---
name: excel-dcf-modeler
description: Build discounted cash flow (DCF) valuation models in Excel with free cash flow projections, WACC calculations, and sensitivity analysis for investment banking and corporate finance teams
version: 1.0.0
dependencies: node>=18.0.0
---

# Excel DCF Modeler

Creates professional DCF valuation models following investment banking standards and best practices.

## When to Invoke This Skill

Automatically load this Skill when the user asks to:
- "Create a DCF model"
- "Build a valuation model"
- "Calculate enterprise value"
- "Value [company name]"
- "DCF for [company]"
- "Discounted cash flow analysis"
- "What's the intrinsic value"

## Model Structure

This Skill creates a complete 4-sheet Excel DCF model:

### Sheet 1: Assumptions
- **Company Information**: Name, ticker, base year, fiscal year end
- **Revenue Growth Rates**: Year 1-5 projections (%)
- **Profitability Metrics**: EBITDA margin, D&A as % of revenue
- **Working Capital**: NWC as % of revenue
- **Capital Expenditures**: CapEx as % of revenue
- **Tax Rate**: Corporate tax rate (%)
- **Terminal Growth**: Long-term growth rate (typically 2-3%)
- **Discount Rate (WACC)**: Weighted average cost of capital

### Sheet 2: Free Cash Flow Projections
```
Revenue (Year 0 - Year 5)
  Less: Operating Expenses
= EBITDA
  Less: Depreciation & Amortization
= EBIT
  Less: Taxes (EBIT × Tax Rate)
= NOPAT (Net Operating Profit After Tax)
  Add: Depreciation & Amortization
  Less: Capital Expenditures
  Less: Change in Net Working Capital
= Unlevered Free Cash Flow
```

### Sheet 3: Valuation
```
Present Value of FCF (Years 1-5)
  Year 1 FCF / (1 + WACC)^1
  Year 2 FCF / (1 + WACC)^2
  ...
  Year 5 FCF / (1 + WACC)^5
= Sum of PV(FCF)

Terminal Value Calculation
  Terminal FCF = Year 5 FCF × (1 + Terminal Growth Rate)
  Terminal Value = Terminal FCF / (WACC - Terminal Growth Rate)
  PV of Terminal Value = Terminal Value / (1 + WACC)^5

Enterprise Value
  = Sum of PV(FCF) + PV(Terminal Value)

Equity Value
  = Enterprise Value
  - Net Debt
  + Non-Operating Assets

Equity Value per Share
  = Equity Value / Shares Outstanding
```

### Sheet 4: Sensitivity Analysis
Two-way sensitivity table showing Enterprise Value sensitivity to:
- **Rows**: WACC (ranging from -2% to +2% of base case)
- **Columns**: Terminal Growth Rate (ranging from 1.5% to 3.5%)
- **Output**: Enterprise Value at each combination

## Step-by-Step Workflow

### 1. Gather Inputs
Ask the user for the following information (provide defaults based on industry averages if user is uncertain):

**Required Inputs:**
- Company name and ticker symbol
- Base year revenue (most recent fiscal year)
- Revenue growth rates for Years 1-5 (e.g., 15%, 12%, 10%, 8%, 6%)
- EBITDA margin % (e.g., 20%)
- Tax rate % (e.g., 21% for US corporations)

**Optional Inputs (use defaults if not provided):**
- D&A as % of revenue (default: 5%)
- CapEx as % of revenue (default: 4%)
- NWC as % of revenue (default: 10%)
- Terminal growth rate (default: 2.5%)
- WACC/discount rate (default: 10%)
- Net debt amount (default: $0)
- Shares outstanding (if calculating per-share value)

### 2. Validate Inputs
Ensure the following before building the model:
- Revenue growth rates are reasonable (typically 0-30%)
- EBITDA margin is positive
- Tax rate is between 0-40%
- Terminal growth < WACC (model won't work if g >= WACC)
- WACC is reasonable (typically 7-15%)

### 3. Build Excel Model
Use the Excel MCP server to:
1. Create new workbook
2. Create 4 sheets: "Assumptions", "FCF Projections", "Valuation", "Sensitivity"
3. Populate assumptions in Sheet 1
4. Build FCF projection formulas in Sheet 2 (link to assumptions)
5. Calculate PV of FCF and Terminal Value in Sheet 3
6. Create sensitivity table in Sheet 4
7. Apply professional formatting:
   - Currency format for monetary values
   - Percentage format for rates
   - Conditional formatting on sensitivity table (green = high value, red = low value)
   - Bold headers, freeze panes
   - Cell borders for clarity

### 4. Calculate Results
Return to the user:
- Enterprise Value (in millions/billions)
- Equity Value (if net debt provided)
- Equity Value per Share (if shares outstanding provided)
- Key assumptions used
- Link to sensitivity analysis

### 5. Provide Insights
After building the model, provide brief commentary:
- Is the implied valuation reasonable given industry comparables?
- What are the key value drivers? (usually revenue growth and margins)
- What's the sensitivity to WACC? (typically highest sensitivity)
- Recommend focus areas for further analysis

## Example Formulas

### Free Cash Flow Calculation
```excel
// Revenue (Year 1)
=Assumptions!B5 * (1 + Assumptions!B10)

// EBITDA
=Revenue * Assumptions!B15

// EBIT
=EBITDA - (Revenue * Assumptions!B16)

// NOPAT
=EBIT * (1 - Assumptions!B18)

// Free Cash Flow
=NOPAT + (Revenue * Assumptions!B16) - (Revenue * Assumptions!B17) - ΔNWCapital
```

