What enterprise value is trying to capture
Enterprise value is often described as the value of the operating business available to all capital providers, not just common shareholders. That is why the bridge starts with market capitalization, then adjusts for debt, preferred equity, minority interest, and cash.
This matters because two businesses can have the same market capitalization while carrying very different debt burdens or cash balances. Looking only at equity value can therefore distort comparisons, especially in valuation and takeover analysis where financing structure changes the real economic picture.