operating Profit Margin The companys operating margin was 12.91% for the fiscal year 2009. This was below the SP 500 companies average* of 18.74%. A lower than sector average* operating margin may indicate inefficient cost management or a weak pricing strategy by the company. Financial Analysis Instead of 2 year analysis of the financial position of the company analysis is performed on a five year data as this will provided with better coverage of the companies performance. Current ratio Current ratio of the company has been on the rising trend since 2005. Current ratio of the company has increased from 0.75 time in 2005 to 0.93 times in 2009. This trend shows that the company is moving toward a stable liquidity position. Whereas, in comparison to the averages of the industry trend and S P 500 companies Unilever is not able to maintain sound current ratio. Currently industry averages at around 1.53 times whereas; SP 500 companies averages around 1.91 times. This is almost as double to where Unilever currently stands. Quick ratio Quick ratio of the company has shown similar rising trend as that of current ratio. Quick ratio of the company has moved to 0.5 times in 2009, which is a rise of approximately 35% during the five year period (2005: 0.37 times). This ratio of the company is quite close to the industry averages (i.e., 0.78 times), whereas, SP 500 companies quick ratio averages to around 1.36 times. Considering the rising trend of the company, it appears that its liquidity position will improve in the near future to meet the industry averages. Gross Profit margin Gross Profit margin of the company has shown a mix trend over the years. During the period from 2005-2009 gross profit margin of the company stood at 48.32%, fall of just 2%. This shows that the company is in a stable position as it is able to stay consistent in maintaining its Gross Profit Margin. On the other hand, Industry average stands at 44.72%. Being on the higher side of the industry shows that the company is able to effectively manage its cost and pricing policies. Net Profit Margin Similar to the Gross profit margin, net profit margin of the company has shown a mix trend. On average the net profit margin of the company has increased by 4% during the 5 year period to 8.46% in 2009. This is higher then what the industry average is (Industry average: 7.25%). On the other hand SP 500 companies average net profit margin to approximately 12.59%, showing that the company is not meeting the SP 500 companies standards. Return on Assets Return on assets of the company has shown an increasing trend during the 5 year period. During the said period, ROA increased to approximately 10% in 2009 from 8.74% in 2005, this is a rise of 14%. In comparison, the industry averages the return on assets at around 7.71% and SP 500 averages assets at around 7.91%. This shows that the company is able to used the employed assets efficiently and effectively then what the normal industry trend depicts. FINANCING STRUCTURE Unilever PLC is a highly un-geared company. Its total debt to total equity ratio stood at only 0.82 in 2009, which is a decline of around 46% during the 5 year period (2005: 1.51). Similar fall in the total debt to total capital ratio was observed, which fell by approximately 25% to 0.45 in 2009. On the other hand a slight increase of just 9% was observed in the Long term debt to total capital of the company during the same five year period. In contrast to the leverage ratios, a significant fall in the payout ratio was observed. Payout ratio of the company fell from 61.37% in 2005 to just 38.54% in 2009. This shows that currently the company is in the phase of financing its activities from its retained earnings instead of taking long or short term financing. In comparison to a competitor Reckitt Benckiser Group, the leverage of this company is similar to the leverage of Unilever PLC. During the year 2009, Total Debt to Total Equity ratio Reckitt Benckiser Group is only 0.82. Payout ratio of the Reckitt Benckiser is 50.28% in 2009, which is higher than that of Unilever PLC, representing the fact that Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc is utilizing higher portion of its retained earnings as compared to Unilever Plc In comparison with the industry trends, average total debt to equity is approximately 1.16 times whereas, as per SP 500 it is around 0.73. In view of these average industry and sector trends, company is performing quite well. On the other hand, companys payout ratio is on the higher side when compared to the industry and SP 500 averages. Average industrys payout is almost is 42% whereas, average payout as per SP 500 is 28.82%. This shows that company is not availing its short term financing options. Taking up these short term financing will release some pressure from the retained earning and can be paid out to the shareholders of the company because as the low payout trend of the industry indicates that the shareholders are prone to short term gains in comparison to long term capital gains. 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 Unilever PLC Total Debt/Equity 0.82 1.1 0.77 0.78 1.51 Long Term Debt/Total Capital 0.35 0.3 0.25 0.22 0.32 Total Debt/Total Capital 0.45 0.52 0.44 0.44 0.6 Payout Ratio 38.54% 43.04% 56.62% 83.71% 61.37% Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc Total Debt/Equity 0.03 0.48 0.21 0.53 0.09 Long Term Debt/Total Capital (?) 0 0 0 0 0.04 Total Debt/Total Capital (?) 0.03 0.32 0.17 0.35 0.08 Payout Ratio (?) 