Best Valuation Books of 2026

The HBR Guide to Buying a Small Business is a must-read for anyone considering becoming a CEO by purchasing a small company. Written by Harvard Business School professors Richard Ruback and Royce Yudkoff, this book provides practical advice on how to determine if this path is right for you, raise capital for your acquisition, find and evaluate the right prospects, negotiate a potential deal with the seller, and avoid deals that fall through at the last minute. Overall, this book is an excellent resource for anyone looking to take the leap into entrepreneurship through acquisition.

Buy Then Build by Walker Deibel is a groundbreaking book that provides a new approach to entrepreneurship. Deibel offers a solution to the high failure rates of startups by teaching readers how to buy and build upon an already profitable company. Through his extensive knowledge and experience, Deibel provides a blueprint for entrepreneurs to succeed and achieve financial independence. The book includes practical tips on how to navigate the acquisition process, find brokers and generate deal flow. The reviews from industry experts praise the book as a gamechanger and a pioneering work. Overall, Buy Then Build is a must-read for anyone looking to outsmart the startup game and achieve success as an acquisition entrepreneur.

Buffett's 2-Step Stock Market Strategy by Danial Jiwani is a beginner's guide to Warren Buffett's long-term investment strategy. The book breaks down Buffett's approach into two simple steps and provides insights into his investment principles, including when to buy and sell, how to research stocks, and the biggest mistakes to avoid. Jiwani also shares his own advice on diversification, risk management, and finding winning stocks. What sets this book apart is the author's ability to explain complex investment concepts in simple terms, making it an excellent resource for novice investors.

The Lifestyle Investor by Justin Donald is a best-selling book that provides a simple and proven system for creating cash flow and generating real wealth with little risk or complexity. The author's 10 Commandments of Lifestyle Investing© can help readers replace their job with passive cash flow streams that multiply their wealth, so they can live life on their terms. Justin's own experience of multiplying his net worth to over eight figures in less than two years is an inspiration, and his advice can be valuable to entrepreneurs and executives looking to invest wisely. Overall, this book is a must-read for anyone looking to create financial freedom through low-risk cash flow investing.

The University Edition of Valuation: Measuring and Managing the Value of Companies, Seventh Edition is an essential guide for financial professionals and students seeking a deep understanding of corporate valuation. The book presents a step-by-step approach to teaching valuation fundamentals, including analyzing historical performance, forecasting performance, estimating the cost of capital, and interpreting the results of a valuation in context. The latest edition has been updated with new insights on digital, ESG, and long-term investing, as well as fresh case studies. The end-of-chapter review questions and Wiley's Online Instructor's Manual complement classroom instruction. Overall, the book offers expert guidance from McKinsey & Company and remains a trusted resource for teaching corporate valuation.

Valuation: Measuring and Managing the Value of Companies, the seventh edition of McKinsey & Company's #1 best-selling guide to corporate valuation, is a comprehensive resource that helps financial professionals worldwide gain a deep understanding of valuation and create, manage, and maximize economic value for their shareholders. This latest edition has been carefully revised and updated throughout, covering topics such as digital, ESG, and long-term investing, as well as featuring fresh case studies. The book is a must-read for investment bankers, financial analysts, CFOs, corporate managers, venture capitalists, and students and instructors in all areas of finance.

The Little Book of Valuation by Aswath Damodaran is a comprehensive guide to stock valuation that is accessible to investors of all levels. The author covers various valuation techniques, from intrinsic valuation to real option valuation, in a clear and concise manner. The book includes case studies and examples that help build valuation skills and an accompanying iPhone application that makes the lessons of the book immediately useable. This reliable guide not only helps investors value a company quickly, but also makes sense of valuations done by others or found in comprehensive equity research reports.

How to Measure Anything: Finding the Value of Intangibles in Business is an insightful and eloquent book that shows managers how to measure those things in their business that may have been considered "immeasurable". The book offers practical methods for measuring a variety of "intangibles" and continues to boldly assert that any perception of "immeasurability" is based on certain popular misconceptions about measurement and measurement methods. Overall, this book is a must-read for anyone looking to make less risky, more profitable business decisions.

The 3rd Edition of Investment Banking: Valuation, LBOs, M&A, and IPOs is an authoritative guide to performing valuation work and financial analysis on Wall Street. Written by investment bankers, this book offers a step-by-step approach to each methodology, building a chronological knowledge base and defining key terms and financial concepts. The book has become a go-to resource for students, graduates, and career changers looking to break into finance. With valuable contributions from Nasdaq and Latham & Watkins LLP, plus access to online valuation models and a course, this timely update is more relevant than ever.

The Art of M&A, Fifth Edition: A Merger, Acquisition, and Buyout Guide is a must-read for executives, investment bankers, attorneys, and accountants who are heavily involved in M&A processes. This updated edition provides critical lessons learned from past financial crises and regulatory shocks, delivering the information and insight needed to make the right decisions throughout the process. The book covers everything from getting started to landmark legal cases, and is authored by Alexandra Reed Lajoux, one of the most respected figures in the fields of M&A, corporate governance, and international trade. Overall, this book is an indispensable resource that provides guidance on developing, stewarding, and closing deals that benefit everyone involved.