Finance
Corporate finance for your company’s defining moment
A sale, an acquisition or a new investor: technical advisory for the transactions that define the future of the business, with the preparation that protects the value you have built.
Corporate finance is the area that advises a company on transactions and structural capital decisions: mergers and acquisitions, sale and closing of deals, business valuations, due diligence and preparation for the entry of an investor. At PFM, the service is aimed at the middle market, including transactions between Brazilian companies and foreign groups.
Scope
What is included in corporate finance at PFM?
The service covers three fronts: transactions (advisory on the sale and closing of deals, mergers and acquisitions and the entry of investors), analysis and valuation (valuation and due diligence) and preparation, organizing the company’s accounts and corporate structure before going to market.
Transactions
Transactions
- Advisory on the sale and closing of deals
- Mergers and acquisitions advisory
- Advisory on the entry of investors
- Negotiation with buyers and investors
Valuation
Analysis and valuation
- Business valuations
- Buy-side and sell-side due diligence
- Financial modeling for the transaction
- Transaction operational services
Preparation
Preparation
- Pre-transaction accounting and corporate organization
- Data room structuring
- Fixing in advance the issues that bring the price down
- Integration with Governance and Tax
Who we serve
Who is PFM’s corporate finance advisory for?
The service serves middle-market business owners preparing a full or partial sale of the business (or the entry of an investor) and buyers and investors, Brazilian or foreign, who need independent due diligence and valuation before closing a transaction in Brazil.
Owners preparing a sale or a capital raise
A lifetime’s business going to market, and every accounting gap becomes a discount on the price.
- A well-founded valuation, not guesswork
- Data room organized before the buyer asks
- Liabilities known and addressed in advance
- Negotiation with technical support from start to finish
Buyers and investors
An acquisition in Brazil without in-depth due diligence is a liability waiting to surface.
- Integrated accounting, tax and labor due diligence
- Independent valuation of the target
- Risks quantified for the negotiating table
- Support with post-closing integration
Comparison
What is the difference between selling unprepared and selling with PFM?
Without preparation, the buyer’s due diligence finds the surprises first, and each one becomes a discount, a holdback or a warranty clause. With preparation, the company goes to market with auditable numbers, liabilities addressed and a data room ready: the negotiation starts from the real value, not from the perceived risk.
| Criterion | Going to market unprepared | Preparation with PFM |
|---|---|---|
| Perceived valuation | Discounted for risk and disorganization | Supported by consistent, auditable numbers |
| Buyer due diligence | Surprises become discounts and holdbacks | Liabilities known and addressed in advance |
| Transaction timeline | Extended by every unforeseen request | A ready data room shortens the process |
| Negotiating power | Reactive, responding to what the buyer thinks | Proactive, in control of the story the numbers tell |
| Post-closing | Disputes over warranties and price adjustments | Planned transition, less litigation |
Method
How does a transaction advised by PFM work?
The advisory follows four steps: understanding the goal of the owner or investor, preparation and valuation, running the transaction with due diligence and negotiation, and closing with transition support, each step with defined deliverables and communication in English, Portuguese or Spanish.
01
Understanding the goal
Full or partial sale, capital raise or acquisition: the transaction design starts with the goal of the decision-maker.
02
Preparation and valuation
Organizing the numbers, a well-founded business valuation and fixing in advance the issues that bring the price down.
03
Running the transaction
Due diligence, data room, technical support in the negotiation and coordination with the parties’ legal advisors.
04
Closing and transition
Support with closing adjustments and post-transaction integration, so that what was agreed is delivered.
FAQ
Common questions about corporate finance and M&A
Corporate finance advises a company on transactions and structural capital decisions: buying or selling businesses, mergers and acquisitions, the entry of investors, valuation and due diligence. The role is technical and hands-on: organizing the numbers, quantifying risks and supporting the negotiation.
Ideally one to two years before going to market. That is the time needed to organize the accounts, address tax and labor liabilities, document controls and build a reliable track record of numbers, the factors that most influence the valuation perceived by the buyer.
Due diligence is the detailed investigation (accounting, tax, labor and operational) the buyer carries out before closing the transaction. Every risk found becomes a discount on the price, a holdback or a warranty clause. That is why the seller’s preparation is, quite literally, worth money.
Yes. For buyers and investors, PFM runs integrated due diligence (accounting, tax and labor), an independent valuation of the target and quantification of risks for the negotiating table, including transactions in which foreign groups acquire Brazilian companies.
A valuation is the business assessment that estimates the company’s value using recognized methods (such as discounted cash flow and market multiples) applied to the business’s real numbers. It provides a technical basis for negotiations, the entry of partners, succession and shareholder disputes.
It does. The middle market is precisely where Brazil’s M&A market is most active, including sector consolidators and funds looking for companies of your size. What changes is the need for preparation: in the middle market, organizing the numbers in advance weighs proportionally more on the price.
Related services
Natural complements to this service
Governance
Governance
Controls and governance that support the valuation in due diligence.
Outsourcing
Accounting and Finance BPO
Organized, auditable numbers, the foundation of any transaction.
Your company’s value is protected through preparation
Book a confidential conversation. In one meeting, we understand your goal and map out the path to the transaction.