Relative valuation and peer selection

A comparison is only as good as the peer group.

Relative valuation and peer selection

Relative valuation compares an asset with peers. The quality of the conclusion depends on the quality of the peer group.

| Concept | Explanation | |---|---| | Business similarity | Revenue model, customers, geography, and competitive position. | | Growth similarity | Expected expansion and maturity. | | Margin similarity | Profitability and capital intensity. | | Risk similarity | Leverage, cyclicality, regulation, and concentration. | | Accounting consistency | Differences in definitions and adjustments. | | Cycle position | Where each company sits in an economic or industry cycle. |

Module knowledge check

  1. Why is enterprise value useful when debt differs?
  2. When is P/E a poor metric?
  3. Why is a DCF sensitive to terminal assumptions?
  4. What makes a peer group credible?

velaHita Academy home