Corporate Finance Study Guide
A practical, rigorous study guide for builders and candidates preparing for investment banking and corporate finance interviews. It covers the core analytical toolkit: time value of money, risk and cost of capital, capital structure, project valuation, free cash flow modeling, enterprise valuation, multiples, and M&A dynamics — with clean math and zero fluff.
How to use this guide
- Each topic in the navigation is a standalone page readable in ~10 minutes.
- Every page follows an identical, interview-tested shape: why it matters, core concepts with explicit formulas, an intuitive mental model (ASCII diagram), interview questions with detailed answer keys, and a curated watch list of verified lectures.
- Topics are sequenced logically from foundational cost-of-capital building blocks to enterprise valuation and deal mechanics. You can work through them linearly or jump directly to specific interview hotspots.
- Interview badges highlight prep priority: 🎯 Frequent (core IB / corp fin technicals) and Occasional (specialized or situational topics).
- Nothing here requires an external service, database, or sign-up — just clean, scannable Markdown.
Roadmap
| # | Topic | Interview |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Time value of money refresh | 🎯 Frequent |
| 02 | Risk and return | 🎯 Frequent |
| 03 | CAPM & cost of equity | 🎯 Frequent |
| 04 | WACC (Weighted Average Cost of Capital) | 🎯 Frequent |
| 05 | Capital structure & Modigliani-Miller | 🎯 Frequent |
| 06 | Leverage trade-offs & distress | Occasional |
| 07 | NPV and IRR | 🎯 Frequent |
| 08 | Free cash flow (FCFF & FCFE) | 🎯 Frequent |
| 09 | Enterprise vs. equity value | 🎯 Frequent |
| 10 | Multiples overview (EV/EBITDA, P/E) | 🎯 Frequent |
| 11 | Working capital management | Occasional |
| 12 | Dividend and buyback basics | Occasional |
| 13 | M&A intro & accretion/dilution | Occasional |
| 14 | Corporate finance interview patterns | 🎯 Frequent |
Contributing
See CONTRIBUTING.md. In short: keep topics concise, verify every video link yourself, and preserve the modular interview-focused structure.