What is cash flow?Discountd cash flow

Cash flow confusion It is a financial evaluation method based on the concept of currency time value.The basic principle is: in industries that involve cash flow involving cash flow in investment, deposit or company developmentThis will evaluate the future development trend of the enterprise, or the possibility of the current investment in the future may be able to benefit.value investment The love of the person.

In actual use, the appraisers are required to have a more accurate judgment on the enterprise, and then decide the appropriate discount rate to calculate the relatively more accurate cash flow cash folding value.How to calculate the specific cash flow?How to use it?After reading this article, you will understand:

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What is cash flow?

The cash flow is discounted, and the full name is Discountd CF Cash Flow, referred to as DCF, which is often used to evaluate the inherent value of listed companies (Intrinsic Value).

Cash flow is discounted, using the concept of Time Value of Money to evaluate the inherent value of an enterprise, a stock, or a project, determine whether it is worth investing, or whether your own investment strategy is appropriate.

In terms of basic concepts, cash flow can be simply understood as that the future cash flow is calculated into a specific formula as the current value.The influence of various factors increased, but the increase in this amount cannot accurately reflect the inherent value of the company.For example, due to inflation, the current $ 100 may become $ 120 after 2 years.People will think that the next $ 120 is actually equal to the current $ 100, and the inherent value of this $ 100 will not increase.

Cash flow is usually used:

  • Companies with relatively stable cash flow: When a company has a relatively stable cash flow, investors usually have more likely to master the company’s operating capabilities, so that cash flow can be used to obtain a good reference value indicator.
  • Companies with multiple sources of income: When a company has a variety of sources of income, using different financial assessment indicators may get a large value, and it is difficult to find a company similar to it, so you can consider using cash to use cash.Folding is now for evaluation.
  • Value investors evaluate: When evaluating the company, value investors are more inclined to analyze the company’s financial performance.At this time, using cash flow can be considered well considering the company’s financial capabilities.
  • Evaluate banks and real estate companies: Some professionals in the financial industry have found that for banking companies, using cash flow can better determine the value of private equity, and it also has a good evaluation function for real estate companies.

Cash flow is usually not used:

  • Companies with cyclical fluctuations in cash flow: For companies with cyclical fluctuations in cash flow, such as house construction companies, because cash flow has significantly changed with the overall business environment, it is difficult to accurately use cash flow to accurately.Evaluate the income.
  • Private company: Because it is difficult to obtain the required financial data from private companies, it is difficult to use cash flow to evaluate the company’s cash flow earning ability
  • Start-ups or companies that are developing early: For these two types of companies, because there is no sufficient past cash flow data, it is difficult to predict future cash flow.

How to calculate the cash flow discount “DCF”?

The calculation formula of cash flow is:

DCFN= FCF (1+g)1/ (1+r)1+ FCF (1+ G)2/ (1+r)2+ FCF (1+ G)3/ (1+r)3+…+FCF (1+G)N/ (1+r)N

Among them, the FCF was that year Free cash flow(Free Cash Flow), G is Growth Rate, so FCF (1+P)NIt means that the cash flow value of the N-year year can estimate the future cash flow value based on the company’s previous cash flow growth rate.

R is a discount rate.English is Discount Rate.It is a ratio of future expected returns into current value.It usually consists of risk-free interest rates, risk compensation and inflation, that is, R = risk-free interest rate + risk compensation + inflation.The discount rate is one of the most important values when calculating cash flow and is one of the biggest values that affects the biggest value because it has certain subjectivity.

The discount rate is usually composed of risk-free interest rates, risk compensation and inflation.

  • Risk-free interest rates usually refer to a fixed rate of return provided by enterprises, banks or stocks, such as bank deposit interest rates, etc.;
  • Risk compensation is a ratio set for investors based on investment risk;
  • Inflation is a cash flow appreciation that appears in the entire society;

Among the three, risk-free interest rates can usually get a relatively unified value in the previous development of investment objects, but risk compensation has certain subjectivity, while inflation is unknown.As a result, the cash flow calculation has certain limitations in actual use.

for example:

Suppose a company with a stable cash flow growth model A grows at a rate of 5%each year.Last year, the company’s cash flow was $ 2,000,000.If investors hold 10%of the shares, they can get $ 200,000 this year.The company’s understanding is 15%.

