Session 3: Read (12)-(15), and Consider the following.

1. Analyze Applebee's and its recent actions. What is your assessment of these moves?

2. Analyze McDonald's and its recent actions. What is your assessment of these moves?

3. Analyze Uber and its rivals. What do you think of Uber and other firms in the sharing economy? For example, what threats do they face and what are their prospects?

Session 4: Apple, and Introduction to Structuring for Success.

Read (16)-(20). For Apple, answer the following questions.

1. What was Apple's strategy in personal computers (Macs)? They were the first-movers and had a product that many people loved-why did they get destroyed in this market?

2. What is Apple's strategy in music? Why has this been so successful?

3. Assess Apple's strategy for the iPhone (including Apple's decision to introduce a phone).

4. Considering Apple's overall portfolio of recent (post-2000) products, including the Apple Watch and Apple Pay, what is your assessment of Apple going forward?

For Introduction to Structuring for Success, assess the mergers or acquisitions detailed in the assigned readings. What are specific pros and cons? That is, why precisely do these mergers or acquisitions make sense or not? Be certain to come up with a final opinion on whether you support the various deals. Also, spend a few minutes thinking about the following questions (which are more general questions about M&A):

1. A number of empirical studies suggest that many mergers and acquisitions are penalized by the market in the short or long run.  Why might this be?

2. What might explain the continuing fascination with mergers and acquisitions by many corporate leaders and analysts?  That is, what are some reasons why we might observe excessive M&A activity at times (where by "excessive" I mean not in the best interests of the firms in the long run)?

Attachment:- Assignment Files.rar