The art of assessing enterprise value: Key principles, formulas, and calculation methods

Imagine you’re in the market for a used car.  

You’ve found 2 similar cars in terms of make, model, and year, but one is priced at $30,000 and the other at $32,000.  

Which one should you choose?  

At first glance, the $30,000 car is cheaper, so it seems like the better deal. 

But what if the $32,000 car comes with a full tank of gas, new tires, and a warranty, while the $30,000 car is on its last legs and needs a major tune-up?  

Suddenly, the $32,000 car looks like a much better investment, even though it costs more upfront.  

This example may help a stakeholder visualize the concept of enterprise value (EV) when assessing your company’s value. 

What is enterprise value? 

Enterprise value is a financial metric representing your business’s total value.  

EV provides a comprehensive picture of your company’s overall value and is a metric you can use for businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large corporations.  

This article will explore the importance of enterprise value, including its role in financial analysis, mergers and acquisitions, and its impact on investor decision-making.  

Why do businesses use enterprise value? 

Investors and analysts often use enterprise value to evaluate the overall worth of a company and its potential for growth and profitability.  

Whether you are a CEO, CFO, or investor, understanding enterprise value is crucial for making informed decisions about the value and potential of your business and others. EV is a metric that helps with conducting thorough financial analysis. 

5 key facts about enterprise value

1. It is a financial metric used to determine the total value of your company. 

2. It considers a company’s equity, debt, and minority interests. 

3. It represents the total value of a company, including the value of its operations and assets. 

4. It is a more comprehensive measure of overall value than market capitalization. 

5. It considers your debt and cash positions, while market capitalization does not. 

Components of enterprise value 

Enterprise value is a financial metric considering a company’s market capitalization, outstanding debt, and cash holdings to determine its total value.  

The components of enterprise value represent the various factors contributing to a company’s overall worth. 

The market cap 

Market capitalization, or market cap or value, is a key component of enterprise value.  

The market cap represents the total value of a company’s outstanding shares of stock, calculated by multiplying the current stock price by the number of outstanding shares.  

Market cap is an important metric for investors as it provides a snapshot of a company’s overall worth at any moment.  

Understand that: 

• Companies with higher market caps are considered more valuable than those with lower ones. 
• Enterprise value considers the market cap of a company but also its debt, cash, and other assets.  

In other words, EV is the amount of money required to purchase an entire business, including debt and other liabilities.  

The market cap represents the total value of a company’s outstanding shares, but importantly, it falls short of capturing its complete worth.  

Total debt 

Total debt is another key component of enterprise value.  

It represents the total money you owe your creditors, including short-term and long-term debt. This money can include bank loans, bonds, and other forms of debt financing.  

Total debt is important because it represents a company’s financial obligations that must be repaid over time. It can affect their ability to invest in growth opportunities or pay dividends to shareholders.  

Remember that: 

• When calculating Enterprise Value, total debt is added to market capitalization to provide a more complete view of a company’s overall value, as it considers both the claims of equity and debt holders.  

• Understanding a company’s total debt is essential for evaluating its financial health and stability. 

Cash 

Cash is another important component of enterprise value.  

It represents the amount of money a company has on hand that can be used for investment, paying off debt, or other purposes.  

Cash can come from various sources, including revenue generated from operations and financing activities such as issuing stock or taking out loans.  

Cash is important when evaluating a company’s overall value because it reflects its liquidity and ability to meet short-term financial obligations. 

Remember that: 

• Cash is subtracted from market capitalization and total debt to determine a company’s net value when calculating EV. You have a more accurate view of a company’s overall worth as it considers its debt and cash holdings.  

• Understanding a company’s cash position is essential for evaluating its financial strength and stability. 

Minority interest 

Minority Interest refers to the part of a subsidiary company owned by shareholders other than the main parent company. It’s the stake in a company the parent company doesn’t own. 

Minority Interest is important when evaluating a company’s overall value because it represents an ownership interest not reflected in the parent company’s market cap.  

Remember that: 

• When calculating enterprise value, minority interest is added to total debt and subtracted from cash to determine the company’s net value.  

• This gives you a more accurate view of a company’s overall worth as it considers its subsidiary ownership interests.  

How to calculate enterprise value 

The formula to calculate enterprise value is as follows: 

Enterprise value = Market cap + total debt – cash + minority Interest. 

