Categories

All questions

Merger Model

In an all-stock deal, how can you quickly tell if a deal will be accretive or dilutive?

DCF

How do you determine the discount rate in a DCF?

Merger Model

What are synergies? What kinds of synergies are there?

Valuation

How would you present your various valuation methodologies to a client?

Accounting

What are some of the major line items on the Income Statement?

Accounting

What is the difference between deferred revenue and accounts receivable?

DCF

Why do you usually project out 5-10 years in a DCF?

Valuation

How would you rank the 3 major valuation methodologies from highest to lowest in expected value?

Accounting

What are some of the major line items on the Balance Sheet?

Valuation

What is a Liquidation Valuation analysis and when would you use it?

LBO

Walk me through an LBO

Enterprise & Equity Values

Why do you subtract cash in the Enterprise Value formula?

LBO

Why would a PE firm perform a dividend recap of one of their portfolio companies?

Enterprise & Equity Values

Should you use the book value or the market value of each item when calculating Enterprise Value?

Accounting

A company makes a $100 cash purchase of equipment on Dec. 31. How does this impact the three statements this year and next year?

DCF

Would you expect the WACC to be higher for a $1 billion or $100 million market cap company?

Accounting

What is Goodwill Impairment?

Enterprise & Equity Values

What is the difference between Equity Value and Shareholders' Equity?

Merger Model

Why would a strategic acquirer typically be willing to pay more for a company than a private equity firm?

Accounting

What's the difference between capital leases and operating leases?

Accounting

What are some of the major line items on the Cash Flow Statement?

Enterprise & Equity Values

Is it possible for a company to have a negative Equity Value? How?

Accounting

What is the relationship between CapEx and Depreciation?

DCF

What are the formulas for un-levering and levering Beta?

DCF

How do you calculate WACC?

DCF

What happens to WACC as you increase leverage?

Accounting

What are some examples of non-recurring charges that would be added back to a company's EBITDA?

DCF

How do you calculate cost of equity?

Accounting

What does it mean if a company has negative Working Capital?

Accounting

Is it possible to have negative Shareholder's Equity? If so, how?

Merger Model

A company with a higher P/E multiple acquires one with a lower P/E multiple. Is this deal accretive or dilutive?

Valuation

When would you use an LBO analysis as a part of your valuation?

Accounting

What is goodwill?

LBO

What is the "tax shield" in an LBO?

Merger Model

Why does goodwill get created in an acquisition?

LBO

How could a PE firm boost its return in an LBO?

Valuation

What are some other possible valuation methodologies besides the main three?

DCF

Walk me through a DCF

DCF

How do you calculate beta?

Accounting

How does $10 of Depreciation affect the three financial statements?

Accounting

What are some ways that companies can manipulate their earnings?

Accounting

Why isn't the Income Statement affected by changes in Inventory?

DCF

What is the mid-year convention and why would you use it in a DCF?

Accounting

How do you calculate Free Cash Flow?

Accounting

What are deferred tax assets and liabilities?

DCF

Which company would we expect to have a higher beta, an industrials company or an internet company?

LBO

What variables impact an LBO the most?

DCF

How do you calculate terminal value?

Enterprise & Equity Values

What is the difference between Enterprise Value and Equity Value?

DCF

What is a potential issue with basing terminal multiples on current public company multiples?

LBO

What are the different levers in an LBO?

Accounting

What is working capital?

Merger Model

What is the difference between a merger and an acquisition?

Accounting

How is goodwill calculated?

DCF

Would you expect the cost of equity to be higher for a $1 billion or $100 million market cap company?

Valuation

When would it not make sense to use a DCF in a valuation?

Accounting

What is amortization?

Accounting

How does Inventory increasing by $10 affect the three financial statements?

Accounting

Does Goodwill get amortized?

Accounting

What is gross profit?

Merger Model

Is there a shortcut to determine whether a transaction is accretive or dilutive to shareholders?

Valuation

What is a Sum of the Parts valuation and when would you use it?

Enterprise & Equity Values

How do you calculate Equity Value?

LBO

What is a dividend recap?

Enterprise & Equity Values

What are the four most common valuation multiples?

Accounting

How do you calculate LTM (last twelve months) financials?

Enterprise & Equity Values

Can a company have a negative Enterprise Value? How?

Accounting

What happens to the three financial statements if we use PIK interest?

Merger Model

Walk me through a basic merger model

DCF

What is beta?

Valuation

What are some problems with using a Precedent Transactions analysis?

DCF

How do you select the appropriate exit multiple when calculating terminal value?

LBO

What is the circular reference in an LBO?

Accounting

Walk me through the three financial statements

DCF

Walk me through how to get from Revenue to Unlevered Free Cash Flow in your DCF projections

Accounting

How does a company decide when to capitalize or expense a purchase?

Accounting

What flows into Retained Earnings?

Enterprise & Equity Values

When acquiring a company, should you look at Enterprise or Equity Value?

Accounting

What is Operating Margin?

Valuation

What are the three main valuation methodologies?

Enterprise & Equity Values

Why do you need to add Minority Interest to Enterprise Value?

Accounting

Walk me through how $10 of Depreciation affects the three financial statements

Accounting

If depreciation is a non-cash expense, why does it affect the cash balance on the Cash Flow Statement?

DCF

How do you calculate WACC for a private company?

Accounting

How do the 3 financial statements tie together?

Accounting

What is gross margin?

Enterprise & Equity Values

Why can't you use Equity Value / EBITDA as a multiple?

Enterprise & Equity Values

Why is debt added to Equity Value in the formula for Enterprise Value?

DCF

What happens if you use Levered Free Cash Flow instead of Unlevered Free Cash Flow in your DCF?

LBO

Why do private equity firms use leverage when buying a company?

Accounting

What is the difference between goodwill and intangible assets?

Valuation

What are the most common valuation multiples?

Enterprise & Equity Values

What is the formula for Enterprise Value?

LBO

What are some characteristics that make a good LBO candidate?

Valuation

What are some problems with using a Comparable Companies analysis?

Merger Model

Why would an acquisition be dilutive?

Enterprise & Equity Values

Why do you add Minority Interest to Enterprise Value?

Enterprise & Equity Values

How do you calculate Fully Diluted Shares Outstanding?

Accounting

Where can you find Depreciation on the Income Statement?

Merger Model

What are some reasons for why a company would want to acquire another company?