Familiarity with financial statements and time value of money is recommended. Basic spreadsheet knowledge helps if you want to apply the ideas in a model.
About this course
Short, focused lessons can make a demanding subject easier to revisit. This free online valuation course with Aswath Damodaran breaks business valuation into a sequence of manageable topics. It introduces intrinsic value and pricing methods, then examines the adjustments and special situations that can complicate the analysis of a real business.
Course at a glance
| Provider / Instructor | Aswath Damodaran |
|---|---|
| Platform | YouTube · Aswath Damodaran |
| Access | Free Video |
| Level | Intermediate · WikiFree audience assessment |
| Language | English |
| Available videos | 25 |
| Video duration | 6h 3m · allow extra time for independent practice |
| Format | Self-paced viewing of the source course |
| Certificate | No certificate included with free YouTube viewing |
What you’ll learn
- Identify the major inputs required for an intrinsic valuation.
- Explain why growth and terminal assumptions need to be consistent.
- Compare different pricing multiples and the questions they answer.
- Recognize adjustments and option-related situations that require additional analysis.
Skills you’ll gain
- Valuation fundamentals
- Discounted cash flow concepts
- Multiple interpretation
- Model consistency
Course Overview
The course develops discount rates, cash flows, growth and terminal value before moving to value enhancement and practical valuation adjustments. It then examines earnings, book value and revenue multiples alongside asset-based approaches and private company valuation. The final section introduces real options. Compared with the MBA classroom recordings, this format is useful for focused study sessions and returning to one concept at a time.
How the course develops
- Intrinsic value: connect risk measures and discount rates with cash-flow, growth and terminal-value estimates.
- Adjustments and pricing: examine valuation loose ends, acquisitions and the interpretation of commonly used multiples.
- Special situations: consider private companies, asset-based methods and the use of real-option reasoning.
The classroom retains every entry from the selected source playlist, including introductory or review videos when present. Follow the lesson sequence, or use the lesson search to return to a specific explanation. The source lesson titles are preserved so that you can match your place with the instructor’s materials.
Who is this for?
Finance learners and analysts who prefer short online lessons, want a refresher or need a topic-by-topic companion to independent valuation practice.
Before you start
Familiarity with financial statements and time value of money is recommended. Basic spreadsheet knowledge helps if you want to apply the ideas in a model.
Put the lessons into practice
Choose one short session and turn it into a model-review checklist. For example, list the questions you would ask about a terminal-value assumption or a comparison multiple. Apply the checklist to a hypothetical company, record any inconsistencies and revise the assumptions before adding more complexity to the valuation.
This optional activity is provided by WikiFree for independent study. It is not a graded assignment from the instructor. Keep your working notes and separate evidence from assumptions so that you can review your reasoning as you progress.
Certificate / Assessment
The public YouTube videos are free to watch. Viewing them through WikiFree does not include a certificate, academic credit, an NYU degree, instructor feedback or admission to a university program. Separate enrolled or certificate programs can have different requirements and fees.
Mark complete records your study progress; it does not assess your work or award a qualification. Examples and figures belong to the source recordings. Use the lessons to learn the analytical methods and verify current inputs before applying them to a real decision.
Related courses for your next step
- Compare another approachBusiness Valuation MBA: Free Course
Focus: Business valuation · Financial modeling judgment
Intermediate - Explore a higher-level optionExecutive Valuation: Free Course
Focus: Intrinsic valuation · Model review
Professional - Compare another approachFree Simplilearn Course: Financial Modeling and Corporate Valuation
Focus: Project Finance · Valuation
Intermediate
Compare course focus, level and study time
| Course | Level | Focus | Study time |
|---|---|---|---|
| This course — Business Valuation: Free Online Course | Intermediate | Valuation fundamentals · Discounted cash flow concepts · Multiple interpretation | 6h 3m of video; practice time is additional |
| Business Valuation MBA: Free Course | Intermediate | Business valuation · Financial modeling judgment · Pricing comparisons | 35h 12m of video; practice time is additional |
| Executive Valuation: Free Course | Professional | Intrinsic valuation · Model review · Valuation assumptions | 11h 58m of video; practice time is additional |
| Free Simplilearn Course: Financial Modeling and Corporate Valuation | Intermediate | Project Finance · Valuation · Capital Structure | 1h 5m of video; practice time is additional |
Frequently asked questions
Is this course free to watch?
Yes. The videos in this listing are public lessons from the Aswath Damodaran YouTube channel. Optional books, software and separately enrolled programs may have their own costs.
How long does the course take?
The 25 available videos total approximately 6h 3m. Allow additional time for pausing, notes, calculations and independent practice.
What background do I need?
Familiarity with financial statements and time value of money is recommended. Basic spreadsheet knowledge helps if you want to apply the ideas in a model.
Does the course include an NYU certificate?
No. Free YouTube viewing and WikiFree progress tracking do not award an NYU certificate, degree or academic credit.
Can I study on a phone?
Yes. The classroom includes a responsive video player and searchable lesson list. A larger screen is useful for detailed spreadsheets and calculations.
What happens if a lesson is unavailable?
Its place should remain in the course with an availability notice. If the source no longer provides a title, the missing item is identified clearly instead of inventing one. You can continue with the available lessons.
Provider: Aswath Damodaran. Videos play from the Aswath Damodaran channel on YouTube.
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