Communicating Value “Comparing apples to oranges” refers to contrasting two or more items that are similar, but that have important differences. While apples and oranges are both fruits, they have different flavors, colors, textures, etc. In a business valuation, comparing enterprise value to equity value is like comparing apples to oranges. Both measure the value of a business, but the results can differ significantly, depending on the cash and debt balances on a company’s books as of the valuation date. Not understanding the different types of value utilized in a valuation or transaction analysis may lead to disagreements on the…