Finance 101 for Practitioners
Learn the tools.
Land the role.
Plain-English guides to the models, metrics, and methods used in IB, PE, and equity research — with live examples you can run right here.
Valuation Methods
7 guidesDCF Model: Discounted Cash Flow
Full walkthrough: FCF, WACC, terminal value, common mistakes, and a worked Microsoft example — plus when to trust the math.
DCF Sensitivity Analysis: Building Valuation Ranges
Turn one DCF price into a defensible range with two-way WACC and terminal-growth tables — essential for pitches.
Football Field Chart
Overlay multiple valuation methods on one chart to show a range of implied values — the IB pitch book staple.
Trading Comps (Public Market Multiples)
Value a company by comparing EV/EBITDA, P/E, and other multiples to a peer group of public companies.
Precedent Transaction Analysis
Use past M&A deals to benchmark a target's acquisition premium — the third pillar of any sell-side pitch.
LBO Model Basics
Funding tables, debt paydown, exit math, value levers, covenants, and when leverage works — with frameworks and a worked example.
Using Macro Data in Equity Valuation
How risk-free rates, inflation, yield curve shape, and credit spreads should change your DCF and multiples assumptions.
Key Metrics
4 guidesEBITDA & EV/EBITDA Explained
Why analysts use EBITDA as a proxy for operating cash flow and how the EV/EBITDA multiple works.
Enterprise Value vs. Market Cap
Market cap is what you pay for equity. EV is what you pay for the whole business — debt and minus cash.
WACC: Weighted Average Cost of Capital
Cost of capital, CAPM, debt and tax shield, weights, sensitivity — with step-by-step examples and common pitfalls.
Free Cash Flow (FCF) Explained
OCF minus capex — the number DCF models actually forecast. How to calculate it from financial statements.
Reading Filings
4 guidesHow to Read a 10-K: A Student's Guide to SEC Filings
Structure, statements, MD&A, risk factors, key metrics, and a worked Apple example — the foundational filing guide for comps, DCF, and pitches.
How to Read a 10-K Filing
The annual report every public company files. Where to find revenue, risks, and management guidance.
Accounting Red Flags: How to Spot When Numbers Aren't What They Seem
Earnings quality vs. magnitude: cash vs. accruals, GAAP choices, 10-K language, and patterns to spot before the market does.
Earnings Call Analysis
What analysts listen for on quarterly earnings calls — guidance changes, tone shifts, and key metrics.
Coming soon
Video Walkthroughs
Short screencasts showing how to use each Briefed feature in a real analysis.