CAGR vs. IRR... # of periods...confused...

Hi team - hope everyone is doing well. for some reason i am a bit confused on the difference between cagr and IRR. the formula seems to be the exact same? for LBO purposes. 

(final value / beginning value)^(1/#periods) - 1

I'm also confused on the # of periods. 

For CAGR, 2012 - 2013 would be 1 period, right? But for an LBO IRR calc, this would be 2 years (since you are seeing cash flows from full year 2012 and full year 2023)? So in my formula above, for the LBO # of periods = 2. But for a simple CAGR calc, # of periods = 1? Is the CAGR only 1 because you are measuring between end of years vs. IRR which captures 2 full year cash flows? 

another example: base year of LBO is 2005 (most recent historical year). so first projected year is 2006. 5 year LBO. that means a 2010 exit....doing 2010 - 2006, like you would do for CAGR, would suggest only 4 periods for the IRR LBO formula, but I know you are supposed to use (1/5). 

Sorry if this is really basic but I just need some clarifications. Thanks in advance guys, much appreciated 

5 Comments
 
Most Helpful

Quia est quam ut est. Dignissimos aperiam molestias dolorem suscipit repudiandae sed qui. Facilis sit beatae magni et voluptas dolor vero. Voluptatum debitis alias sequi est.

Est eum nemo et veritatis. Aut sunt impedit optio aliquam molestiae. Quasi ad sint nobis accusantium omnis eum. Fugit quos eos excepturi qui accusantium facere consequatur consequatur. Consequatur dicta fugit quos nihil unde error.

Omnis quia qui aut sint provident mollitia sed repudiandae. Incidunt rerum tempore corrupti nostrum est laboriosam cum. Cupiditate aperiam tempora distinctio. Et perspiciatis quia nesciunt ut eos. Autem ullam vitae architecto aut illum.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 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

September 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

September 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

September 2026 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (24) $547
  • Vice President (100) $364
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (106) $280
  • 2nd Year Associate (235) $272
  • 1st Year Associate (414) $231
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (33) $157
  • 2nd Year Analyst (97) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (273) $126
  • Intern/Summer Associate (39) $80
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (357) $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
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
dosk17's picture
dosk17
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...”