Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) have continued growing since 2008’s financial crisis.  Through the first three months of 2016, the value of worldwide M&A totaled nearly $750 billion.  Cross-border M&A activity totaled $308 billion—accounting for a quarterly record-high 41% share of global M&A value.  As in previous years, M&A in industries with hefty intangible assets—such as pharmaceutic ...

IP Valuation—Beyond the Income and Cost Approach Valuation analysts (“analysts”) are often asked to value debtor company intellectual property (IP) within a business bankruptcy context. Some of the bankruptcy reasons to value IP include the assessment of the following: the debtor’s solvency, a secured creditor’s collateral and protection, the fairness of a Section 363 IP asset sale or license, the debtor’s ...

on Business Valuations in Litigation In this article, Paul Fullerman, CPA, CVA, discusses techniques which can assist the accredited valuation professionals performing a business valuation. ...

Tax Controversy Insights In matters argued before the U.S. Tax Court, valuation professionals are frequently asked to provide opinions related to the value of closely held businesses and of fractional ownership interests in closely held businesses. This discussion relates to a recent appeal of a U.S. Tax Court decision involving such valuation issues. The case in question is Natale B. Giustina v. Commission ...

In Appraising Outpatient Enterprises Healthcare related outpatient enterprises provide services that do not require hospital admission and may be performed outside the premises of a hospital. Similar to valuation of any business, valuations of outpatient enterprises should include consideration of the three general approaches to valuation (i.e., the income approach, the market approach, and the asset/cost a ...

An In-Depth Series on Healthcare Valuation, Part 2 of 4 This article focuses on utilizing an income approach to value outpatient enterprises, while subsequent articles in this topic series will address the use of a market approach and an asset/cost approach to value outpatient enterprises. ...

Beware of the Limitations of Hospital Transaction Databases The market approach is one of three established valuation approaches. In this approach the valuation analyst will look for comparable companies. In this article the authors caution against the outright use of databases as a means of developing a Conclusion of Value for a hospital. Independent verification is time-consuming and essential. The author ...

Part I: Three of the 12 Reasons a Valuation Is Needed in Chapter 7, 9, and 11 This two-part article summarizes the various types of intellectual property that valuation analysts (“analysts”) may encounter within a commercial bankruptcy controversy, lists the generally accepted intellectual property valuation approaches, and presents the reasons why analysts may be asked to value intellectual property within ...

A Primer on the Approaches and Issues Involved in Valuing Trademarks Valuation analysts are often called on to perform valuation, damages, and transfer price analyses of trademark-related intangible property for various purposes. This discussion describes the valuation of trademarks within the context of both financial accounting and income tax accounting (in particular, tax-related intercompany transfer pr ...

Issues and Opportunities This article discusses some of the issues in using the Pratt’s Stats transaction data, which can be used to develop multiples in a Market Approach or to develop a private market discount rate used in an Income Approach. The information presented is relevant to both business brokers/intermediaries and business appraisers. ...

Problems and solutions The Guideline Transaction Method (GTM) remains a viable option for valuing businesses; the question is whether it is being properly applied. In this article, Eric Barr proposes that despite the recent negative press, the GTM can provide valuable insight. ...

The impact on shareholder value Knowing the value of a business and delivering real value to a client company entails far more than using EBITDA multiples or going along with a rule of thumb to keep the peace. As professionals, valuators must be far more rigorous in their engagements, and focus on delivering value. The obligation to identify, measure, manage, and mitigate the risks are their responsibility. ...

When the usual approaches won’t work Technology and innovation expert and professor, Tim Swift, proposes an alternative to the traditional Market, Income, and Cost approaches to valuing a patent portfolio. ...

Understanding the nature and risk of expected cash flow This discussion summarizes the interrelatedness of the weighted average cost of capital and the weighted average return on assets within the context of a purchase price allocation for financial reporting purposes. Failure to understand this fundamental relationship can lead to inaccurate estimates of value for the acquired assets and, therefore, inaccu ...

In defense of the Discounted Cash Flow Method Richard R. Conn challenges criticism of the Discounted Cash Flow Approach and premise that the Market Approach is superior to an Income-Based Approach, even when there is more just superficial observations. The author proposes that “ it is important to realize that the circumstances in which the DCF Method indicates a different value than the market price should ...

Focus on shareholder disputes (slip opinions) Ruggiero v. Ruggiero is a New York Slip Opinion (cannot cite as authority) that is a classic battle of valuation experts.  The opinion  highlights how a New York State judge reached her decision and also provides an opportunity to deliberate and consider what can go wrong when a buy-sell agreement is either not in existence or is considered dated. Breidbart v. W ...

Important factors to consider in making tax adjustments to pass-through income Damodaran recently wrote about the potential devaluation of dividend-paying stocks if the preferred dividend tax rate were to climb back up to the ordinary rate.  This could inspire valuation experts to make a tax adjustment reducing untaxed Pass-Through Entity (PTE) income to equate it with corporately taxed income that qualifie ...

A Quick Initial Assessment of an Appraisal Assignment Can Help Determine Which Approach and Which Tools to Use. Here’s Why That Matters. Appraisers have a large toolkit. When we pursue certifications, the tests we have to pass and our demonstration reports show that we know how to use tools properly, and certifications demonstrate our competency. In the real world, we are also in this profession to make a p ...

Critically Assess Underlying Data and an Appropriate Method for Value Determination Richard Claywell regularly reviews business valuations that seem to consider the asset, market, and income approaches in forming an opinion, but that never explain or justify a weighting methodology used to arrive at a final value conclusion. Here’s why that’s a mistake.   ...

In Berquist v. Commissioner, Judge Swift Finds a Company’s Pending Liquidation is Relevant and Foreseeable. Brand valuation is becoming an ever more critical business as intangible assets are increasingly being recognized as highly valued property, writes Sophie Roberts in Intellectual Property.  Consider: A vast majority of work your business is already doing today almost certainly affects brand value. Whe ...