Valuation guide

WACC and Cost of Capital for Stock Valuation

WACC is the discount rate used to translate future cash flow into present value. A higher WACC usually lowers intrinsic value, while a lower WACC usually raises it.

What WACC changes in a DCF

WACC affects every forecast cash-flow year and the terminal value. That makes it one of the largest assumptions in a DCF model, especially for companies where long-term free cash flow drives most of the value.

Why cost of capital differs by company

A company with steadier cash flows, lower leverage, and lower perceived business risk can justify a different discount rate than a more volatile business. Sector, beta, debt mix, and interest-rate inputs all matter.

How to read the sensitivity grid

The base case is only one point in a range. The sensitivity grid shows how value changes when WACC and terminal growth move, which helps keep the target price from looking more precise than it is.

More valuation guides

Read the adjacent valuation concepts used across reports.