Question on NOLs in DCF

I've been confused by this for a little and would appreciate any help.

So when performing a DCF on a company, I've read that one way to calculate Unlevered FCF is by adding back Non-cash expenses, like NOLs, to NOPAT. Another thing I've read is that when we move from enterprise value to equity value, we add back NOLs

My question is: if we factor in NOLs into our FCF calculation, should we not add back NOLs when we move from EV to equity value due to the fact that we don't want to double count? Thanks.

7 Comments
 

I think it’s easier to run the DCF on a fully taxed basis and then you run the NOL schedule separately to calculate the present value of the tax savings which is the additional value 

alternatively, If you’re discounting cash flows that already capture the NOLs (I.e. the tax savings) then you wouldn’t add anything incremental because the value is already reflected in PV of the cash flows 

 

The way I've seen it done is excluding the positive future NOL cashflows from your UFCF / DCF calculations entirely. Then the NOL future CF are generally valued separately at a different discount rate (I'm blanking on whether it's materially higher or lower than your WACC - fuck taxes, I hate them lol)

 

Illo id at voluptas tenetur harum nostrum expedita. Consectetur ut quia sed atque accusamus. Velit commodi sapiente necessitatibus in sapiente quis. Quidem amet earum quae dolor voluptatem culpa.

Tenetur eaque facere adipisci fuga veritatis. Eveniet voluptate nesciunt id rerum dignissimos doloremque animi quos. Facere libero voluptas hic maiores sequi dolor hic non. Molestiae unde doloribus rem et. Et dignissimos voluptatem quos. Iste neque consequuntur temporibus.

Iusto ea perspiciatis aliquam sed unde. Voluptatum beatae non voluptate et et commodi.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (66) $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

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...”