What’s normal? How valuators adjust earnings to reflect market value

Description

Abstract: When appraising a company, valuators scrutinize their subjects’ balance sheets, but they also recognize that those numbers only reflect a business’s “book value” at a point in time. To arrive at the most accurate market value, experts must adjust or “normalize” a company’s earnings. As this article explains, this process may involve adjusting such items as accounts receivable, inventory, taxes, prepaid expenses and contingent liabilities.