Author: Edward Chancellor
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1137571659
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 223
Book Description
We live in an age of serial asset bubbles and spectacular busts. Economists, policymakers, central bankers and most people in the financial world have been blindsided by these busts, while investors have lost trillions. Economists argue that bubbles can only be spotted after they burst and that market moves are unpredictable. Yet Marathon Asset Management, a London-based investment firm managing over $50 billion of assets has developed a relatively simple method for identifying and potentially avoiding them: follow the money, or rather the trail of investment. Bubbles whether they affect a whole economy or merely a single industry, tend to attract a splurge of capital spending. Excessive investment drives down returns and leads inexorably to a bust. This was the case with both the technology bubble at the turn of the century and the US housing bubble which followed shortly after. More recently, vast sums have been invested in mining and energy. From an investor's perspective, the trick is to avoid investing in sectors, or markets, where investment spending is unduly elevated and competition is fierce, and to put one's money to work where capital expenditure is depressed, competitive conditions are more favourable and, as a result, prospective investment returns are higher. This capital cycle strategy encourages investors to eschew the simple 'growth' and 'value' dichotomy and identify firms that can deliver superior returns either because capital has been taken out of an industry, or because the business has strong barriers to entry (what Warren Buffett refers to as a 'moat'). Some of Marathon's most successful investments have come from obscure, sometimes niche operations whose businesses are protected from the destructive forces of the capital cycle. Capital Returns is a comprehensive introduction to the theory and practical implementation of the capital cycle approach to investment. Edited and with an introduction by Edward Chancellor, the book brings together 60 of the most insightful reports written between 2002 and 2014 by Marathon portfolio managers. Capital Returns provides key insights into the capital cycle strategy, all supported with real life examples from global brewers to the semiconductor industry - showing how this approach can be usefully applied to different industry conditions and how, prior to 2008, it helped protect assets from financial catastrophe. This book will be a welcome reference for serious investors who looking to maximise portfolio returns over the long run.
Capital Returns
Author: Edward Chancellor
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1137571659
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 223
Book Description
We live in an age of serial asset bubbles and spectacular busts. Economists, policymakers, central bankers and most people in the financial world have been blindsided by these busts, while investors have lost trillions. Economists argue that bubbles can only be spotted after they burst and that market moves are unpredictable. Yet Marathon Asset Management, a London-based investment firm managing over $50 billion of assets has developed a relatively simple method for identifying and potentially avoiding them: follow the money, or rather the trail of investment. Bubbles whether they affect a whole economy or merely a single industry, tend to attract a splurge of capital spending. Excessive investment drives down returns and leads inexorably to a bust. This was the case with both the technology bubble at the turn of the century and the US housing bubble which followed shortly after. More recently, vast sums have been invested in mining and energy. From an investor's perspective, the trick is to avoid investing in sectors, or markets, where investment spending is unduly elevated and competition is fierce, and to put one's money to work where capital expenditure is depressed, competitive conditions are more favourable and, as a result, prospective investment returns are higher. This capital cycle strategy encourages investors to eschew the simple 'growth' and 'value' dichotomy and identify firms that can deliver superior returns either because capital has been taken out of an industry, or because the business has strong barriers to entry (what Warren Buffett refers to as a 'moat'). Some of Marathon's most successful investments have come from obscure, sometimes niche operations whose businesses are protected from the destructive forces of the capital cycle. Capital Returns is a comprehensive introduction to the theory and practical implementation of the capital cycle approach to investment. Edited and with an introduction by Edward Chancellor, the book brings together 60 of the most insightful reports written between 2002 and 2014 by Marathon portfolio managers. Capital Returns provides key insights into the capital cycle strategy, all supported with real life examples from global brewers to the semiconductor industry - showing how this approach can be usefully applied to different industry conditions and how, prior to 2008, it helped protect assets from financial catastrophe. This book will be a welcome reference for serious investors who looking to maximise portfolio returns over the long run.