50.28% 50.76% 41.93% 48.65% 42.39% WEIGHTED AVERAGE COST OF CAPITAL As discussed in the above section, Unilever PLC has a very low (nominal) gearing of 0.35%. Virtually the company is debt free; hence cost of equity of the company will be its weighted average cost of capital. In order to calculate Cost of Equity of Unilever PLC Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) has been used. Beta for the company has been taken from the Dow Jones Report, which is 0.76 whereas; many technical issues were presents when indentifying risk free rate (Rf) and risk premium (Rm-Rf). Hence, the risk free rate and the market rate (Rm) are assumed to be 8% and 12% respectively for the purpose of this calculation. Cost of Equity = Rf + (Rm-Rf)b Cost of Equity = 8% + (12% 8%) 0.76 Cost of Equity = 11.04% Here, Cost of Equity = = WACC Hence, WACC = 11.04% NEW PROJECT Project Description Company has recently conducted a market survey for deodorant target only toward a young generation. Evaluation of the investment proposal to manufacture product XARI was performed. The product has performed well in test marketing trials conducted recently by the research and marketing department of the company. Key Elements of Project Initial investment cost Evidences for the initial investment cost can be found from various sources, research reports related to the particular industry, information from the companies which have recently invested in the respective sectors can prove quite useful, internal budget preparation etc. Annual revenues / operating costs Evidences of independent annual revenues and operating cost can be also be found from various sources, demand and supply of the particular products and projected by various research houses such as Business Monitor, by analyzing past trends of the company and peer analysis of the companies already operating in the industry/segments Rates of inflation Information related to the past and future rates related to inflation can be found in abundance. In addition to the government bodies, numerous independent research houses provided forecasted/projected inflation rates of different countries. These rates are calculated after critically analyzing and assessing various factors that affect the inflation rates. Report from Economic Intelligence Unit is one of the research houses which provides rates of inflation, both past trends as well as forecasted for different countries. Rates of taxation, and tax reliefs and allowances Best sources for finding information related rates of taxation and tax reliefs and allowance is to go through government regulated bodies. Legal regulations related to tax and updates in the upcoming changes can be found on government operated website and accurate and up to date information related to any legal issue is available there. Risk and Uncertainty After a through research I came to the conclusion that identification of risks is best done by a sequential manner. Firstly brainstorming exercise was done with some colleague of mine in order to evaluate what factors ,both beneficial and adverse, can be faced by the new project that the company was going to undertake. This exercise was purely for the identification of the risk that the project might face during the tenor of its operations. After my initial task of risk identification I assessed the likelihood of the occurrence of that risk and categorized them on the scale of high, medium and low. Then I assessed the consequences of each of risk if they occurred and whether, there occurrence will have a major impact on the operation of the company or its future prospect or not. Risks with low chances of occurrence and low negative impact were ignored and emphasis was placed on the risks that have high chances of occurrence or which could have measurable impact on the companys performance. This risk was than further classified into quantifiable and non-quantifiable risk (uncertainty). The impact of the quantifiable risk, such as rate of inflation, increase in the cost of raw material, fall in demand of the product etc, were incorporated when calculating the Net Present Value of the Project. Uncertainties such as war, political instability, change in government regulation etc, were a bit hard to incorporate. In order to overcome these problems sensitivity analysis was used. Via Sensitivity Analysis result of the project are categorized into three possible outcomes Best Case Scenario, Moderate Case Scenario and Worst Case Scenario. These 3 cases will show the performance of the company in the two most extremes situations that the company might operate. Result should then be interpreted keeping in mind of all the expected scenarios. Net Present Value After the successful test, following information has been prepared by me in order to assess the viability of the project. The research team has prepared the following forecasted demand of the product along with that various other variables such as selling prices and inflation rate are also estimated. These forecasts reflect, along with others, the expected life of the products, change in the economic conditions in the long run etc. Weighted average cost of capital has been calculated as above at 11.04%. The product has no terminal value at the end of four year. NPV of the project with respect to the following data is almost about 348,578 pounds Forecasted Information for Product XARI Initial Investment 2 million Pounds Selling Price (Current Price) 20 pound/unit Expected Inflation in Selling Price 3% per year Variable operating cost 8 pound/unit Fixed Operating Cost 170,000 per yar Tax Rate 30% Year 1 2 3 4 