Discounted Cash Flow Methodology
Defining Free Cash Flow
Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) Subtract adjusted taxes
Top-Down Approach
Consolidated operating income related to the subject operations. Calculated by multiplying the marginal tax rate by EBIT after adding back items which are not tax deductible such as non-deductible goodwill amortization. Subtract (add) estimated increases in net deferred tax liabilities (assets) from taxes calculated directly above. If the company has NOLs or is not expected to be a taxpayer within the forecast horizon, there should be no cash tax expense.
Add depreciation and amortization Subtract (add) increases (decrease) in working capital
Includes all depreciation and amortization subtracted from EBITDA to arrive at EBIT. Includes changes in accounts receivable, inventory, prepaid expenses, accounts payable, accrued liabilities, etc. In some cases, it may be appropriate to include as working capital the minimum amount of cash necessary for operational purposes.
Subtract capital expenditures Equals free cash flows to the unlevered firm (FCFF) Subtract cash interest paid Add interest tax shield Add (subtract) increases (decreases) in debt, preferred stock and minority interest Subtract preferred dividends
Going forward, should include one-time, non-recurring cash flows to the extent they are planned. Cash flows are available to both debt and equity holders. May differ from interest expense due to non-cash interest charges. Calculated by multiplying marginal tax rate by interest expense. Increases in non-common equity sources of capital, net of principal repayments, result in greater cash for common equity holders. Any cash payments to non-common equity claimholders results in less cash to common equity holders. Cash flows are available only to common equity holders. Assumes that all cash flows to the common equity are distributed (i.e., not reinvested) to ensure that retained earnings are not double-counted.
Equals free cash flows to the common equity (FCFCE)
CONFIDENTIAL
Draft of DCF Primer [Link], printed 1/25/2005 6:20 PM
Discounted Cash Flow Methodology
Defining Free Cash Flow
Net income Add (subtract) non-cash expenses (income) Subtract (add) increases (decreases) in working capital
Bottom-Up Approach
Net income as reported. Includes depreciation and amortization, deferred taxes, and other non-cash items but excludes non-cash interest expense. Includes changes in accounts receivable, inventory, prepaid expenses, accounts payable, accrued liabilities, etc. In some cases, it may be appropriate to include as working capital the minimum amount of cash necessary for operational purposes.
Equals adjusted cash flows from operations Add interest expense Includes non-cash interest expense. As long as you assume that initial excess cash and all interim cash flows are distributed to shareholders (i.e., no cash other than minimum cash balances accumulates in the forecast period), it is appropriate to exclude interest income on excess cash balances from the free cash flow calculation. Calculated by multiplying the marginal tax rate by interest expense. If the company has NOLs or is not expected to be a taxpayer within the forecast horizon, there should be no interest tax shield. Going forward, should include one-time, non-recurring cash flows to the extent they are planned. Cash flows are available to both debt and equity holders. May differ from interest expense due to non-cash interest charges. Calculated by multiplying marginal tax rate by interest expense. Increases in non-common equity sources of capital, net of principal repayments, result in greater cash for common equity holders. Any cash payments to non-common equity claimholders results in less cash to common equity holders. Cash flows are available only to common equity holders. Assumes that all cash flows to the common equity are distributed (i.e., not reinvested) to ensure that retained earnings are not double-counted. 6
Subtract interest tax shield Subtract capital expenditures Equals free cash flows to the unlevered firm (FCFF) Subtract cash interest paid Add interest tax shield Add (subtract) increases (decreases) in debt, preferred stock and minority interest Subtract preferred dividends
Equals free cash flows to the common equity (FCFCE)
CONFIDENTIAL
Draft of DCF Primer [Link], printed 1/25/2005 6:20 PM