EBITDA stands for 'Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization'. It is a measure used to analyze a company's operating performance without having to factor in financial decisions, accounting decisions, or tax environments. It's essentially a way to evaluate a company's profitability on an operational level.
Though the basic formula of EBITDA is simple, understanding its implication requires a more comprehensive explanation. EBITDA is often used as an alternative to simple earnings or net income in a lot of financial analysis.
By adding back interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization to the net income, EBITDA eliminates the effects of financing and accounting decisions, providing a clearer picture of the company's operational performance. It doesn't consider how the company is financed, what tax structure it has, or how much it has invested in assets.
However, like all financial metrics, EBITDA should not be used in isolation as it can be influenced by the company's capital structure and different accounting practices.
For AT&T, EBITDA is calculated by adding back interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization to its net income. This provides a clearer picture of the company's operational profitability, excluding its significant investment in infrastructure and financial decisions.
General Motors' EBITDA is determined by adding back interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization to its net income. This highlights the company's operational performance, independent of its financial decisions and investments in manufacturing plants and equipment.
Apple's EBITDA is derived by adding back interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization to its net income. This offers an insight into the company's operational profitability, unaffected by its financial structure and substantial investments in research and development.