Valuation Glossary

A minority discount is a reduction in the value of a minority ownership interest in a business or asset, relative to the value of a controlling interest. This is because the owner of a minority interest has less control over the business or asset, which can limit their ability to influence decisions. The amount of the minority discount can vary depending on factors such as the level of control held by the majority owner, the size and complexity of the business or asset, and the legal and regulatory environment. Minority discounts are often considered in business valuation to determine the fair market value of a minority ownership interest.

Midyear discounting is a financial calculation that adjusts the present value of a future cash flow or investment to account for the fact that it occurs at some point during the year, rather than at the beginning or end. This adjustment assumes that the cash flow or investment occurs halfway through the year and adjusts the present value accordingly. Midyear discounting is commonly used in financial modeling and analysis to calculate the net present value of a project or investment.

The Merger and Acquisition (M&A) Method is a way to estimate the value of a company by analyzing the prices paid for similar companies in recent mergers and acquisitions. This method looks at financial metrics like price-to-earnings or price-to-sales ratios used in these transactions and applies them to the subject company's own financial metrics. The resulting estimate is adjusted to account for any differences between the subject company and the comparison companies. The M&A Method is one of several methods used in business valuation to estimate the value of a company or business.

Marketability refers to how easy it is to buy or sell an asset. If something has high marketability, it can be quickly and easily traded in the market. Assets like stocks or bonds are highly marketable because there are many buyers and sellers. On the other hand, assets like real estate or private company shares may have lower marketability because it can be harder to find someone willing to buy or sell them. Marketability is important because it affects how quickly you can turn an asset into cash.

A market multiple is a way to compare the value of a company or asset to other similar companies or assets in the market. It's calculated by dividing the market value of the company or asset by a financial metric like earnings or sales. The resulting ratio can be compared to similar companies or assets to determine if it's undervalued or overvalued. Market multiples are commonly used to value publicly traded companies, but can also be used for private companies or assets.