Definition of 'Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization - EBITDA'

An indicator of a company's financial performance which is calculated in the following EBITDA calculation:

EBITDA is essentially net income with interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization added back to it, and can be used to analyze and compare profitability between companies and industries because it eliminates the effects of

financing and accounting decisions.

Investopedia explains 'Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization - EBITDA'
This is a non-GAAP measure that allows a greater amount of discretion as to what is (and is not) included in the calculation. This also means that companies often change the items included in their EBITDA calculation from one reporting period to the next. EBITDA first came into common use with leveraged buyouts in the 1980s, when it was used to indicate the ability of a company to service debt. As time passed, it became popular in industries with expensive assets that had to be written down over long periods of time. EBITDA is now commonly quoted by many companies, especially in the tech sector - even when it isn't warranted. A common misconception is that EBITDA represents cash earnings. EBITDA is a good metric to evaluate profitability, but not cash flow. EBITDA also leaves out the cash required to fund working capital and the replacement of old equipment, which can be significant. Consequently, EBITDA is often used as an accounting gimmick to dress up a company's earnings. When using this metric, it's key that investors also focus on other performance measures to make sure the company is not trying to hide something with EBITDA.

Definition of 'Earnings Before Interest & Tax - EBIT'

An indicator of a company's profitability, calculated as revenue minus expenses, excluding tax and interest. EBIT is also referred to as "operating earnings", "operating profit" and "operating income", as you can re-arrange the formula to be calculated as follows: EBIT = Revenue - Operating Expenses

Also known as Profit Before Interest & Taxes (PBIT), and equals Net Income with interest and taxes added back to

it.

Investopedia explains 'Earnings Before Interest & Tax - EBIT'

In other words, EBIT is all profits before taking into account interest payments and income taxes. An important factor contributing to the widespread use of EBIT is the way in which it nulls the effects of the different capital structures and tax rates used by different companies. By excluding both taxes and interest expenses, the figure hones in on the company's ability to profit and thus makes for easier cross-company comparisons. EBIT was the precursor to the EBITDA calculation, which takes the process further by removing two non-cash items from the equation (depreciation and amortization).

Definition of 'Enterprise Value - EV'

A measure of a company's value, often used as an alternative to straightforward market capitalization. Enterprise value is calculated as market cap plus debt, minority interest and preferred shares, minus total cash and cash equivalents.

Investopedia explains 'Enterprise Value - EV'

Think of enterprise value as the theoretical takeover price. In the event of a buyout, an acquirer would have to take on the company's debt, but would pocket its cash. EV differs significantly from simple market capitalization in several ways, and many consider it to be a more accurate representation of a firm's value. The value of a firm's debt, for example, would need to be paid by the buyer when taking over a company, thus EV provides a much more accurate takeover valuation because it includes debt in its value calculation

Definition of 'EBITDA/EV Multiple'

A financial ratio that measures a company's return on investment. The EBITDA/EV ratio may be preferred over other measures of return because it is normalized for differences between companies. Using EBITDA normalizes for differences in capital structure, taxation and fixed asset accounting. Meanwhile, using enterprise value also

normalizes for differences in a companys capital structure.

Investopedia explains 'EBITDA/EV Multiple'

While computing this ratio is much more complicated, it is sometimes preferred because it provides a normalized ratio for comparing the operations of different companies. If a more conventional ratio (such as net income to equity) were used, comparisons would be skewed by each company's accounting policies. EBITDA/EV is commonly used to compare companies within an industry

Definition of 'Free Cash Flow - FCF'

A measure of financial performance calculated as operating cash flow minus capital expenditures. Free cash flow (FCF) represents the cash that a company is able to generate after laying out the money required to maintain or expand its asset base. Free cash flow is important because it allows a company to pursue opportunities that enhance shareholder value. Without cash, it's tough to develop new products, make acquisitions, pay dividends and reduce debt. FCF is calculated as: EBIT(1-Tax Rate) + Depreciation & Amortization - Change in Net Working Capital - Capital Expenditure It can also be calculated by taking operating cash flow and subtracting capital expenditures.

