Forecasting is an important tool used to plan and evaluate business operations. Regression analysis is one of the most commonly used forecasting techniques for this purpose. Often forecasts are produced based on a set of comparable units such as individuals, groups, departments, or companies...

In view of the failure of high-profile companies such as Circuit City and Linens n Things, Financial distress or bankruptcy prediction of retail and other firms has generated much interest recently. Recent economic conditions have led to predictions of a wave of retail bankruptcies (e.g.,...

The Black and Litterman model (1992) for estimating asset returns is widely used in industry and has been widely studied in the academic and professional literature. Black and Litterman offer a way to incorporate investor's views into asset-pricing. This chapter provides a description of the...