D. Business valuation Flashcards
what is a merger?
the joining together of two or more entities where the entities join together to submerge their separate identities into a new entity
often used even when an acquisition/takeover has actually occurred- it sounds more like a partnership between equals
what is a acquisition/takeover?
when one entity acquires a majority shareholding in another and (usually) submerges the identity of the acquired entity into its own
what is horizontal integration?
when two entities in the same line of business combine. e.g. bank and building society mergers
what is a vertical integration?
acquisition of one entity by another which is at a different level in the chain of supply
what is a conglomerate?
when two entities in unrelated businesses combine
what are the specific reasons for merger/acquisition?
- SYNERGIES
- increase MARKET SHARE/power:price control
- ECONOMIES OF SCALE:total prod costs increase less than output
- COMBINING COMPLEMENTARY NEEDS:small entity merge with larger, more capable
- IMPROVING EFFICIENCY:management, operational improvement to take advantage of lucrative market
- LACK OF PROFITABLE INVESTMENT OPPS:excess cash makes it ideal for acq
- TAX RELIEF:claim tax relief for low profits, merge with more profitable company
- REDUCED COMPETITION:be careful of regulators
- ASSET STRIPPING:predator sells target’s easily separable assets, closes down some operations
- BIG DATA OPPS:amount of knowledge, data and expertise can help develop competitive advantage
what is big data?
large volumes of data beyond the normal processing storage and analysis capacity of typical database application tools
identify repeatable business patterns in this unstructured data
why is big data so important?
- driving innovation by reducing time taken to answer key business questions and therefore make decisions
- gaining competitive advantage
- improving productivity
what is the relevance of Big Data in mergers/acquisitions?
access to larger database
better competitive advantage
what are some questionable reasons for M&A?
DIVERSIFICATION, TO REDUCE RISK
- different type of business could diversify risk for the entities involves but this is irrelevant to the shareholders
- could have performed exactly the same diversification simply by holding shares in both entities
SHARES OF TARGET ENTITY ARE UNDERVALUED
-this would conflict with the efficient markets theory and assumed that the acquirer entity’s management are better at valuing shares than professional inventories in the market place
what is synergy?
two or more entities coming together to produce a result not independently obtainable
what are the 3 sources of synergy?
operating economies
financial synergy
other synergistic effects
for a successful business combination, what should we be looking for in an M&A?
MV of combined company (AB) > MV of A + MV of B
whole is worth more than sum of parts
what are some examples of operating economies?
EOS
- can occur in the production, marketing or finance areas
- horizontal:reduce costs
ECONOMIES OF VERTICAL INTEGRATION
-‘cut out middle man’
COMPLEMENTARY RESOURCES
-e.g. combining R&D company with a company strong in marketing could lead to gains
ELIMINATION OF INEFFICIENCY
-if the victim company is badly managed
what are some examples of financial synergy?
DIVERSIFICATION
- reduces risk even if earning stay the same (i.e. no operating economies
- there could still be an increase in value of the company due to the lower risk
DIVERSIFICATION AND FINANCING
-the variability of operating cash flows may be reduced, which is more attractive to creditors so could lead to cheaper financing
BOOTSTRAPPING
-companies with high P/E ratios are in a good position to acquire other companies as the can impose their high P/E ratios on the victim firm and increase its value
what are some examples of other synergistic effect?
SURPLUS MANAGERIAL TALENT
-acq of inefficient companies is good way to utilise skilled managers
SURPLUS CASH
-acq uses surplus cash if increased dividends are not considered to be appropriate
MARKET POWER
-horizontal combinations may give monopoly power that can increase profitability
SPEED
-far faster than organise growth
how does M&A affect acquiring company’s shareholders?
creation of synergy could benefit them in maximising wealth
how does M&A affect target company’s shareholders?
pay a premium to the shareholders of the target company to encourage them to sell shares
of financial benefit to them when a takeover happens
how does M&A affect lenders/debt holders?
debt often repayable in the even of a change in control
risk profile of the acquirer may be quite different from that of the original borrower an the lender will not wish to become exposed to a higher credit risk
how does M&A affect managers and staff?
redundancies made to generate synergies but bigger combined company may give better career opportunities
may retain higher skilled staff
-may seek assurance and contractual tie-ins to ensure that such people remain with the business for a certain period of time
how does M&A affect society as a whole?
government monitors takeovers carefully to protect public interest
competition law in most countries prevents monopolies being created which might be able to exploit their power to take advantage of customers
what are some reasons that M&As fail?