Investopedia explains 'Free Cash Flow - FCF'

Some believe that Wall Street focuses myopically on earnings while ignoring the "real" cash that a firm generates. Earnings can often be clouded by accounting gimmicks, but it's tougher to fake cash flow. For this reason, some investors believe that FCF gives a much clearer view of the ability to generate cash (and thus profits). It is important to note that negative free cash flow is not bad in itself. If free cash flow is negative, it could be a sign that a company is making large investments. If these investments earn a high return, the strategy has the potential to pay off in the long run.

Definition of 'Free Cash Flow To Equity - FCFE'

This is a measure of how much cash can be paid to the equity shareholders of the company after all expenses, reinvestment and debt repayment. Calculated as: FCFE = Net Income - Net Capital Expenditure - Change in Net Working Capital + New

Debt - Debt Repayment

Investopedia explains 'Free Cash Flow To Equity - FCFE'

FCFE is often used by analysts in an attempt to determine the value of a company. This alternative method of valuation gained popularity as the dividend discount model's usefulness became increasingly questionable.

Definition of 'Free Cash Flow For The Firm - FCFF'

A measure of financial performance that expresses the net amount of cash that is generated for the firm, consisting of expenses, taxes and changes in net working capital and investments. Calculated as:

Investopedia explains 'Free Cash Flow For The Firm - FCFF'

This is a measurement of a company's profitability after all expenses and reinvestments. It's one of the many benchmarks used to compare and analyze financial health. A positive value would indicate that the firm has cash left after expenses. A negative value, on the other hand, would indicate that the firm has not generated enough revenue to cover its costs and investment activities. In that instance, an investor should dig deeper to assess why this is happening - it could be a sign that the company may have some deeper problems.

Definition of 'Discounted Cash Flow - DCF'

A valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of an investment opportunity. Discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis uses future free cash flow projections and discounts them (most often using the weighted average cost of capital) to arrive at a present value, which is used to evaluate the potential for investment. If the value arrived at through DCF analysis is higher than the current cost of the investment, the opportunity may be a good one. Calculated as:

Also known as the Discounted Cash Flows Model.

Investopedia explains 'Discounted Cash Flow - DCF'

There are many variations when it comes to what you can use for your cash flows and discount rate in a DCF analysis. Despite the complexity of the calculations involved, the purpose of DCF analysis is just to estimate the money you'd receive from an investment and to adjust for the time value of money. Discounted cash flow models are powerful, but they do have shortcomings. DCF is merely a mechanical valuation tool, which makes it subject to the axiom "garbage in, garbage out". Small changes in inputs can result in large changes in the value of a company. Instead of trying to project the cash flows to infinity, terminal value techniques are often used. A simple annuity is used to estimate the terminal value past 10 years, for example. This is done because it is harder to come to a realistic estimate of the cash flows as time goes on.

Definition of 'Weighted Average Cost Of Capital - WACC'

A calculation of a firm's cost of capital in which each category of capital is proportionately weighted. All capital sources - common stock, preferred stock, bonds and any other long-term debt - are included in a WACC calculation. All else equal, the WACC of a firm increases as the beta and rate of return on equity increases, as an increase in WACC notes a decrease in valuation and a higher risk. The WACC equation is the cost of each capital component multiplied by its proportional weight and then summing:

Where: Re = cost of equity Rd = cost of debt E = market value of the firm's equity D = market value of the firm's debt V=E+D E/V = percentage of financing that is equity D/V = percentage of financing that is debt Tc = corporate tax rate Businesses often discount cash flows at WACC to determine the Net Present Value (NPV) of a project, using the formula:

NPV = Present Value (PV) of the Cash Flows discounted at WACC.

Investopedia explains 'Weighted Average Cost Of Capital WACC'

Broadly speaking, a companys assets are financed by either debt or equity. WACC is the average of the costs of these sources of financing, each of which is weighted by its respective use in the given situation. By taking a weighted average, we can see how much interest the company has to pay for every dollar it finances. A firm's WACC is the overall required return on the firm as a whole and, as such, it is often used internally by company directors to determine the economic feasibility of expansionary opportunities and mergers. It is the appropriate discount rate to use for cash flows with risk that is similar to that of the overall firm.

