In this article, Feitong GUO (The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Accounting and Data Analytics, 2023-2027; ESSEC Business School, BBA Exchange Program, Spring 2026) reflects on how her experience as an Audit Assistant at Ernst & Young (EY) and her work as a Project Consultant at A Better Community (ABC) taught her two complementary … Read more
In this article, Alexandre LANGEVIN (ESSEC Business School, Global Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA), 2022-2026) explains the Shiller P/E ratio, also known as the CAPE ratio: a valuation tool that adjusts for the business cycle to give a more reliable picture of whether equity markets are cheap or expensive. Introduction Every investor knows the price-to-earnings … Read more
In this article, Ian DI MUZIO (ESSEC Business School, Master in Finance (MiF), 2025–2027) discusses how valuation practitioners use trading comparables and precedent transactions when no truly “perfect” peers exist, and how to build a defensible valuation framework in Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) for hybrid or niche sectors. Context and objective In valuation textbooks, comparable … Read more
In this article, Cornelius HEINTZE (ESSEC Business School, Global Bachelor in Business Administration (GBBA) – Exchange Student, 2025) explains how the usage of different valuation methods can lead to different outcomes and how to use them. Why this is important In finance valuation is always present and it is not only a mechanical exercise. Analysts … Read more
In this article, Roberto RESTELLI (ESSEC Business School, Master in Finance (MiF), 2025–2026) explains the role of discounted cash flow (DCF) within the broader toolkit of company valuation—when to use it, how to build it, and where its limits lie. Introduction to company valuation Valuation is the process of determining the value of any asset, … Read more
In this article, Cornelius HEINTZE (ESSEC Business School, Global Bachelor in Business Administration (GBBA) – Exchange Student, 2025) explains how the two-stage valuation model and the segmentation in growth stage and stable phase impact the valuation of companies and which problems tend to arise with the use of this model. Why this is important The … Read more
In this article, Andrea ALOSCARI (ESSEC Business School, Global Bachelor in Business Administration (GBBA) – 2024-2025) explains about three fundamental valuation methods—Comparable Companies Analysis, Precedent Transactions Analysis, and Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis—and their role in achieving successful deal outcomes. Which are the main valuation methods? At the heart of M&A, or Mergers and Acquisitions, … Read more
In this article, Anant JAIN (ESSEC Business School, Grande Ecole – Master in Management, 2019-2022) explain the debt ratio and its importance in firm valuation. Introduction In financial analysis, calculating and even evaluating a company’s debt ratio is essential for assessing its financial stability and valuation. The debt ratio provides insights into how a company … Read more
Multiples valuation method for stocks In this article, Jorge KARAM DIB (ESSEC Business School, Master in Strategy and Management of International Business (SMIB), 2024-2025) introduces the method to evaluate stocks called “multiples valuation”. How much should a stock be worth? Valuing stocks is a complex yet essential endeavor for investors seeking to make informed decisions … Read more
In this article, Isaac ALLIALI (ESSEC Business School, Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA), 2019-2023) explains about the Gordon-Shapiro Dividend Discount Model, which is a key tool in valuation. Introduction The Gordon-Shapiro Dividend Discount Model, also known as the Gordon-Shapiro formula and the Gordon Growth Model, is a central tenet in finance. It provides investors and … Read more
In this article, Georges WAUBERT introduces you to bond valuation. Investors seek to determine how the different characteristics of a bond can influence its intrinsic value in order to know whether it is a good investment or not. To do this, they will look at the theoretical value of a bond, i.e. its present value. How … Read more
This article written by Ghali El Kouhene (ESSEC Business School, Global BBA, 2019-2022) discusses the valuation methods in the real estate sector. Definition of a real estate Real estate is a property, land, buildings, air rights above the land (with certain limitations) and underground rights below the land. The term “real estate” means real, or … Read more
L’approche pédagogique de SimTrade repose sur deux piliers : La liberté d’apprentissage La définition d’objectifs d’apprentissage précis et leur évaluation Ce deuxième article traite du couple objectif-évaluation. Il présente notamment l’ingénierie pédagogique développée pour évaluer les participants, ingénierie qui utilise les travaux sur la taxonomie de Bloom. L’évaluation dans SimTrade Les certificats SimTrade sont des … Read more
SimTrade, pour la construction de l’évaluation des participants dans les certificats, s’appuie sur la taxonomie de Bloom. Mais la taxonomie de Bloom, c’est quoi ? Benjamin Bloom (1913-1999) est un psychologue américain spécialisé en pédagogie. Ses travaux de recherche menés à l’Université de Chicago dans les années 1950 sont considérés comme d’importantes contributions au classement … Read more
Certificats SimTrade : produits structurés de formation sur les marchés financiers Les certificats SimTrade sont des produits structurés pédagogiques qui assemblent trois éléments d’apprentissage : les formations, les simulations et les concours. Au travers d’un certificat, SimTrade vous propose de vivre une histoire qui tient en trois mots : apprendre avec des formations (savoir), pratiquer … Read more
In this article, William LONGIN (MSc Financial Mathematics at Queen Mary University of London, 2026-2027) shares his experience as an M&A Analyst intern at Dilcap Invest, an independent M&A advisory boutique. Dilcap Invest Dilcap Invest is an independent M&A Advisory Boutique founded in 2025 by Christophe AUGER. The firm is headquartered in the historic Hôtel … Read more
Any financial analysis starts with data. Whether you want to analyze a stock, build a portfolio, measure risk, create a valuation model or develop trading strategies, the first step is always the same: obtaining financial data. You could download data manually from websites such as Yahoo! Finance or Investing.com, but this quickly becomes tedious and … Read more
Any financial analysis starts with data. Whether you want to analyze a stock, build a portfolio, measure risk, create a valuation model or develop trading strategies, the first step is always the same: obtaining financial data. You could download data manually from websites such as Yahoo! Finance or Investing.com, but this quickly becomes tedious and … Read more
In finance, the ability to rapidly acquire, clean, and manipulate data is a key skill that can help you gain an edge over other students and job applicants. While Excel (with VBA) remains widely used and is sufficient for most basic financial modeling, such as a DCF valuation, Python offers far more scalability, automation, and … Read more
In this article, Saral BINDAL (Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, 2024-2028 & Research assistant at ESSEC Business School) examines the statistical properties of historical VIX data and applies statistical methods to model its dynamics. Introduction The Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) Volatility Index, or VIX, is a real-time market index designed … Read more
