Larger companiesDistribution

    What does a distribution company sell for? Thin margins, so profit sets the price

    A distributor is priced on its profit, not its sales. A made-up one with $30,000,000 in sales at the IRS wholesale rate of 6.4% earns $1,920,000, which our calculator puts at $7,680,000 to $11,136,000. Below: how distributors sell at each size from $10,000,000 to $300,000,000.

    Distribution and wholesale
    17 min read

    Figures: IRS tax year 2023Census through June 2026TagniFi through March 2026Market Pulse through Q2 2026Read November 12, 2026

    Legend Atty
    Legend Atty · Founder, BridgeBook
    Published

    What do distributors earn?

    The short answer: wholesale S corporations kept 5.2%[1] of sales as business profit in tax year 2023, by our math on IRS figures for every size, against 7.5%[2] across all industries. With margins that thin, two distributors with the same sales can sell for prices far apart. Buyers look hardest at margin by customer and at working capital, the stock and receivables you hand over.

    Business profit on tax returns
    5.2%[1]Wholesale S corporations, all sizes, tax year 2023
    Before interest, depreciation and amortization
    6.4%[1]Tax year 2023, our math
    Operating margin, larger wholesalers
    3.1%[3]$50,000,000 or more of assets, year to June 2026
    Distributors your size
    44,106[4]Employer firms, $10,000,000 to $99,999,999 in sales, 2022

    The first figure is what wholesale S corporations reported to the IRS as business profit, as a share of what they took in, before the owners' own income tax. It's all of them taken together, losses included, so it isn't the middle company. Durable goods wholesalers ran higher than nondurable ones.

    The second adds back interest, depreciation and amortization, by our math on the same lines. That's close to EBITDA: yearly profit before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, the figure a buyer prices.

    Larger wholesalers run thin too. The Census Bureau's quarterly survey covers wholesalers with $50,000,000 or more of assets. Their operating profit was 3.1% of sales, or 3.9%[3] with depreciation added back. That's public and private companies together, over the four quarters to June 2026.

    Exhibit 1

    Wholesale S corporations, tax year 2023

    Band is sales
    Wholesale S corporations, tax year 2023: business profit on tax returns and the figure before interest, depreciation and amortization, durable and nondurable goods, beside all S corporations.
    Industry or sizeBusiness profit on tax returnsBefore interest, depreciation and amortization
    Wholesale trade all sizes5.2%6.4%
    Wholesale trade, durable goods all sizes6.1%8.0%*
    Wholesale trade, nondurable goods all sizes4.0%5.0%*
    All S corporations7.5%9.7%

    * Includes gains on selling equipment, which the IRS doesn't publish for this industry.

    Sorted by business receipts, which this page calls sales. Before interest, depreciation and amortization = (business profit + interest + depreciation + amortization − net gains on selling equipment) ÷ total receipts, by our math on IRS figures.[1][2]

    Source: IRS Statistics of Income, Tax Year 2023[1]; IRS Statistics of Income, Tax Year 2023, released September 2026[2]. Industry rows cover every size of company. Exhibit 3 has the rows by size.

    Why does working capital decide more here?

    Because a distributor's stock and receivables are large next to its profit. Before closing, you and the buyer agree how much of them the business hands over. Here's how that works, and why a gap can cost months of profit.

    A made-up example for a distributor: the durable goods company in the $30,000,000 section below agrees to $11,760,000. On closing day the inventory count comes in $600,000 under the target. The price falls to $11,160,000, before any debt, escrow or fees come out.

    Inventory and receivables swing with the seasons and with large orders. So the month a deal closes, and how the target is averaged, matter. How the working capital peg is set.

    What do outside reports show for distributors?

    TagniFi, a deal database, publishes multiples for distribution by deal size. A multiple is the price divided by a year of EBITDA. Here they are as TagniFi reports them, with its row for durable goods wholesalers from an older release.

