A new collegue of mine asked me a qood question today: "how do you put a price on a target company?". While this can be a complex activity I have attempted to provide a high level overview. Typically a combination of the following could be used: 1. Discounted cash flow 2. Comparisons or Comps - recent and similiar transactions that provide an indication of value. 3. Using historical earnings as future indication 4. Future maintinable earnings Additionally, you may look at certain opportunities that exist via synergies and structuring. - Can you operate the asset more efficiently or at a lower cost? - Could you source lower costs of capital making the asset more efficient. - Can you divest non-core components or Joint Venture to minimize capital requirements. I hope you find this high level information useful and appreciate any input from others.