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Not investment advice. Educational reading. See Disclaimer.
L.1 · INTERMEDIATE · 3 MIN

The DCF Framework: From Theory to Model

A DCF model values a company by projecting its future free cash flows, discounting them to present value, and adding a terminal value. It’s the foundation of intrinsic valuation — and the most intellectually honest way to answer ‘what is this business actually worth?’

Quiz · 5 questions ↓
§ 01
AAPL — Current Price, Market Cap, P/E Ratio. Open AAPL on the Ledge to see current values.
§ 02
Intrinsic Value = Σ [FCFₜ / (1 + WACC)ᵗ] + Terminal Value / (1 + WACC)ⁿ
§ 03
DCF ComponentWhat It CapturesKey Input
Projected FCFsNear-term cash generation (typically 5–10 years)Revenue growth, margins, capex
Discount Rate (WACC)Time value of money + risk premiumCost of equity, cost of debt, capital structure
Terminal ValueAll cash flows beyond projection periodPerpetual growth rate or exit multiple
§ 04

A DCF is only as good as its assumptions. The model gives you a precise number, but that precision is an illusion — the real value is in understanding which assumptions drive the answer and how sensitive the output is to each one.

§ 05
Look up a company in **Fundamentals** and note its current market cap. Then estimate: Is the market pricing in 5% growth or 15% growth? A DCF helps you reverse-engineer what the market assumes.
§ 06
A DCF model produces an intrinsic value of $85 per share, but the stock trades at $100. What does this mean?
§ 07

The DCF doesn’t tell you what a stock is worth — it tells you what it’s worth IF your assumptions are correct. The discipline of building one forces you to make those assumptions explicit rather than relying on gut feeling.

Five questions · AI feedback

Sit with the ideas.

A company generates $100M in FCF today, growing at 5% annually. With a WACC of 10%, what is the approximate value of next year's FCF in today's dollars?

Why:
Try this in paper trading

DCF a stock — buy with margin of safety

Run a back-of-envelope DCF on a stock you've researched. Estimate fair value. Paper-buy ONLY if the current market price is at least 25% below your fair-value estimate. If it isn't, write down why you waited.

Open paper portfolio →

Practice mode — simulated trades, not investment advice.

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