    Exhibit 2

    Distribution deals in TagniFi's tables

    Band is company value

    Other publishers' figures, not ours

    Other publishers' figures by size: TagniFi and TagniFi (PR Newswire).
    Company valueMultiple of EBITDAStatisticBuyersPeriodPublisher
    $10,000,000 to $50,000,000, distribution5.0xMedianAll buyersTwelve months to March 31, 2026TagniFi[5]
    $50,000,000 to $200,000,000, distribution7.6xMedianAll buyersTwelve months to March 31, 2026TagniFi[5]
    $10,000,000 to $100,000,000, durable goods wholesalers6.5xAs printedAll buyersTwelve months to the third quarter of 2025TagniFi[6]

    These figures come from outside reports, not from BridgeBook's own data: each one counts different deals in its own way, so read them as a guide to the market, not as a price for your company.

    Source: TagniFi, Twelve months to March 31, 2026[5]; TagniFi (PR Newswire), Twelve months to the third quarter of 2025[6].

    Those groups are what companies sold for, not their sales. They're context for a conversation, not a price for yours. Why bigger deals carry bigger multiples.

    The Census Bureau counted 44,106[4] wholesale employer firms with $10,000,000 to $99,999,999 in sales in 2022, more than in any other sector. That's out of 249,587 employer firms that size in every sector. Retail came next, at 37,825. A firm with locations in more than one industry is counted in each, so read these as the size of the field, not an exact list.

    What does a distributor earn and sell for at each size?

    Run the IRS wholesale rate of 6.4% across seven made-up distributors and profit goes from $640,000 at $10,000,000 of sales to $19,200,000 at $300,000,000. Our calculator's sold-deal data stops at companies that sold for $50,000,000, so the last two get no figure from us.

    Exhibit 3

    Seven made-up distributors at the IRS wholesale rate of 6.4%

    Band is sales
    Seven made-up distributors: sales, the IRS size row for that size, EBITDA at the wholesale rate, and what the sold-deal data behind our calculator puts on it
    SalesIRS size rowEBITDA at 6.4%Our sold-deal range
    $10,000,0009.1%$640,000$1,944,032 to $3,207,653
    $20,000,0009.1%$1,280,000$4,196,600 to $6,209,558
    $30,000,0009.1%$1,920,000$7,680,000 to $11,136,000
    $50,000,0008.0%$3,200,000$12,800,000 to $18,560,000
    $100,000,0008.0%$6,400,000$25,600,000 to $37,120,000
    $200,000,0008.0%$12,800,000Past our data
    $300,000,0008.2%$19,200,000Past our data

    Source: IRS Statistics of Income, Tax Year 2023[1]; IRS Statistics of Income, Tax Year 2023, released September 2026[2]; IBBA and M&A Source, Second quarter of 2026[7]. Made-up examples. The rate is wholesale S corporations of every size. Ranges are the sold-deal data behind our calculator, all industries together, checked November 2, 2026.

    The size row is every S corporation that size, before interest, depreciation and amortization. A distributor at the wholesale rate runs under it at every size.

    How do I sell a distribution company with $10,000,000 in sales?

    Often to a distributor already in your lines or your region, or to one buyer with a bank loan. How much of your year one or two accounts carry matters most. At the IRS wholesale rate of 6.4%, a made-up distributor this size earns about $640,000 a year. Our calculator puts that at $1,944,032 to $3,207,653, on owner's earnings.[1][7]

    IRS size row: $10,000,000 to $50,000,000 in sales, 9.1% before interest, depreciation and amortization, all industries[2]. Wholesale, all sizes: 6.4%. Our sold-deal data: reaches this example.

    Our distribution calculator asks how much revenue comes from your biggest customer: less than 15%, 15% to 30%, or more than 30%. In a distributor this size, one or two accounts often carry the year, and a buyer prices that.

    Here the calculator prices on owner's earnings, called SDE, which adds the owner's own pay back to profit. One SBA 7(a) loan, a bank loan the U.S. Small Business Administration backs, can go to $5,000,000[8], more than the top of this range.

