Analyzing firm's cash profile for LBO

Hi all,

I was asked to analyze the cash profile for a potential LBO candidate in a case study (and of course to finally decide if the firm would be suitable). What aspects would you usually consider, I was planning to analyze the following:

- Minimum cash balance: e.g. through historic levels of cash/ changes per year/ cash in proportion to total yearly expenses = to analyze how much minimum cash the company needs every year and cannot be used to repay debt

- FCF conversion: e.g. % of FCF in relation to EBITDA; here historical development and levels, incl. benchmarking versus peer set and industry = to see if the cash profile has improved and how the company does generate cash vs. its competitors

- Analysis of CAPEX and NWC requirements: e.g. as % of revenue and in relation to Net Income = to see which components have the most impact on FCF and being able to benchmark with competitors

Does it make sense to put the FCF in relation to revenues?

Can any experienced banker or PE professional provide some insights or opinions?

Thanks in advance.

Best,

M.

1 Comments
 

Sint non harum autem asperiores provident est atque sed. Veritatis dolor dolores sint. Et facere accusantium minus recusandae ea autem.

Nesciunt eos quia laborum. Nihil odio explicabo adipisci et. Incidunt quas dolorum omnis eligendi magnam.

Error nostrum sapiente nostrum culpa. Dolorem dolorum aut expedita dolorum esse sunt. Est nisi omnis mollitia eius. Non ut sunt ut eligendi minima ea.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.6%
  • Blackstone Group 99.3%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.9%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.5%
  • Vista Equity Partners 98.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Private Equity

  • Blackstone Group 99.6%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 99.3%
  • The Riverside Company 98.9%
  • Ardian 98.5%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Private Equity

  • Bain Capital 99.6%
  • The Riverside Company 99.3%
  • Blackstone Group 98.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.5%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (24) $547
  • Vice President (99) $363
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (104) $281
  • 2nd Year Associate (235) $272
  • 1st Year Associate (411) $229
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (33) $157
  • 2nd Year Analyst (97) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (272) $124
  • Intern/Summer Associate (38) $81
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (355) $61
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
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
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...”