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1137571659
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 223
Book Description
We live in an age of serial asset bubbles and spectacular busts. Economists, policymakers, central bankers and most people in the financial world have been blindsided by these busts, while investors have lost trillions. Economists argue that bubbles can only be spotted after they burst and that market moves are unpredictable. Yet Marathon Asset Management, a London-based investment firm managing over $50 billion of assets has developed a relatively simple method for identifying and potentially avoiding them: follow the money, or rather the trail of investment. Bubbles whether they affect a whole economy or merely a single industry, tend to attract a splurge of capital spending. Excessive investment drives down returns and leads inexorably to a bust. This was the case with both the technology bubble at the turn of the century and the US housing bubble which followed shortly after. More recently, vast sums have been invested in mining and energy. From an investor's perspective, the trick is to avoid investing in sectors, or markets, where investment spending is unduly elevated and competition is fierce, and to put one's money to work where capital expenditure is depressed, competitive conditions are more favourable and, as a result, prospective investment returns are higher. This capital cycle strategy encourages investors to eschew the simple 'growth' and 'value' dichotomy and identify firms that can deliver superior returns either because capital has been taken out of an industry, or because the business has strong barriers to entry (what Warren Buffett refers to as a 'moat'). Some of Marathon's most successful investments have come from obscure, sometimes niche operations whose businesses are protected from the destructive forces of the capital cycle. Capital Returns is a comprehensive introduction to the theory and practical implementation of the capital cycle approach to investment. Edited and with an introduction by Edward Chancellor, the book brings together 60 of the most insightful reports written between 2002 and 2014 by Marathon portfolio managers. Capital Returns provides key insights into the capital cycle strategy, all supported with real life examples from global brewers to the semiconductor industry - showing how this approach can be usefully applied to different industry conditions and how, prior to 2008, it helped protect assets from financial catastrophe. This book will be a welcome reference for serious investors who looking to maximise portfolio returns over the long run.
Cash Return on Capital Invested
Author: Pascal Costantini
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 0080461786
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 245
Book Description
In this book, Pascal Costantini gives a lively and wonderfully readable account of ten years of efforts by a small group of investment analysts to find a reliable, practical and implementable method for valuing and selecting shares. The result of their effort is an original investment methodology called CROCI (Cash Return on Capital Invested), best described as a variation of the economic profit model. For over a decade now, Costantinis group at Deutsche Bank has been using this valuation tool every time it has had to take a view on the pricing of an equity asset, be it a market, a sector or an individual sharein other words, every single working day, since it is this groups job to advise institutional investors on equity valuation. Costantini describes in detail, accompanied by concrete examples in the form of charts and graphs, the precise investment results of the actual implementation of the CROCI approach in the global equity markets since 1996. Readers will enjoy taking this journey with Costantini to see how and why the model was developed, assess the results of ten years of actual implementation and measure the successes of using this model in stock picking and portfolio construction. This book will also make it easy for them to see how the CROCI approach can be used successfully by others now and in the future.The book is divided into four parts. The first part is a review and discussion of the fundamentals of investment analysis. The second part is dedicated to the construction of economic data, with the sole objective of calculating an economically meaningful asset multiple and relative return, the combination of which gives an economic PE ratio, the authors main stock selection tool. While the economic profit model is not exactly new, it is still largely ignored by the investment community. In essence, it does three things: it calculates the real amount of cash, or value created by a business; it compares the market value of an asset to an approximation of its replacement value; and it assumes that the former will converge to the latter through the arbitrage of investors and capital providers. The third part is dedicated to the analysis of economic data, and the last part deals with the actual implementation of the CROCI economic profit model, including real life examples. This final part also discusses how to use the output of the CROCI model with individual stocks, and then with investment portfolios.*Techniques are based on the authors performance record at Deutsche Bank since 1996 *Based on almost ten years of proprietary knowledge and implementation of these techniques*Factual illustrations of the results of the valuation techniques are provided at each step*Techniques are based on the author's performance record at Deutsche Bank since 1996 *Based on almost ten years of proprietary knowledge and implementation of these techniques*Factual illustrations of the results of the valuation techniques are provided at each step