    This example's profit sits under $700,000, where booked calls start. With $5,000,000 or more in sales, the free valuation's report lets you ask a dedicated advisor to call you.

    Across every industry: what a company with $10,000,000 in sales is worth.

    How do I sell a distribution company with $20,000,000 in sales?

    Often to a larger distributor, or to a private equity fund adding to one it owns. A buyer may want only your lines, customers or warehouses. At the IRS wholesale rate of 6.4%, a made-up distributor this size earns about $1,280,000 a year. Our calculator puts that at $4,196,600 to $6,209,558, on a blend of owner's earnings and EBITDA.[1][7]

    IRS size row: $10,000,000 to $50,000,000 in sales, 9.1% before interest, depreciation and amortization, all industries[2]. Wholesale, all sizes: 6.4%. Our sold-deal data: reaches this example.

    Here our calculator blends owner's earnings and EBITDA. This range crosses one SBA loan's cap. A buyer near its low end could use one loan. One near its top needs more money beside it.

    A private equity fund buys companies with its investors' money. An add-on is a company bought to join one a fund already owns. In PitchBook's count, about three of every four U.S. buyouts in the second quarter of 2026 were add-ons, an estimated 885[9].

    A buyer already in the field often wants your lines, your customers or your warehouses, and judges each on its own margin. Who buys a company your size.

    Across every industry: what a company with $20,000,000 in sales is worth.

    How do I sell a distribution company with $30,000,000 in sales?

    To regional distributors and funds, who price on EBITDA from this size up and look hardest at margin by product line. At the IRS wholesale rate of 6.4%, a made-up distributor this size earns about $1,920,000 a year. Our calculator puts that at $7,680,000 to $11,136,000, priced on EBITDA.[1][7]

    IRS size row: $10,000,000 to $50,000,000 in sales, 9.1% before interest, depreciation and amortization, all industries[2]. Wholesale, all sizes: 6.4%. Our sold-deal data: reaches this example.

    Here our calculator prices on EBITDA alone, and margin by product line starts to decide the price. Two made-up distributors each sell $30,000,000 a year. One earns the nondurable rate, the other the durable rate.

    Exhibit 4

    Two made-up distributors with $30,000,000 in sales

    Band is sale price
    Two made-up distributors with the same sales and different margins, and what the sold-deal data behind our calculator puts each at
    LineNondurable rateDurable rate
    Margin before interest, depreciation and amortization5.0%8.0%
    EBITDA$1,500,000$2,400,000
    Our sold-deal range$5,253,975 to $7,590,465$9,600,000 to $13,920,000
    Typical$6,429,486$11,760,000

    Source: IBBA and M&A Source, Second quarter of 2026[7]. Made-up example. Margins from the IRS rows in Exhibit 1. Ranges from the sold-deal data behind our calculator, all industries together, checked November 2, 2026.

    Same sales, and the typical figures sit $5,330,514 apart. The first is priced on a blend of owner's earnings and EBITDA, the second priced on EBITDA. That's why a buyer asks for gross margin by customer and by product line before anything else.

    This section's range runs across $10,000,000[10] of company value. Lockton says reps and warranties insurance is often available from that size. The policy pays the buyer if a contract promise turns out false, which means less of your price is held back.

    Across every industry: what a company with $30,000,000 in sales is worth.

    How do I sell a distribution company with $50,000,000 in sales?

    Through a sale run for several buyers, search funds among them, with the buyer's accountants testing your profit. Part of the price is sometimes paid later. At the IRS wholesale rate of 6.4%, a made-up distributor this size earns about $3,200,000 a year. Our calculator puts that at $12,800,000 to $18,560,000.[1][7]

    IRS size row: $50,000,000 to $250,000,000 in sales, 8.0% before interest, depreciation and amortization, all industries[2]. Wholesale, all sizes: 6.4%. Our sold-deal data: reaches this example.