Demand (units) 60,000 70,000 120,000 45,000 Quarterly Report It appears that the company has performed reasonable well when compared to the forecast that the management prepared. Minor variances were witnessed by the company in most aspect of the project. Initial investment of the company exceed by just 100,000 pound. Company just sold 100 less units in first quarter as compared to the forecasted data. The reason for this relate to the factor that market awareness was not created by the company as it incurred less operating cost as anticipated. Company managed to sell units at a selling price 15% more the forecasted price. On the other 13% more cost was incurred on each unit than was projected. The reason for such a change could relate to the fact that the company underestimated the price of it project, and once market started to accept the product its selling price increased

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Metasizing Cancer Cells Essay -- Biology

The human body encompasses some thirty trillion cells. The cells which comprise normal, healthy tissues in the body live in an interdependent relationship with surrounding cells. These tissues are intricately arranged into a marvelous array of cell to cell adhesions and extracellular matrixes. Healthy cells reproduce in a coordinated manner which insures that a particular body tissue maintains its appropriate size, form, and function. Cells which have lost the ability to reproduce in a controlled fashion are termed cancerous cells. Cancer cells proliferate uncontrollably forming tumors causing disruption in the normal form and function of body tissues. The most dangerous of the cancer cells are those that can metastasize, which is the ability of the cell to migrate from the original or primary tumor site to a distant site where they establish secondary tumors. This is what makes metastasizing cancer cells so lethal and distinguishes a malignant cancer from a non-malignant cancer. Migrating Cancer Cell in vitro In order to accomplish such a migration, the malignant cells need to proceed through a series of steps which include: 1. detachment from the primary tumor mass 2. degradation of the basement membrane 3. migration to and invasion of a nearby blood or lymphatic vessel 4. survival within the blood or lymph system 5. attachment to the wall of the vessel at some distant site 6. penetration of the vessel wall and exiting of the vessel 7. migration to a site where a secondary tumor is established. The Role of Anchorage Dependence in Metastasis The mechanisms involved in the survival of a cell detached from the extracellular matrix are of great interest. Normal cells are anchorage dependent and... ...f mitastasis. This is primarily due the circulatory system's architecture. After cancer cells from the skin or other tissues find their way to the blood stream, they migrate downstream to the first capillary bed. For most organs, the lungs contain the first capillary bed downstream which enables the cancer to lodge in small blood vessels proliferate there. Prostate Cancer and its Effects Prostate Cancer often spreads to the bones. But unlike melanoma which becomes physically traped in the blood vessels, prostate cancer also seeks out a definitive adhesion molecule located on the stromal cell of the bone. The prostate cancer has a receptor which only recognizes this molecule, so will only adhere to this particular one. Colorectal Cancer and its Effects Colorectal cancer typically metastasize to the liver due to the intestines sending their blood here first.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Wasseem

Some of his career moves Include working as an organist to the Duke of Whimper from 1708 to 1 71 7, moving to Cotton to e the leader of an orchestra to Prince Leopold from 1717 to 1 723, and then Bach was appointed Cantor of the SST Thomas School. By 1725, he has written 2 complete cycles of cantatas. By 1729 he has written 4 complete cycles of cantatas (200 cantatas! ). In 1748, Bach was losing his eyesight and eventually went blind. He died in 1750 at the age of 65.Bach's Lutheran faith was an important aspect of his music life, in which he writes â€Å"To the Glory of God† in many of his works. He was a master of contrapuntal arts and helped create the well-tempered tuning system we use to this day. In his lifetime Bach has composed over 1000 musical works. Prelude & Fugue in C minor Is a song In Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier written In 1722. It contains 24 prelude & fugue which shows the Well-Tempered tuning system that Bach help create.The Well-Tempered tuning Is not exact , which makes It possible to play all 12 major and minor keys- which was never done before. The Prelude in C minor starts with fast 16th notes in perpetual motion. A monophonic link happens in measure 25 which leads to strict imitation until measure 28. After, it returns with fast 1 6th notes in referral motion followed by a 2 measure cadenza-like passage starting on measure 34.Near the end of the Prelude there is a tonic pedal point and then the prelude ends with a Picador ending (a minor piece ending with a tonic major triad) from C minor to C major. The Fugue begins with a subject composed of 1 6th and 8th notes. Then there Is an melody In the dominant key with slight alteration called the tonal answer. The song continues with the countermeasure. The middle section Is felled with sequential material In which the subject Is absent. The tonic pedal appears In the end and the subject Is played one last and ends on E natural.

