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Glossary · investing

What is Enterprise value?

Market cap + debt − cash: the theoretical price to acquire the entire business.

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Enterprise value (EV) is a cleaner comparison metric than market cap because it accounts for capital structure. A company with high cash and low debt has a lower EV than its market cap; the reverse is true for debt-heavy firms.

EV pairs naturally with EBITDA to form EV/EBITDA — a valuation ratio used across capital structures and geographies.

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Why use EV/EBITDA instead of P/E?

It's less distorted by different tax jurisdictions, financing choices, and depreciation policies — useful for cross-border and cross-industry comparisons.

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