    A $50,000,000 distributor files in the IRS's next band, $50,000,000 to $250,000,000, at 8.0% before interest, depreciation and amortization. Buyers here usually order a quality of earnings report, an outside accountant's test of whether your profit holds up. PKF O'Connor Davies places them in deals of $10,000,000 to $1,000,000,000[11] in company value, going back decades.

    Some of the price may be an earnout, paid later only if the business hits targets. Among SRS Acquiom's deals closed through 2025, 35% of those paying $25,000,000 or less at closing had one[12]. This whole range is under that line.

    Search funds bid here too. A search fund is one or two people backed by investors to buy and run one company. Stanford says they paid a median $16,000,000[13] in 2024 and 2025, inside this range.

    Across every industry: what a company with $50,000,000 in sales is worth.

    How do I sell a distribution company with $100,000,000 in sales?

    To a fund buying its first distributor, or to a large distributor. Each branch needs a manager who can run it without you. At the IRS wholesale rate of 6.4%, a made-up distributor this size earns about $6,400,000 a year. Our calculator puts that at $25,600,000 to $37,120,000.[1][7]

    IRS size row: $50,000,000 to $250,000,000 in sales, 8.0% before interest, depreciation and amortization, all industries[2]. Wholesale, all sizes: 6.4%. Our sold-deal data: reaches this example.

    Our data reaches $8,620,690 of EBITDA. On $100,000,000 of sales that's a margin of about 8.6%. A distributor at the wholesale rate stays inside it. So does one at the durable goods rate of 8.0%, whose example earns $8,000,000.

    A fund's first company in a field is its platform, and the add-ons come later. As a platform you'd often be asked to keep a stake, called rollover equity: part of the price kept as shares. Rollover was in 63.6%[14] of GF Data's 2024 private equity deals of $10,000,000 to $500,000,000. How rollover equity works.

    Our view: a buyer this size wants each branch run by a manager, with its own margin and its own stock count. A branch that leans on you lowers what the whole network is worth to it.

    Across every industry: what a company with $100,000,000 in sales is worth.

    How do I sell a distribution company with $200,000,000 in sales?

    In rounds, with time to get consent from the makers whose lines you carry. Some line agreements let the maker end them when the company changes hands. At the IRS wholesale rate of 6.4%, a made-up distributor this size earns about $12,800,000 a year. That's past the sold-deal data behind our calculator, so we don't put a figure on it. Book a call with a dedicated advisor first.[1]

    IRS size row: $50,000,000 to $250,000,000 in sales, 8.0% before interest, depreciation and amortization, all industries[2]. Wholesale, all sizes: 6.4%. Our sold-deal data: stops short of it.

    Past our sold-deal data. The group behind our calculator stops at companies that sold for $50,000,000, so we don't put a figure on this one. Other publishers' figures are beside it.

    Exhibit 5

    Other publishers' figures for company values of $50,000,000 and up

    Band is company value

    Other publishers' figures, not ours

    Other publishers' figures by size: GF Data and TagniFi.
    Company valueMultiple of EBITDAStatisticBuyersPeriodPublisher
    $50,000,000 to $100,000,0008.7xAveragePrivate equity, platform buyoutsThrough the third quarter of 2025GF Data[15]
    $100,000,000 to $250,000,000Near yours10.0xAveragePrivate equity, platform buyoutsThrough the third quarter of 2025GF Data[15]
    $100,000,000 to $500,000,0009.8x against 7.0x under $100,000,000AveragePrivate equity, platform buyoutsThrough the third quarter of 2025GF Data[15]
    $50,000,000 to $200,000,000Near yours9.0xMedianAll buyersTwelve months to March 31, 2026TagniFi[5]
    $200,000,000 to $500,000,00011.4xMedianAll buyersTwelve months to March 31, 2026TagniFi[5]

    These figures come from outside reports, not from BridgeBook's own data: each one counts different deals in its own way, so read them as a guide to the market, not as a price for your company.

    Source: GF Data, Through the third quarter of 2025[15]; TagniFi, Twelve months to March 31, 2026[5].

