Journal of Business Valuation and Economic Loss Analysis

Published by De Gruyter

Volume 14 Issue 1 -

February 2019

Issue of Journal of Business Valuation and Economic Loss Analysis

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Contents
Journal Overview

February 16, 2019

The Corporate Life Cycle and the Cost of Equity

Sergio Bravo

Article number: 20180009

Abstract

A widely used methodology for estimating the beta of companies with the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) uses comparable firms based only on industry or sector classifications (Bancel, F., and U. R. Mittoo. 2014. “The Gap between the Theory and Practice of Corporate Valuation: Survey of European Experts.” Journal of Applied Corporate Finance 26, no. 4 (Fall): 106–17. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/jacf.12095, 112; KPMG. 2017. “Cost of Capital Study 2017: Diverging Markets, Converging Business Models.” Accessed September 28, 2018. https://assets.kpmg.com/content/dam/kpmg/ch/pdf/cost-of-capital-study-2017-en.pdf, 37). We hypothesize that even within industries, there is a significant relationship between the cost of equity and the life cycle of a firm. We argue that these variables are correlated because different life-cycle stages exhibit different degrees of systematic risk. Therefore, as the firm moves along its life cycle, its unlevered beta decreases. We define the stages of the firm life cycle based on a modification of the theoretical typology of (Miller, D., and P. Friesen. 1984. “A Longitudinal Study of the Corporate Life-Cycle.” Management Sciences 30 (10): 1161–83. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2631384, 1162–3) and then classify a sample of listed companies into these stages using (Dickinson, V. 2011. “Cash Flow Patterns as a Proxy for Firm Life-Cycle.” The Accounting Review 86 (6): 1969–94. doi:https://doi.org/10.2308/accr-10130) cash flow statements methodology. We construct value-weighted portfolios that are formed based on our life-cycle stages classification, adapting the procedure of (Fama, E., and K. R. French. 1993. “Common Risk Factors in the Returns on Stocks and Bonds.” Journal of Financial Economics 33 (1): 3–56. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-405X(93)90023-5). Finally, we compare the betas (levered and unlevered) of these portfolios to determine whether there are statistically significant differences. Our results show clear evidence of a relationship between betas and the corporate life cycle and that this relationship is robust to both changes in the period of analysis and omitted variables bias (when controlling with the four-factor model of (Carhart, M. M. 1997. “On Persistence in Mutual Fund Performance.” The Journal of Finance 52 (1): 57–82. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6261.1997.tb03808.x). We believe our results show an important shortcoming in a widely used methodology among practitioners for estimating the CAPM.

October 2, 2018

Resolving the Reliance on Fixed Estimation Dates in the Implied Cost of Equity Capital Approach

Jan A. Kempkes, Andreas Wömpener

Article number: 20170009

Abstract

Our study’s objective is to develop and analyze a dynamic approach for estimating firms’ expected cost of equity capital. We contribute to the literature by enabling the usage of any required estimation date, resolving the major shortcoming of the existing models—their reliance on one fixed estimation date. This paper presents our model and discusses it from the perspective of the extant body of literature. We show that the current state of the art approach in dynamic estimation does not satisfy theoretical and practical demands, and offers scope for significant improvements. We conduct our analysis by specially considering capital market efficiency, the consistent appreciation of cash flows with respect to timing, and straightforward practical implementation for researchers and practitioners. Building on semi-strong capital market efficiency, the analysis reveals further insights into residual income valuation as we demonstrate that any realization of residual income in the course of the year is irrelevant to valuation in the absence of dividend realization. Consequently, assumptions regarding the shape of earnings in the course of the year are also irrelevant to valuation. Additionally, our theoretically founded model conveniently facilitates the undistorted incorporation of different fiscal year-ends in large samples and avoids stale measures of expected cost of equity capital.

June 7, 2018

Restricted Stock Discounts: An Empirical Analysis

Daniel L. McConaughy, Monica Hussein, James P. Dow

Article number: 20170008

Abstract

Examining 416 transactions over the 1996 to 2013 time period, we find that size, stock price volatility, block size, price-to-revenue, and EBITDA margin are significantly related to restricted stock discounts. We do not find registration rights or the initial holding period to be statistically significantly related to discounts. Our results suggest that simple correlations or sorting of discounts by various criteria do not capture what factors are statistically significantly related to restricted stock discounts in the complex world of private placement deals.

March 26, 2019

Terminal Value in SMEs: Testing the Multiple EV/EBITDA Approach

Raül Vidal-Garcia, Javier Ribal

Article number: 20180012

Abstract

This study focuses on answering whether EV/EBITDA multiple of public companies in the food industry can be useful to obtain the Terminal Value (TV) in the valuation of unlisted small and medium-sized food companies. A case study into Spanish unlisted agribusinesses is designed for several samples and accounting years from 2010 to 2013. By means of a discounted cash flow (DCF) model combined with bootstrap techniques, the TV/EBITDA empirical distribution of the unlisted multiples is obtained for two different scenarios of free cash flow (FCF) growth, and then compared with the EV/EBITDA of the listed companies in the same industry. The results show that the stock market EV/EBITDA multiple may be used to determine the TV in the valuation process of unlisted small and medium-sized food companies that consistently obtain positive cash flows.

March 16, 2019

Post- to Pre-Tax Discount Rates: Not a Simple Conversion

Richard Hayler

Article number: 20180013

Abstract

It is widely accepted that financial markets tend to make assessments of value on expectations of post-tax cash flows, since that is what equity investors receive. There is however, from time to time, a need to ascertain and apply a pre-tax discount rate to discount pre-tax cashflows. Examples include (i) the assessment of regulatory returns and (ii) impairment testing of cash generating units. This paper highlights the implicit assumptions inherent in the most commonly applied shorthand method of determining pre-tax discount rates before considering modifications to create a more realistic assumption set. The paper concludes with the derivation of a shorthand formula for finite life project cashflows, which often require a pre-tax discount rate. The author agrees that while all the cash flows should be modelled on a post-tax basis and then back solved, using an iterative approach, to find the actual pre-tax rate, where a shorthand is required the formulae discussed in this paper can be applied, provided the limitations are understood.

About this journal

Objective
The Journal of Business Valuation and Economic Loss Analysis (JBVELA) is a refereed academic journal that publishes continuously throughout the year and is co-edited by Bradley Ewing and James Hoffman. The mission of the Journal of Business Valuation and Economic Loss Analysis is to improve the practice of business valuation, economic loss analysis, and risk management by helping to inform academics, practitioners, and attorneys about theoretical and practical developments in these fields.

Topics

business valuation
economic loss analysis
risk management

Article formats
Research articles
The journal publishes three categories of manuscripts. The first category encompasses both empirically- and conceptually-based manuscripts that advance the fields of business valuation, economic loss analysis, or topics related to risk. The second category of manuscripts focus on the description of how theory has been put into practice, including case study examples. The third category of manuscripts concerns how recent rulings and changes in the law affect business valuation, economic loss analysis, and risk management practices, assessment, and analysis.

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