- synergy does not automatically arise: management issues, IT system integration
- premium paid on acq was too high:shareholder wealth sometimes reduces
- opp cost of the investment could be too high: could give higher returns elsewhere
- cultural clashes between staff
- lack of goal congruence
- ‘cheap’ purchases: higher price than expected in terms of resources, effort
- inability to manage change: unsmooth takeover, difference in systems
what are the tax implications of M&A?
- difference in tax rates and double tax treaties
- group loss relief
- withholding tax
how can companies avoid double taxation?
use OECD model Double Taxation Convention
what is the significance of the OECD model double tax treaty?
- OECD model is used as a guide for double tax treaty
- states which country has right to tax income
what is group loss relief?
members of a group of companies may surrender losses to other profitable group members for corresponding accounting periods
losses surrendered us be set against the claimant company’s taxable total profits of a ‘corresponding’ accounting period
what are the key considerations group loss relief?
tax planning seeks to ensure losses are used within the group to save the most tax. Losses are first set against profits taxed at the highest rate
group relief is only available for losses and profits generated after a company joins a group. It is not possible to have group relief for preacquisition losses or to relief preacquisition profits
group relief ceases to be available once arrangements are in place to sell the shares of a company. This will usually occur sometimes before the actual legal sale of the shares
what is withholding tax?
also called retention tax
government requirement for the payer of an item of income to withhold or deduct tax from the payment and pay that tax to the government
between companies: consider dividends, interest, loans
treated as a payment on account of the recipient’s final tax liability
may be refunded when tax return is filed
who monitors takeovers and mergers on behalf of national governments?
competition authorities
-can block takeover completely or allow ti to proceed after laying down conditions
what is the role of competition authorities?
- to strengthen competition
- to prevent or reduce anti-competitive activities:25%+ of market share
- to consider the public interest e.g. national security, media quality, financial stability i.e. banks
what are investigations performed by competition authorities?
may take several months
give time for defence or abandoning takeover
can accept, or reject proposals
could give extra criteria
what are some examples of competition authorities getting involved with M&As?
Sainsbury’s and ASDA merger investigated
Reduce dominance of Big Four
blocked proposed merger of the LSE and Deutsche Borse (Frankfurt stock exchange)
what is divestment?
disposal of part of its activities by an entity
what are some reasons for divestment?
- sum of parts of the entity may be worth more than the whole
- divesting unwanted or less profitable parts
- to shift the strategic focus onto the core activities
- a response to crisis: need cash quickly
what are the methods of divestment?
sell off (trade sale)
spin off (demerger)
management buy out (MBO)
what is a sell off/trade sale?
sale of part of an entity to a third party usually for cash
what are the most common reasons for a sell-off?
- to divest of a less profitable business unit if an acceptable offer is received
- to protect the rest of the business from takeover:sell most attractive part p the business
- generate cash in time of crisis
what is a spin off/demerge?
a new entity is created where the shared of that new entity are owned by the shareholders of the entity that made the transfer of assets into the new entity
now two entities, each owning some of the assets of the original single entity
ownership not changed and in theory the value of the two individual entities should be the same as the value of the single original entity
what are the reasons for spin-offs?
- they allow investors to identify the true value of a business that was hidden within a large conglomerate
- they should lead to a clearer management structure
- the reduce the risk of a takeover bid for the core entity
- no cash generated
what is an MBO?
purchase of a business from its existing owners by members of the management team, generally in association with a financing institution
how is an MBO different from sell off/spin off?
purchasers is not another company but the existing management
management provide some of the capital for the buyout but the majority is provided by other financiers such as VC and financial institutions
in an MBO, what are some considerations for the divesting company?