    The marked rows are the ones nearest this distributor's made-up $12,800,000 of EBITDA. We leave them as the publishers printed them, not as your price.

    Many distributors carry a maker's line under an agreement that names a territory. Some let the maker end it, or approve the new owner, when the company changes hands. List them with your lawyer before any letter of intent, the buyer's signed offer that comes ahead of its full checks.

    Waiting on those consents is one reason a deal can sign first and close later, as 59%[16] of SRS Acquiom's 2024 deals did. Map it out with a dedicated advisor.

    Across every industry: what a company with $200,000,000 in sales is worth.

    How do I sell a distribution company with $300,000,000 in sales?

    To national distributors and big funds, often after a first round of written bids and a second round with a few of them. At the IRS wholesale rate of 6.4%, a made-up distributor this size earns about $19,200,000 a year. That's in the IRS top size band and past our data. A dedicated advisor can walk you through it on a call.[1]

    IRS size row: $250,000,000 or more in sales, 8.2% before interest, depreciation and amortization, all industries[2]. Wholesale, all sizes: 6.4%. Our sold-deal data: stops short of it.

    At $300,000,000 you're in the IRS's top band, $250,000,000 or more, which starts at exactly $250,000,000. Those S corporations ran 8.2% before interest, depreciation and amortization, and averaged $715,078,611 in sales each.

    Exhibit 6 shows only the rows nearest $19,200,000 of EBITDA, this example's profit. None of them is a value we'd put on your company.

    Exhibit 6

    Other publishers' figures near $19,200,000 of EBITDA

    Band is company value

    Other publishers' figures, not ours

    Other publishers' figures by size: GF Data and TagniFi.
    Company valueMultiple of EBITDAStatisticBuyersPeriodPublisher
    $100,000,000 to $250,000,000Near yours10.0xAveragePrivate equity, platform buyoutsThrough the third quarter of 2025GF Data[15]
    $50,000,000 to $200,000,000Near yours9.0xMedianAll buyersTwelve months to March 31, 2026TagniFi[5]
    $200,000,000 to $500,000,000Near yours11.4xMedianAll buyersTwelve months to March 31, 2026TagniFi[5]

    These figures come from outside reports, not from BridgeBook's own data: each one counts different deals in its own way, so read them as a guide to the market, not as a price for your company.

    Source: GF Data, Through the third quarter of 2025[15]; TagniFi, Twelve months to March 31, 2026[5].

    For scale, NYU Stern puts public distributors at 11.4%[17] of sales as EBITDA, in data as of January 2026. They're much bigger companies, many of them in higher-margin lines.

    PitchBook put the typical U.S. buyout under $1,000,000,000 at $206,000,000[9] of company value in 2025. That's every industry together, and it isn't a price for yours. Book a call with a dedicated advisor.

    Across every industry: what a company with $300,000,000 in sales is worth.

    What would your distributor's profit be worth?

    Start from the wholesale rate below, then put in your own sales and margin. The tool shows your EBITDA, what the sold-deal data behind our calculator puts it at, and other publishers' figures beside it. More on a company with $30,000,000 in sales and one with $200,000,000.

    Your numbers
    Yearly sales

    Industry: Distribution

    IRS, distribution S corporations of every size, tax year 2023, our math. Change it to yours.

    A made-up example at the IRS rate

    $1,920,000

    A made-up example: 6.4% of $30,000,000 in yearly sales. EBITDA is yearly profit before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.

    Our sold-deal data puts that EBITDA at

    $7,680,000 to $11,136,000

    Typical $9,408,000, priced on EBITDA.

    IBBA and M&A Source Market Pulse, closed deals of $5,000,000 to $50,000,000. Typical is the middle of its recent readings. Our figures checked November 2, 2026.