### Present Value
```excel
// PV of Year 1 FCF
=FCF_Year1 / (1 + WACC)^1

// Terminal Value
=(FCF_Year5 * (1 + Terminal_Growth)) / (WACC - Terminal_Growth)

// PV of Terminal Value
=Terminal_Value / (1 + WACC)^5
```

### Sensitivity Table
```excel
// Use Excel's data table feature
// Row input: Terminal Growth Rate
// Column input: WACC
// Formula: =Enterprise_Value
```

## Example Interaction

**User:** "Create a DCF model for Tesla"

**Skill Response:**
```
I'll build a DCF valuation model for Tesla. Let me gather some inputs.

What base year revenue should we use for Tesla?
(For reference, Tesla's 2023 revenue was approximately $96.8B)

User: $96.8 billion

Great! What revenue growth rates should we assume for Years 1-5?
(Recommended: Start high and taper down, e.g., 20%, 18%, 15%, 12%, 10%)

User: 25%, 20%, 15%, 12%, 10%

What EBITDA margin should we assume?
(Tesla's recent EBITDA margin has been around 15-17%)

User: 16%

Perfect! I'll use the following assumptions:
- Base year revenue: $96.8B
- Growth rates: 25%, 20%, 15%, 12%, 10%
- EBITDA margin: 16%
- Tax rate: 21% (standard US rate)
- WACC: 10% (typical for automotive/tech)
- Terminal growth: 2.5%
- D&A: 5% of revenue
- CapEx: 4% of revenue
- NWC: 10% of revenue

Building your DCF model...

✅ DCF Model Complete!

📊 Valuation Results:
- Enterprise Value: $847.3 billion
- Terminal Value represents: 68% of EV
- Implied equity value per share: $243 (assuming 3.48B shares)

🎯 Key Insights:
- High growth assumptions drive significant value creation
- Model is sensitive to WACC (see sensitivity table)
- Terminal value is major component - validate terminal assumptions
- Revenue growth is the primary value driver

📁 Model saved to: Tesla_DCF_Model.xlsx

The sensitivity table shows Enterprise Value ranges from $612B (high WACC, low growth) to $1,124B (low WACC, high growth).

Would you like me to adjust any assumptions or add additional analysis?
```

## Common Variations

### Request: "Build a DCF but I don't have all the numbers"

**Response:**
```
No problem! I can build a DCF model with industry-average assumptions, and you can adjust later.

What company are you valuing?

User: Amazon

What's the approximate current revenue? (or I can look up recent financials)

I'll use industry-standard assumptions for a large-cap tech company:
- Revenue growth: 15%, 12%, 10%, 8%, 6% (tapering)
- EBITDA margin: 25% (tech average)
- WACC: 9%
- Terminal growth: 2.5%

I'll build the model with these defaults, and you can easily adjust the assumptions in the "Assumptions" sheet.
```

### Request: "Explain the DCF model you built"

**Response:**
```
Sure! Let me walk through the DCF model:

📊 What is a DCF?
A DCF values a company based on its future cash flows, discounted to present value.

🔢 The Model:
1. Projects free cash flow for 5 years
2. Calculates a "terminal value" for years beyond Year 5
3. Discounts all cash flows to today using WACC
4. Sums everything to get Enterprise Value

💰 Key Components:
- Free Cash Flow = Cash the company generates after all investments
- WACC = Cost of capital (what investors expect to earn)
- Terminal Value = Value of cash flows beyond Year 5 (usually 60-80% of total)

⚠️ Important Notes:
- This is a simplified DCF (doesn't include debt schedules, detailed NWC)
- Garbage in, garbage out: Assumptions drive everything
- Use this as a starting point, not final answer
- Always compare to comparable company analysis (comps)

Would you like me to explain any specific part in more detail?
```

## Error Handling

### Invalid Inputs
If user provides invalid inputs:
```
⚠️ Issue detected: Terminal growth rate (4%) is >= WACC (3.5%)

This will cause a mathematical error in the terminal value calculation.
The terminal growth rate must be less than WACC.

Typical ranges:
- WACC: 7-15%
- Terminal growth: 2-3%

Would you like me to adjust these values?
```

### Missing Information
If critical information is missing:
```
I need at least the following to build a DCF:
- Company name or industry
- Approximate current revenue (or I can use industry average)

All other assumptions can use industry defaults.

Would you like me to proceed with defaults, or would you prefer to provide specific assumptions?
```

## Best Practices Embedded

This Skill follows investment banking best practices:

1. **Conservative Terminal Growth**: Default to 2.5% (GDP growth rate)
2. **Tapering Growth Rates**: Revenue growth declines over projection period
3. **Sensitivity Analysis**: Always include WACC and terminal growth sensitivity
4. **Clear Labeling**: All assumptions clearly labeled and linked
5. **Professional Formatting**: Currency/percentage formats, frozen panes, borders
6. **Audit Trail**: Formulas link back to assumptions (no hard-coded values)
7. **Reasonableness Checks**: Validate inputs before building model

## Resources

See the resources folder for:
- `dcf-template.xlsx`: Pre-built DCF template
- `REFERENCE.md`: Financial modeling best practices
- `formulas.txt`: Common DCF formulas for reference

## Limitations

This Skill creates a simplified DCF model suitable for:
- Initial valuation analysis
- Pitch decks and presentations
- Academic exercises
- Quick "back of envelope" valuations

For detailed investment committee presentations or official fairness opinions, you should:
- Add detailed debt schedules
- Include multiple scenarios (base, bull, bear)
- Add more granular operating assumptions
- Validate with third-party data
- Have a finance professional review

## Version History

- v1.0.0 (2025-10-27): Initial release with core DCF functionality