The case covers events leading to the hostile bid for AkzoNobel by PPG in 2017, the market response that it prompted, and AkzoNobel’s takeover defenses including the divestment of a business area and large cash payout.

In late 2011, Infineon (IFX), a German semiconductor company, is sitting on a €2.4bn cash balance representing 40% of its assets. As part of a financial policy review, management is receiving conflicting advice from different quarters as to whether to pay out some of the cash holdings, how much and by which methods.

This is an international version of the classic ratio detective exercise that is found in many US-based textbooks and other case series. The objective is to initiate students into balance sheet analysis via the use of common-size balance sheets. The case helps students to understand how the economics of the firm are revealed in the firm’s financial statements.

A retail bank is considering a strategy to improve branch performance. Central to the strategy is a recent study of profitability of three retail products: current accounts, credit cards, and mortgages. The strategy involves giving branch managers incentives to sell profitable products.