So in the next few years, the income that investors can get the year

CFC (1+G)1: $ 200,000 * (1+5%) = $ 210,000

CFC (1+G)2: $ 20,000 * (1+5%) = $ 220,500

CFC (1+G)3: $ 220,500 * (1+5%) = $ 231,525

That is, three years later, investors can get a cash flow of $ 662,025;

Then use the cash flow discount calculation formula:

DCFN= Cf (1+g)1/ (1+r)1+ CF (1+ G)2/ (1+r)2+ CF (1+ G)3/ (1+r)3

= $ 210,000 / (1+15%)+$ 220,500 / (1+15%)2+ $ 231,525 / (1+ 15%)3

= $ 501,568

That is to say $ 501,568;

In general, the cash flow discount current method is an important valuation method for investors to evaluate the inherent value of listed companies or other financial investment products.Let ’s introduce it to what is the company’s inherent value.

When using the cash flow method to calculate the inherent value of the company, in addition to considering the cash flow that the company can bring in the future, the company’s final value must be considered, that is, the company can sell the company in the future.

What is the company’s intrinsic value?

The company’s inherent value, English is the Intrinsic Value.It is based on the value of the company, stock, or any financial products that can generate cash flow.Therefore, the future cash flow needs to be discounted to the present to compare its actual increase in value.If the future cash flow is calculated, it is greater than the current amount of investment, it means that this investment is worth the development, otherwise, this investment may lose value over time.

The company’s internal value = the company’s cash flow cash flow to the present value of the company’s predicted period + the discount value of the company’s final value

The final value, English is the Terminal Value, referred to as TV, refers to the value of assets, business or projects outside the forecast period of estimated future or cash flow.Generally, when the final value is calculated, it will assume that the company will always use the forecast period to always use it forever with the forecast period.Set the growth rate of growth.

For example, when judging whether the current company’s stock price is worth buying, investors can judge the income they may get through the future cash flow of the company.Determine a predicted discount rate R and a final value discount rate G, calculate the cash flow discount and final value discount value of the predicted period according to the discount rate.They can get the DCF value.Amount B, if B> A, think that this stock is worth buying.If B

The amount B the income that may be obtained in the future is calculated through the cash flow discount.

Buffett mentioned “what is the inherent value of the company” and “how to use the inherent value of the company to guide investment” on many occasions.Buffett began to use this concept in 1950 and promoted extensively, but before he, Benjamin Graham and David Dodd of Columbia Business School had been trying to use the inherent value and DCF model of calculation companies in the 1920s of the 2020s.Analyze the company’s investment value and make value investment.

How to use the cash flow discount current method to calculate the internal value of the company’s stock?

In this chapter, we will use the cash flow current law to calculate the company’s inherent value, and then compare the company’s inherent value with the current company’s market value:

  • If the company’s inherent value> company market value, the company is underestimated, suitable for investment
  • If the company’s intrinsic value

So what is the company’s market value?

The company’s market value, English is the Market Capitalization, referred to as Market Cap, indicating that the total value of all the stocks issued by the company currently issued.The calculation method is as follows:

Market Cap = Price Per Share x Shares Outstanding

Market value = US stock price X circulation stock number

Among them, Price Per Share is the stock price and is updated daily; the number of circulating shares can be obtained from the company’s quarterly financial report or annual financial report.

Step 1: Find the company’s current free cash flow

Free Cash Flow (FCF) refers to the free cash flow that shareholders can obtain and distribute.For companies that issue stocks, the free cash flow that can be assigned to shareholders is::

Free Cash Flow = Earnings Before Interest and Taxes / EBIT + depreciation and amortization -Taxes -Changes in WORKING Capital — Capital This expenditure (Capital Expendital / Capex)

Among them, pre-interest taxation profits, depreciation and amortization, and taxation can be found in the company’s gains and losses, and operating capital and capital expenditure can be Balance sheet Find in.

Calculate the cash flow of free cash flow at present.Use the same formula.Assume that the company’s free cash flow will grow at a ratio of G each year:

DCFN= FCF/ (1+r)1+FCF (1+G) / (1+R)2+ FCF (1+ G)2/ (1+r)3+…+FCF (1+G)(N-1)/ (1+r)N

When using free cash flow, because of removing cash flow that most shareholders cannot share, it can more accurately reflect the ability of shareholders to earn cash flow from investment.

Take Apple as an example,

Apple cash flow list
Data Sources: Apple Inc 10-K FORM

Through its own cash flow calculation formula, the free cash flow of Apple 2021 Financial Year is:

Free Cash Flow = Cash Generated by Activities -Payments for Acquisition of Property, Plant and equipment

= $ 104,038M – $ 11,085M

= $ 92,953M

= $ 92.95B

Therefore, the above is the free cash flow of that year.The next step can predict the free cash flow in the next few years.