Friday, January 3, 2020

The Walt Disney Company the Art of Brand Building Keeps...

The Walt Disney Company has evolved from a wholesome family-oriented entertainment company into a massive multimedia conglomerate. Not only is Disney a producer of media but it also distributes its and others’ media products through a variety of channels, operates theme parks and resorts, and produces, sells, and licenses consumer products based on Disney characters and other intellectual property. CEO Michael Eisner has been instrumental in many of these changes. How can such extensive changes occur while trying to maintain the Disney brand? Disney Through the Years After his first film business failed, artist Walt Disney and his brother Roy started a film studio in Hollywood in 1923. The first Mickey Mouse cartoon, Plane Crazy,†¦show more content†¦The deal came in the same week as Westinghouse Electric Corporation’s $5.4 billion offer for CBS Inc. Disney represented one of several consolidations of the media conglomerates that increasingly control the distribution of entertainment programming in the United States. Disney ranked as the third largest media conglomerate behind AOL Time Warner and Viacom. Eisner appreciated the importance of both programming content and the distribution assets needed to deliver it. (4) As a result of many of Eisner’s decisions, The Walt Disney Company has been transformed from a sleepy film production studio into a major entertainment giant, with its revenues of over $2 billion in 1987 increasing to $22 billion in 1997. (5) Its stock price has multiplied over 15 times, creating enormous wealth for both stockholders and executives of Disney. One of the biggest questions arising from the ABC deal is whether Disney paid too dearly for declining network assets. Viewership among all the major networks was declining. According to Michael Jordan, the CEO of CBS, â€Å"the pure network television business is basically a low-margin to breakeven business.† (6) The networks were squeezed by having to pay extravagantly for programming and were attracting an audience of older viewers who were scorned by advertisers. However, another way to lookShow MoreRelatedThe Walt Disney Company: The Art Of Brand Building Keeps Disney Center Stage1660 Words   |  7 PagesThe Walt Disney Company has evolved from a wholesome family-oriented entertainment company into a massive multimedia conglomerate. Not only is Disney a producer of media but it also distributes its and others’ media products through a variety of channels, operates theme parks and resorts, and produces, sells, and licenses consumer products based on Disney characters and other intellectual property. CEO Michael Eisner has been instrumental in many of these changes. How can such extensive changes occurRead MoreWalt Disney’s New World of Mass Media Essay2940 Words   |  12 Pagesaround every corner. Walt Disney World, other wise known as â€Å"the happiest place on earth†, or the place â€Å"where dreams come true†, was founded by a man with a dream of creating a place where children and parents could spend time together while making amazing memories. However, this extravagant amusement park is only one of the major accomplishments of Walt Disney. Walt Disney’s greatest achievement is the impact he made on America’s mass media industry. Disney took his talent for art and design to theRead MoreThe Walt Disney Company Report15335 Words   |  62 PagesCompany Research Paper The Walt Disney Company Pranay Kumar George Batah Shuxian Shen Sheng Hao Koo â€Å"We have complied with university honor code in completion of this assignment and I attest that this work is ours and ours alone.† Professor Suzanne Weiss Contents 1. Executive Summary 2. 