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Not investment advice. Educational reading. See Disclaimer.
L.1 · INTERMEDIATE · 2 MIN

Selecting the Right Peer Group

A comp analysis is only as good as its peer group. Selecting the wrong comps is the most common and most consequential mistake in relative valuation — it can make an overvalued stock look cheap or a bargain look expensive.

Quiz · 5 questions ↓
§ 01
AAPL — P/E, EV/EBITDA, Market Cap. Open AAPL on the Ledge to see current values.
§ 02
CriteriaIdeal CompRed Flag
IndustrySame sub-industry (e.g., SaaS, not just ‘tech’)Different business model
SizeMarket cap within 0.5x–2.0x10x size difference
GrowthSimilar revenue growth rates>10pp growth gap
MarginsSimilar profitability profileProfitable vs. pre-profit
GeographySimilar market exposureEmerging vs. developed
§ 03

In practice, you rarely find perfect comps. You might use 5–8 companies that each match on 3–4 of the 5 criteria. The key is being transparent about which dimensions differ and adjusting accordingly.

§ 04
Pick a company in **Fundamentals** and identify 3–5 peers. Compare their market cap, revenue growth, and EBITDA margins. Which peer is the closest match?
§ 05
You’re valuing a $5B SaaS company growing 30% with 20% margins. Which is a better comp?
§ 06

Growth rate and business model similarity matter more than size for comp selection. A company’s valuation multiple is driven primarily by its growth rate and margin profile, not its absolute size.

§ 07
You're valuing a mid-cap software company via comps. Which peer group is MOST problematic?
Five questions · AI feedback

Sit with the ideas.

You are valuing Shopify (e-commerce software, $70B market cap, 25% revenue growth). Which is the best comp group?

Why:
See it on a real ticker →