John Colley • Investment Banking Practitioner Series

Company Valuation Masterclass: Complete Guide

Value Any Company Like a Pro Analyst | DCF, Comps & Precedent Transactions by a Former Investment Banker

★★★★½ 4.56 (1,006 ratings)  |  7,173 students enrolled  |  9.5 hours of video  |  118 lectures
Enrol on Udemy →
Discount applied automatically through this link
The promise

“Master every valuation method a senior banker actually uses — DCF, trading comps, precedent transactions, sum of the parts — and learn to triangulate a defensible range.”

4.56★
Rating
7,173
Students
9.5
Hours
118
Lectures
February 2026
Updated

Why this course

Valuation is not one number. It is a range, supported by three or four methodologies that triangulate to a defensible answer. This is the masterclass that takes you through every method a practitioner uses on real deals — and shows you how to combine them into a presentation a managing director will sign off.

Inside: intrinsic value, time value of money, free cash flow, WACC and CAPM, the dividend discount model, comparable company analysis, precedent transactions, EVA and MVA, sum of the parts, and the football field graph that pulls it all together. We cover the dangers of rule of thumb shortcuts, when each method is appropriate, and the judgment calls that separate good analysts from average ones.

Built on 30 years of M&A and corporate finance experience and trusted by over 7,000 students, this is the most complete valuation training available outside a bulge bracket training programme.

What you will master

Every outcome below is built into the course — not a marketing list, the actual curriculum.

Apply every valuation methodology used in M&A and equity research — DCF, trading comps, precedent transactions, sum of the parts
Master intrinsic value, time value of money, and the foundations of corporate valuation
Calculate the discount rate using the Capital Asset Pricing Model and the Weighted Average Cost of Capital
Use comparable company analysis without falling into the rule-of-thumb traps that catch out junior analysts
Apply Economic Value Added and Market Value Added to assess management performance
Use the Dividend Discount Model and Gordon’s Growth Model where they are appropriate
Run a Sum of the Parts analysis on a diversified business
Value private companies using three different practitioner methods — and understand why it is so difficult
Value internet companies and startups using New Economy techniques
Present a triangulated valuation as a Football Field graph that an investment committee can act on

Who this course is for

  • Senior executives responsible for growth, portfolio and investment decisions — CEOs, CFOs, Corporate VPs, Directors
  • Mid-level managers in accounting, valuation, research and financial modelling roles
  • Investment banking and finance professionals sourcing, executing and managing deals
  • Legal counsel and consultants advising on financing and investing decisions
  • MBA and finance students who want practitioner-level valuation skills before they hit the desk

Requirements

  • A computer with Excel installed
  • Basic understanding of Excel helpful but not essential
  • Enthusiasm and a willingness to learn

What students are saying

Verified reviews from students who completed the course on Udemy.

★★★★★

“As a novice stock analyst in the restaurant industry, I already knew a thing or two about valuation. But I was very happy with the amount of information I got. The course is wide-ranging and introduces you to several relevant techniques beyond the classic DCF.”

Pedro Victor Silveira Goulart
Verified Udemy student
★★★★½

“This training starts from the basic principles but then goes into details of valuation. It also gives personal advice and practical examples that you will hardly find in a valuation book.”

Andrea Magarotto
Verified Udemy student
★★★★★

“Amazing course. Learning a basic but complex topic with an investment banker is a special blend!”

Gabriel Bertoncini
Verified Udemy student
Your instructor

John Colley

Investment banker turned educator. 30+ years across Hoare Govett, M&A, private equity and corporate finance. Cambridge graduate, Bayes Business School MBA with Distinction.

Author of the Investment Banking Practitioner’s Handbook Series — the largest practitioner-authored IB content library available online. Trusted by 150,000+ students across 30+ Udemy courses.

Every course is built on real deal experience — not textbook theory. The voice is a senior banker explaining how things actually work, not a lecturer reading notes.

Ready to enrol?

Lifetime access. 30-day Udemy money-back guarantee. Mobile and desktop. Certificate of completion.

Enrol on Udemy →
Discount applied automatically through this link
Part of John Colley’s finance course library on Udemy. More courses at jbdcolley.com