• QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    Navigating Capital Structure Assumptions

    Ensuring Accurate Valuations with Real-World Testing One of the key assumptions valuation professionals must make is about a company’s capital structure. This article explores factors valuation professionals should consider as they arrive at the debt and equity used to value the entity. Business valuation and financial modeling involve navigating a wide range of assumptions, and for the resulting values produced by these models to be truly meaningful, these assumptions need to be well-grounded. One of the key assumptions valuation professionals must make is about a company’s capital structure. This term refers to the specific mix of debt and equity a…

  • QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    Application of the Tax Amortization

    Benefit Valuation Adjustment The so-called tax amortization benefit (TAB) adjustment represents the present value of the federal income tax savings resulting from the tax amortization of an acquired intangible asset over a statutory period. Internal Revenue Code Section 197 allows the cost of certain acquired intangible assets to be amortized for federal income tax purposes. However, not all acquired intangible assets are subject to such amortization tax deductions. Analysts should apply the so-called TAB adjustment to an intangible asset valuation analysis only when it is appropriate. This discussion summarizes what analysts should know before applying the TAB adjustment to an…

  • QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    How to Determine Fair Value

    In a SPAC Merger Transaction The fair value of equity consideration issued in a merger involving a public company is generally calculated as the product of the quoted price for the individual equity instrument times the quantity issued (commonly referred to a “P times Q”). However, if the merger involves a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), determining “P” can be subjective and may result in different interpretations of U.S. GAAP fair value between the valuation specialist and the parties involved in the deal. Introduction The fair value of equity consideration issued in a merger involving a public company is generally…

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    Fair Value Measurements

    In the Crosshairs of Regulators In this article, Mark Zyla of Acuitas discusses trends in fair value measurements in financial reporting and enforcement actions. Mr. Zyla notes that financial reporting is increasingly scrutinized by regulators. He observes that recent inspection reports of accounting firms that audit publicly traded entities by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) have indicated an increasing focus on the audit procedures related to fair value. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has also showed concerns regarding outside valuation specialists who assist management in determining fair value measurements. The increased scrutiny has put a spotlight on…

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    Higher Standards for Fair Value

    Over the last several years, various officials at the SEC have expressed concern about the broadening application of fair value measurement and its impact on the reliability and consistency of valuations performed for U.S. public companies.  Lucas M. Parris, senior member of Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Valuation Group, explains. To read the full article and view the presentation in Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Blog, click: Higher Standards for Fair Value. This article is republished from Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Blog.  It is reprinted with permission.  To subscribe to the blog, visit: http://mercercapital.com/category/financialreportingblog/.

  • QuickPress - Valuation/Appraisal

    FASB Clarifies Nonpublic Disclosure Exemption —Journal of Accountancy

    Private Companies and Nonpublic Not-for-Profits are Exempted from a Particular Fair Value Disclosure as a Result of Recent FASB Amendment The Financial Accounting Standards Board responded quickly to concerns voiced in December to issue an amendment clarifying that private companies and nonpublic not-for-profits are exempted from a particular fair value disclosure.  Ken Tysiac at The Journal of Accountancy reports the news: