What Is Valuation? Meaning, Methods & Use In Business & Investment

Valuation refers to the financial process of finding the economic worth of a business, investment, or asset.

We can understand this better with a quick example. Figma is a collaborative design platform. It is aiming for a $16.4 billion valuation as it prepares to list on the stock exchange. This valuation helps Figma attract the right investors and determine its share price.

That is the purpose of valuation. It brings objectivity and confidence to financial decisions. Through this blog, we will explore the concept of valuation and its use in business.

What Does Valuation Mean In Business?

Valuation means estimating the true monetary value of something, not just its market value. It is used to assess:

• Your business’s worth before fundraising or sale.
   
• The accurate market worth of your firm’s assets.
   
• Asset value during financial reporting or litigation.
   

It is one of the most important tools used by business owners, investors, analysts, and lenders.

Recently, NSDL, backed by IDBI Bank and NSE, announced its ₹4,000 crore IPO at a valuation of around ₹16,000 crore. Such pricing reflects extensive valuation assessment.

Popular Valuation Methods

There is no one-size-fits-all. The following are the five reliable methods used by analysts and companies.

1. Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis

This method discounts future earnings to arrive at present-day value. It is ideal for your business if you have stable and predictable cash flows.

Present Value (PV) = Future Cash Flow / (1+r)n

Here:

• r = discount rate
• n = year number
   

Read More – How to Calculate Company Valuation – Step-by-Step Guide

Suppose your company expects to generate ₹6 crore annually for the next 4 years. If you apply a 12% discount rate, then it gives the following:
 

The present value of ₹18.22 crore reflects your company's intrinsic worth today.

2. Comparable Company Analysis

This approach determines a firm’s value by comparing it with similar businesses in the market. It uses common metrics such as P/E ratio or Enterprise Value (EV)/EBITDA multiple. You select peers, gather data, find median multiples, and apply them to your firm’s earnings.

Suppose you are valuing a tech startup, Company A. It reported net profit of ₹10 crore and EBITDA of ₹15 crore. You identify three listed peers:
 

So, Median P/E = (25 + 30 + 20) ÷ 3 = 25x. And Median Enterprise Value (EV)/EBITDA = (15 + 18 + 12) ÷ 3 = 15x.

Then,

• Company A’s Equity Value = Median P/E × Net Profit = 25 × ₹10 crore = ₹250 crore.
   
• Company A’s Enterprise Value (EV) = EBITDA × Median Enterprise Value (EV)/EBITDA = 15 × ₹15 crore = ₹225 crore.

Enterprise Value (EV) represents the total value of the business including debt and excluding cash. Equity Value represents only the shareholders’ portion. Hence, Enterprise Value (EV) gives a broader view of the company’s market worth.

The tech sector has many such high-worth companies. Nvidia has already reached a $4 trillion valuation. And other companies are fast approaching even higher figures due to AI-driven growth.

3. Precedent Transaction Analysis

In this method, you estimate your company’s worth by checking how similar firms were valued in previous merger and acquisition deals.

If a logistics firm with ₹120 crore annual revenue was bought for ₹240 crore, that’s a 2x revenue multiple.

So, if your firm earns ₹100 crore, the estimated valuation could be:

₹100 crore × 2 = ₹200 crore

So, the valuation of your company as per this method is ₹200 crore.

4. Asset-Based Valuation

This method is straightforward. To calculate net worth, you need to subtract total assets from total liabilities. It is easier to understand this with one example. 

The following table shows an example of asset-based valuation:
 

From the above-mentioned table, you can see how this method works. This method is mostly used by industries like real estate or construction due to heavy asset involvement.

5. Income-Based Valuation

This approach values a company based on its earnings, capitalised at a rate reflecting business risk.

If a firm earns ₹5 crore annually and the capitalisation rate is 20%:

₹5 crore ÷ 0.20 = ₹25 crore

This technique is often used for valuing small or mid-sized firms with stable earnings. 

However, it may undervalue companies with strong intangible assets, like technology, brand, or intellectual property. These elements do not directly reflect in current earnings but can significantly impact future growth.

Recently, a startup led by MIT dropouts raised $32 million at a $300 million valuation. Despite having no profits yet, they were able to raise it based on its projected earnings and product potential.

Use Of Valuation In Business And Investment

Valuation is not limited to selling or buying companies. It is a tool used across many areas of business and finance:

1. IPOs and Fundraising

Valuation helps set the issue price and the amount of ownership sold to investors. It determines: 

• How much money can the company raise? 
• How much stake does it give away?
   

For instance, TSMC' market cap recently touched $1 trillion due to the rising demand for AI chips. Investors expect higher future earnings from TSMC because of its leadership in chip manufacturing. This boosts its valuation through positive market sentiment.

2. Stock Recommendations

Analysts base their buy or sell ratings on whether a stock is under or overvalued.

A recent example is Shopify. It was downgraded to "hold" purely due to high valuation. Even though its business remains strong.

3. Market Sentiment and Equity Analysis

Valuation also impacts broader market analysis. Recently, Nuvama Wealth Management flagged Indian equities as highly priced based on P/E and P/B ratios. It indicates overvaluation risk despite solid returns.

Similarly, Choice Institutional Equities warned investors about Coal India’s cheap valuation being misleading due to one-time factors.

Also Read - How to Calculate Net Worth and Why It Matters?

4. Strategic Planning and Financial Reporting

Companies use valuation to make internal decisions like whether to expand, sell divisions, or issue new shares. The following table shows how businesses use valuation insight:
 

Such decisions influence stakeholders, regulators, and future growth paths of your company. For example, Tata Capital’s rights issue was recently priced at a valuation of ₹1.38 trillion. This highlights how valuation shapes financial strategy and investor trust.

5. Economic Forecasting

Finally, valuation trends help predict future growth or risk in markets. 

Ashish Gupta is CIO of Axis Mutual Fund. Recently, he mentioned that current high valuations will only be justified if there’s a strong recovery in the second half of the financial year.

Conclusion

You might have understood by now that valuation is more than just a number. It is a crucial part of smart financial planning.

Whether your company is preparing for an IPO, seeking investment, or applying for a loan, if it knows its true worth, then it makes all the difference. It gives clarity to investors, confidence to lenders, and direction to management. 

Recent examples like Tata Capital or NSDL’s pricing show how seriously valuation is taken in real business scenarios. In today’s competitive market, if you know your business’s worth accurately, then it can be better positioned to grow, attract funding, and stay ahead.

FAQs
 

1. How often should companies get valued?

At least once a year or before key financial decisions.

2. Do intangible assets like brand value affect valuation?

Absolutely, strong brand equity and goodwill can significantly boost a company's worth.

3. Who does business valuation?

Chartered accountants, investment bankers, or valuation consultants.

4. Can social media buzz inflate a company’s valuation?

Yes, hype and online trends can temporarily push valuations beyond fundamentals.

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