Key Highlights

• Technically, the concepts of servicing customers and ensuring high returns for investors exist separately, as they have their own characteristics and processes.
• The former is known as the enterprise value, and the latter is called the equity value.
• The difference between enterprise value and equity value is generally a matter of confusion for customers and investors.

What is Enterprise Value?

A business's enterprise value is the total monetary worth of all of its assets, less cash. The enterprise value reflects how much a business would be worth if sold to other undertakings on the current market. In order to compare companies based on a variety of capital structures, as they are not affected by an entire company's value, enterprise value is beneficial for other businesses and investors.

A company can grow through a number of processes, such as mergers and acquisitions. In order to set up a new company or acquire other companies for further development, the company may merge with another company. In either case, prior to the conclusion of the transaction, the enterprise value of the other company will be assessed by the company.

When acquiring a company, cash and debt are taken on by the acquirer. However, debt increases the cost of acquisition, while cash from the company reduces the cost, making enterprise value a key factor for both companies.

What is Equity Value?

The equity value, including any loans provided by shareholders to the company, shall be considered the overall value of the company's shares. After the company has paid all of its debts, this is the value left for the shareholders of the company. When a company is evaluated and analysed, its equity value plays an important role for investors. This will allow them to see how the company is valued at present as well as predict its future value.

Determining the extent to which a company's value influences its stock is the fundamental idea that supports equity value. An investor reviews a company's offering to its investors as well as an equity model. In calculating the equity value, it is necessary to deduct an enterprise value from operating assets and then subtract a debt net of cash available. Taking into account all the outstanding shares of common and preferred, as well as total loans to shareholders, it is then possible to further understand the overall equity value.

Enterprise Value vs. Equity Value: Calculation

Here is the calculator for both Equity Value & enterprise calculation

How to Calculate Equity Value? Equity Value The formula to calculate a company's equity value is given below:

Equity value = Enterprise Value – total debt + cash Or, Equity value = number of shares x share price

How to Calculate Enterprise Value? Enterprise Value The formula for the calculation of a company's enterprise value is given below:

EV = (share price x number of outstanding shares) + total debt – cash

The total amount of debt is interest paid in respect of preferred shares, shareholders, and other instruments.

Enterprise Value vs. Equity Value: How to Use Them for Valuing a Company

You will notice that enterprise value is used more widely than equity value when you look at the differences between enterprise and equity values. The reason for this is that the capital structure can be removed from valuation by analysts because of enterprise value. For investment banks, which wish to assess the value of the company in question before they advise their customers about mergers or acquisitions with other companies, enterprise value is mainly used.

This is still an important technique used by investors in equity research despite the fact that analysts use enterprise value more than equity value. When investors intend to buy individual shares in a company rather than the whole, they use its equity value, current share prices, and their projections for future growth on the basis of how much it may appreciate.

Enterprise Value vs. Equity Value: Importance

It is important to take into account both of them when determining an enterprise's worth, but their purposes are not the same. The enterprise value is a measure of the company's core business, whereas the equity value is a measure of the value available to investors. Enterprise value helps to calculate the valuation of a business during an M&A process by experts and investment bankers. This is a tool for analysts to calculate the value of an undertaking with no capital structure.

By contrast, equity value is the key technique used to invest in a company's shares by ordinary investors. This gives an overview of the company's current and expected future value, as well as shows how much its share price can rise in the future. For banks and insurance firms, equity is also taken into account.

Generally speaking, equity value is the approach that is typically utilized to analyze a firm rather than enterprise value if the company's value comprises measures such as net changes in debt, interest revenue, and expense.

Consider the table below for a better understanding of the difference between enterprise value and equity value.

Conclusion

The enterprise value represents the amount of money that a company would receive if it sold its entire business to anyone on the market. For undertakings seeking to conclude the process of merger and acquisition, it is an important measure. Companies ensure that they do not pay more than the value of the acquired company when using the enterprise value.

In contrast, it is an element of enterprise value that relates to the company's equity aspects and reflects how much potential a firm can generate if one wants to acquire its shares. You can make better decisions when valuing companies now that you know the difference between enterprise and equity value.