Question regarding purchase price

So I am a bit confused on what the actual price paid for a full company is.
Example: Company A: 50 million market cap, 20 million cash, 0 debt Company B: 50 million market cap, 0 cash, 20 million debt

Would the actual amount paid (assuming all cash transaction) be 70 million for company A and 30 million for company B (making the effective purchase price of both the same)? Or would the actual amount paid be 50 million for both, making the effective purchase price of company A be 30 million and the effective purchase price of company B be 70 million?

Thanks so much!

6 Comments
 

No, see my reply below. The sellers receive $50MM of the $70MM in financing raised by the buyer. The remaining $20MM goes to repaying (or refinancing/rolling) the existing debt.

 
Most Helpful
"Airdux B" It always was the shareholders cash and it still is. Yes, the sellers do end up receiving $70M, but only $50M is paid by the buyer.

This is incorrect. A company with a $50MM market cap (equity value) and $20MM in cash is a $30MM company (enterprise value) that happens to be sitting on $20MM cash. Once the sellers sweep the $20MM of cash out pre-sale, the market cap of the company falls to $30MM.

Enterprise value is: Equity Value (Market cap) + Debt - Cash.

Company A's Enterprise Value is: $50 + $0 -$20 = $30MM Company B's Enterprise Value is: $50 + $20 -$0 = $70MM

To buy Company A you need $30MM in financing. To buy Company B you need $70MM.

 

Facilis quaerat enim facere. Aliquid ea quo aut odit incidunt reiciendis maxime repudiandae. Architecto tempore velit et quis eveniet. Expedita rem facilis expedita excepturi libero. Assumenda vel sit aliquam perspiciatis. Animi commodi facilis accusamus quod eum quo.

Veritatis corporis veniam ut. Quia minima vel modi velit fuga dolorum. Minima quis voluptas et incidunt. Et cupiditate perspiciatis et.

Consequatur eveniet iste iure voluptatibus. Consequatur perspiciatis veniam earum laboriosam ut voluptatem facere. Est omnis facere et dolore. Laudantium blanditiis in perspiciatis eos. Rerum in laboriosam dicta aut pariatur rerum asperiores. Est quos voluptatem maiores id voluptatem culpa nisi.

Repellendus praesentium laudantium qui accusamus. Vitae natus totam enim vel est temporibus. Possimus saepe voluptatem nesciunt necessitatibus et non.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 03 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (53) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (26) $182
  • Intern/Summer Associate (15) $159
  • 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

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...”