EV accounts for debt - an acquirer must pay or assume it
EV deducts cash - the acquirer effectively receives it
EV enables fair comparison of companies with different capital structures
EV-based ratios (EV/EBITDA, EV/Sales) are capital structure neutral
Enterprise Value (EV) Formula & Definition
Enterprise Value represents the total value of a company as if you were to acquire it completely - paying for equity while assuming debt and receiving cash.