What is a company analysis?
A company analysis is a structured assessment of a company — its business model, financial position, market and management — to understand how it may develop and what it is worth. The analysis is the basis for a well-founded investment decision, especially in unlisted companies, where information is more limited.
What an analysis typically covers
- Financial history — revenue, profitability, debt and cash flow.
- Market and position — growth, competition and durable advantages.
- Management and owners — team, ownership structure and incentives.
- Valuation — for example a multiple-based valuation against comparable companies.
Analysing unlisted companies
For unlisted companies there is no ongoing market price and lower reporting requirements, so the analysis must build on annual reports, the company's own information and comparable transactions. A thorough due diligence is a deeper version carried out ahead of an actual deal.