A PERCEPÇÃO DE VALOR DOS ATIVOS ENTRE O MUNDO REAL E O VIRTUAL: O CASO BARNES AND NOBLE

Abstract

One of the questions that has been deeply debated on the investment market is about the difference between assets’ rise in value and volatility in real-world and virtual-world companies (the New Economy). The larger flow of information, the uncertainty, and the nonexistence of a successful business model in the New Economy has broadened this discussion over the years. The present article aims to analyze the rise in value of company assets in these two worlds (real and virtual) that have the same business focus and are directed to the same market in relation to their main financial rates and performance. An analysis will be made of two businesses with the same market target; however, due to the fact that they hold different positions, they present different characteristics as to market increase in value and financial performance. Aiming at this objective, this article will analyse Barnes & Noble, a traditional retail company in the segment of books on the North American market and its subsidiary Barnes & Noble.com.