Finance case study questions
Short business cases: should the client buy this company, what is it worth and what could go wrong?
15 questions
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Questions are shown in English, as they are asked in London. You can practise every one of them in English, Spanish, French, German or Italian.
Case study
1A client wants to buy a mid-sized restaurant chain. What would you look at in the financial due diligence?Intermediate
What a strong answer covers
- Quality of earnings: like-for-like sales, site-level margins, one-offs
- Net debt and debt-like items, especially leases
- Working capital seasonality, capex needs for refurbishments, key risks (concentration, cost inflation)
2A target's EBITDA jumped 30% in the year before the sale. What would you look at?Intermediate
What a strong answer covers
- One-off gains or reclassified costs
- Cuts that just delay spending: maintenance capex, marketing, staff
- Revenue recognition changes, pricing, customer concentration
- Whether the growth is sustainable: quality of earnings
3How would you estimate the annual market for e-scooter rentals in Madrid?Intermediate
What a strong answer covers
- Structured approach: top-down from population or bottom-up from fleet
- Clear, reasonable assumptions: users, trips per year, price per trip
- A final number with a sanity check
4What red flags would you look for in a company's cash conversion?Intermediate
What a strong answer covers
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5What is a vendor due diligence report, and who relies on it?Intermediate
What a strong answer covers
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6We are looking at a regional chain of dental clinics. What would you want to diligence first?Intermediate
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7How would you build a portfolio for a 30-year-old with moderate risk tolerance and a 25-year horizon?Intermediate
What a strong answer covers
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8What would be the main audit risks for a fashion retailer?Intermediate
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9A European airline has seen profits fall 20% in two years. How would you structure the problem?Intermediate
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10A private equity fund asks whether it should buy a chain of gyms. What would you analyse?Intermediate
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