Clouded Judgement: SaaS Valuation Metrics & Weekly Earnings Summary
This weekly SaaS earnings update provides comparative analysis of valuation multiples, operating metrics, and share price movements across 10 public SaaS companies, with detailed benchmarking of revenue multiples segmented by growth rates. The article highlights a dramatic expansion in median SaaS EV/NTM revenue multiples from 13.9x (3-month average) to 20.0x (current median), driven by high-growth cohorts trading at 35.8x multiples, while introducing growth-adjusted valuation metrics and the Rule of 40 framework for assessing business health.
Metrics in this report
22months
median
Public SaaS companies, gross profit basis
22months
median
Public SaaS companies, gross margin adjusted
20.0x
median
Public SaaS companies, February 2021
35.8x
median
High-growth SaaS (>30% NTM growth)
21.8x
median
Mid-growth SaaS (15-30% NTM growth)
7.7x
median
Low-growth SaaS (<15% NTM growth)
52.4x
average
Top 10 highest-valued SaaS companies
6percent
median
Public SaaS companies
6percent
median
Public SaaS companies
18percent
median
Public SaaS companies
18percent of revenue
median
Public SaaS companies
74percent
median
Public SaaS companies
74percent
median
Public SaaS companies
30percent
median
Public SaaS companies
30percent
median
Public SaaS companies
23percent
median
Public SaaS companies
23percent
median
Public SaaS companies
115percent
median
Public SaaS companies
115percent
median
Public SaaS companies
-15percent
median
Public SaaS companies
-15percent
median
Public SaaS companies
25percent
median
Public SaaS companies
25percent of revenue
median
Public SaaS companies
20.0x
median
Public SaaS companies, February 2021
35.8x
median
High-growth SaaS (>30% NTM growth)
21.8x
median
Mid-growth SaaS (15-30% NTM growth)
7.7x
median
Low-growth SaaS (<15% NTM growth)
58.3x
median
Top 5 highest-valued SaaS companies by multiple
18.0x
3-month trailing average
Public SaaS, as of Feb 2021
13.9x
1-year trailing average
Public SaaS, as of Feb 2021
44percent
median
Public SaaS companies
44percent of revenue
median
Public SaaS companies