CAPEX Forecasts

I am doing a Valuation and I want to know a method that I can consistently use to estimate CAPEX.

Currently, I either use ratios (Fixed Asset Turns) to forecast, or I just keep CAPEX relatively constant if the company is stable. However, this sometimes does not yield sensible results, and it is sometimes difficult to tell whether a company is planning to expand or not through my research.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

PS: I have the following resources at hand: Financial Statements (BS, IS, SoCF) Trusty ol' Bloomberg Terminal

7 Comments
 

We think of CapEx as discretionary and not. Try to find a very "normal" year. If possible find a no growth year and see what the CapEx was. Use that years CapEx to EBITDA to estimate future years. Add additional CapEx if you are growing the company in your model.

 

Agree with BC. CapEX increases before sales can increase dramatically because the company needs production capacity. The higher growth rate is only temporary so try to find a couple of "normal" years where the following years did not have large sales growth and "expansion" years and compare that increase in CapEx with the following increase in sales the next year. You may need to give more than one year between the increase in CapEx and the increase in sales.

Does the company make aircraft or kazoos?

 

Thanks for the help so far.

What should I do for a company like Goldman Sachs, where there are not a whole lot of fixed assets? (I know they have some buildings and some computer hardware stuff, but they are not manufacturing.)

 
Best Response

Aut illo praesentium consequatur eum similique earum. Suscipit sed voluptatem molestiae corporis. Recusandae quia sint adipisci laudantium est voluptatem. Nihil quo iste necessitatibus praesentium velit aut.

Eum non impedit est velit et ad molestias. Iusto numquam explicabo asperiores tempore fuga placeat error. Ea sit deserunt suscipit.

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 (51) $260
  • 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

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
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...”