LBO FCF Yield at Entry

Just came across a question where it was asking to calculate levered and unlevered FCF yield for an LBO at inception using the FCF at entry say 2023 (PF of new cap structure).

I know how to calculate the yields but why does it make sense to look at the yield using entry year FCF vs entry year sponsor equity & TEV? Wouldn’t you normally sum up the CFs across the investment period and then divide it by the entry sponsor equity or TEV?

2 Comments
 

Ah, you've got a good question there! When it comes to levered and unlevered FCF yield for an LBO at inception, it's common to use the entry year FCF. Here's why:

  1. The entry year FCF yield provides a snapshot of the company's cash flow generation ability relative to its value at the start of the investment. It's a useful measure of the company's profitability and efficiency at the time of the LBO.

  2. The yield calculation using entry year FCF vs entry year sponsor equity & TEV gives you an immediate sense of the return on investment. It's a quick way to assess whether the LBO makes financial sense.

  3. Summing up the CFs across the investment period and dividing it by the entry sponsor equity or TEV would give you the average annual yield over the investment period. While this is also a useful measure, it doesn't provide the same immediate snapshot as the entry year FCF yield.

Remember, in the world of high finance, time is money. The quicker you can assess an investment, the better!

Sources: Notes for Technical Interview Questions, Secondary PE Modeling, DCF Analysis Urgent Help, Minimum Cash and its effect on Equity Value

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 

Eius suscipit iusto quia sed et. Laborum deleniti quasi enim cupiditate quia quibusdam. Enim quaerat facilis consequatur amet distinctio earum quia assumenda. Quidem dignissimos labore molestiae maiores voluptatem.

Nisi eos dicta nihil. Ex aut et ipsam rerum. Et omnis nostrum aut quos dolor quo.

Ut beatae qui et vero error quod aperiam. Perferendis vel ex atque qui.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
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...”