Definition of 'Beta'
A measure of the volatility, or systematic risk, of a security or a portfolio in comparison to the market as a whole. Beta is used in the capital asset pricing model (CAPM), a model that calculates the expected return of an asset based on its beta and expected market returns..

Also known as "beta coefficient".

Investopedia explains 'Beta'

Beta is calculated using regression analysis, and you can think of beta as the tendency of a security's returns to respond to swings in the market. A beta of 1 indicates that the security's price will move with the market. A beta of

less than 1 means that the security will be less volatile than the market. A beta of greater than 1 indicates that the security's price will be more volatile than the market. For example, if a stock's beta is 1.2, it's theoretically 20% more volatile than the market. Many utilities stocks have a beta of less than 1. Conversely, most high-tech Nasdaq-based stocks have a beta of greater than 1, offering the possibility of a higher rate of return, but also posing more risk.

Definition of 'Cost Of Equity'

In financial theory, the return that stockholders require for a company. The traditional formula for cost of equity (COE) is the dividend capitalization model:

A firm's cost of equity represents the compensation that the market demands in exchange for owning the asset and

bearing the risk of ownership.

Investopedia explains 'Cost Of Equity'

Let's look at a very simple example: let's say you require a rate of return of 10% on an investment in TSJ Sports. The stock is currently trading at $10 and will pay a dividend of $0.30. Through a combination of dividends and share appreciation you require a $1.00 return on your $10.00 investment. Therefore the stock will have to appreciate by $0.70, which, combined with the $0.30 from dividends, gives you your 10% cost of equity. The capital asset pricing model (CAPM) is another method used to determine cost of equity.

Definition of 'Cost Of Debt'

The effective rate that a company pays on its current debt. This can be measured in either before- or after-tax returns; however, because interest expense is deductible, the after-tax cost is seen most often. This is one part of

the company's capital structure, which also includes the cost of equity.

Investopedia explains 'Cost Of Debt'

A company will use various bonds, loans and other forms of debt, so this measure is useful for giving an idea as to the overall rate being paid by the company to use debt financing. The measure can also give investors an idea as to the riskiness of the company compared to others, because riskier companies generally have a higher cost of debt. To get the after-tax rate, you simply multiply the before-tax rate by one minus the marginal tax rate (before-tax rate x (1-marginal tax)). If a company's only debt were a single bond in which it paid 5%, the before-tax cost of debt would simply be 5%. If, however, the company's marginal tax rate were 40%, the company's after-tax cost of debt would be only 3% (5% x (1-40%)).

Definition of 'Price-Earnings Ratio - P/E Ratio'

A valuation ratio of a company's current share price compared to its per-share earnings. Calculated as: Market Value per Share Earnings per Share (EPS) For example, if a company is currently trading at $43 a share and earnings over the last 12 months were $1.95 per share, the P/E ratio for the stock would be 22.05 ($43/$1.95). EPS is usually from the last four quarters (trailing P/E), but sometimes it can be taken from the estimates of earnings expected in the next four quarters (projected or forward P/E). A third variation uses the sum of the last two actual quarters and the estimates of the next two quarters. Also sometimes known as "price multiple" or "earnings multiple".

Investopedia explains 'Price-Earnings Ratio - P/E Ratio'

In general, a high P/E suggests that investors are expecting higher earnings growth in the future compared to companies with a lower P/E. However, the P/E ratio doesn't tell us the whole story by itself. It's usually more useful to compare the P/E ratios of one company to other companies in the same industry, to the market in general or against the company's own historical P/E. It would not be useful for investors using the P/E ratio as a basis for their investment to compare the P/E of a technology company (high P/E) to a utility company (low P/E) as each industry has much different growth prospects. The P/E is sometimes referred to as the "multiple", because it shows how much investors are willing to pay per dollar of earnings. If a company were currently trading at a multiple (P/E) of 20, the interpretation is that an investor is willing to pay $20 for $1 of current earnings. It is important that investors note an important problem that arises with the P/E measure, and to avoid basing a decision on this measure alone. The denominator (earnings) is based on an accounting measure of earnings that is susceptible to forms of manipulation, making the quality of the P/E only as good as the quality of the underlying earnings number.