Valuation of Software Agency for Pre IPO Using DCF and Relative Valuation Method (Study Case: PT XYZ)

Abstract

An Initial Public Offering (IPO) is a pivotal moment in a company’s life cycle. It’s a process where a private company offers its shares to the public in the capital market to raise funds. The move from private to public affecting the company to prepare for many changes, including increased supervision and the responsibility of delivering value to shareholders. However, before stepping on this significant IPO step, the company needs a clear understanding of various factors, which includes macroeconomic conditions, the dynamics of the market it operates in, and the company’s internal conditions. The company, PT XYZ, specializes in creating software solutions, a sector that is currently needed by a lot of company due to digitalization era. Fair share price for PT XYZ must be calculated when it goes public. In addition to understanding the macroeconomic condition, the Porter’s Five Forces framework is described to assess the competitive aspect in the market and potential opportunities. After analysing the external factors, the next step is doing in-depth internal analysis. This involved a SWOT analysis by identifying PT XYZ’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats, and an evaluation of the company’s financial health. The business solution proceeded to the valuation stage, using the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) method with Free Cash Flow to Equity (FCFE). This process involved making growth projections for the next decade. It anticipates that the company’s growth rate would eventually align with Indonesia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), serving as the long-term growth rate. To ensure a holistic evaluation, there must be a complementary valuation method, Relative Valuation. Three similar companies in the software sector were picked and their EV/EBITDA was used as a multiplier ratio. The two separate valuation methodologies led to two distinct results. Thus the average of these two methods can be proposed. Overvalued or undervalued share pricing can significantly affect investor decisions and the amount of funds raised from the IPO.