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Economic Value Added (EVA)

Animated whiteboard explainer: Economic Value Added (EVA)

Stern Stewart, 1991 0:39 Whiteboard video

Overview

What if you could measure a company’s true profitability not just by profit alone, but by how well it creates value for shareholders? That’s where Economic Value Added, or EVA, comes in. EVA is a performance metric that shows whether a company is generating returns above its cost of capital.

Key Components

It’s used by managers and investors to assess whether a business is creating or destroying value. Visually, EVA is calculated by subtracting the cost of capital from a company’s net operating profit after taxes.

How to Apply

To apply it, businesses compare their EVA over time or against industry benchmarks.

Key Insight

In essence, EVA turns financial data into a clear signal of real economic performance.