What is the difference between investment value and market value?

George Bernard Shah once said that a cynic is a person who understands the price of everything but the value of nothing. That is more at a generic level. What do we understand by price and value when it comes to stock markets and more specifically with respect to equities? Let us look at this debate between market value vs stock price and probe the difference between stock price and market price. Value and price of stock are two sides of the same coin and one is not possible without the other.

Price is what you pay and value is what you get

 This is perhaps the most basic difference between the concepts of price and value. When you buy a product or a stock, there is a certain market price that you pay. Especially, when it comes to stocks, market price is based on a mix of subjective and objective factors. What you actually pay for the stock is the price or the market price of the stock. But value is what is resident in the asset. Value is derived by what the stock worth, which in turn is dependent on how much cash flow the company can generate in the future. There are two types of price viz. cost price and the market price. The cost price is the price at which you procure the stock while the market price is what the stock is currently quoting at in the current market. Normally, the difference between cost price and market price is determined by estimates of value.

Value is of two type’s viz. embedded value and cash flow value. Gold is valuable because there is value in the form of precious metal embedded in gold. Gold does not generate cash flows. Cash flow value arises when an asset can generate cash flows in the future. For example, a stock can generate cash flows in the form of dividends and capital gains. A business can generate free cash flows from operations and property can generate rent.

How is value estimated in the stock markets?
While there are many methods of valuing stocks, the most popular method is the discounted cash flow method. Here the future cash flows of the company for next 5 years are discounted back to the present using the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) as the discounting rate. Additionally, the lump-sum terminal value of the business is calculated at the end of 5 years and that is also discounted back to the present. The sum total is the valuation of the company. The following formula captures the concept of valuation based on discounted cash flows best:

Normally, the valuation considers the next 5 or 7 years where it is possible to project the cash flows and then calculates the final value. The logic of this approach to valuation is that the value of any business is dependent on the cash flows that it can generate in the future. Valuation is, therefore, all about the capacity of the business to generate cash flows in the future.

How is price determined in the market?

When it comes to price of a stock, there is the all-important concept of the P/E ratio that we need to understand. It is the ratio of the market capitalization to the net profit of the stock. It represents the price that the market is willing to pay for every rupee earned by the company. Normally, investors tend to believe that price is the input and P/E ratio is the output. In reality, P/E ratio is the input and price is the output. The P/E ratio for a stock or a sector is dependent on a variety of factors like quality of cash flows, balance sheet strength, brand value, corporate governance standards, ability to scale up etc. For example, sectors with high ROE and growth like FMCG enjoy a higher P/E compared to metals and other commodities. It is the P/E ratio that actually determines the price of the stock.

The relationship between price and value
The big debate in equity share markets is what stocks to buy and at what price. That is where the linkage between price and value comes in handy. Consider the graph below:

Normally, there is a direct relationship between value and price. Greater the value, greater the price and vice versa! The above chart captures the essence of value creation and value destruction. When the price is substantially above the value of the stock, then the stock is likely to be a loser and therefore destroy value. On the other hand, if the price of the stock is substantially below the value then it is likely to outperform and create value. The gap between the price and the value is the margin of safety and is commonly used by marquee investors like Warren Buffett to evaluate the attractiveness of a stock.

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  • Book value and market value are ways to evaluate a company. Book value is based on its balance sheet; market value on its share price.
  • If book value is higher than market value, it suggests an undervalued stock. If the book value is lower, it can mean an overvalued stock.
  • Book value and market value are best used in tandem when making investment decisions.

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Among the many measures that investors can evaluate companies, two tools are especially popular: book value and market value.  

Aside from the word "value" in their names, though, the pair have little in common.

One is an objective approach that encompasses balance sheets and financial statements — a company's books. The other is a more subjective approach, which takes into account the sometimes irrational sentiments of the stock market.

Despite these differences, or because of them, investors often set a company's book value and market value against each other to determine if the shares are overpriced or underpriced — and so whether the stock's a good deal or not.

Let's compare the two metrics more closely.

What is book value?

Book value can be seen basically as a company's break-up value — the amount that the company would be worth if it were liquidated.

The book value formula. Taylor Tyson/Insider

Calculated from a company's balance sheet, it takes all the company's assets — physical things of value, from inventory and investments to equipment and real estate. It then subtracts intangible assets (copyrights, patents, intellectual property) and liabilities (like loans, taxes, and other debts). 

Let's say a company had total assets of $20 million, of which $5 million were intangible assets. Let's also say a company had liabilities of $8 million. The book value of the company would be $7 million: $20 million - $5 million - $8 million.  

Book value is best used with companies that have significant physical assets, such as manufacturers that own factories and plants, heavy machinery, and other equipment. It doesn't work as accurately for companies whose assets are primarily intangible assets, such as info-technology or digital firms, whose assets lie primarily in intellectual property — their formulas, systems, algorithms, etc.

Book value alone is just a reflection of a company's equity – what it owns.To be used as an decision-making tool, it needs to be compared to a company's market value before an investor can determine whether to buy or sell a stock.

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What is market value?

Market value is also known as market capitalization, is the value of all of a company's stock in the marketplace. It's what it would cost you if you were to buy up every one of its outstanding shares at the current share price.

