Equity Risk Premium (ERP)
Definition
The incremental return that investors require for holding equities over risk-free government bonds, reflecting the additional risk associated with equity ownership. The ERP is a critical input to cost of equity estimation under both CAPM and build-up methods. Historical ERP estimates typically range from 4% to 7%, though forward-looking (implied) estimates derived from current market valuations and earnings expectations are increasingly preferred by valuation practitioners.
Complementary Terms
Concepts that frequently appear alongside Equity Risk Premium (ERP) in practice.
An additional return demanded by investors for holding the equity of smaller companies, reflecting the empirically observed tendency for small-capitalisation stocks to earn higher returns than predicted by the Capital Asset Pricing Model alone. Size premiums are commonly sourced from the Duff & Phelps (now Kroll) Cost of Capital Navigator and are added to the cost of equity in the build-up method or as a modification to CAPM.
An additional return added to the cost of equity to reflect idiosyncratic risks unique to the subject company that are not captured by beta, the equity risk premium, or the size premium. Common factors justifying a specific company risk premium include customer concentration, key person dependence, regulatory exposure, limited product diversification, geographic concentration, and early-stage business risk.
The additional amount a buyer pays above the pro-rata market value of a company's shares to acquire a controlling interest. The control premium reflects the value of being able to direct the company's strategy, operations, capital allocation, and management.
An adjustment applied to the standard WACC to reflect the additional risk associated with specific intangible assets or early-stage businesses. Intangible-heavy investments typically warrant a higher discount rate than the firm-level WACC because their cash flows are less certain and more sensitive to competitive and technological disruption.
The additional value attributed to a business or asset that can grow revenue significantly without a proportional increase in cost. Scalability premiums are characteristic of intangible-heavy businesses — particularly those built on software, data, and network effects — where marginal costs approach zero at scale.
The ownership stake held by a company's founders, typically established at incorporation and subject to dilution through subsequent funding rounds. Founders' equity is usually subject to vesting schedules and may carry different rights from investor shares, reflecting the intangible contribution of the founding team's vision and early-stage effort.
Net income divided by shareholders' equity, measuring the return generated on owners' invested capital. High ROE can indicate efficient use of equity but should be interpreted alongside leverage levels and the quality of earnings.
The commercial value derived from consumer perception of a brand name. Brand equity is one of the most significant intangible assets for consumer-facing businesses and influences pricing power, customer loyalty, and market share.
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