Here are some examples: 

Example 1: 

Market capitalization: $500 million 

Total debt: $100 million 

Cash: $50 million 

Minority interest: $25 million 

Enterprise value = $500 million + $100 million – $50 million + $25 million 

Enterprise value = $575 million 

Example 2: 

Market capitalization: $1 billion 

Total debt: $500 million 

Cash: $250 million 

Minority interest: $50 million 

Enterprise value = $1 billion + $500 million – $250 million + $50 million 

Enterprise value = $1.3 billion 

This formula provides a good picture of a company’s value, allowing investors to make informed decisions about investing. 

EV to EBITDA ratio 

The EV to EBITDA ratio is a financial metric used to evaluate a company’s valuation in relation to its operational earnings.  

What is EBITDA? 

EBITDA stands for Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization. 

EBITDA measures a company’s profitability, excluding non-operational expenses such as interest—it’s a figure that provides a clearer picture of a company’s financial performance by isolating its operating profitability.  

What is the EV to EBITDA ratio? 

The EV to EBITDA ratio is a valuation metric that compares a company’s enterprise value to its EBITDA.  

You can use the EV to EBITDA ratio to evaluate a company’s financial health and investment potential. 

How to calculate the EV to EBITDA ratio 

To calculate the EV to EBITDA ratio, you first need to calculate the enterprise value and the EBITDA for the company in question. 

How to calculate the EBITDA 

To calculate the EBITDA, you must add the company’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. 

The formula for calculating EBITDA is as follows: 

EBITDA = Revenue – Expenses (excluding interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) 

Once you have calculated the EV and EBITDA, you can divide the EV by the EBITDA to get the EV to EBITDA ratio.  

How to calculate the EV to EBITDA ratio 

The formula for the EV to EBITDA ratio is as follows: 

EV to EBITDA ratio = Enterprise Value ÷ EBITDA 

The resulting number represents the number of years of EBITDA it would take for the company’s enterprise value to be paid off, assuming the EBITDA remains constant.  

What is a good enterprise value? 

A good enterprise value is subjective and depends on the industry, company size, and market conditions.  

However, you can use EVs to calculate important financial ratios, such as EV to EBITDA, which you’ve already seen can help assess a company’s financial health and profitability. 

You can generally consider a lower EV to EBITDA ratio better as it indicates that a company is undervalued relative to its earnings. A ratio below 10 is considered attractive. 

A high EV to EBITDA ratio could suggest a company is overvalued or its earnings are low quality.  

It’s best to compare a company’s EV to EBITDA ratio to the industry average to determine if it’s good value. 

Enterprise value in practice 

Enterprise value is a widely used financial metric in practice, particularly in investment. 

You can use EVs to compare companies of different sizes and industries, allowing you to decide which companies to invest in.  

Enterprise value limitations 

It is important to keep in mind that enterprise value has some limitations.  

Enterprise value: 

• Does not consider certain intangible assets or potential future growth opportunities that a company may have.  
• Can be affected by fluctuations in the stock market and changes in interest rates, making it less reliable in certain situations.  

Therefore, it is important to use EV in conjunction with other financial metrics and to consider a company’s overall financial health when making investment decisions. 

How you might use enterprise value 

Let’s say you want to acquire a company. You want to determine whether this company is worth the price that they’re asking for.  

To help make your decision, you would calculate this company’s EV by adding its market cap to its total debt, subtracting its cash and cash equivalents, and adding any minority interests. 

Once you’ve calculated this EV, you can compare it to other companies in the same industry to determine whether the price asked is reasonable.  

• If the EV of the company you want to acquire is like other companies in the industry, it could be a good investment. 

• But if this company’s EV is significantly higher than other companies in the industry, you may decide that the acquisition is not worth the price asked. 

You determine the total value of the possible acquisition and decide whether to acquire it.  

Without EV, you would have a less comprehensive view of your target’s total value and may not be able to make an informed decision, 

How does enterprise value differ from other business values? 

Understanding how EVs differ from other financial business values is important to make informed investment decisions. 

Remember that EV is a more comprehensive measure of a company’s overall value because it: 

• Considers a company’s equity and debt, while other metrics, such as market cap, do not.  
• Includes the value of a company’s minority interests, which are ownership stakes in subsidiaries the parent company does not own.  

