EBITDA: a simple way to calculate earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. | Brian Feroldi posted on the topic | LinkedIn (2024)

Brian Feroldi

I demystify the stock market | Author, Speaker, Creator | 100,000+ investors read my free newsletter (see link)

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EBITDA Explained SimplyEBITDA is an acronym for Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation & Amortization.EBITDA is a major financial indicator used to evaluate companies' profitability with different capital structures.EBITDA is a rough guide to show how much cash a business generates.Calculating EBITDA requires information from the company's Income Statement and Cash Flow Statement.Here's one way to do it:Net Income+ Interest Expense (Income Statement)+ Taxes (Income Statement)+ Depreciation (Cash Flow Statement)+ Amortization (Cash Flow Statement)Some investors love EBITDA. Others despise it.EBITDA does not consider all business activities, so it might overstate cash flow.Charlie Munger calls EBITDA "Bullsh*t Earnings"Why? Because it ignores depreciation as an expense.Depreciation is when a tangible asset's value is gradually reduced over time to account for wear and tear.The equipment will eventually be replaced, so depreciation is an actual expense. This is why ignoring it when calculating profits can be a big mistake.Buffett & Munger prefer to look at EBT -- Earnings Before Taxes. This allows them to compare the earnings yield on a business to the earnings yield on bonds (which is also a pre-tax number).Do you use EBITDA? Let me know in the comments below!***P.S. Want to master the basics of accounting (for free)?I created a 5-day, email-based course that explains the Balance Sheet, Income Statement, and Cash Flow Statement in plain English.Get started here (It's free) → https://lnkd.in/eKbRV7g6If you enjoyed this post, please repost ♻️ to share with your audience.

  • EBITDA: a simple way to calculate earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. | Brian Feroldi posted on the topic | LinkedIn (2)

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Brian Feroldi

I demystify the stock market | Author, Speaker, Creator | 100,000+ investors read my free newsletter (see link)

1mo

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I prefer EBIT & EBT over EBITDA. Here's how to calculate those (and a few other important metrics).

  • EBITDA: a simple way to calculate earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. | Brian Feroldi posted on the topic | LinkedIn (7)

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Saurav Sen, CFA

Research Analyst | Investor | Founder

1mo

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I find EBITDA minus Maintenance Capex more useful. Some companies explicitly quantify Maintenance Capex, most don't. In that case, I compare Depreciation to Capex (both on the cash flow statement) and if Dep < Capex, I assume Dep. is a reasonable estimate of Maintenance Capex. Otherwise I use the whole Capex number, which could overestimate Dep. but probably apt for firms that book their R&D as an expense item in the income statement before the EBITDA line). Hope this helps anyone who's nerding out on this on Saturday! 😀

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John Cheek

Vice President, Intellectual Property & Legal Operations at Tenneco

1mo

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This is a helpful reference for newbies, but I worry that the red shorthand yes is misleading. Direct labor is in COGS and general expenses are more - often much more - than costs paid to employees (some of which are in COGS). Hopefully anyone really looking to understand EBITDA will look closer at the underlying expense categories.

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John Stuller, CPA, MAcc

1mo

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Stephen Boras

Executive Vice President, Head of Model Risk Management & Validation

1mo

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It is vital for “quants” to have a basic understanding of what they’re modeling. Thus, all “data scientists” claiming to build AI corporate finance or credit risk models, MUST know if depreciation is a source or use of cash (that’s sort of a trick question), and the difference between operating cash flow and EBITDA.

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Gaurav Jain, MBA 🚀

Transforming Global Pharmaceutical Projects Via Strategic Alliance Management | Ensuring Sustainable & Scalable Business Outcomes | International MBA | Ex-Pfizer | Ex-Abbott | CDMO | CRO | 🇮🇳 ️🇫🇷 🇫🇮 🇨🇭

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While EBITDA offers a glimpse into a company's operating health, it's crucial to recognize its limitations. It can paint an unrealistic picture by overlooking cash flow, capital needs, and debt burdens. Additionally, varying calculation methods make comparisons tricky. Overemphasizing EBITDA can distract from essential metrics and underlying issues. Therefore, use it cautiously, alongside other financial indicators, and avoid basing decisions solely on this single measure.

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Sumit Chanda

CEO & Founder at JARVIS INVEST

1mo

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Brian Feroldi One major concern of EBITDA is that it excludes important elements such as interest, taxes, and capital expenditures, which can provide a skewed picture of a company's overall financial health. Additionally, EBITDA doesn't account for changes in working capital, and its reliance on depreciation and amortization can mask the need for ongoing capital investments. Therefore, using EBITDA alone may overlook crucial aspects of a company's financial situation and should be complemented with a comprehensive analysis.

