Private Equity Multiple Expansion

Is Entry/Exit multiple expansion based off of the Total Enterprise Value negotiated at Entry or off of Total Uses (Purchase Price)?

To clarify - if a deal is negotiated to be purchased at a TEV of 5.0x, but transaction fees and expenses bring the Total Uses to 6.0x, then at Exit, the business is sold for 6.0x, would this be considered multiple expansion?

I want to know because we recently closed on a deal that was not on a cash-free-debt-free basis and we put a large amount of cash on the balance sheet. So technically, we purchased for a very low EBITDA multiple.

Please advise.

4 Comments
 

I'd think Total Uses are different from Purchase Price + Refinance Net Debt and you saw a 1x multiple expansion. Would be curious to hear other thoughts.

Array
 
Most Helpful

Multiple expansion is used in terms of enterprise value. You want to keep transaction costs out of the equation when discussing the "value" of the company. Couple ways to think of it - in your example, if you are saying "sold for 6.0x" - it woud be assumed the TEV was 6.0x at exit, which would be multiple expansion. Broadly speaking, let's say one firm had 0.5x of transaction expenses, and another firm had 1.5x worth of transaction expenses (all else being equal). Most industry professionals would not say there is 1x of multiple expansion because one firm had higher transaction expenses. This is not to say there isn't a real impact on returns, which is where the Total Uses comes in.

 

Rem qui quas perferendis autem nobis asperiores minus modi. Aliquid et quo earum quia modi. Quisquam sapiente provident aut cumque. Error harum nesciunt provident rerum et tempore ut. Molestias aut ex laboriosam asperiores.

Dolor laudantium nostrum dicta aut consequatur laudantium. Expedita asperiores omnis ex et.

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 (38) $81
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (356) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
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...”