I read this as "the business of the balance sheet". It was very interesting to see valuation of and trading of assets for other assets indirectly addressed in the article. I would not have understood this prior to the class.

The popularity of recent business books urging a return to "core competencies" has added to the push to shed assets that companies believe are no longer central to their strategic positions. The numbers support their moves: One study found that companies that sustain the most shareholder value over time generally have a well-defined core business. Such divestitures now make up nearly 40 percent of middle-market transactions, according to Mergerstat.