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Not only is Disney a producer of media but it also distributes its and others’ media products through a variety of channels, operates theme parks and resorts, and produces, sells, and licenses consumer products based on Disney characters and other intellectual property. CEO Michael Eisner has been instrumental in many of these changes. How can such extensive changes occur while trying to maintain the Disney brand? Disney Through the Years After his first film business failed, artist Walt Disney and his brother Roy started a film studio in Hollywood in 1923. The first Mickey Mouse cartoon, Plane Crazy, was†¦show more content†¦ushered in a new era in the history of Disney. (2) Work the Brand Michael Eisner has been involved in the entertainment industry from the start of his career (ironically, beginning at ABC Television in the 1960s). He exhibits a knack for moving organizations from last place to first through a combination of hard work and timely decisions. For example, when he arrived at Paramount Pictures in 1976, it was dead last among the six major motion picture studios. During his reign as the company’s President, Paramount moved into first place with blockbusters such as Raiders of the Lost Ark, Trading Places, Beverly Hills Cop, and Airplane, along with other megahits. By applying lessons he learned in television at ABC to keep costs down, the average cost of a Paramount picture during his tenure was $8.5 million, while the industry average was $12 million. (3) Eisner viewed Disney as a greatly underutilized franchise identified by millions throughout the world. In addition to reenergizing film production, Eisner wanted to extend the brand recognition of Disney products through a number of new avenues. Examples of his efforts over the years include the Disney Channel (cable), Tokyo Disneyland (Disney receives a management fee only), video distribution, Disney Stores, Broadway shows (Beauty and the Beast), and additional licensing arrangements for the Disney characters.Show MoreRelatedThe Walt Disney Company: the Art of Brand Building Keeps Disney Center Stage1781 Words   |  8 PagesThe Walt Disney Company has evolved from a wholesome family-oriented entertainment company into a massive multimedia conglomerate. Not only is Disney a producer of media but it also distributes its and others’ media products through a variety of channels, operates theme parks and resorts, and produces, sells, and licenses consumer products based on Disn ey characters and other intellectual property. CEO Michael Eisner has been instrumental in many of these changes. How can such extensive changes occurRead MoreWalt Disney’s New World of Mass Media Essay2940 Words   |  12 Pagesaround every corner. 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Operation and Production Read MoreWalt-Disney World Internship Report7881 Words   |  32 PagesInternational Tourism Internship Report â€Å"Dreams Come True† Exploration in Disney Student Name: Student Number: Internship Sponsor: Li, Danping 0609853G-B111-0073 The Walt Disney World Resort Internship Duration: Aug, 10th, 2008 ~ Jan, 16th, 2009 Submission Date: Apr, 30th, 2009 Brief Description of My Internship Fantastic memories of 169 days living in America, almost six months working in Walt Disney World offers an unforgettable experience in my personal life and has great influenceRead MoreWalt Disney Case16863 Words   |  68 Pages9-701-035 REV: JULY 25, 2001 D MICHAEL G. RUKSTAD DAVID COLLIS O The Walt Disney Company: The Entertainment King I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing—that it was all started by a mouse. —Walt Disney The Walt Disney Company’s rebirth under Michael Eisner was widely considered to be one of the th great turnaround stories of the late 20 century. When Eisner arrived in 1984, Disney was languishing and had narrowly avoided takeover and dismemberment. By the end of 2000, howeverRead MoreHk Disney16299 Words   |  66 Pagesthe direct and indirect competitors of Hong Kong Disneyland when it comes to other theme parks, tourist destinations and also hotels in Hong Kong. The TOWS analysis provides a study of the threats, opportunities, weaknesses and strengths that the company is either presently experiencing or might be experiencing in the future. The TOWS matrix includes the respective implications as well as the possible action plans needed to be carried out to minimize the threats and weaknesses and to maximize theRead MoreNike Is Brand Of Apparel And Sports Equipment Essay2155 Words   |  9 PagesNike is brand of apparel and sports equipment that operates in North America, Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, Greater China, Japan and other emerging markets. The company was founded by William Jay Bowerman and Philip H. Knight in 1964 and was officially incorporated on September 8, 1969. 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