- members of the buyout team may possess detailed/confidential knowledge of other parts of the vendor’s business and the vendor will therefore require satisfactory warranties over such aspects which it will not be able to control
- key members of the MBO team may have vital skills to the vendor’s operation, especially in regard to information services and networking
- vendor may be reluctant to allow key players to end their contracts of service to take part in an MBO because losing vital operational skills can hardly be compensated by forms of warranty
LOSS OF HO support and quality of management
what are some considerations before an MBO?
- do the current owners wish to sell?
- potential of the business
- loss of head office support
- quality of the management team
- the price
how are MBOs financed?
the acquiring group usually lacks the financial resources to fund the acquisition, especially for larger buyouts
can use institutions like:
- VCs
- banks
- PR firms
- other financial institutions
what is a leveraged buyout?
when an investor, typically a PE firm, acquired a controlling interest in a company’s equity and where a significant percentage of the purchase price is financed through leverage (borrowing)
involve institutional investors and financial sponsors making large acquisitions without committing all the capital required for the acquisition
what is a venture capitalist?
advance funds for 5-10 years for returns of 25% or more (compounded and received at exit, rather than annually)
take one or more seats on the board of directors (but not a majority)
what are some key points to consider in the role of VCs?
- the form of finance: equity %, controlling stake, debt, convertible shares (debt an equity)
- exit strategy
- ongoing support
why are convertible shares often used in VC funding?
benefit from long term success (can convert to equity) but short term management retains control
-preference shares carry covenants, management don’t retain control
what role for PE firms have in funding?
buy mature companies that are already established: may be deteriorating or slow down in profits
- streamline operations to restore profitability
- buy 100% ownership
what is the difference between PE and VC?
VC: usually invest in start ups, high growth, 50% or less in equity, spread out risk by investing in many
PE: mature, already established companies, sometimes on a decline, 100% ownership, concentrate on one single company
what are the levels of risk/reward in complex capital structures?
SECURED BORROWINGS
-usually obtained from a bank, with a first charge on the assets take over by the venture
SENIOR DEBT
- require security over all the assets involved in the MBO venture
- undertakings from the MBO team regarding the provision of financial information
- restrictions on the MBO’s capacity to raise other debt finance and to dispose of assets
JUNIOR DEBT/ mezzanine finance
-intermediate stage between senior debt and equity finance in relation to both risk and return
VENTURE CAPITAL
EQuitY HOLDING GRANTED TO THE MBO TEAM
-gain when MBO is exited
what does the return on mezzanine finance comprise of?
mixture of debt interest and the ability to convert part of the debt into equity, perhaps by the conversion of warrants
lender can in time have share in the premium resulting from eventual exit from the venture
debt will carry a risk premium as it is subordinate to the senior debt and with less security: may even be unsecured
what are the considerations for the financiers in an MBO?
- what is actually for sale, and why?
- whether activities are profitable and enjoy a satisfactory cash flow
- whether the management is sufficiently strong
- whether price is reasonable and a sufficient contribution is being made by the managers
what are some reasons MBOs might fail?
- bid price offered by the MBO team might be too high
- a lack of experience in key areas such as financial management
- a loss of key staff who either perceive the buyout as too risky or do not have capital to invest
- a lack of finance
- problems in convincing employees and fellow colleagues of the need to change working practices or to accept redundancy
why will debt holders have a clear exit route?
debt finance will normally have a specified repayment date assuming company can afford to repay debt
what is an exit route?
in the MBO, the financiers will be keen to identify a potential exit route at the time the MBO takes place
what is the most common exit route for an equity investor?
sale of the shares to another investor
what are the methods of selling shares to another investor as an exit route?
trade sale
IPO
independent sale to another shareholder (perhaps the managers)
what does trade sale as an exit route involve?
if another company offers to buy all shares, financiers will realise their investment
management would have to sell their shares too
may not be happy to so this as they may rather want to own their own company
what does an IPO as an exit route involve?
sell shares on stock market, shares can be freely traded and can increase in value
also more susceptible to takeover
managers can keep shares
have to satisfy certain, stringent criteria to join stock exchange, significant costs associated with this
what does independent sale to another shareholder as an exit route involve?
managers buyout the other financiers
would be expensive but maintain control if they can afford it
what are the downsides to trade sale?
management may not be happy selling all their shares to bidding company
what are the downsides to an IPO?
