As we enter a new century, creating shareholder value has become a dominant corporate goal. Today global capital markets, corporate takeovers, mergers and acquisitions are the norm. Participants in this course will learn why increasing shareholder value is the ultimate purpose of firms and why such stock represents a good investment. They will also learn why economic value added and net cash flow are two of the most important measures of a firm's success, how they are measured and why it is used to guide investment decisions. Additionally, participants will learn what characteristics increase the value of firms to investors, how firms create competitive advantage and what strategies firms use to create shareholder value.