Horizontal Merger Definition: What It Means, Examples, and FTC Antitrust Treatment (2026)
Home / Guides / Current article Horizontal Merger Definition: What It Means, Examples, and FTC Antitrust Treatment (2026) Horizontal Merger Definition With Examples in 2026 depends on scale, sector, and recurring revenue percentage. Named PE-backed and strategic acquirers pursue this vertical actively, and multiples clear meaningful ranges depending on platform readiness and market cycle timing. […]
Football Field Valuation Chart: How to Build One With Worked Examples (2026 M&A Guide)
Home / Guides / Current article Football Field Valuation Chart: How to Build One A football field valuation is one chart that stacks the value range from each method (trading comps, precedent transactions, DCF, LBO, 52-week range) on a single axis: the zone where most bars overlap is the defensible price. By Christoph Totter, Founder […]
Enterprise Value to Equity Value in 2026: The Bridge Explained With Worked Examples
Home / Guides / Current article Enterprise Value to Equity Value in 2026: The EV to Equity Value Bridge Explained With Worked Examples The EV to equity bridge turns a headline enterprise value into what a seller is paid: subtract debt and debt-like items, add cash, adjust working capital to the peg, then deduct transaction […]
Private Equity Analyst: 2026 Career Guide to Comp, Recruiting, and Day-to-Day Work
Home / Guides / Current article Private Equity Analyst: 2026 Career Guide to Comp, Recruiting, and Day-to-Day Work A private equity analyst role is the most direct entry point into buyout investing, and one of the hardest seats in finance to land. This 2026 guide covers what the job involves day to day, how pay […]
Microacquire (Now Acquire.com) in 2026: The Marketplace Buying SaaS, Ecommerce, and Service Businesses
Home / Guides / Current article Microacquire (Now Acquire.com) in 2026: The Marketplace Buying SaaS, Ecommerce, and Service Businesses Microacquire (rebranded to Acquire.com in 2023) is the largest online marketplace for buying and selling SaaS, ecommerce, and small service businesses in 2026. Typical deal size: $10K to $10M enterprise value, with the platform’s sweet spot […]
FIG Investment Banking: A Founder and Career Guide to the Financial Institutions Group (2026)
Home / Guides / Current article FIG M&A and Investment Banking: A Founder and Career Guide to the Financial Institutions Group (2026) FIG M&A is the market for mergers and acquisitions of financial institutions: banks, insurers, asset managers, broker-dealers, specialty lenders, and fintech firms. These deals run on regulatory approvals and capital ratios rather than […]
Amortization Meaning in EBITDA: PPA, QofE, and the Phantom Amortization Wedge (2026)
Home / Guides / Current article Amortization Meaning in EBITDA: PPA, QofE, and the Phantom Amortization Wedge (2026) Amortization in EBITDA is the A: the non-cash expense that writes down the cost of intangible assets, such as customer lists, patents, software and trade names, over their useful lives. EBITDA adds it back because it uses […]
Paper LBO Example: Step-by-Step Walkthrough for 2026 PE Interviews
Home / Guides / Current article Paper LBO Example: Step-by-Step Walkthrough for 2026 PE Interviews A paper LBO example walkthrough for 2026 PE interviews covers the four calculations every candidate must nail in 90 seconds. (1) Sources and uses: 60% debt at 5x EBITDA, 40% equity to fund $100M enterprise value acquisition. (2) P&L projections: […]
Buying a Laundromat in 2026: 13-Step Guide for First-Time Buyers
Buying a Laundromat in 2026: 13-Step Guide for First-Time Buyers Buying a laundromat in 2026 requires 13 diligence steps most first-time buyers skip. (1) Water bill analysis (proves actual utilization). (2) Equipment age and remaining useful life. (3) Lease structure (owned vs leased with 10-year runway ideal). (4) Card-vs-coin technology stack. (5) Wash-and-fold service revenue […]