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 0080461786
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 245
Book Description
In this book, Pascal Costantini gives a lively and wonderfully readable account of ten years of efforts by a small group of investment analysts to find a reliable, practical and implementable method for valuing and selecting shares. The result of their effort is an original investment methodology called CROCI (Cash Return on Capital Invested), best described as a variation of the economic profit model. For over a decade now, Costantinis group at Deutsche Bank has been using this valuation tool every time it has had to take a view on the pricing of an equity asset, be it a market, a sector or an individual sharein other words, every single working day, since it is this groups job to advise institutional investors on equity valuation. Costantini describes in detail, accompanied by concrete examples in the form of charts and graphs, the precise investment results of the actual implementation of the CROCI approach in the global equity markets since 1996. Readers will enjoy taking this journey with Costantini to see how and why the model was developed, assess the results of ten years of actual implementation and measure the successes of using this model in stock picking and portfolio construction. This book will also make it easy for them to see how the CROCI approach can be used successfully by others now and in the future.The book is divided into four parts. The first part is a review and discussion of the fundamentals of investment analysis. The second part is dedicated to the construction of economic data, with the sole objective of calculating an economically meaningful asset multiple and relative return, the combination of which gives an economic PE ratio, the authors main stock selection tool. While the economic profit model is not exactly new, it is still largely ignored by the investment community. In essence, it does three things: it calculates the real amount of cash, or value created by a business; it compares the market value of an asset to an approximation of its replacement value; and it assumes that the former will converge to the latter through the arbitrage of investors and capital providers. The third part is dedicated to the analysis of economic data, and the last part deals with the actual implementation of the CROCI economic profit model, including real life examples. This final part also discusses how to use the output of the CROCI model with individual stocks, and then with investment portfolios.*Techniques are based on the authors performance record at Deutsche Bank since 1996 *Based on almost ten years of proprietary knowledge and implementation of these techniques*Factual illustrations of the results of the valuation techniques are provided at each step*Techniques are based on the author's performance record at Deutsche Bank since 1996 *Based on almost ten years of proprietary knowledge and implementation of these techniques*Factual illustrations of the results of the valuation techniques are provided at each step
Capital Account
Author: Edward Chancellor
Publisher: Texere
ISBN: 9781587991806
Category : Business cycles
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
"The essays contained in this book have been selected from the Global investment review (GIR) of Marathon Asset Management Ltd ..."--Page xix Includes bibliographical references and index. Introduction -- Ch. 1. Capital thoughts -- Ch. 2. The rise of shareholder value -- Ch. 3. The two-tier market -- Ch. 4. Blind capital -- Ch. 5. Fibre-optical illusions -- Ch. 6. The croupier's take -- Ch. 7. Making up the numbers -- Ch. 8. Mismanagement -- Appendix: Valuing the dream -- Glossary -- Index.
Publisher: Texere
ISBN: 9781587991806
Category : Business cycles
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
"The essays contained in this book have been selected from the Global investment review (GIR) of Marathon Asset Management Ltd ..."--Page xix Includes bibliographical references and index. Introduction -- Ch. 1. Capital thoughts -- Ch. 2. The rise of shareholder value -- Ch. 3. The two-tier market -- Ch. 4. Blind capital -- Ch. 5. Fibre-optical illusions -- Ch. 6. The croupier's take -- Ch. 7. Making up the numbers -- Ch. 8. Mismanagement -- Appendix: Valuing the dream -- Glossary -- Index.