    Other publishers' figures, not ours

    Other publishers' figures by size: GF Data and TagniFi.
    Company valueMultiple of EBITDAPublisher
    $10,000,000 to $25,000,0005.9xGF Data, average, through the third quarter of 2025
    $25,000,000 to $50,000,0006.6xGF Data, average, through the third quarter of 2025
    $50,000,000 to $100,000,0008.7xGF Data, average, through the third quarter of 2025
    $100,000,000 to $250,000,00010.0xGF Data, average, through the third quarter of 2025
    $1,000,000 to $10,000,000Near yours5.5xTagniFi, median, twelve months to March 31, 2026
    $10,000,000 to $50,000,0007.3xTagniFi, median, twelve months to March 31, 2026
    $50,000,000 to $200,000,0009.0xTagniFi, median, twelve months to March 31, 2026
    $200,000,000 to $500,000,00011.4xTagniFi, median, twelve months to March 31, 2026

    These figures come from outside reports, not from BridgeBook's own data: each one counts different deals in its own way, so read them as a guide to the market, not as a price for your company.

    Why the two differ

    At this profit you can book a call with a dedicated advisor.

    The valuation asks your sales and profit again, then your name, email and cell phone, and shows a range.

    What we'd look at first

    On the first call, a dedicated advisor works through your numbers with you, your controller too if you'd like. For a distributor, these four come first.

    1. Gross margin by your top twenty customers and your top product lines, for the last two years.
    2. Twelve months of inventory, receivables and payables, month by month, to see where a target would land.
    3. Your supplier agreements: which lines you carry by contract, and whether a sale needs a supplier's consent.
    4. Slow and old inventory, and how your books value it.

    Your advisor then shows what the sold-deal data says for a distributor with your profit, and where a buyer is likely to push. Owners often hope for more. A buyer's accountants will test that same figure.

    Questions about selling a distributor

    What is a distribution company worth?

    It's priced on its profit, and distributors keep less of each sales dollar than most fields. The calculator prices yours on sold-deal data.

    What profit margin do wholesale distributors make?

    Wholesale S corporations reported 5.2% as business profit in tax year 2023, by our math on IRS figures for every size; durable goods wholesalers 6.1%, nondurable 4.0%.

    Why does working capital matter so much in a distribution sale?

    Working capital is what customers owe you, plus inventory, minus the bills you owe. In a distributor it's large next to profit. The peg is the amount of working capital you and the buyer agree the business hands over at closing. Come in under it and the price goes down by the gap. Come in over it and the price goes up.

    Who buys distribution companies?

    Mostly other distributors and funds adding to ones they own.

    How do I sell a distribution company with $10,000,000 in sales?

    Often to a distributor already in your lines or your region, or to one buyer with a bank loan. How much of your year one or two accounts carry matters most. At the IRS wholesale rate of 6.4%, a made-up distributor this size earns about $640,000 a year. Our calculator puts that at $1,944,032 to $3,207,653, on owner's earnings.

    How do I sell a distribution company with $20,000,000 in sales?

    Often to a larger distributor, or to a private equity fund adding to one it owns. A buyer may want only your lines, customers or warehouses. At the IRS wholesale rate of 6.4%, a made-up distributor this size earns about $1,280,000 a year. Our calculator puts that at $4,196,600 to $6,209,558, on a blend of owner's earnings and EBITDA.

    How do I sell a distribution company with $30,000,000 in sales?

    To regional distributors and funds, who price on EBITDA from this size up and look hardest at margin by product line. At the IRS wholesale rate of 6.4%, a made-up distributor this size earns about $1,920,000 a year. Our calculator puts that at $7,680,000 to $11,136,000, priced on EBITDA.

    How do I sell a distribution company with $50,000,000 in sales?

    Through a sale run for several buyers, search funds among them, with the buyer's accountants testing your profit. Part of the price is sometimes paid later. At the IRS wholesale rate of 6.4%, a made-up distributor this size earns about $3,200,000 a year. Our calculator puts that at $12,800,000 to $18,560,000.

    How do I sell a distribution company with $100,000,000 in sales?

