Rule of Thumb for Private Equity Valuations and Buyouts

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Private equity buyout valuations have historically averaged about 4 to 5 times EBITDA. In recent years (2005 and beyond), private equity buyout valuations have been closer to 10x EBITDA. Insiders agree that this will limit Private Equity (PE) returns to mid- to low teens in sharp contrast to their historical 30% IRRs.

Steady Growth Business Valuation Rule of Thumb

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For a company that is growing at a steady-state rate, 10x EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, see rule of thumb: Cash Flow). This is essentially providing you with a proxy for a financial valuation theory known as the Dividend Growth Model. This theory states the value of a company is given by dividing its annual cash flow by the appropriate discount rate less the company s growth rate. Therefore, the 10x EBITDA rule of thumb comes from dividing the current years estimated cash flow by a 10% (net of growth) discount rate.

Cash Flow Rule of Thumb

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Cash flow can be estimated by the financial measurement known as EBITDA. EBITDA is used as a rule of thumb for cash flow. It stands for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. Essentially, it estimates cash flow by trying to add back all non-cash expenses to a firm s net income. However, since it doesn t take into account capital expenditures or changes in net working capital, it should be used only as an estimate and works best with companies that are in a steady-state.