Comparative ratios demonstrate nicely how EV works better than market cap for assessing companies with differing debt or cash levels or, in other words, differing capital structures.

FORBES: Using Enterprise Value To Compare Companies

But regulation is only one of a number of factors companies take into account when assessing the relative attractions of countries for business.

ECONOMIST: Red tape

The biggest new entrants, the banks, have come in mainly by buying stakes in consumer-lending companies, which have an expertise in assessing loan risk that far outstrips their own.

ECONOMIST: Consumer finance in Japan

These companies are rightfully obsessed with hard data, assessing their websites thousands of times per day in an effort to optimize conversion rates.

FORBES: Want Results? Become Obsessed With Data

"Companies need to decide which elements to include when assessing their carbon footprint, " said Blanco.

FORBES: Here Comes Carbox

Often, these companies shied away from bonuses because of the difficulty in assessing which staff members should be considered strictly year-2000 workers and which members had primarily other responsibilities.

CNN: Managers turn away from retention bonuses for Y2K

In assessing the performance of Berkshire Hathaway he counts, not the price appreciation for the companies in which Berkshire has big stakes (like Coca-Cola), but Berkshire's pro rata share of their net.

FORBES: Through the Looking Glass

Their systems for assessing credit risks are sadly inadequate, especially now that many have to diversify their lending towards smaller companies.

ECONOMIST: South Korean banks

Companies already know a tremendous amount about you in the name of generating credit scores and assessing your risk not only for your employer, but also health insurers, mortgage lenders, banks, and the like.

FORBES: Creepy Start-Up Or Sign Of The Times?

But companies will recognise it, says Mr Steinhardt, because they already think in such terms when assessing product liability, employment law or raising capital.

ECONOMIST: Companies and human rights