Venture Capital Due Diligence
Author: Justin J. Camp
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 9780471126508
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 294
Book Description
Due Diligence ist ein Prüfverfahren, mit dessen Hilfe Investoren die wirtschaftliche und finanzielle Situation des zu finanzierenden Unternehmens genau durchleuchten, um solide Investmententscheidungen zu treffen. "Venture Capital Due Diligence" ist ein praktischer Leitfaden zum Due Diligence Prozess. Er erläutert ausführlich das strenge Regelwerk dieses Prüfverfahrens und zeigt dem Leser, wie er diese Technik in der Praxis einsetzt, um damit Investmentchancen zu bewerten und die Rentabilität seiner Kapitalanlage (ROI - Return on Investment) einzuschätzen. Mit Tipps, Ratschlägen und Checklisten, die von den international erfolgreichsten Wagniskapitalgebern zusammengestellt wurden sowie einem Fragenkatalog, der die wichtigsten Kriterien des Due Diligence Prozesses beinhaltet. "Venture Capital Due Diligence" ist ein unentbehrlicher Ratgeber für alle Venture Capitalists, professionelle Investoren und Finanzgeber.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 9780471126508
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 294
Book Description
Due Diligence ist ein Prüfverfahren, mit dessen Hilfe Investoren die wirtschaftliche und finanzielle Situation des zu finanzierenden Unternehmens genau durchleuchten, um solide Investmententscheidungen zu treffen. "Venture Capital Due Diligence" ist ein praktischer Leitfaden zum Due Diligence Prozess. Er erläutert ausführlich das strenge Regelwerk dieses Prüfverfahrens und zeigt dem Leser, wie er diese Technik in der Praxis einsetzt, um damit Investmentchancen zu bewerten und die Rentabilität seiner Kapitalanlage (ROI - Return on Investment) einzuschätzen. Mit Tipps, Ratschlägen und Checklisten, die von den international erfolgreichsten Wagniskapitalgebern zusammengestellt wurden sowie einem Fragenkatalog, der die wichtigsten Kriterien des Due Diligence Prozesses beinhaltet. "Venture Capital Due Diligence" ist ein unentbehrlicher Ratgeber für alle Venture Capitalists, professionelle Investoren und Finanzgeber.
Creation and Returns of Social Capital
Author: Henk Flap
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134495145
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 405
Book Description
The idea of a social capital research program has become increasingly significant within the social sciences. This collection of essays contributes to a theoretical integration as well as standardization of measurement instruments and co-ordination of empirical research on the significance of social capital.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134495145
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 405
Book Description
The idea of a social capital research program has become increasingly significant within the social sciences. This collection of essays contributes to a theoretical integration as well as standardization of measurement instruments and co-ordination of empirical research on the significance of social capital.
Capital in the Twenty-First Century
Author: Thomas Piketty
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674979850
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 817
Book Description
What are the grand dynamics that drive the accumulation and distribution of capital? Questions about the long-term evolution of inequality, the concentration of wealth, and the prospects for economic growth lie at the heart of political economy. But satisfactory answers have been hard to find for lack of adequate data and clear guiding theories. In this work the author analyzes a unique collection of data from twenty countries, ranging as far back as the eighteenth century, to uncover key economic and social patterns. His findings transform debate and set the agenda for the next generation of thought about wealth and inequality. He shows that modern economic growth and the diffusion of knowledge have allowed us to avoid inequalities on the apocalyptic scale predicted by Karl Marx. But we have not modified the deep structures of capital and inequality as much as we thought in the optimistic decades following World War II. The main driver of inequality--the tendency of returns on capital to exceed the rate of economic growth--today threatens to generate extreme inequalities that stir discontent and undermine democratic values if political action is not taken. But economic trends are not acts of God. Political action has curbed dangerous inequalities in the past, the author says, and may do so again. This original work reorients our understanding of economic history and confronts us with sobering lessons for today.
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674979850
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 817
Book Description
What are the grand dynamics that drive the accumulation and distribution of capital? Questions about the long-term evolution of inequality, the concentration of wealth, and the prospects for economic growth lie at the heart of political economy. But satisfactory answers have been hard to find for lack of adequate data and clear guiding theories. In this work the author analyzes a unique collection of data from twenty countries, ranging as far back as the eighteenth century, to uncover key economic and social patterns. His findings transform debate and set the agenda for the next generation of thought about wealth and inequality. He shows that modern economic growth and the diffusion of knowledge have allowed us to avoid inequalities on the apocalyptic scale predicted by Karl Marx. But we have not modified the deep structures of capital and inequality as much as we thought in the optimistic decades following World War II. The main driver of inequality--the tendency of returns on capital to exceed the rate of economic growth--today threatens to generate extreme inequalities that stir discontent and undermine democratic values if political action is not taken. But economic trends are not acts of God. Political action has curbed dangerous inequalities in the past, the author says, and may do so again. This original work reorients our understanding of economic history and confronts us with sobering lessons for today.
