The Role of Quantitative Analysis
Two classic naive responses are made to the uncertainty of valuation: (1) to assert (with a straight face) that the point estimate is the true value of the company, and (2) to chuck the quantitative analysis out the window and to rely on some other method of guidance.1 The more sophisticated response is to embrace the uncertainty and focus not on point estimates of value but on a range of value. Quantitative analysis is essential for determining this range. The classic ways of setting the range include:
• Sensitivity analysis: Here, one identifies the key value drivers of a firm and determines the variation in value as the drivers vary. One must take care to do this sensibly because quickly generating a blizzard of numbers is easy.
• Scenario analysis: This analysis is similar to the sensitivity analysis, but acknowledges that many assumptions will tend to vary together. In this approach, one estimates values of a company associated with different views of the future. These scenarios could simply be based on a general sense of how things will turn out (i.e., optimistic, pessimistic, etc.) or could be tied to specific events that have a competitive foundation (e.g., a major foreign competitor enters your domestic market) or a political/economic foundation (e.g., Britain endures a long recession). Here also one must take care to do the analysis sensibly because as the saying goes, “garbage in, garbage out.” Also, almost any scenario may be framed in such a way as to produce the results that one wants.
• Break-even analysis: At the least, knowing what assumptions are necessary to produce a target value will be extremely useful. This approach explicitly solves the valuation in reverse and leaves it to the decision maker to judge whether the break-even assumptions are reasonable.
The Role of Quantitative Analysis
Two classic naive responses are made to the uncertainty of valuation: (1) to assert (with a straight face) that the point estimate is the true value of the company, and (2) to chuck the quantitative analysis out the window and to rely on some other method of guidance.1 The more sophisticated response is to embrace the uncertainty and focus not on point estimates of value but on a range of value. Quantitative analysis is essential for determining this range. The classic ways of setting the range include:
• Sensitivity analysis: Here, one identifies the key value drivers of a firm and determines the variation in value as the drivers vary. One must take care to do this sensibly because quickly generating a blizzard of numbers is easy.
• Scenario analysis: This analysis is similar to the sensitivity analysis, but acknowledges that many assumptions will tend to vary together. In this approach, one estimates values of a company associated with different views of the future. These scenarios could simply be based on a general sense of how things will turn out (i.e., optimistic, pessimistic, etc.) or could be tied to specific events that have a competitive foundation (e.g., a major foreign competitor enters your domestic market) or a political/economic foundation (e.g., Britain endures a long recession). Here also one must take care to do the analysis sensibly because as the saying goes, “garbage in, garbage out.” Also, almost any scenario may be framed in such a way as to produce the results that one wants.
• Break-even analysis: At the least, knowing what assumptions are necessary to produce a target value will be extremely useful. This approach explicitly solves the valuation in reverse and leaves it to the decision maker to judge whether the break-even assumptions are reasonable.
การแปล กรุณารอสักครู่..