The market approach to corporate valuation relies heavily on valuation multiples. In the world of business, every company is an individual. There are many similarities between businesses in the same industry group and of comparable size and ownership structure.

You can evaluate a company’s value by comparing the selling prices of similar businesses in the past. The ratios used to calculate valuation multiples tie the selling prices of businesses to their monetary performance. Even though a company has never been listed for sale, you can use this relative measure of value to estimate its value.

A list of valuation multiples in use

Valuation multiples are used by company appraisers in a variety of ways. The following is a list of the most often used categories:

Business valuation multiples based on revenue

It is normal to see multiples like this in the value of professional practices and fast-expanding corporations.

• The ratio of business costs to total revenue.
• Value for money in terms of net sales. Returns and discounts are deducted from gross sales to arrive at net sales.

Valuation multiples based on profitability

Accounting profitability metrics are well understood by business owners, financial advisors, and government organizations. They are widely employed in official business evaluations, especially those needing regulatory filings with the government authorities. Here are the top ones:

• The ratio of net income to the enterprise’s worth.
• EBITDA or EBIT as a measure of enterprise value.

Use caution when appraising private enterprises using EBITDA. EBITDA will be overestimated if business assets are depreciated too aggressively. A business asset’s economic use may necessitate a change in depreciation rates.

Value multiples depending on cash flow

Cash flow is the best method for determining the economic value of a corporation. There are a lot of multiples you may use to estimate the value of a company based on its ability to generate revenue. Here are a few examples of what I’m talking about:

• Pricing is based on the discretionary cash flow of the seller (SDCF).
• Price-to-cash-flow ratio 

Based on the company’s assets and equity, valuation multiples

Manufacturing, distribution, and retailing companies with a lot of business assets tend to have high enterprise values.

Businesses may also wish to know the difference between a company’s book value and its actual value. Typical multiples for this type of investment include

Value-added to the company’s assets

Fixed assets, such as furniture, fixtures, and equipment, have a business value (FF&E).

As a result, owners’ equity increases in value.

Choosing your multiples of resale value

You can choose from a variety of valuation multiples when conducting a business valuation. To a certain extent, your technique of choice will be determined by the goals of your business valuation and the specific value factors that exist within the target company. A few thoughts to ponder, as per the following:

It’s possible to value a startup based on its revenue growth prospects. Even if the company is making acceptable profits, it may not be operating to its full potential. Changes to the company’s operations that are well thought out and properly executed have the potential to lower costs and boost earnings in the future. This is a good time to use gross revenue or net sales as a basis for calculating valuation multiples.

When valuing an established company for a merger or acquisition, it is common to use EBIT or EBITDA multiples. These accounting metrics are well-known, to reiterate. Because the firm’s capital structure is expected to change following a transaction, these metrics help you value the company independently of its current capital structure.

Typically, cash flow is used as a basis for valuing privately owned businesses. Owner-operator enterprises have the greatest economic potential when their discretionary revenues, such as SDCF, are used to determine the firm’s economic potential. The net cash flow-based multiples is an appropriate alternative for larger companies being bought by a single buyer or a private equity group.

Using a variety of multiples to determine the value

Using a variety of multiples at once will help you get a more accurate market-based business assessment. The answers you acquire can be averaged or used to establish a range of probable business values, ranging from low to high, depending on your preference. WBS Business experts are available to support you in all business matters.