-more susceptible to takeover
have to satisfy certain, stringent criteria to join stock exchange, significant costs associated with this
what is forward vertical integration?
where a company makes an acquisition of another business further down the supply chain i.e. closer to the eventual consumer of the product
what is backward vertical integration?
where a company makes an acquisition of another business further up the supply chain i.e. further from the eventual consumer of the product
what is the value of a business affects by?
- reported sales, profits and asset values
- forecast sales, profits and asset values
- type of industry
- level of competition
- range of products sold
- breadth of customer base
- breadth of customer base
- perspective-the buyer and the seller will often have different expectations and hence may value the business differently
how are quoted companies valued?
current stock market share price should be used as a starting point for the calculations (market capitalisation)
not necessarily a definitive final figure
buyer will often have to pay a premium
how are unquoted companies valued?
estimates have to made based on available information taken from similar quoted companies (‘proxy’ companies
irl, hard to find similar quoted company
why is the final estimate price for the valuation of unquoted companies usually discounted 25-35%?
to account for
- relative lack of marketability of unquoted shares-it is more difficult for investors to sell their shares if the company is not listed
- lower levels of scrutiny, therefore greater risk of poor quality financial information
- higher risk of being a smaller, less well-regarded company with, possibly, a more volatile earnings record
what are the 3 basic valuation methods?
asset based valuation
earning based valuation
cash flow based valuation
what is the asset based valuation?
the business’ assets for the basis for the valuation
sum of the value of its assets
when is it difficult to apply the asset based valuation method?
when businesses have high levels of intangible assets
what is the earnings based valuation method?
projected future earnings for a business will give an indication of the value of that business
e.g. higher forecasted earnings mean more attractive to purchaser so valued highly
what is the cash flow based valuation method?
value is equal to the present value of future cash flows, discounted at an appropriate cost of capital
when should each method be used?
- if high intangible assets, dont use asset based (give low valuation as intangibles not included)
- asset based useful when company is being broken up
what deductions/additions are made during asset based valuation?
- deduct borrowings if just equity is being acquired
- don’t deduct borrowings if only the physical and related liabilities are being purchased without acquiring any liability for the borrowings
what are some alternatives to asset based valuation?
book value
- largely a function of depreciation policy
- e.g. written down prematurely and others carried at values above real worth
- not of practical use
replacement value
- useful for buyer
- given estimate of minimum price that would have to be paid to buy the asset and set up a similar business from scratch (esp if intangible value can be added on)
breakup value/net realisable value
- useful for the seller
- considers the amount they would receive if they were to liquidate the business as an alternative to selling the shares
- tradable investments valued at market price
what are the strengths of asset based valuations?
- the valuations are fairly readily available
- they provide a minimum value for the entity
what are the weaknesses of asset based valuations?
- future profitability expectations are ignored
- statement of financial position valuations depend on accounting conventions which may lead to valuations that are very different from market valuations
- it is difficult to allow for the value of intangible assets.
why does asset based valuation method for a listed company give a value below market capitalisation?
doesn’t include the intangibles
so this method is not used by shareholders/the market
shareholders are buying company for potential income, not due to assets
- income generated fro use of SOFP assets with intangible assets like a skilled workforce, strong management team and competitive positioning of firm
- so SOFP if only one dimension of overall value
what is an intangible assets?
- lack physical properties
- represent legal rights or competitive advantages developed or acquired by an owner
- should have some economic benefit
- owners can exploit intangibles either in their own business or through a licence fee or royalty (indirect use)