comparabili

Comparabili is the plural form of the Italian adjective comparabile, meaning capable of being compared or suitable for comparison. The term is used to describe items, data, metrics, or entities whose values or characteristics can be directly contrasted.

In Italian, comparabile agrees with the noun it modifies. The feminine plural is also comparabili, and the singular forms are comparabile (masculine and feminine). Common phrases include valori comparabili, dati comparabili, and unità di misura comparabili.

In finance, comparabili appears in the phrase analisi dei comparabili (comps), a valuation approach that estimates a target company’s value by comparing it with similar publicly traded firms. Analysts select peers with similar industry, size, growth and margins, and apply multiples such as EV/EBITDA, P/E, or EV/Sales. While useful, the method relies on careful peer selection and adjustments for structural differences, and is typically used alongside other methods like discounted cash flow analysis.

In data and research contexts, comparabili describes datasets or measurements that can be meaningfully compared across studies or sources, often requiring normalization or standardization to ensure equivalence.

Etymology: comparabile derives from Latin comparabilis, from comparare, “to compare.”