Step 2: Forecast the company’s growth rate in the next ten years

The growth rate of the company is to calculate the company’s free cash flow in the next ten years.There are many prediction methods, which can make the company’s growth rates in the past ten years.

yearsFree cash flowGrowth than the previous year

September 2021

$ 9.3B

27.4%

September 2020

$ 7.3B

23.7%

September 2019

$ 5.9B

-7.8%

September 2018

$ 6.4B

23.1%

September 2017

$ 5.2B

The average growth rate in the past 5 years is: 16.6%

Step 2: Forecast the company’s free cash flow in the next ten years

Through the analysis of the growth of the company’s previous cash flow, set a reasonable proportion of cash flow growth.Take Apple as an example.In September 2021, Apple’s cash flow was $ 9.3B.Apple’s cash flow in the next 10 years is:

yearsFree cash flow

September 2021 “Current”

$ 9.3B

September 2022

$ 9.3b x (1+16.6%)1= $ 10.8B

September 2023

$ 9.3b x (1+16.6%)2= $ 12.6B

September 2024

$ 9.3b x (1+16.6%)3= $ 14.7B

September 2025

$ 9.3b x (1+16.6%)4= $ 17.2B

September 2026

$ 9.3b x (1+16.6%)5= $ 20B

September 2027

$ 9.3b x (1+16.6%)6= $ 23.4B

September 2028

$ 9.3b x (1+16.6%)7= $ 27.3B

September 2029

$ 9.3b x (1+16.6%)8= $ 31.8B

September 2030

$ 9.3b x (1+16.6%)9= $ 37B

September 2031

$ 9.3b x (1+16.6%)10= $ 43.2B

Step 3: Estimate the company’s final value

Estimated the company’s final value, that is, estimated the company’s market value after ten years.

Here, we first calculate the company’s company in the past few years Market rate, That is, the “free cash flow price ratio”, that is, Price to Free Cash Flow, referred to as P/FCF, can judge the company’s stock price growth through this data to increase by free cash flow.

P / FCF = Market Capitalization / Free Cash Flow

By calculating the P/FCF value of the past five years, the company’s final value can be estimated with the free cash flow of the tenth year.

yearsFree cash flowMarket valueP/FCF

2021

$ 9.3B

$ 232.44B

25

2020

$ 7.3B

$ 196.61b

26.9

2019

$ 5.9B

$ 99.5B

16.9

2018

$ 6.4B

$ 107.35B

16.8

2017

$ 5.2B

$ 79B

15.2

Average P/FCF

20.2

Final value = free cash flow in the 10th year X Average P/FCF

= $ 43.2B x 20.2

= $ 872.6B

Step 4: Consider the discount rate

Setting a discount rate, this value also requires the data you assume.Here are 8.5%of inflation and other factors.Take 15%as an example:

yearsFree cash flowFree cash flow
(Fold with 15%)

September 2022

$ 10.8B

$ 9.42B

September 2023

$ 12.6B

$ 9.56B

September 2024

$ 14.7B

$ 9.69b

September 2025

$ 17.2B

$ 9.83B

September 2026

$ 20B

$ 9.97B

September 2027

$ 23.4B

$ 10.1B

September 2028

$ 27.3B

$ 10.24B

September 2029

$ 31.8B

$ 10.39b

September 2030

$ 37B

$ 10.53B

September 2031

$ 43.2B

$ 10.69B

years

Company final value

The company’s final value is discounted

September 2031

$ 872.6B

$ 248.1B

Step 5: Calculate the company’s inherent value

The company’s inherent value is the sum of the current value of the predicted cash flow and the final value of the final value.As a result, the inherent value of Apple’s company is:

Internal value = ten-year cash flow discount + company final value discount

= $ 348B

Step 6: Determine whether the company’s valuation is overvalued or underestimated

The market value of Apple in September 2021 was $ 232.44B, which was lower than its internal value of $ 348B, so it can be considered that Apple’s stock price was underestimated in 2021.

How to use the cash flow discount current law to calculate the inherent value of US Treasury bonds?Determine whether it is worth investing?

For example, you plan to buy a 10 -year Treasury bond of $ 10,000 at a face value.Assuming that the current Rate of 30 years of national debt is 3%, how to use the cash flow discount current law to calculate the inner U.S.Treasury’s inner innerWhat about value?