Capital Structure and Firm Performance
Author: Arvin Ghosh
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351530178
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 142
Book Description
Capital structure theory is one of the most dynamic areas of finance and forms the basis for modern thinking on the capital structure of firms. Much controversy has resulted from comparisons of the theory of capital structure originally developed by Franco Modigliani and Merton Miller to real-world situations. Two competing theories have emerged over the years, the optimal capital structure theory and the pecking order theory.Arvin Ghosh begins with an overview of the controversies regarding capital structure theories, and then statistically tests both the optimal capital structure and pecking order theories. Using the binomial approach he analyzes the determinants of capital structure while discussing the role of market power in determining capital structure decisions. Ghosh probes the questions of new stock offerings and stockholders' returns, and analyzes capital structure and executive compensation. He then looks into debt financing ownership structure, and the controversal relationship between capital structure and firm profitability. Finally, he discusses the latest developments in the field of capital structure.A concise overview of a major issue in business economics and finance, this volume provides a fuller understanding of capital structure influence on the financial performance of firms, and will certainly stimulate further debate. While hundreds of scholarly articles have been written on the subject this is the first book to test competing theories against measurements of firms' performance and their underlying capital structure.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351530178
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 142
Book Description
Capital structure theory is one of the most dynamic areas of finance and forms the basis for modern thinking on the capital structure of firms. Much controversy has resulted from comparisons of the theory of capital structure originally developed by Franco Modigliani and Merton Miller to real-world situations. Two competing theories have emerged over the years, the optimal capital structure theory and the pecking order theory.Arvin Ghosh begins with an overview of the controversies regarding capital structure theories, and then statistically tests both the optimal capital structure and pecking order theories. Using the binomial approach he analyzes the determinants of capital structure while discussing the role of market power in determining capital structure decisions. Ghosh probes the questions of new stock offerings and stockholders' returns, and analyzes capital structure and executive compensation. He then looks into debt financing ownership structure, and the controversal relationship between capital structure and firm profitability. Finally, he discusses the latest developments in the field of capital structure.A concise overview of a major issue in business economics and finance, this volume provides a fuller understanding of capital structure influence on the financial performance of firms, and will certainly stimulate further debate. While hundreds of scholarly articles have been written on the subject this is the first book to test competing theories against measurements of firms' performance and their underlying capital structure.
Secrets of Sand Hill Road
Author: Scott Kupor
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0593083598
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 322
Book Description
A Wall Street Journal Bestseller! What are venture capitalists saying about your startup behind closed doors? And what can you do to influence that conversation? If Silicon Valley is the greatest wealth-generating machine in the world, Sand Hill Road is its humming engine. That's where you'll find the biggest names in venture capital, including famed VC firm Andreessen Horowitz, where lawyer-turned-entrepreneur-turned-VC Scott Kupor serves as managing partner. Whether you're trying to get a new company off the ground or scale an existing business to the next level, you need to understand how VCs think. In Secrets of Sand Hill Road, Kupor explains exactly how VCs decide where and how much to invest, and how entrepreneurs can get the best possible deal and make the most of their relationships with VCs. Kupor explains, for instance: • Why most VCs typically invest in only one startup in a given business category. • Why the skill you need most when raising venture capital is the ability to tell a compelling story. • How to handle a "down round," when startups have to raise funds at a lower valuation than in the previous round. • What to do when VCs get too entangled in the day-to-day operations of the business. • Why you need to build relationships with potential acquirers long before you decide to sell. Filled with Kupor's firsthand experiences, insider advice, and practical takeaways, Secrets of Sand Hill Road is the guide every entrepreneur needs to turn their startup into the next unicorn.
