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Coursera

Financial Valuation and Deal Modeling with Excel

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Overview

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Financial Valuation and Deal Modeling with Excel is a deep-dive course for financial professionals who want to develop expert-level skills in creating comprehensive valuation models. This intensive course teaches you to construct sophisticated financial models used in investment banking, corporate finance, and strategic decision-making. You'll learn to build Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) models from the ground up, perform rigorous comparable company and precedent transaction analyses, and develop complex valuation techniques used by top-tier financial professionals. The course covers advanced Excel techniques for creating intricate financial models that can assess company value, support mergers and acquisitions, and provide critical insights for high-stakes financial decisions. Practical sessions focus on real-world scenarios, including project finance waterfalls, Net Present Value (NPV) calculations, and advanced valuation methodologies. You'll practice building models that are not just technically sound, but also capable of telling a comprehensive financial story. Who this is for: Investment analysts, corporate finance professionals, financial consultants, and business strategists looking to elevate their financial modeling and valuation skills. Strong financial analysis background and advanced Excel skills recommended.

Syllabus

  • Financial Valuation with Excel Models
    • This module provides a focused introduction to fundamental business valuation methodologies. You will begin by mastering the core definitions and theoretical frameworks of industry-standard valuation approaches. Transitioning from theory to practice, the curriculum emphasizes the application of a professional-grade Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) template. Using provided financial inputs, you will learn to execute precise calculations to determine a company's enterprise value. By bridging the gap between conceptual knowledge and technical Excel modeling, this module ensures you can confidently build a DCF analysis and interpret the resulting financial narrative for real-world decision-making.
  • Financial Modeling with Excel NPV
    • This module focuses on mastering the mechanics of investment valuation. You will start by learning to recognize core financial formulas and the fundamental economic concepts that drive them. Moving into practical application, you will gain hands-on experience using NPV and XNPV functions to accurately value diverse cash flow streams. By differentiating between periodic and irregular flows, you will build robust models to compare investment opportunities. This module bridges the gap between theory and practice, ensuring you can apply the correct mathematical logic to deliver precise, data-driven project appraisals and professional financial analyses.
  • Model Project Cashflows with Confidence
    • This module equips finance and business professionals with the essential skills to master project finance dynamics. You will first explore the key project finance phases, gaining a clear understanding of their chronological relationships from initial construction through long-term operations. Building on this foundation, you will apply a cash-flow waterfall model to prioritize outflows, service debt, and project cash balances. By simulating real-world scenarios, you will learn to ensure solvency and calculate distributions to stakeholders. By the end, you will possess a professional toolkit to forecast project viability and make data-driven decisions throughout a project's lifecycle.
  • Analyze Cases, Evaluate Models, Finance
    • This module transforms your approach to financial oversight by bridging the gap between theory and rigorous audit. You will analyze detailed case studies to pinpoint exactly how flawed assumptions distort financial outcomes and lead to significant valuation errors. Parallel to case analysis, you will master technical verification by evaluating financial models against a comprehensive professional checklist. This systematic review ensures structural integrity, logical consistency, and robust documentation. By synthesizing these skills, you will move beyond simple data entry to critically auditing model architecture, ensuring every projection is grounded in sound logic and verified accuracy.
  • Comps: Valuate Companies Smartly
    • This module provides a rigorous framework for mastering comparable company analysis. You will learn to strategically select peer groups by identifying companies with similar operational and financial profiles. The curriculum focuses on calculating essential valuation multiples such as EV/EBITDA and P/E—to establish credible market ranges. Beyond calculation, this module emphasizes critical evaluation. You will develop the expertise to justify your peer set selections and refine data by identifying and excluding statistical outliers. By synthesizing these outputs, you will gain the confidence to provide robust valuation conclusions that drive informed investment and strategic decision-making.
  • Evaluate and Transform M&A Data for Valuations
    • This module empowers financial analysts to master the intricacies of M&A data transformation. You will learn to analyze historical transaction data by precisely adjusting for transaction-specific synergies and control premiums to ensure valuation accuracy. The curriculum focuses on evaluating the reasonableness of transaction multiples through the systematic organization and analysis of comparable deal data. By normalizing complex datasets and mastering benchmarking techniques, you will create consistent comparisons that reflect true market dynamics. This module bridges the gap between raw data and actionable intelligence, enabling you to construct robust valuation models grounded in rigorous data evaluation.
  • DCF: Build, Apply, and Evaluate
    • This module equips you to master the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) methodology for professional valuation. You will design and build a modular DCF template featuring dynamic forecasting periods for maximum flexibility. The curriculum focuses on the technical precision required to compute the Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) and determine accurate terminal values. Beyond construction, you will learn to rigorously evaluate model integrity by verifying underlying calculations and financial balances. Through hands-on application, you will gain the skills to produce defensible, error-free valuations essential for high-stakes investment appraisal and strategic decision-making.
  • Model and Analyze Project Finance Viability
    • This module equips you with the technical expertise to evaluate complex infrastructure and investment ventures. You will master the construction of comprehensive project finance models from scratch, specifically integrating sophisticated debt schedules and multi-tiered equity waterfalls. Beyond structural modeling, this module emphasizes rigorous valuation techniques. You will analyze long-term financial viability by conducting scenario analysis to stress-test project resilience and calculating Net Present Value (NPV) to determine profitability. By synthesizing these metrics, you will develop the data-driven insights necessary to provide "go/no-go" recommendations for high-stakes investment committees.
  • Financial Forecasts: Learn from Errors
    • This module empowers financial professionals to transform historical inaccuracies into strategic assets. Participants will analyze past financial models to pinpoint the precise root causes of forecast errors, ranging from flawed logic to data inconsistencies. Beyond identifying failures, you will evaluate successful adaptations from complex projects to synthesize a best-practice checklist for future applications. Through hands-on labs, you will bridge the gap between error detection and process refinement. By the end of this module, you will be equipped to implement a robust improvement plan that ensures higher model reliability and precision.
  • Valuation and Deal Model (Portfolio Artifact)
    • This module empowers you to construct defensible, deal-ready financial models for complex acquisitions. You will develop a modular Excel portfolio artifact featuring a dynamic DCF analysis with integrated WACC calculations and selectable terminal methods. Beyond core valuation, you will master comparable company and precedent transaction analysis through rigorous normalization and peer selection. The curriculum bridges technical precision and strategic judgment, ensuring model integrity through automated audit sheets. This module culminates in the creation of a presentation-ready summary designed to communicate high-level investment recommendations and transaction adjustments effectively, providing you with a high-impact artifact for your professional portfolio.

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