When assessing a healthy EV/EBITDA ratio, generally, a range between 8 to 12 is considered reasonable for most industries. Below 8 might indicate undervaluation, while above 12 could suggest overvaluation, particularly in mature sectors.
A “good” EBITDA margin is industry-specific, however, an EBITDA margin in excess of 10% is perceived positively by most.
The EV/EBIT ratio is a very useful metric for market participants. A high ratio indicates that a company's stock may be overvalued. While beneficial for an immediate sale of shares for profit-taking, such a situation can spell disaster if the market prices reverse, causing share prices to plummet.
Generally, the lower the EV to EBITDA ratio, the more attractive the company may be as a potential investment. Lower EV to EBITDA Ratio → Potentially Undervalued by Market.
A lower EV/EBITDA ratio suggests a company may be more attractive as a potential investment. A low EV/EBITDA ratio indicates that the company's enterprise value (EV) is relatively low compared to its EBITDA. This suggests that the market potentially undervalues the company.
Higher EBITDA indicates better company performance. Therefore, business owners can improve the company's EBITDA to make the company more attractive to potential buyers and investors. This can be achieved by recasting company financials.
The ratio of EV/EBITDA is used to compare the entire value of a business with the amount of EBITDA it earns on an annual basis. This ratio tells investors how many times EBITDA they have to pay, were they to acquire the entire business.
Both EBIT and EBITDA measure the profitability of a company's core business operations. However, financial analysts commonly favor the EV/EBITDA metric over EBIT due to its ability to offer a consistent, comprehensive, and cash-flow-centric evaluation of a company's operational performance.
Therefore, S&P Global's EV-to-EBITDA for today is 26.84. During the past 13 years, the highest EV-to-EBITDA of S&P Global was 115.14. The lowest was 8.93. And the median was 22.16.
The Interest Limitation Rule (ILR) is intended to limit base erosion using excessive interest deductions. It limits the maximum net interest deduction to 30% of Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, Amortization (EBITDA). Any interest above that amount is not deductible in the current year.
The Rule of 40 states that the sum of a healthy SaaS company's annual recurring revenue growth rate and its EBITDA margin should be equal to or exceed 40%. It is a measure of how well a SaaS balances growth with profitability.
The EBITDA margin shows how much of each dollar of revenue is left after paying for operating expenses, excluding non-cash items and financing costs.
An EV/EBITDA multiple of about 8x can be considered a very broad average for public companies in some industries, while in others, it could be higher or lower than that. For private companies, it will almost always be lower, often closer to around 4x.
As of 2025-01-11, the EV/EBITDA ratio of Apple Inc (AAPL) is 27.1. EV/EBITDA ratio is calculated by dividing the enterprise value by the TTM EBITDA. Apple's latest enterprise value is 3,656,868 mil USD. Apple's TTM EBITDA according to its financial statements is 134,930 mil USD.
Interpreting EV/EBITDA
Lower ratios generally signify a more attractive valuation. Industry averages vary widely, making sector-specific comparisons far more relevant. A ratio below 10 is often considered attractive, but this isn't a hard-and-fast rule.
Both EBIT and EBITDA strip out the cost of debt financing and taxes but EBITDA takes another step by adding depreciation and amortization expenses back. Depreciation isn't captured in EBITDA where two companies have varying amounts of fixed assets so EBITDA can be a better number to compare operating performance.
The thumb rule is that a company with lower EV/EBITDA is more attractive. The condition is that the debt should not be high-cost debt and the equity must be fairly valued in the market.
Generally speaking, a good EBITDA margin for manufacturing businesses falls between 5% and 10%. However, this will vary depending on the specific industry you are manufacturing your products for, and how capital-intensive your operations are.
Pros and Cons of EV/EBITDA
It is a valuable tool for assessing potential investment opportunities and identifying undervalued or overvalued companies. Cons: It does not take into account differences in a company's growth prospects, market conditions, or competitive landscape.
The EV/EBITDA ratio is calculated by dividing EV by EBITDA to achieve an earnings multiple that is more comprehensive than the P/E ratio. The EV/EBITDA ratio compares a company's enterprise value to its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.
The Rule of 40—the principle that a software company's combined growth rate and profit margin should exceed 40%—has gained momentum as a high-level gauge of performance for software businesses in recent years, especially in the realms of venture capital and growth equity.
The Main Difference Between SDE and EBITDA
SDE – The primary measure of cash flow used to value small businesses and includes the owner's compensation as an adjustment. EBITDA – The primary measure of cash flow used to value mid to large-sized businesses and does not include the owner's salary as an adjustment.