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Josh Aharonoff, CPA

Fractional CFO | 300k+ Finance & Accounting Audience | Founder & CEO of Mighty Digits

1mo

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The most misunderstood metric…explained simply. Nicely done!

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Fernando Blanco

JHSF Capital | CRO | COO | Conselheiro | Mentor | Palestrante | Autor | Professor de MBA | Diretor de Crédito | Gestão de Riscos | Mercado Financeiro | International Banking

1mo

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I am a member of The EBIDTA Despise Club", but I disagree with Munger (RIP, great man).Here in Brazil, one cannot oversee the working capital needs and loans' principal payments.That's why I'm the founder of The Cash Flow Statement Lovers Society.

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    thanks for this Brian Feroldi !EBITDA Explained SimplyEBITDA is an acronym for Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation & Amortization.EBITDA is a major financial indicator used to evaluate companies' profitability with different capital structures.EBITDA is a rough guide to show how much cash a business generates.Calculating EBITDA requires information from the company's Income Statement and Cash Flow Statement.Here's one way to do it:Net Income+ Interest Expense (Income Statement)+ Taxes (Income Statement)+ Depreciation (Cash Flow Statement)+ Amortization (Cash Flow Statement)Some investors love EBITDA. Others despise it.EBITDA does not consider all business activities, so it might overstate cash flow.Charlie Munger calls EBITDA "Bullsh*t Earnings"Why? Because it ignores depreciation as an expense.Depreciation is when a tangible asset's value is gradually reduced over time to account for wear and tear.The equipment will eventually be replaced, so depreciation is an actual expense. This is why ignoring it when calculating profits can be a big mistake.Buffett & Munger prefer to look at EBT -- Earnings Before Taxes.This allows them to compare the earnings yield on a business to the earnings yield on bonds (which is also a pre-tax number).Do you use EBITDA? Let me know in the comments below!***P.S. Want to master the basics of accounting (for free)?I created a 5-day, email-based course that explains the Balance Sheet, Income Statement, and Cash Flow Statement in plain English.Get started here (It's free) →https://lnkd.in/eKbRV7g6If you enjoyed this post, please repost ♻️ to share with your audience.

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  • Musab Al-Qurashi , EM

    Operations Superintendent at Ma'aden Aluminium Company• KFUPM Buisness SchoolLeadership | Cost Optimization | Lean Manufacturing | PMP | Engineering Management | Risk Management | Polymer | Alumina Refinery | Operation

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    Very good simplification of critical finantial terms.

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  • Kyiv University of Market Relations

    199 followers

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    That's a very good explanation and infographic, easy to consume and insightful for those who would like to understand key financial KPIs, such as EBITDA and EBIT.

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  • Max R. Brewer

    Consultant

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    Once. I worked for a company that used EBITDA as reasoning for cutting sales commissions. The concept was poorly explained and presented, and none of us bought into the reasoning.As we all left the meeting dumbfounded, the CFO blurted out that “ Michael Jordan gets EBITDA!!!” Wow, that little factoid just made us all feel so much better.No. Leadership. Whatsoever.Six months later, the company sold after the owner had a stroke. The CFO was dismissed along with all legacy management soon after.Karma.Be careful how you justify using this term/concept, or your organization will be demoralized.Leadership is much more than acronyms.

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  • Sharon C.

    Passionate Inventory Optimization Consultant and E-commerce Growth Advisor

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    I love this post so much and must repost it. This is the most simple and well-explained #basicaccounting I have ever seen.

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  • Wajid Ur Rehman Janjua

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    Good to read

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  • Michael S.

    BComm, Finance Major, Graduating Summer 2024 — Associate Mobile Mortgage Specialist at TD — 13+ Years Financial Services Experience — Seeking Full-Time Roles in Finance, Investments, Real Estate, Consulting

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    Excellent visual representation of the key income statement items! It’s important to see the bigger picture and understand the interrelation between these items, especially when considering the intricate links between finance and accounting.

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  • Olivier Arturo P.

    Hi I´m Olivier. Creating value to the world! MBA, Civil Engineer. #ProjectManagement #Construction. #ICOPlife

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    An easy way to understand the Income Statement

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  • Yuriy Grygoryev, MBA, MEng

    Manager, Equipment and Civil Engineering at Rogers Communications

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    That's a very good explanation and infographic, easy to consume and insightful for those who would like to understand key financial KPIs, such as EBITDA and EBIT.

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  • Greg Pierce

    Associate Teaching Professor of Finance at Penn State University

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    EBITDA is NOT Free Cash Flow, although some use it as a quick substitute. Find out the details about EBITDA from Brian Feroldi.

