Visualizing Results with Excel Charts

Numbers tell the story—but charts bring it to life. This final chapter focuses on the visual outputs of your DCF model: dynamic charts that summarize key financial metrics and reflect your scenario assumptions.

These visualizations are more than decoration. They serve real analytical and communication purposes:

• Trend identification: charts help quickly identify patterns in revenue, profit, or cash flow that might be buried in rows of numbers;

• Scenario comparison: by linking each chart to the scenario selector (optimistic, base, worst), you instantly see how assumptions affect outcomes;

• Stakeholder communication: visuals help bridge the gap between detailed financial modeling and decision-making. A CFO or investor can grasp results at a glance.

Typical charts may include:

• UFCF over time;

• Revenue and margin projections;

• Terminal value vs. sum of discounted UFCFs;

• Scenario-based valuation range.

All these visuals update automatically, pulling data directly from the model. This reduces error risk and ensures consistency across your outputs.

To make them effective:

• Use clean titles and axis labels;

• Avoid chart clutter—highlight the key message;

• Use colors consistently to represent scenarios or metrics.