It can be calculated by multiplying the share price by the total number of shares that are trading.

The market value formula. Taylor Tyson/ Insider

For example, if the current stock price of Company ABC is $105 and the company has 80 million shares outstanding, its market value is $8.4 billion: $105 x 80 million.

Market value can be a volatile figure. It changes throughout the day because a company's share price constantly fluctuates, as investors and traders buy and sell the stock.

For the most part, though, the number doesn't change very drastically; it only happens if there is significant good news or bad news related to the company or to the industry in which it operates. Total shares outstanding almost never changes, only on rare occasions when company's enact stock buybacks or issue more shares of stock.

The key differences between book value and market value include:

  • What they're based on. Book value is a valuation of a company that takes into consideration hard financial figures: actual assets and liabilities. Market value is the valuation of a company based on its share price. Yes, that's a number, but it's a figure that fluctuates based on investor perceptions of the company, including such intangibles as proprietary software, artificial intelligence Algorhythms, and future growth prospects. It is a way of sizing up a company by the value that investors put on it. 
  • How up-to-date they are. One of the drawbacks of book value is that it can only be determined from a company's financial statements. As companies usually only report financial statements quarterly or annually, book value is not a readily available number and it is, therefore, a number that can change from one reporting period to the next without any insight into the interim period. Market value on the other hand is available every day throughout the day.
  • How understandable/accessible they are. Book value can be difficult to ascertain unless an investor makes an effort to understand how a company's accounting practices work: the type of depreciation used on assets, any claims on assets, and how creditors might sell them in liquidation. Book valuation can be subject to various accounting practices and tax law that can result in it being an adjustable figure. In contrast, market value is pretty transparent and easy to find — market cap figures for companies are typically a part of online stock listings and corporate profiles.
  • How accurate they are. Of course, figures can be manipulated, and value is to some extent in the eye of the beholder. Still, assuming everything is accurately reported, book value is an insightful number that can be an indicator of its financial health. But the market value of a company is one based on perception and is, therefore, not necessarily an accurate representation of its value. A company's stock price may be inflated or deflated for a variety of reasons, such as the announcement of an acquisition, a new product, or a lawsuit, without any real understanding of the true impact or ramifications of these events. The history of finance is strewn with companies and sectors, like dotcom stocks in 2000, that inflate in speculative bubbles based on news and rumors, only to come crashing down when investors realize their market value did not equate to their actual financial standing.

Comparing book value and market value 

You don't have to choose between using book value and market value. The real advantage for investors lies in comparing these values to one another for a specific company. 

If book value is higher than market value, it can mean an undervalued stock. If the book value is lower, it can mean an overvalued stock.

So if the book value of a company is higher than its market value, it means that investors are not factoring in its actual financial fundamentals — the strength of its operations and balance sheet. It can mean a good opportunity to purchase a company's stock as its share price will most likely appreciate, once the market realizes the company's intrinsic strength.  

Conversely, if a company's market value is higher than its book value, it most often indicates a company that is overpriced, and whose actual worth does not live up to its perceived worth. This would be a good time to sell the stock or avoid buying it as most likely there will be a market correction, causing the share price to drop.

If a company's market value is above its book value but starts to fall to eventually below its book value, it could indicate a loss of investor confidence in the company that has not yet been factored into its book value. 

The bottom line

Book value and market value are two ways to value a company. Book value is based on a company's balance sheet while market value is based on a company's share price, which changes often due to stock market sentiment.

Book value represents the financial strength of a company based on its assets, an objective number. In contrast, market value represents the attractiveness of a company's share in the marketplace, a somewhat more subjective number.

Investors should use book value and market value in tandem when making investment decisions. Of course, just looking at the figures isn't enough. An investor needs to understand the rationale behind the numbers to make an educated stock pick.

Ali Hussain worked in credit risk management, analyzing the risk factors of doing business with hedge funds. He started his career with Deutsche Bank and worked at other large financial institutions, such as Citigroup, Bear Stearns, and Societe Generale. After a few years spent in risk management, Ali moved to the front office where he worked in Sales & Trading, covering the sales aspect of the futures clearing business. Ali completed his master's degree in journalism from Columbia University, writing on a variety of topics at school and then embarking on a freelance career upon completion of his degree. In addition to Insider, Ali has written for various publications, including the Huffington Post and Narratively. 

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Is investment value higher than market value?

Market value is determined by using an appraisal process. It is different from investment value, which takes into consideration a person's unique goals, objectives, and needs for the property. The investment value can be lower or higher than the market value. It depends on the property's specific situation at the time.

What is the difference between investment value and fair market value?

Investment value usually refers to a broader range of values resulting from a variety of different valuation methodologies. Fair market value is based on the market value of an asset or entity with latitude for adjustments depending on the analysis of market transaction circumstances.

What is meant by investment value?

Investment value is the amount of money an investor would pay for a property. It refers to an asset's specific value based on certain parameters. It is an individual's measurement of the asset's property value.

How do you calculate market value of an investment?

Market value is also commonly used to refer to the market capitalization of a publicly traded company, and is calculated by multiplying the number of its outstanding shares by the current share price.