Analyst Brett Melton, CFA, is looking at two companies. Happy Cow Dairies has volatile cash flows, and its free cash flow is often negative. The company pays no dividends. Glitter and Gold, a maker of girls’ clothing, has a fairly steady stream of earnings and cash flows but takes a lot of charges against equity. Is the residual income model suitable for valuing the two companies?
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Happy Cow Dairies |
Glitter and Gold |
Residual income models work for companies with no dividends and volatile or negative cash flows. They do not work, however, when the clean surplus relation does not hold, as is the case when companies take charges against equity. |