Risk in the Current Environment Risk, real and perceived, is a critical factor in M&A. Risk informs valuation and drives deal structure. The market today is full of risk. Factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, increases in interest rates, inflation, and global supply chain issues have created an unpredictable economic environment. Risk, left unattended, can […]
Steps to Selling your Business Part 38. As we bring this exploration of the process of selling your business to an end, I want to reiterate the principle that will determine the quality of your success: YOU MUST CHOOSE THE RIGHT ADVISORS Fail at that, and you jeopardize the outcome of the entire sale. The […]
Last month we took a high-level look at different approaches to valuing a company. We noted that, because of their ability to reflect the future economic benefits of an ongoing business, cash flow methodologies are most commonly used in business valuation. These include applying a multiple to an income or cash flow number, capitalizing cash […]
Correctly valuing a business is central to any successful M&A transaction. As much art as science, valuation strives to quantify the financial benefits of owning the business today and in the future. Here we kick off a series of articles examining different valuation approaches, limitations, and best practices. This piece introduces the core principles of […]
Last month, we discussed how acquirers can select and work most productively with an M&A advisor. Here we conclude this buy-side article series with a look at acquisition integration. Though we typically end our formal engagement at deal closing, we always emphasize acquisition integration for two reasons: 1. Regardless of how rigorous your selection, due diligence […]
Last year’s articles have walked through the process of purchasing a company, viewed from the acquirer’s perspective. Before moving on to acquisition integration, let’s pause and look at how to work with your M&A advisor. Role M&A advisors can provide a wide range of services. Understanding the possibilities, and identifying which services are of […]
Implicit in our previous article’s discussion of the M&A pipeline is the need to move from a pool of initial candidates, often numbering 100 or more, to perhaps 1-2 good acquisitions. After high-level screens have weeded out the less attractive possibilities, and detailed analysis of publicly available information has further distilled the list, we may […]
The last article looked at sources of target company value, and their importance based on the purpose of your acquisition. Continuing in the Search and Assessment stage of our framework, let’s now turn to the mechanics of building a strong pipeline. Figure 1. Stillwater Capital Acquisition Framework What is a pipeline? Your pipeline is a […]
Having established the importance of corporate strategy as the starting point for any deal and introduced possible acquisition types, let’s shift attention from the Strategy stage of our framework to Search and Assessment (Figure 1). What value does a potential target bring, and where do we find good quality targets? Let’s start with value […]
The last article shared a framework we use to guide clients through their acquisition decisions in a disciplined way, and explored the four questions every acquirer must be able to answer. Here we dig deeper into the first step in the framework, and the question of purpose, looking at the alignment of acquisitions with corporate […]
In today’s M&A environment, an EBITDA multiple is by far the most common methodology employed to value a privately owned business.
When valuing a business, most company owners are worried about the income statement. But experienced valuators and investment bankers always consider the balance sheet. The balance sheet sets out critical information about the financial strength and weakness of the company.
The success or failure of an acquisition depends on how the target is integrated. Successful integration requires a clear understanding of what is being purchased.
The most fundamental question to ask yourself in deciding whether you should sell your business is why?