# Understanding Comps: Definition, Uses in Analysis, and Examples

![Comps](https://www.investopedia.com/thmb/ko3VWXa30G9qQ8hX-v83sRBq68o=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/comps-Final-9305d92f16e1415c9668ee4fa4e9da11.png)

*— Investopedia / Theresa Chiechi*

## What Are Comps?

The term comps, short for [comparables](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/comparables.asp), are the comparisons of financial metrics in retail, real estate, and business valuation. Comps are important in removing extraneous factors for a clear performance metric. They help determine sales growth, fair market value, and real estate pricing.

In retail, it refers to a company's [same-store sales](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/samestoresales.asp) compared to the previous year or a similar store. Similarly, in financial analysis, comps is short for "comparable company analysis," which is a technique used to assign a value to a business based on the valuation metrics of a peer. In real estate, comps are used to assess a property's value by comparing it to similar properties. Let's explore comps with examples and practical uses across different sectors.

### Key Takeaways

*   Comps, short for comparables, evaluate financial metrics to determine a company's performance or valuation.
*   Retail comps are used to analyze growth in same-store sales, excluding new stores to avoid skewed data.
*   Investors use comps to discern how much sales growth comes from new versus existing stores.
*   In business valuation, comps compare market metrics like enterprise value with performance indicators to assess fair market value.
*   Real estate comps compare similar properties to gauge value, considering attributes like size, age, and location.

## Analyzing Retail Sector Comps: A Deep Dive

When used to gauge the performance of retail operations, comps is used in the context of [comparable same-store sales](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/comparable-store-sales.asp). This comps metric is used by analysts and investors to determine what portion of any sales growth is attributed to old stores versus new stores. Some large retail chains release comps monthly.

Stores that have been open for less than one year are new stores. New stores typically experience high growth rates for several reasons, including promotions, increased interest from launches, and grand openings. As a result, including new stores in the growth rate calculation for an entire retail chain can create misleading results. Because the comps metric only compares results for stores that are older than one year, it gives a better indication of true growth for the overall firm.

## How to Calculate and Interpret Retail Sales Comps

To calculate a company's sales growth rate, subtract the previous year's sales from the current year's sales and then divide the difference by the previous year's amount. For example, if Company A earned $2 million in revenues last year and $4 million this year, the calculation to determine its growth rate is $4 million minus $2 million, divided by $2 million, or 100%.

An inquisitive investor digs deeper and asks how much of the growth was due to new stores compared to old stores. They discover that new stores generated $3 million of the current year's sales and stores open for one or more years generated only $1 million of sales.

To calculate comp sales, the investor does not include sales from new stores. The new calculation is $1 million, minus $2 million, divided by $2 million, or -50%. When comp store sales are up, the company's sales are increasing at its current stores. When total sales growth is up and comp stores are down, the company is generating most of its revenue from the opening of new stores to maintain growth, which could be a sign of turmoil.

> **Important**
>
> Comps not only provide investors and analysts with important information about the financial health of a company, but they also help retailers assess how well their existing stores perform against other locations.

## Leveraging Comps for Business Valuation

To determine a business's value using comparable company analysis, analysts compare a value metric like market capitalization or [enterprise value (EV)](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/enterprisevalue.asp) with performance metrics like sales, [EBITDA](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/adjusted-ebitda.asp), or earnings per share. A determination on performance can be made under the assumption that companies that are similar should trade at similar multiples.

These comps are crucial for determining a business's [fair market value (FMV)](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/fairmarketvalue.asp). They help set an asking price for acquisitions, sales, and during disputes or buyouts. A common method to determine a business's fair market value is multiplying the price-to-gross revenue multiple by the business's revenue.  

## Understanding Real Estate Comps for Property Valuation

In real estate, examining comps means comparing properties that possess similar qualities, such as size, age, and location. Factors also include market conditions like price changes over time and sale conditions, such as distress sales or estate settlements, which can affect value.  

Property owners or buyers should know that some comps might not accurately reflect a home's value. Some might be outdated in a fast-changing market or reference distant or unsold properties.