Discounted Cash Flows is a valuation technique used by investors and financial experts for the purpose of interpreting the performance of an underlying assets or investment. It uses a discount rate that is most probably the cost of capital raised.
Each type of asset produces returns in shape of cash flows. For example the cash flows associated with a bond are interest payments and principal repayment. Similarly a share has cash flows in terms of dividends. These cash flows are discounted at an appropriate discount rate. For bonds it is normally the YTM and for shares it is normally the cost of equity.
The shares promise to pay dividends that are cash flows. Suppose a company has a policy to pay $5.80 as dividend per year in perpetuity and the discount rate is 15%. The value of the share will be as follows
Value of share = Dividend / Discount rate = $2.80 / 0.15 = $18.67
See how discounted cash flows are used for valuation of company
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