    To a fund buying its first distributor, or to a large distributor. Each branch needs a manager who can run it without you. At the IRS wholesale rate of 6.4%, a made-up distributor this size earns about $6,400,000 a year. Our calculator puts that at $25,600,000 to $37,120,000.

    How do I sell a distribution company with $200,000,000 in sales?

    In rounds, with time to get consent from the makers whose lines you carry. Some line agreements let the maker end them when the company changes hands. At the IRS wholesale rate of 6.4%, a made-up distributor this size earns about $12,800,000 a year. That's past the sold-deal data behind our calculator, so we don't put a figure on it. Book a call with a dedicated advisor first.

    How do I sell a distribution company with $300,000,000 in sales?

    To national distributors and big funds, often after a first round of written bids and a second round with a few of them. At the IRS wholesale rate of 6.4%, a made-up distributor this size earns about $19,200,000 a year. That's in the IRS top size band and past our data. A dedicated advisor can walk you through it on a call.

    Margins by size band and by industry: average profit margin by company size. Food and beverage distributors: how a larger food distribution company sells.

    Where these numbers come from

    The sold-deal data behind our calculator: IBBA and M&A Source Market Pulse, closed deals. Our figures checked November 2, 2026.

    1. IRS Statistics of Income, Corporation Income Tax Returns Complete Report (Publication 16), Table 6.1, Form 1120-S by major industry. Tax Year 2023. Read November 12, 2026.
    2. IRS Statistics of Income, Corporation Income Tax Returns Complete Report (Publication 16), Table 3.2, Form 1120-S by size of business receipts. Tax Year 2023, released September 2026. Read November 12, 2026.
    3. U.S. Census Bureau, Quarterly Financial Report, Second Quarter 2026, financial tables. Third quarter 2025 to second quarter 2026, released September 8, 2026. Read November 12, 2026.
    4. U.S. Census Bureau, Statistics of U.S. Businesses 2022, by enterprise receipts size. 2022, released April 10, 2025. Read November 12, 2026.
    5. TagniFi, PowerComps Middle Market Update for the first quarter of 2026: Quality Over Quantity. Twelve months to March 31, 2026. Read November 12, 2026.
    6. TagniFi (PR Newswire), PowerComps by TagniFi: Market Conditions, third quarter 2025. Twelve months to the third quarter of 2025. Read November 12, 2026.
    7. IBBA and M&A Source, Market Pulse Q2 2026 Highlights. Second quarter of 2026. Read November 12, 2026.
    8. U.S. Small Business Administration, 7(a) loans. Opened November 12, 2026. Read November 12, 2026.
    9. PitchBook, Q2 2026 US PE Breakdown. Second quarter of 2026. Read November 12, 2026.
    10. Lockton, Transaction Liability Market Update 2025, The Americas. 2025. Read November 12, 2026.
    11. PKF O'Connor Davies, Quality of Earnings Goes Mainstream. September 15, 2026. Read November 12, 2026.
    12. SRS Acquiom, 2026 M&A Deal Terms Special Report: Lower Middle-Market Deals. Deals closed through 2025. Read November 12, 2026.
    13. Stanford Graduate School of Business, Search Funds Keep Offering a Proven Path to Ownership. Purchases in 2024 and 2025. Read November 12, 2026.
    14. GF Data (ACG), GF Data Highlights Fourth Quarter, 2024. Full year 2024. Read November 12, 2026.
    15. GF Data, The Size Premium Returns to 2.8x: How Employee Ownership Helps Smaller Platforms Compete. Through the third quarter of 2025. Read November 12, 2026.
    16. SRS Acquiom, 2025 M&A Deal Terms Study. Deals closed 2019 to 2024. Read November 12, 2026.
    17. Aswath Damodaran, NYU Stern, Operating and Net Margins, Margins by Sector (US). Data as of January 2026. Read November 12, 2026.

    Percentages are BridgeBook's arithmetic on the IRS dollar figures.

    Outside figures are other publishers', named and dated, and they don't feed our calculator. How we use outside figures

    One important decision. Two good places to start.

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