Tech Stock Valuation: Investor Psychology and Economic Analysis

The contribution of research and development to a company's market value has grown considerably in recent years. In the mid-1970s, accountants were able to capture on their ledgers 90-95% of a firm's book value, but by 2000 the importance of intangible assets had grown to the point where they could account for only 13-15%. Financial economists and accountants have investigated the link between a firm's market value and its R&D spending, and various factions advocate a variety of positions on the amount and rate of investment, investors' ability to capture returns on that investment, and ways to measure value, investment, and returns.'Tech Stock Valuation' extends the R&D literature by providing detailed direct evidence on the market value implications of inventive and innovative output. Specifically, the book demonstrates that stock-price effects of patent output are most pronounced in the case of of high-quality patents, where patent quality is measured by scientific merit. Scientific measures of patent quality give tech stock investors and R&D managers a valuable new tool that can be used to measure R&D program effectiveness. At the same time, it gives investors a new tool to help them assess the value of hard-to-measure intangible assets.*Provides detailed direct evidence on the market value implications of inventive and innovative output*Based on recent research, much of which Dr. Hirschey has pioneered*Gives financial professionals a new tool for assessing R&D quality and its relation to market valuation