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EBITDA: a simple way to calculate earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. | Brian Feroldi posted on the topic | LinkedIn (33)

EBITDA: a simple way to calculate earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. | Brian Feroldi posted on the topic | LinkedIn (34)

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EBITDA: a simple way to calculate earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. | Brian Feroldi posted on the topic | LinkedIn (2024)

FAQs

EBITDA: a simple way to calculate earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. | Brian Feroldi posted on the topic | LinkedIn? ›

Calculating EBITDA requires information from the company's Income Statement and Cash Flow Statement. Here's one way to do it: Net Income + Interest Expense (Income Statement) + Taxes (Income Statement) + Depreciation (Cash Flow Statement) + Amortization (Cash Flow Statement) Some investors love EBITDA.

What is the formula for EBITDA earnings before depreciation and amortization? ›

EBITDA = Operating Income + Depreciation + Amortization

Formula 2 relies on a close relative of EBITDA called EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes), which is equal to a company's operating income.

How to calculate earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization? ›

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) is a measure of core corporate profitability. EBITDA is calculated by adding interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization expenses to net income.

What is the formula for EBIT earnings before interest and taxes? ›

EBIT = Revenue – COGS – Operating Expenses

Revenue – represents the total amount of money earned from product sales. COGS – represents the cost of goods sold, including equipment, raw materials, employee labor, and shipping.

How do you calculate EBITDA investopedia? ›

EBITDA is calculated by taking net income and adding interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization expenses back to it. EBITDA is used to analyze a company's operating profitability before non-operating expenses such as interest and other non-core expenses and non-cash charges like depreciation and amortization.

What is the simple explanation of EBITDA? ›

What does EBITDA stand for? EBITDA stands for 'Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortisation'. It is a measure of profitability. The benefit of EBITDA is that it focuses on a company's core performance rather than the effects of non-core financial expenses.

How to calculate EBITDA calculator? ›

Here's the formula: EBITDA = Net sales – raw material costs – employee costs – other operating expenses. Net sales are the sum of all the products sold in the company over a specific period.

What is Ebita earnings before interest taxes and amortization? ›

Earnings before interest, taxes, and amortization (EBITA) removes the taxes owed, the interest on company debt, and the effects of amortization, which is the accounting practice of writing off the cost of an intangible asset over a period of years, from the earnings equation.

What is the formula for EBITDA in Excel? ›

Here's how to calculate EBITDA in Excel: Start a new Excel file and label the first worksheet "EBITDA". Input your company's figures for profit or loss, interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization. Use the formula: EBITDA=[Net Income]+[Interest]+[TaxExpense]+[Depreciation/Amortization]

What is the formula for earnings before taxes? ›

Earnings before tax (EBT) is a measure of financial performance. It reveals a company's earnings before taxes are deducted, is calculated by subtracting all expenses excluding taxes from revenue, and appears as a line item in the income statement.

Is income before interest and taxes the same as EBIT? ›

Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) indicate a company's profitability. EBIT is calculated as revenue minus expenses excluding tax and interest. EBIT is also called operating earnings, operating profit, and profit before interest and taxes.

What taxes are excluded from EBITDA? ›

All other business related taxes are generally considered operating expenses. Typically, these type of taxes include, but are not limited to, Real & Personal Property Tax, Payroll Tax, Use Tax, City Tax, Local Tax, Sales Tax, etc. These are the types of taxes that are not part of the EBITDA calculation.

Do you subtract depreciation from EBIT? ›

The key difference between EBIT and EBITDA is that EBIT deducts the cost of depreciation and amortization from net profit, whereas EBITDA does not. Depreciation and amortization are non-cash expenses related to the company's assets.

How do you calculate EBITDA for dummies? ›

EBITDA is a helpful metric for businesses that allows them to determine their profitability. You can calculate EBITDA by either adding net income, interest expenses, taxes, depreciation and amortization or by adding operating income, depreciation and amortization.

What is the formula for Ebitda from profit before tax? ›

EBITDA = Operating Income + Depreciation + Amortization

Companies implement these formulas to find out a specific aspect of their business effectively. Being a non-GAAP computation, one can select which expense they want to add to the net income.

What is earning before depreciation and amortization? ›

A company's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (commonly abbreviated EBITDA, pronounced /iːbɪtˈdɑː/, /əˈbɪtdɑː/, or /ˈɛbɪtdɑː/) is a measure of a company's profitability of the operating business only, thus before any effects of indebtedness, state-mandated payments, and costs required to ...

What does EBITDA stand for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization? ›

EBITDA stands for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. EBITDA is an earnings measure that focuses on the essentials of a business: its operating profitability and cash flows. The EBITDA margin is calculated by dividing EBITDA by revenue.

How do you calculate profit before depreciation and tax? ›

Profit Before Tax is determined by subtracting all expenses incurred by the company, including operating expenses, interest expenses, depreciation, and other costs, from the total revenue generated during a specific period.

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