Fair market valuation of a business

Table of earnings multiples for groups of industries
(choose the earnings multiple for the industry closest to the one you are valuing)

Very narrow profit variation - 10 times average earnings
Cosmetics; Food; Tobacco; Utilities

Moderately narrow profit variation - 9 times average earnings
Amusement; Beverages; Chemical; Container; Drug; Meat Packing; Oil; Paper / Paper Products; Retail Trade; Sugar; Textile

Moderately wide profit variation - 7 times average earnings
Advertising; Agricultural Impt.; Aviation; Boots and Shoes; Coal; Electrical Equipment; Household Products; Financial; Leather; Office Equipment; Printing; Publishing; Radio; Railroad; Rubber; Shipping; Ship Building

Very wide profit variation - 6 times average earnings
Automobiles; Automobile Accessories; Construction; Machinery; Non-Ferrous Met.; R.R. Equipment; Steel

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