Capital Budgeting

Question 1

What is Capital Budgeting? How is it used?

Answer 1

Managerial Accounting technique used to evaluate different investment options

Helps management make decisions
Uses both accounting and non-accounting information Internal focus, GAAP is not mandatory

Question 2

What values are used in Capital Budgeting?

Answer 2

Capital Budgeting ONLY uses Present Value tables. Capital Budgeting NEVER uses Fair Value.

Question 3

When is the Present Value of $1 table used?

Answer 3

For ONE payment ONE time.

Question 4

When is the Present Value of an Annuity Due used?

Answer 4

Multiple payments made over time where the payments are made at the START of the period.

Question 5

When is the Present Value of an Ordinary Annuity of $1 (PVOA) used?

Answer 5

Multiple payments over time where payments are made at the END of the period. Think A for Arrears.

Question 6

What is the calculation for the Present Value of $1?

Answer 6

1 / (( 1+i )^n)

i = interest rate 
n = number of periods

Question 7

What is Net Present Value (NPV)? How is it calculated?

Answer 7

A preferred method of evaluating profitability.
One of two methods that use the Time Value of Money

NPV = PV of Future Cash Flows - Investment

Question 8

How is NPV used to calculate future benefit?

Answer 8

NPV = PV Future Cash Flows - Investment

If NPV is Negative, Cost is greater than benefits (bad investment)

If NPV is Positive, Cost is less than benefit (good investment)

If NPV = 0, Cost = Benefit (Management is indifferent)

Question 9

What is the rate of return on an investment called?

Answer 9

The Discount Rate.

Question 10

What does the Discount Rate represent?

Answer 10

The rate of return on an investment used.

It represents the minimum rate of return required.

Question 11

What are the strengths of the Net Present Value system?

Answer 11

Uses Time Value of Money
Uses all cash flows, not just the cash flows to arrive at Payback
Considers Risk

Question 12

What are the weaknesses of the Net Present Value system?

Answer 12

Not as simple as the Accounting Rate of Return.

Question 13

How do Salvage Value and Depreciation affect Net Present Value?

Answer 13

NPV includes Salvage Value because it is a future cash inflow.

NPV does NOT include depreciation because it is non-cash.

Exception – If a CPA Exam question says to include tax considerations, then you have to include depreciation because of income tax savings generated by depreciation.

Question 14

If multiple potential rates of return are available, which is used to calculate Net Present Value?

Answer 14

The minimum rate of return is used.

Question 15

What is the Internal Rate of Return (IRR)? How is it calculated?

Answer 15

It calculates a project’s actual rate of return through the project’s expected cash flows.

IRR is the rate of return required for PV of future cash flows to EQUAL the investment.

Investment / After Tax Annual Cash Inflow = PV Factor

Question 16

Which rate of return is used to re-invest cash flows for Internal Rate of Return?

Answer 16

Cash flows are re-invested at the rate of return earned by the original investment.

Question 17

How does the rate used for Internal Rate of Return (IRR) compare to that used for Net Present Value (NPV)?

Answer 17

Rate of return for IRR is the rate earned by the investment.
Rate of return for NPV is the minimum rate.

Question 18

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Internal Rate of Return system?

Answer 18

Strengths: Uses Time Value of Money, Cash Flow emphasis

Weakness: Uneven cash flows lead to varied IRR

Question 19

When is NPV on an Investment positive?

Answer 19

When the benefits are greater than the costs.

IRR is greater than the Discount Rate

Question 20

When is NPV on an Investment Negative?

Answer 20

When Costs are greater than Benefits

IRR is less than the Discount Rate

Question 21

When is NPV Zero?

Answer 21

Benefits = Costs 
IRR = Discount Rate

Question 22

What is the Payback Method? How is it calculated?

Answer 22

It measures an investment in terms of how long it takes to recoup the initial investment via Annual Cash Inflow

Investment / Annual Cash Inflow = Payback Method

Compare to a targeted timeframe; if payback is shorter than target, it’s a good investment. If payback is longer than target, it’s a bad investment.

Question 23

What are the strengths of the Payback Method?

Answer 23

Considers Risk

2-Year Payback less Risky than 5 years

Question 24

What are the weaknesses of the payback method?

Answer 24

Ignores the Time Value of Money
Ignores cash flow after the initial investment is paid back

Exception: Discount payback method

Question 25

What is the Accounting Rate of Return?

Answer 25

An approximate rate of return on assets

ARR = Net Income / Average Investment

Compare to a targeted return rate; if ARR greater than target, good investment. If ARR less than target, bad investment.

Question 26

What are the strengths of the Accounting Rate of Return (ARR)?

Answer 26

Simple to use People understand easily

Question 27

What are the weaknesses of the Accounting Rate of Return (ARR)?

Answer 27

Can be skewed based on Depreciation method that is used.

Ignores the Time Value of Money.

Question 28

What is an Expected Return?

Answer 28

An approximate rate of return on assets.

Question 29

What is Throughput Analysis?

Answer 29

It is the most complicated form of capital budgeting analysis, but most accurate

The entire company is considered a single, profit-generating system.

Assumes all costs are operating expenses

Maximize the throughput of the entire system to pay for expenses, and to maximize profits is to maximize the throughput passing through a bottleneck operation.

Question 30

What is a bottleneck?

Answer 30

A bottleneck is the resource in the system that requires the longest time in operations.