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January 15, 2025
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This course is part of Mergers and Acquisitions Specialization
Instructors: Robert Metzger
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(158 reviews)
Thoroughly analyze financial statements.
Make necessary adjustments to reported financial results,.
Demonstrate facility with key strategic tools used to evaluate companies/industries.
Value companies utilizing commonly employed valuation techniques.
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This course will provide students the key building blocks required for a career in investment banking, valuation, and other corporate-finance focused fields. It is designed to provide a practical application of financial statement analysis and valuation techniques commonly performed by industry professionals.
The course has two major parts. The first focuses on the foundational elements of financial statement and ratio analysis. The second applies the financial statements and forecasts within the context of company valuation, utilizing common industry valuation techniques.
In this module you will explore the concept of comparability of company financial information, a key building block of valuation. The primary application of that concept is the development of the financial spread template, which is used to standardize the presentation of company financial and market information within accounting periods and across companies. Also addressed in this module is the calculation of fully diluted shares and adjusting financial statements to consider the impact of one-time, non-recurring and unusual items.
7 videos6 readings6 assignments1 discussion prompt1 plugin
What determines a company's stock price? Placing a value on companies is a key tool for M&A analysis. This module will present the main techniques available to estimate a company's value, including multiples-based and cash flow-based valuation methods. These valuation tools will be presented using the most up-to-date Finance theory, and real-world examples.
7 videos2 readings3 assignments
Valuation analysis is a major part of the work that investment banks do when advising companies involved in M&A deals. This module will dive deeper into using comparable precedent M&A transactions to establish another perspective on a company’s expected valuation in an M&A context. The similarities and differences between comparable public companies analysis and transactions comparables analysis will be presented, as well as how to correctly calculate transaction valuation statistics. Lastly, we will take what we have learned about public company and transaction comparables to begin to develop a valuation summary for an existing public company.
7 videos2 readings4 assignments
This module will present how to build a discounted cash flow analysis, a fundamental valuation technique, as well as the concepts of financial forecasting, free cash flow, weighted average cost of capital, terminal value and present value.
5 videos3 readings6 assignments1 peer review
Make sure you know how to get your Course Certificate, and find out more about Gies Online Programs.
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We asked all learners to give feedback on our instructors based on the quality of their teaching style.
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a world leader in research, teaching and public engagement, distinguished by the breadth of its programs, broad academic excellence, and internationally renowned faculty and alumni. Illinois serves the world by creating knowledge, preparing students for lives of impact, and finding solutions to critical societal needs.
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Fundação Instituto de Administração
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University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Build toward a degree
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University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
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This course is part of the following degree program(s) offered by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. If you are admitted and enroll, your completed coursework may count toward your degree learning and your progress can transfer with you.¹
This course is part of the following degree program(s) offered by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. If you are admitted and enroll, your completed coursework may count toward your degree learning and your progress can transfer with you.¹
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Degree · 2 – 3 years
¹Successful application and enrollment are required. Eligibility requirements apply. Each institution determines the number of credits recognized by completing this content that may count towards degree requirements, considering any existing credits you may have. Click on a specific course for more information.
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Reviewed on Jan 28, 2024
A solid foundation to learn necessary skills for IB.
Reviewed on Aug 17, 2022
This course covers a full range of skills required in Investment Banking on a high level for intermediate learners. Absolutely recommend.
Reviewed on Nov 22, 2023
Thank you so much for the free course. I learned a lot of useful knowledge and get a valuable certificate so that I can put it in my CV.
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Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
You will be eligible for a full refund until 2 weeks after your payment date. You cannot receive a refund once you’ve earned a Course Certificate, even if you complete the course within the 2-week refund period. View our full refund policy.
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When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.