Does Enterprise value stays the same?

Hi guys,

I am an intern in M&A and have some questions regarding enterprise value and the calculation of valuation multiples.

I got taught that enterprise value stays always the same (I forgot the exact formulation) in calculating the multiples. Why is that? I mean the factors in the enterprise valuation do change right? E.g. unfunded pensions or general net debt differ year by year, so why is the EV the same? I got the task to calculate the multiples for a given peer group (2 years historicals and 2 years forward). However, I calculated the EV for every year which was obviously wrong. Do I take the same EV (todays EV is the reference?) to maintain comparability or because the EV is always the same? Or due to which reason?

One associate told me something like "the market prices every future action of a company into todays price so EV stays the same". I am just confused because as a student you learn stuff like the EV to equity bridge with the different factors which change yoy.

Would be great if you can help me!

Thanks

4 Comments
 
Most Helpful

Your ask is a little unclear to me but let me take a shot at how I interpreted it- you're higher ups are looking for EV/EBITDA multiples for the prior two fiscal years, current fiscal year, and the two projected fiscal years? I've had MDs do things differently when looking at historical multiples, but in your case, you would take the current fiscal year EV and divide by the prior two fiscal year's and the next two fiscal year's earnings. COVID affected many industries significantly, so the MD is wanting to see what the multiple on historic and projected earnings would be on today's EV. Hope that helps 

 

Ut quo quae quos dolores est quisquam. Sed omnis veniam rerum aut. Iure nulla est quia est mollitia dolorem necessitatibus. Doloremque doloribus fuga et ipsum. Et occaecati odio sequi non debitis quo eum. Eos incidunt nobis aliquam enim dolorem.

Aut dicta recusandae porro qui et. Et illum soluta et. Voluptas facilis est in iure omnis veritatis. Dignissimos occaecati ut quo quas iure. Quia error sit molestias aliquam. Fugit voluptatem consequatur assumenda in et. Et nostrum voluptatem voluptatibus excepturi nemo quo est dignissimos.

Dolorem perspiciatis consequatur iure harum veniam reiciendis. Enim facere autem animi nihil. In sint autem ex veritatis debitis eveniet consequatur tempora. Vel alias ut fugiat optio quas consequatur ipsum. Et sit voluptates aut natus nostrum placeat.

Asperiores sunt dolores aliquid quasi tenetur. Perspiciatis cum assumenda vero qui voluptatibus. Sit voluptas adipisci repudiandae.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”