Other financial metrics, such as price to earnings ratio (P/E ratio) and return on equity (ROE), are also commonly used to evaluate a company’s financial health and performance. However, these metrics focus on different aspects of a company’s financials than EV. 

What is enterprise value VS market value?—EV versus market cap 

Enterprise value and market capitalization are 2 common financial metrics used to evaluate the overall value of a company.  

While they may seem similar, EVs and market caps have some key differences. 

• The market cap provides a snapshot of a company’s overall equity value but does not consider any debt like EV. 

• EV provides a more comprehensive view of a company’s overall value than market cap, as it considers a company’s total equity and debt value.  

• EV is a more useful metric when comparing companies of different sizes and industries.  

• Market cap is more useful for evaluating a company’s overall market value and growth potential. 

In summary, EV and Market Cap are useful financial metrics but serve different purposes.  

EV versus P/E ratio (Price-to-Earnings ratio) 

You commonly use enterprise value and price-to-earnings ratio financial metrics to evaluate a company’s overall value and financial performance.  

What is a P/E ratio? 

The P/E ratio is a financial metric used to measure the valuation of a company’s stock.  

• You calculate the P/E ratio by dividing a company’s current share price by its earnings per share (EPS).  
• The P/E ratio gives you an idea of how much you would need to pay for each dollar of earnings.  
• A high P/E ratio indicates that investors have high expectations for a company’s future earnings potential. 

What are the differences between the EV and P/E ratio? 

EV and P/E ratios serve different purposes, so you must understand their differences. 

• P/E Ratio focuses solely on a company’s earnings potential, while EV considers a company’s total equity and debt value.  

• Because it considers both equity and debt, EV gives you a more comprehensive view of a company’s overall value than its P/E ratio. 

• While a high P/E ratio may indicate that investors have high expectations for a company’s future earnings, it does not necessarily reflect its overall financial health and value. 

Relevance of enterprise value for business 

You now know that enterprise value is a critical financial metric relevant for businesses of all types and sizes.  

We’ve already outlined how EV provides a comprehensive view of a company’s overall value by considering its equity, debt, and minority interests.  

By understanding a company’s EV, investors interested in funding it can determine how much equity it has and how much debt it carries.  

Use of enterprise value when you want to sell a company 

By comparing the EV of your company to an offer price of an acquisition, you can determine whether the offer is reasonable and whether it considers your total value. 

It’s important to use a combination of financial metrics, including EV, price-to-earnings ratio, and return on investment, to make your decision.  

These metrics can provide additional insights into a company’s financial health and potential for growth. 

Use of enterprise value when you want to buy a company 

Evaluating and buying a company can be complex and challenging, requiring a thorough understanding of your target’s financial health and overall value.  

Enterprise value is one of the key metrics you’ll want to use. Some steps when evaluating and buying a company include: 

1. Conduct thorough due diligence 

This involves gathering and analyzing all relevant information about the target company, including financial statements, tax returns, legal documentation, and other important records. 

2. Understand the target company’s financials 

This includes analyzing the company’s revenue, profits, cash flow, debt, and other financial metrics. With EV, you’ll comprehensively view a company’s overall value. 

As we said, a low EV to EBITDA ratio is generally considered healthy—below 10 is considered attractive. 

3. Assess the company’s growth potential 

Investors should evaluate the target company’s market position, competition, and potential for growth in the future. Again, some of the metrics we’ve already outlined will help. 

4. Determine a fair price 

Compare your target company’s EV to the acquisition price you’re offering. You can work out whether the offer is reasonable and lines up with its total value. 

5. Look at other factors 

Other factors to consider when evaluating and buying a company include the company’s management team, employee culture, and overall strategic fit with the buyer’s existing business. 

Final thoughts on enterprise value 

If you’re a CFO, understanding enterprise value is critical. 

EV is a metric that gives you a holistic view of your company’s true value, factoring in equity, debt, and cash reserves.  

Being aware of your company’s EV is essential for strategic decision-making. It can help you with: 

1. Assessing your financial stability 

2. Planning for acquisitions or mergers 

3. Managing debt levels 

4. Identifying areas for value creation.  

Furthermore, EV will help you communicate a comprehensive picture of your company’s worth to shareholders, potential investors, and other stakeholders.  

Have a strong grasp of your company’s EV. It’ll help you make informed, strategic financial decisions.