Valuation inputs under review

Cost of capital is a central consideration in many business valuations. Risk-free rates, market risk premia, beta factors, country risk premia, and credit spreads must be derived for the relevant valuation date and documented so that reviewers can understand the sources, assumptions, and calculation method.

The congress provides an opportunity to discuss how valuation practices are responding to developments in IDW standards, the relevance of market prices, and the use of artificial intelligence in professional work. For smartZebra, the practical question is how data and software can support these requirements while leaving valuation judgement with the responsible professional.

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Topics for discussion

In almost every valuation report, cost of capital is the point that gets discussed longest. Risk-free rate, market risk premium, beta factor, country risk premium, credit spread: every single parameter must be derived, justified and documented, and if challenged it must hold up in front of reviewers, courts or a tax audit.

That is exactly why we built smartZebra. Our database delivers every WACC component from a single source, precise to your valuation date, with fully traceable raw data and calculation paths.

For us, the IDW Jahreskongress is the place to hear where practice stands right now: on the new version of IDW S 1, on IDW S 17 and the relevance of stock market prices, and on the question of how much AI belongs in a valuation report.  If you are attending the congress, we would be glad to discuss subjects such as:

• Cost of capital and WACC – all six parameters individually adjustable, updated daily and standard-compliant
• Beta factors – flexible valuation dates, return intervals, reference indices, tax shield, debt beta and statistical quality filters
• Market risk premium – the IDW recommended range, the KPMG cost of capital study and Damodaran data compared directly
• Risk-free rate – Svensson and Nelson-Siegelyield curves for more than 50 countries
• Credit spreads – terms from 1 to 30 years, sector-specific or across sectors
• Peer group selection – AI-assisted pre-selection from more than 50,000 listed companies
• Documentation – audit-proof derivation including raw data download and Excel export

Our aim is simple: you should spend less time assembling parameters and more time on the valuation itself.

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Everything about the congress

The IDW Jahreskongress takes place on 17 and 18 September 2026 at the Infinity Hotel and Conference Resort, Andreas-Danzer-Weg 1-3, 85716 Unterschleissheim. Registration and the official programme are available from IDW Akademie.

Participants who would like to discuss cost of capital, beta factors, market risk premia, credit spreads, or peer-group documentation can arrange a meeting with the smartZebra team before the congress.

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Try smartZebra beforehand

✅ Start your free trial with smartZebra, and determine cost of capital, beta factors and multiples in minutes – no credit card needed, and the access expires automatically.

More know-how on specific modules & solutions: Transfer Pricing · Cost of Capital · Beta Factors · Multiples · Interest Rates