The Validity of Economic Value Added as a Metric for Determining Intrinsic Value

Economic Value Added has been discussed as a financial metric since its creation by Stern Stewart & Co. in the 1980s. Closely tied to value investing, which was pioneered by Benjamin Graham in the late 1920s and early 1930s, E.V.A. has been applied both as a tool for valuation by investors and as a tool for managers to measure the creation of value. While including and allowing for the cost of capital in its calculation, E.V.A. also integrates the present value of future cash flows.This paper discusses not only the origins and application of E.V.A. but also explores the stock prices over seven years of ten companies who had the greatest Market Value Added (the sum of the present value of expected future E.V.A.) and the ten companies who returned the lowest M.V.A. as described by James L. Grant in Foundations of Economic Value Added. In addition, two companies who use E.V.A. as a management tool will be explored to help to determine its validity both as a tool for investors and managers.