What is the aim of calculating terminal value in a DCF analysis?

Calculating the terminal value in a Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) analysis primarily aims to capture the value of an investment beyond the explicit forecast period. This is essential because a DCF model focuses on estimating a company's cash flows for a specific number of years, typically around five to ten. However, businesses often continue to generate cash flows beyond the forecast horizon, and these future cash flows can represent a significant portion of the total value of the company.

The terminal value provides a way to quantify this ongoing value, typically through methods such as the Gordon Growth Model or the Exit Multiple method. By doing so, analysts can gain a more comprehensive understanding of a company's overall worth and include that in their valuation.

The other options focus on aspects of financial analysis that do not encompass the broader goal of terminal value:

• Determining future capital expenditures or estimating long-term cash flows are important but are separate elements of financial modeling, whereas the terminal value reflects value that accrues beyond the current projections.

• Finding the equity value of the company is the ultimate outcome of a DCF analysis, which includes both the present value of the forecasted cash flows and the calculated terminal value.