At FindGreatStocks.com, we believe every investment decision starts with one question:
What is this company really worth?
To answer that, we use a Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Valuation, a time-tested method that estimates a company’s intrinsic value based on the cash it can generate in the future.
It’s the foundation of how we identify potentially undervalued stocks and measure their margin of safety.
What We Value
We focus on Free Cash Flow (FCF) — the cash a business produces after operating expenses and capital investments.
Our model values the company’s enterprise value (EV) using the most recent FCF (TTM) and a 10-year DCF projection.
We then compare that DCF-based Enterprise Value (EV) to the current Market Capitalization (Market Cap) to estimate the Margin of Safety — the gap between intrinsic value and market price.
Default Assumptions
| Parameter | Default |
| Start FCF | Last Twelve Months (TTM) |
| Forecast Horizon | 10 years |
| Discount Rate (r) | 10% |
| Terminal Growth (g) | 2.5% |
We believe these assumptions provide a balanced long-term framework for most established companies (given current environment, interest rates etc.).
Calculation Steps
Step1: Project Future Free Cash Flows
We use each company’s 10-year revenue growth as a proxy for both FCF growth and overall business growth, assuming that profit margins remain constant at their current levels.
Annual growth is capped between −5% and +20% to avoid outliers and applied as a single constant rate over a 10-year projection.
We assume a 2.5% terminal growth and a 10% discount rate.
If FCF or 10-year revenue growth data is missing, the DCF valuation for that ticker is not calculated.
Step 2: Discount Each Year’s FCF
Each future cash flow is discounted to today’s value using the formula:
PV(t)=FCF(t) / (1+r)^t
This accounts for the time value of money — future cash is worth less than present cash.
Step 3: Calculate Terminal Value
TV = FCF / (r - g)
Then discount it back to today:
PV(TV) = TV / (1 + r)^10
This represents the value of all cash flows beyond year 10.
Step 4: Compute Total DCF Enterprise Value
EV=∑10PV+PV(TV)
This step adds up the present value of all projected cash flows from the next 10 years and the discounted terminal value (the value of cash flows beyond year 10).
Together, these represent what the entire business is worth today based on its future cash generation — the DCF Enterprise Value.
Step 5: Calculate Margin of Safety
MoS = (EV - MarketCap) / EV
This metric quickly shows where value exceeds price.
How to Read the Results
| Outcome | Interpretation |
| EV > Market Cap | The market may be undervaluing the company; possible buying opportunity. |
| EV < Market Cap | The company appears overvalued; proceed with caution. |
| MoS ≈ 0 | Fairly valued; confirm with fundamentals before acting. |
Always combine DCF results with business quality metrics such as 10-year revenue growth, profitability, and ROE consistency.
Sensitivity and Caveats
DCF is a powerful but assumption-sensitive model.
Discount rate (r) has a major impact — even 1% change can shift fair value significantly.
Terminal growth (g) is equally influential, especially for stable, mature firms.
Forecasting FCF is art and science — cyclicality and capital intensity matter.
That’s why we encourage users to test multiple scenarios (r/g combinations) instead of relying on a single point estimate.
Use our DCF output as a starting point, then perform your own deeper analysis to refine the appropriate discount rate and growth assumptions for each specific company.
How to Use DCF Inside the FindGreatStocks Scanner
Open the Scanner at FindGreatStocks.com
Click the “Choose Layout” section
Select “DCF Valuation”
Rank stocks by Margin of Safety to instantly see which companies trade below intrinsic value
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Conclusion
DCF valuation turns investing into mathematics — not speculation.
By focusing on cash flow, time, and risk, it provides a disciplined way to uncover mispriced opportunities.
At FindGreatStocks.com, you can view DCF valuations, margins of safety, and key assumptions for hundreds of companies — instantly and transparently.
👉 Visit FindGreatStocks.com and find your next potentially undervalued stock today.
