Valuation Fundamentals Explained 🏆 | Alastair Matchett posted on the topic | LinkedIn (2024)

Alastair Matchett

Investment Banking Expert | Financial Edge Managing Director

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Investment Banking: Valuation Fundamentals Explained 🏆 OverviewSpoiler: Valuation is not just about numbers.It’s about understanding a company’s worth in the vast corporate finance landscape. It’s a critical process used when a company is looking to sell, merge, or acquire. This valuation acts as the basis for financial decisions in M&A, IPOs, and other strategic initiatives.Core Valuation Methods (4 Primary Methods)1) Discounted Cash Flow (DCF):An intrinsic valuation based on future free cash flow—essentially what’s left after a company funds its capital expenditures and working capital.Why is it important? It gives us insight into a company’s financial health. High free cash flow is a beacon for investors; it signifies potential for growth and dividends.What's the formula?DCF Formula: Free Cash Flow = Net Income + Depreciation/Amortization + Non-cash items ± Working Capital - Capex - Dividends Paid.2) Comparable Companies (Comps):By comparing the financial ratios of similar companies, this method offers an objective benchmark valuation.What's the catch? It requires identifying truly comparable companies, which can be challenging due to differences in operations and strategies.3) Precedent Transactions:This method values a company based on the prices paid in recent M&A deals within the same industry.Key to success? Selecting the right transactions for comparison based on industry, deal size, and characteristics is vital.4) Asset-Based Valuation:This straightforward approach values a company based on its net assets—total assets minus total liabilities.Asset accumulation and excess earnings methods focus on the fair market value of a company's assets.In ConclusionValuing a business is a complex, yet indispensable part of investment banking. It requires a blend of analytical rigor and market insight. Whether it’s through DCF, market comparables, historical transactions, or asset values.Each method provides a unique lens through which to gauge a company’s worth.#banking #investing #investmentbanking #valuation #corporatefinance #finance #analysis #investment #business #bank

  • Valuation Fundamentals Explained 🏆 | Alastair Matchett posted on the topic | LinkedIn (2)

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Ahmed Saifee, CFA

Corporate Development | M&A | CFA | IIM Ahmedabad MBA

2mo

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Dividend is not subtracted while calculating free cash flow for DCF. It is part of the overall free cash available to the firm.

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Ben Walters, FCT, ACA

Deputy Group Treasurer at Compass Group Plc

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Question everyone…with the DCF, what is the correct discount rate to use?

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Dimitriy Drannikov

Sales Director @ IBISWorld | Banking Industry Expertise

2mo

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I'd also add that it's important to benchmark the company financials against the Industries cost structure and performance. As you mentioned above, companies have different operations and strategies, so comparing them in a vacuum against 2 or 3 firms alone may not always paint the whole picture.

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Soumaya Trabelsi ,CIFC

Bilingual Banking Risk Analyst | Retail and corporate credit analyst | Customer Service | Regulation | AML/CFT/Fraud Compliance in Financial Services

2mo

Well said, and I will add that there is another thing that the value of the company acquired could exceed the net assets value. This difference is the Goodwill that accounts for the excess purchase price of another company based on its proprietary or intellectual property, brand recognition, patents, quality of emplyees, reputation etc which is not easily quantifiable.

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Makwebo Peggy Lisati-Minja -MBA,FCCA,FZICA.

Founder & CEO @ Pedrew Investments Limited | ACI Operations

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Thanks for sharing this very insightful article. It provides a comprehensive overview of company valuations, highlighting key methods such as DCF, asset-basedapproch, comparable companies, and the precedent transactions. Each method offers unique insights into a company's worth, allowing investors to make informed decisions based on various perspectives.

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Mario Pires

Telecoms and Systems Engineering Consultant

2mo

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What are we doing?Bankers will be Bankers. Will continue to promote and fund wars. The biggest asset of a war is the debts towards their backer. Africa continues to pay the price of war.And here we are.Debating about it. Thanks for sharing Sir.Enlightent is necessary. M

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Jayin Mary Thomas

The Kanoo Family Office

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Precisely explains everything one needs to know. 👌👌👌

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Michael M. Adjinu - MBA, MSc, CTA, CTM

| Aspiring CFO | Finance | Treasury Management & Projects | Driving Growth & Innovation | Career Mentor | Tech-savvy | Market Trends|

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These methods serve as the foundational approaches to assessing the value of a company. Also depending on the situation, industry, and available data, practitioners often use a combination of these valuation methods to triangulate and arrive at a more comprehensive valuation estimate. Thanks for the insight Alastair Matchett

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Sultan K.

I teach struggling investors to become profitable in the financial markets within 12 months (all posts are my own opinions)

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Now the real question: was this AI generated?

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Greg Merk

Former Republican Candidate for US Congress FL1 Chief Operating Officer - TheNexGenUSA

2mo

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And AI will soon do it all for us.

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