· Updated March 2026 EV/EBITDA by Sector: Enterprise Value Multiples 2026
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VALUATION MULTIPLES

EV/EBITDA by Sector: Enterprise Value Multiples 2026

Compare enterprise value to EBITDA multiples across all GICS sectors. EV/EBITDA is a capital-structure-neutral valuation metric preferred by M&A analysts, as it accounts for debt while normalizing for differing taxation and depreciation schedules.

Sector Medians (Bar Chart)

Energy
10.21x
Financial Services
12.03x
Communication Services
13.38x
Utilities
13.83x
Consumer Defensive
13.85x
Basic Materials
14.46x
Healthcare
14.77x
Consumer Cyclical
15.43x
Industrials
17.44x
Technology
18.89x
Real Estate
19.27x

Detailed Data Table

SectorMedian EV/EBITDAMean EV/EBITDAMinMax# CompaniesCheapest CompanyMost Expensive
Energy10.21x11.71x3.25x55.02x22APA Corporation (APA)Texas Pacific Land Corporation (TPL)
Financial Services12.03x14.06x4.74x34.93x38Allstate Corporation (The) (ALL)Ares Management Corporation (ARES)
Communication Services13.38x17.35x5.72x48.76x24Comcast Corporation (CMCSA)Take-Two Interactive Software, (TTWO)
Utilities13.83x14.25x8.63x21.61x31Edison International (EIX)Constellation Energy Corporatio (CEG)
Consumer Defensive13.85x14.84x6.18x32.15x35Molson Coors Beverage Company (TAP)Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST)
Basic Materials14.46x18.92x5.98x94.36x20Mosaic Company (The) (MOS)Air Products and Chemicals, Inc (APD)
Healthcare14.77x15.77x3.58x47.34x59Molina Healthcare Inc (MOH)Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (ISRG)
Consumer Cyclical15.43x18.97x6.30x139.02x53Best Buy Co., Inc. (BBY)Tesla, Inc. (TSLA)
Industrials17.44x31.28x6.26x863.89x71United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (UAL)Axon Enterprise, Inc. (AXON)
Technology18.89x95.50x4.45x5464.29x79Broadcom Inc. (AVGO)Datadog, Inc. (DDOG)
Real Estate19.27x23.45x11.11x95.01x31Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (HST)CoStar Group, Inc. (CSGP)

Methodology & Sources

Data was aggregated and computed in 2026. This study analyzes the Enterprise Value (EV) and trailing twelve-month Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) of companies in the S&P 500, categorized by their Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) sector.

Sources: Primary data was validated against finviz.com and stockanalysis.com, matching against market closing values as of early 2026. Only companies with positive EBITDA were included in the multiple calculations to prevent skewed medians from negative denominators. We rely on median values as the most robust measure of central tendency for valuation multiples.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is EV/EBITDA?
The Enterprise Value to EBITDA ratio compares a company's total value (including debt, excluding cash) to its core operational earnings before non-cash expenses. It's heavily used in M&A because it values the entire enterprise regardless of its capital structure.
Why use EV/EBITDA instead of P/E?
P/E (Price-to-Earnings) only looks at the equity value and can be distorted by differing debt levels, tax rates, and depreciation methods. EV/EBITDA normalizes these factors, allowing for fairer comparisons between companies with different leverage.
What is considered a "good" EV/EBITDA multiple?
A lower multiple generally indicates a company might be undervalued, while a higher multiple suggests overvaluation or high growth expectations. However, multiples vary significantly by sector. A multiple of 10x might be high for a utility company but cheap for a software firm.
Why does the Technology sector typically have higher multiples?
Technology companies often benefit from high margins, recurring revenue models, and significant future growth expectations. Investors are willing to pay a premium (higher multiple) today for larger expected cash flows in the future.
Can EV/EBITDA be negative?
Yes, if a company has negative EBITDA (it's losing money at an operational level), the multiple will be negative. In these cases, the multiple is generally considered meaningless and analysts will switch to other metrics like EV/Revenue.

Cite This Page

Westmount Fundamentals. "EV/EBITDA by Sector: Enterprise Value Multiples 2026." westmountfundamentals.com/ev-ebitda-sectors, 2026.

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