Enterprise Value

Enterprise Value

Enterprise value (EV) is a company’s market capitalization plus net interest-bearing debt.


In other words, it is the amount of cash required to buy the company at its current price and retire all interest-bearing debt less the cash assets of the business.

EV = Market Capitalization + Net interest-bearing Debt

or

EV = Market Capitalization + Borrowings - Cash


Although used for various reasons by stock analysts, the only useful purpose for calculating EV is as a tool to determine the maximum price a company is prepared to pay to acquire another business.


For instance, one company had a policy of limiting the EV it was prepared to pay to an EBIT multiple of 5. So if EBIT was $20 million, EV should be no more than $100 million. If interest-bearing debt happened to be $50 million, then $50 million would be the maximum price it would pay for the equity of the business.


EV = Market Capitalization + Borrowings - Cash
$100m = Market Capitalization + $50m - $0
Market Capitalization = $100 m - $50 m + $0 = $50 m



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Let’s see the ROE on the acquisition cost of $50 million.


Acquisition cost = $50 million. Calculate ROE


EBIT = $20 m
Interest-bearing debt = $50 m
Interest cost of 8 percent on the debt
Corporate tax rate = 30 percent


Interest cost = $50 m x 8 percent = $4 m


Post-tax profit = EBIT x (100 percent – Corporate tax rate) = [($20 m - $4 m) x (70 percent)] = $11.2 m


ROE = ($11.2 m/ $50 m) = 22.4 percent on an equity cost of $50 million.

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If the company to be acquired had no debt and
acqusition cost was $50 million:



Interest-bearing debt = $ 0
Post-tax profit = EBIT x 70 percent = $20 million x 70 percent = $14 million
Return on cost of $100 million would be 14 percent.


The acquired company would then be geared up by borrowing $50 million.
Interest cost = $50 m x 8 percent = $4 m


Post-tax profit = EBIT x (100 percent – Corporate tax rate) = (20m – 4m) x (70 percent) = $11.2 m


ROE = $11.2m / $50m = 22.4 percent return on the net $50 million acquisition cost.

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EBIT multiple and ROE


From the examples above:

EV = EBIT x EBIT multiple
EBIT multiple = EV/EBIT

EBIT multiple of 5 produces a ROE of 22.4 percent.


Determine the EBIT multiple beyond which debt of 8 percent would produce a return (ROE) of less than 8 percent.
Answer: 1 / (8 percent) = 12.5


Therefore,

Paying an EBIT multiple MORE THAN 12.5, produces Return on Equity (ROE) LESS THAN the interest cost of debt of 8 percent.

Paying an EBIT multiple LESS THAN 12.5, produces Return on Equity (ROE) MORE THAN the interest cost of debt of 8 percent.

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Also read:

http://www.horizon.my/2008/12/malaysian-airlines-is-mas-cheaper-than-air-asia/
Malaysian Airlines – Is MAS Cheaper than Air Asia?