Methods of Corporate Valuation Prof. Ian H. Giddy, New York University | What is my company worth? What are the ratios used by analysts to determine whether a stock is undervalued or overvalued? How valid is the discounted present value approach? How can one value a company as a going concern, and how does this change in the context of a potential acquisition, or when the company faces financial stress?
Finding a value for a company is no easy task -- but doing so is an essential component of effective management. The reason: it's easy to destroy value with ill-judged acquisitions, investments or financing methods. This article will take readers through the process of valuing a company, starting with simple financial statements and
Intangibles
Brand is the most intangible element to a company, but quite possibly the one most important to a company's ability as an ongoing concern. If every single McDonald's restaurant were to suddenly disappear tomorrow, the company could simply go out and get a few loans and be built back up into a world power within a few months. What is it about McDonald's that would allow it to do this? It is McDonald's presence in our collective minds -- the fact that nine out of ten people forced to name a fast food restaurant would name McDonald's without hesitating. The company has a well-known brand and this adds tremendous economic value despite the fact that it cannot be quantified.

Some investors are preoccupied by brands, particularly brands emerging in industries that have traditionally been without them. The genius of Ebay and Intel is that they have built their company names into brands that give them an incredible edge over their competition. A brand is also transferable to other products -- the reason Microsoft can contemplate becoming a power in online banking, for instance, is because it already has incredible brand equity in applications and operating systems. It is as simple as Reese's Peanut Butter cups transferring their brand onto Reese's Pieces, creating a new product that requires minimum advertising to build up.

The real trick with brands, though, is that it takes at least competent management to unlock the value. If a brand is forced to