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0593083598
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 322
Book Description
A Wall Street Journal Bestseller! What are venture capitalists saying about your startup behind closed doors? And what can you do to influence that conversation? If Silicon Valley is the greatest wealth-generating machine in the world, Sand Hill Road is its humming engine. That's where you'll find the biggest names in venture capital, including famed VC firm Andreessen Horowitz, where lawyer-turned-entrepreneur-turned-VC Scott Kupor serves as managing partner. Whether you're trying to get a new company off the ground or scale an existing business to the next level, you need to understand how VCs think. In Secrets of Sand Hill Road, Kupor explains exactly how VCs decide where and how much to invest, and how entrepreneurs can get the best possible deal and make the most of their relationships with VCs. Kupor explains, for instance: • Why most VCs typically invest in only one startup in a given business category. • Why the skill you need most when raising venture capital is the ability to tell a compelling story. • How to handle a "down round," when startups have to raise funds at a lower valuation than in the previous round. • What to do when VCs get too entangled in the day-to-day operations of the business. • Why you need to build relationships with potential acquirers long before you decide to sell. Filled with Kupor's firsthand experiences, insider advice, and practical takeaways, Secrets of Sand Hill Road is the guide every entrepreneur needs to turn their startup into the next unicorn.
How Venture Capital Works
Author: Phillip Ryan
Publisher: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc
ISBN: 1448867959
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 82
Book Description
Explanations to the inner workings of one of the least understood, but arguably most important, areas of business finance is offered to readers in this engaging volume: venture capital. Venture capitalists provide necessary investment to seed (or startup) companies, but the startup is only the beginning, there is much more to be explored. These savvy investors help guide young entrepreneurs, who likely have little experience, to turn their businesses into the Googles, Facebooks, and Groupons of the world. This book explains the often-complex methods venture capitalists use to value companies and to get the most return on their investments, or ROI. This book is a must-have for any reader interested in the business world.
Publisher: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc
ISBN: 1448867959
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 82
Book Description
Explanations to the inner workings of one of the least understood, but arguably most important, areas of business finance is offered to readers in this engaging volume: venture capital. Venture capitalists provide necessary investment to seed (or startup) companies, but the startup is only the beginning, there is much more to be explored. These savvy investors help guide young entrepreneurs, who likely have little experience, to turn their businesses into the Googles, Facebooks, and Groupons of the world. This book explains the often-complex methods venture capitalists use to value companies and to get the most return on their investments, or ROI. This book is a must-have for any reader interested in the business world.
Capital and Colonialism
Author: Klas Rönnbäck
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3030197115
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 408
Book Description
This book engages in the long-standing debate on the relationship between capitalism and colonialism. Specifically, Rönnbäck and Broberg study the interaction between imperialist policies, colonial institutions and financial markets. Their primary method of analysis is examining micro- and macro-level data relating to a large sample of ventures operating in Africa and traded on the London Stock Exchange between 1869 and 1969. Their study shows that the relationship between capital and colonialism was highly complex. While return from investing in African colonies on average was not extraordinary, there were certainly many occasions when investors enjoyed high return due to various forms of exploitation. While there were actors with rational calculations and deliberate strategies, there was also an important element of chance in determining the return on investment – not least in the mining sector, which overall was the most important business for investment in African ventures during this period. This book finally also demonstrates that the different paths of decolonization in Africa had very diverse effects for investors.
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3030197115
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 408
Book Description
This book engages in the long-standing debate on the relationship between capitalism and colonialism. Specifically, Rönnbäck and Broberg study the interaction between imperialist policies, colonial institutions and financial markets. Their primary method of analysis is examining micro- and macro-level data relating to a large sample of ventures operating in Africa and traded on the London Stock Exchange between 1869 and 1969. Their study shows that the relationship between capital and colonialism was highly complex. While return from investing in African colonies on average was not extraordinary, there were certainly many occasions when investors enjoyed high return due to various forms of exploitation. While there were actors with rational calculations and deliberate strategies, there was also an important element of chance in determining the return on investment – not least in the mining sector, which overall was the most important business for investment in African ventures during this period. This book finally also demonstrates that the different paths of decolonization in Africa had very diverse effects for investors.