what is discounted cash flow dcf 
discounted cash flow dcf refers to a valuation method that estimates the value of an investment using its expected future cash flows dcf analysis attempts to determine the value of an investment today based on projections of how much money that investment will generate in the future it can help those considering whether to acquire a company or buy securities discounted cash flow analysis can also assist business owners and managers in making capital budgeting or operating expenditures decisions investopedia jiaqi zhou