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Valuing companies by cash flow discounting: Ten methods and nine theories

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  • Fernández , Pablo

    (IESE Business School)

Abstract

This paper is a summarized compendium of all the methods and theories on company valuation using cash flow discounting. The paper shows the ten most commonly used methods for valuing companies by cash flow discounting: 1) free cash flow discounted at the WACC; 2) equity cash flows discounted at the required return to equity; 3) capital cash flows discounted at the WACC before tax; 4) APV (Adjusted Present Value); 5) the business's risk-adjusted free cash flows discounted at the required return to assets; 6) the business's risk-adjusted equity cash flows discounted at the required return to assets; 7) economic profit discounted at the required return to equity; 8) EVA discounted at the WACC; 9) the risk-free rate-adjusted free cash flows discounted at the risk-free rate, and 10) the risk-free rate-adjusted equity cash flows discounted at the required return to assets. All ten methods always give the same value. This result is logical, since all the methods analyze the same reality under the same hypotheses; they only differ in the cash flows taken as starting point for the valuation. The disagreements in the various theories on the valuation of the firm arise from the calculation of the value of the tax shields (VTS). The paper shows and analyses 9 different theories on the calculation of the VTS: No-cost-of-leverage, Modigliani and Miller (1963), Myers (1974), Miller (1977), Miles and Ezzell (1980), Harris and Pringle (1985), Damodaran (1994), With-cost-of-leverage and Practitioners method. The paper contains the most important valuation equations according to these theories, and also shows the changes that take place in the valuation equations when the debt's market value does not match its book value.

Suggested Citation

  • Fernández , Pablo, 2002. "Valuing companies by cash flow discounting: Ten methods and nine theories," IESE Research Papers D/451, IESE Business School.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebg:iesewp:d-0451
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    File URL: http://www.iese.edu/research/pdfs/DI-0451-E.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Isik Inselbag & Howard Kaufold, 1997. "Two Dcf Approaches For Valuing Companies Under Alternative Financing Strategies (And How To Choose Between Them)," Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, Morgan Stanley, vol. 10(1), pages 114-122, March.
    2. Kaplan, Steven N & Ruback, Richard S, 1995. "The Valuation of Cash Flow Forecasts: An Empirical Analysis," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 50(4), pages 1059-1093, September.
    3. Fernandez, Pablo, 2004. "The value of tax shields is NOT equal to the present value of tax shields," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(1), pages 145-165, July.
    4. Miller, Merton H, 1977. "Debt and Taxes," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 32(2), pages 261-275, May.
    5. Miles, James A. & Ezzell, John R., 1980. "The Weighted Average Cost of Capital, Perfect Capital Markets, and Project Life: A Clarification," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 15(3), pages 719-730, September.
    6. Lewellen, Wilbur G. & Emery, Douglas R., 1986. "Corporate Debt Management and the Value of the Firm," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 21(4), pages 415-426, December.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Jennergren, L. Peter, 2004. "Continuing Value in Firm Valuation by the Discounted Cash Flow Model," SSE/EFI Working Paper Series in Business Administration 2004:15, Stockholm School of Economics.
    3. Shigufta Hena Uzma & J.P. Singh & Naveen Kumar, 2010. "Discounted Cash Flow and Its Implication on Intangible Valuation," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 11(3), pages 365-377, October.
    4. Barajas, Angel, 2004. "Modelo de valoración de clubes de fútbol basado en los factores clave de su negocio [Valuation model for football clubs based on the key factors of their business]," MPRA Paper 13158, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Girish K. Nair & Lewlyn Lester Raj Rodrigues, 2013. "Dynamics of Financial System: A System Dynamics Approach," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 3(1), pages 14-26.
    6. Wnuczak Paweł, 2018. "Social value added (SVA) as an adaptation of economic value added (EVA) to the specificity of cultural institutions," Journal of Management and Business Administration. Central Europe, Sciendo, vol. 26(1), pages 100-120, March.
    7. Patrick Boisselier & Dominique Dufour, 2007. "Comptabilite Et Valorisation A L'Introduction Sur Alternext (2005-2006)," Post-Print halshs-00544917, HAL.
    8. Frederick DUBE & Brian BARNARD, 2019. "Equity Valuation based on a Random Process Modelling of Earnings and Equity Growth," Expert Journal of Economics, Sprint Investify, vol. 7(1), pages 1-31.
    9. Irina Matyash, 2018. "Investment Attractiveness and Sustainable Growth of Telecommunication Companies: Value-Oriented Approach," Economy of region, Centre for Economic Security, Institute of Economics of Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, vol. 1(4), pages 1411-1423.
    10. Reddy, Kotapati Srinivasa, 2015. "Determinants of Cross-border Mergers and Acquisitions: A Comprehensive Review and Future Direction," MPRA Paper 63969, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2015.
    11. Fernandez, Pablo, 2006. "The correct value of tax shields: An analysis of 23 theories," IESE Research Papers D/628, IESE Business School.
    12. Nangia, Vinay Kumar & Agrawal, Rajat & Reddy, K. Srinivasa, 2011. "Business Valuation: Modelling Forecasting Hurdle Rate," MPRA Paper 60420, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2011.
    13. Susanti Widhiastuti & Etty Murwaningsari & Sekar Mayangsari, 2018. "The Effect of Business Intelligence and Intellectuals Capital of Company Value Moderated by Management of Profit Riil," Journal of Accounting, Business and Finance Research, Scientific Publishing Institute, vol. 2(2), pages 64-78.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Financial management; Company valuation;

    JEL classification:

    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General

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