Chapter 1
Presenting Financial Condition and Business Valuation
IN THIS CHAPTER
Valuing assets in balance sheets
Using the balance sheet to estimate the value of a business
Considering methods to value an entire business
The balance sheet, also called the statement of financial condition, gives a snapshot of a business’s financial health at a point in time. It presents the assets of a business on the one hand and the liabilities and equity sources of the business on the other hand, reflecting the balance sheet equation:
Assets = Liabilities + Equity
This chapter considers how to value (estimate the monetary worth of) the assets and liabilities in the balance sheet. Traditionally, a business values assets at historical cost. In this chapter, you find out how to use other methods to value assets and how to compute a valuation for an entire business.
This chapter also explores the various uses for valuations and touches on the field of performing valuations as an occupation. You finish the chapter with a discussion of business valuations based on earnings and cash flow.
Clarifying the Values of Assets in Balance Sheets
The evidence is pretty strong that readers of financial reports ...