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To be successful as an investor, one needs a framework. And no investing framework works without numbers. Although quantitative methods can be intimidating, they provide a major boost to the quality of analysis. Written for readers without a technical background, Finding Value in Numbers is an engaging and practical guide to how thoughtful investors can use numbers—not just for the sake of crunching data but for making better decisions.
Using a value investing perspective, Ehsan Ehsani shows how to deploy quantitative tools to identify and analyze investment prospects, demystifying the math that points to overlooked opportunities in the stock market, other securities, and beyond. Numbers help us grasp what a company is worth and why: the quality of a business, the durability of its competitive edge, and the reasonableness of its price. Combining practical frameworks with real-world examples, Ehsani walks readers through key concepts that enable robust analysis while explaining how to spot red flags. Along the way, he reveals how a disciplined, numbers-based approach can support both conviction and patience—two traits every successful investor needs. Blending quantitative insight with timeless investing wisdom, Finding Value in Numbers is an essential book for aspiring and professional investors looking to hone their skills as well as curious readers drawn to the inner workings of markets.
Ehsan Ehsani is an adjunct professor in the finance division at Columbia Business School and an investor at an activist and value-oriented firm in New York. He holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, along with master’s degrees from the MIT-Zaragoza International Logistics Program and Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden.
Mario Gabelli is the chairman and chief executive officer of GAMCO Investors, Inc.
Writer’s Note
Foreword, by Mario J. Gabelli
Background: Setting the Stage
You Need to Have a Framework
Part I. Is the Idea Investible?
1. What Does “Investible” Mean?
2. Return on Invested Capital
3. Calculating Return on Invested Capital: Special Scenarios
4. A Value Investor’s Guide to Economic Value Added
5. Other Useful EVA-Based Indicators
6. Revisiting ROIC Adjustments
7. Marginal ROIC and Other Commentary
8. Unit Economics
9. Owner Earnings
Part II. Is the Valuation Attractive?
10. An Alternative Perspective on Valuation
11. Value of Growth
12. Considerations in Value of Growth
13. A Note on Cost of Capital
14. TAM Analysis
15. Value of Intangible Assets
16. Integrating Intangibles Into Business Valuation
Part III. Is There a Path to Profits?
17. Catalysts and Levers for Repricing
18. Risk Arbitrage
19. Value Across Capital Structure
20. Discovering Opportunities in Less Common Securities
21. Short Selling
Part IV. Do We Have a Winning Gameplan?
22. A Few Easy Internal Rate of Return Calculations
23. Key Portfolio Decisions
24. Pursuing Value in a Complex World
25. Coming Full Circle
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index