Highland Global Business Valuations announces sponsorship of Pepperdine Graziadio Business School's 2026 Private Capital Markets Report, reflecting the firm's commitment to disciplined business valuation, private capital market research, and SBA lender confidence Since 2007, Pepperdine's private cost of capital survey has stood alone as the only research to simultaneously benchmark required returns across all major private capital segments, from bank loans to angel investment. The 2026 findings confirm just how sharply that cost diverges. Highland Global's sponsorship and participation is a natural extension of Experience Matters Most, the principle that has guided the firm for more than 20 years: that sound valuation judgment is built on rigorous, evidence-based market research, not formulas alone.
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C., July 21, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Highland Global Business Valuations today announced that it served as a corporate sponsor of the Pepperdine Private Capital Markets Report 2026, a nationally recognized research publication produced by the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School.
The report examines current conditions across the private capital markets, drawing on data and perspectives from lenders, investors, intermediaries, business appraisers, factoring firms, privately held business owners, and other capital market participants.
"Private company valuation requires more than formulas and templates. It requires judgment, market awareness, and an understanding of how real buyers, lenders, investors, and business owners behave in the private capital markets. The Pepperdine Private Capital Markets Project has long been an important contribution to that understanding, and Highland Global is proud to be its sponsor this year."
— Robert M. Clinger III, CBA, CVA, CMEA, Founder, Highland Global
The 2026 report highlights several issues directly relevant to business valuation and small business lending, including cost of capital expectations, lender and investor return requirements, marketability discounts, and private company risk. Those findings carry direct weight in SBA lending and translate directly into the adjustments appraisers apply when valuing privately held companies — adjustments that shape purchase price support and loan sizing in SBA 7(a) transactions. The report's first-ever questions on artificial intelligence point to where that discipline is headed next.
Highland Global specializes in independent business valuations for SBA 7(a) lenders, banks, credit unions, CDCs, and other financial institutions. The firm's valuation practice emphasizes disciplined normalization of financial statements, market-based support, and clear reporting designed to assist lenders in underwriting acquisition financing and other small business credit decisions. With decades of valuation experience and over 10,000 completed business valuations, Highland Global has built its practice around a simple principle: Experience Matters Most. The firm's sponsorship of the Pepperdine Private Capital Markets Project aligns with that principle by supporting research that helps lenders, appraisers, investors, and business owners better understand private company risk, capital access, and required rates of return.
"Good valuation work depends on evidence. Reports like Pepperdine's help bring transparency to a part of the market where information is often fragmented, private, and difficult to interpret. That transparency benefits lenders, buyers, sellers, appraisers, and ultimately the broader small business economy. We are especially grateful to Craig R. Everett, PhD, Executive Director of the Pepperdine Private Capital Markets Project, for his dedication to this research. His commitment to rigorous, market participant-focused data has made this project an indispensable resource for our profession."
— Robert M. Clinger III
The Pepperdine Private Capital Markets Project | Private Capital Markets Report 2026 is available in digital format at privatecap.org.
About Highland Global Business Valuations—Highland Global Business Valuations provides independent business valuation services for SBA lenders, banks, credit unions, CDCs, and other financial institutions. The firm focuses on SBA 7(a) business valuations, ownership transitions, and privately held company valuation matters. Highland Global is known for senior-led analysis, practical lender-oriented reporting, and a disciplined approach to valuation. Experience Matters Most.
About Robert M. Clinger III—Robert M. Clinger III is a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA), Certified Business Appraiser (CBA), and Certified Machinery and Equipment Appraiser (CMEA) with more than 25 years of experience and over 10,000 completed business valuations. As Managing Director of Highland Global Business Valuations, he serves SBA 7(a) lenders and privately owned businesses nationwide. He is widely regarded as one of the foremost authorities on SBA loan-related valuations and the application of fair market value in government-guaranteed lending. His thought leadership has appeared in NACVA's The Value Examiner. He is the author of The 7 Deadly Sins of Business Valuation: The Intersection of Valuation & Credit in SBA 7(a) Lending, available now. He is based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Media Contact
Stephen Vogel, Valued Veteran Productions, LLC, 1 8434572546, [email protected], www.HighlandGlobal.com
SOURCE Highland Global
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