Step 1: Calculate the annual cash flow

Because the yield of 10 -year Treasury bonds is 3%, you will receive the interest sent to you by the US Treasury Department every year, 10000 x 0.03 = 300, so the interest you get every year is the annual cash flow of cash flow every year.

years

cash flow ($)

First year

300

Second year

300

Third year

300

Fourth year

300

5th year

300

6th year

300

7th year

300

8th year

300

9th year

300

10th year

300

Step 2: Calculate the final value of the national debt

Treasury bonds with a face value of $ 10,000 will eventually bring you a final value of $ 10,000, so the final value of this 10 -year Treasury bond is $ 10,000.

years

cash flow ($)

10th year

10000

Step 3: Consider the discount rate

As mentioned earlier, we need to discount the future cash flow to the present.Here, we need to use a discount rate.The simplest method is to consider the current inflation rate.Take R = 8.5%as an example, so that we willYou can discount the annual cash flow to the present.The formula is:

Cash flow/(1+r)N

so,

The cash flow in the first year is: 300/(1+0.085)1

The cash flow of the second year is: 300/(1+0.085)2

EssenceEssenceEssenceEssence

The cash flow in the tenth year is: 300/(1+0.085)10

The discount value of the final value of the national debt is: 10000/(1+0.085)10

Therefore, considering the cash flow after discounting is:

years

cash flow ($)

Cash flow ($)

First year

300

277

Second year

300

255

Third year

300

235

Fourth year

300

216

5th year

300

200

6th year

300

184

7th year

300

169

8th year

300

156

9th year

300

143

10th year

300

132

Endal value of the 10th year

10000

4423

Step 4: Calculate the intrinsic value of government bonds

Therefore, the inherent value of this 10 -year Treasury bond is the sum of all the cash flow in the previous step:

Internal value = 277+255+235+216+200+184+169+156+143+132+4423

= $ 6391

Step 5: Determine whether this national debt is worth investing

You need to invest $ 10,000 for this government bond, but the inherent value of this government bond is only $ 6391.Therefore, this investment is lost and should not invest.

How to use the cash flow method to calculate dividend investment?

Suppose it is planned to invest $ 10,000 to buy a stock, and the stock offering company provides 2%of fixed dividends (each year).You can use the cash flow discount model to determine whether the stock is worth investing.

Step 1: Calculate the annual cash flow

Because the stock issuance company provides a 2%fixed dividend, everyone is expected to get a dividend income of $ 10,000 * 0.02 = $ 200 every year.The dividend investment cash flow that can be obtained is:

years

cash flow ($)

First year

200

Second year

200

Third year

200

Fourth year

200

5th year

200

6th year

200

7th year

200

8th year

200

9th year

200

10th year

200

Step 2: Calculate the final value of dividend dividends

It is assumed that ten years later, the price of the stock itself has not increased, so after ten years, the stock is still $ $ 10,000.

Step 3: Consider the discount rate

According to factors such as the company’s current development and current inflation rate, set the discount rate R = 10%, thereby calculating the cash flow discount in the next ten years:

years

cash flow ($)

Cash flow ($)

First year

200

200 / 1.1 = 181

Second year

200

200 / 1.12= 165

Third year

200

200 / 1.13= 150

Fourth year

200

200 / 1.14= 137

5th year

200

200 / 1.15= 124

6th year

200

200 / 1.16= 113

7th year

200

200 / 1.17= 103

8th year

200

200 / 1.18= 93

9th year

300

200 / 1.19= 85

10th year

200

200 / 1.110= 77

Endal value of the 10th year

10000

10000 / 1.110= 3855

Step 4: Calculate the intrinsic value of dividend dividends

Therefore, according to the cash flow calculated by the previous step, you can calculate the inherent value of this investment:

Internal value = 181+165+150+137+124+113+103+93+85+77+ 3855

= $ 5083

Step 5: Determine whether it is worth investing

For this stock investment, you invested 10,000 US dollars, but the inherent value of this stock is only available $ 5083 EssenceTherefore, this stock is not worth investing.

What are the advantages of cash flow discount?

  • Cash flow discount analysis uses real-based financial figures based on real company, which is less influenced by the outside world’s evaluation or guessing of the company
  • When evaluating the inherent value of the company, most data is an objective data used by the historical situation of the company’s development and social development.
  • Companies that can be used to analyze multiple asset allocation types
  • The cash flow discount model can evaluate the income ability of the investment object during the entire economic life cycle, and consider the time value of the currency time
  • When used in detail, you can complete the calculation through a simple Excel table
  • Use the cash flow discount model to allow analysts or investors to use a variety of variable assumptions to discover the possible development prospects for investment objects

What are the disadvantages of the cash flow discount?

  • You need to use a large amount of data to determine a reasonable growth rate and discount rate
  • The prediction of the company’s future development of the use of cash flow may be different due to various factors, so the calculated results are not the most accurate result
  • The discount rate set by analysts or investors based on the subjective point of view has greatly affected the final result of the cash flow discount model.For example, when the discount rate increases from 4%to 8%or to 2%, the final calculationThe results will be relatively different.
  • For start-up companies or companies in the upsurge, the cash flow discount model cannot be accurately evaluated.
  • Companies cannot be effectively evaluated to companies that are unstable or have a large cyclical fluctuations.