Lecture 3-Project appraisal Flashcards
What is project appraisal?
- Also called investment appraisal or capital budgeting
- Are projects that involve making capital outlays in the hope of adding extra ‘value’ in the future
- Examples include the launch of new products or enter new markets e/g/ purchase new assets, upgrade company IT, hiring new staff, R n D projects
What are the two stages of cash flows?
-1.) Estimation of future cash flows from the project
How much does it initially cost?
How long will it last?
What do you get back?
-Analyse the cash flows
Given the cash flows, is project worth doing?
What are relevant cash flows?
-All incremental cash flows, i.e. any cash flow that is added, removed, or altered as a result of doing the project is relevant.
Examples of relevant cash flows
Direct cash flows associated with the project (initial cost, new sales revenues, wages for new staff, etc.)
Increased overheads due to the project
Changes in revenues on other projects
Opportunity costs of taking the project e.g. factory space could be rented out
- Inflation: Nominal cash flows and nominal discount rate or real cash flows and real discount rate
- Taxation
What are non relevant cash flows?
- Any cash flow that will not change because of the project is not relevant
- Overheads that have already been allocated.
Costs already incurred that cannot be recovered, these are known as Sunk Costs
Costs that will be incurred irrespective of whether the project goes ahead
Depreciation – this is not a cash flow!
Interest on borrowing, this is already allowed for by discounting the cash flows
What are conventional projects?
-A simple project starts with an immediate net cash outflow, followed by a series of net cash inflows
What are unconventional projects?
-Some projects may have several net outflows during the project, or have a single outflow in the middle
Four main techniques to calculate project appraisal
- Accounting rate of return (ARR)
- Payback period
- NPV=discounted cash flow techniques
- Internal rate of return (IRR)
What is ARR in relation to project appraisal?
-Uses accounting data to decide
What does the payback period suggest?
-How quickly costs are recouped
What does the NPV calculate in relation to project appraisal?
-Calculates added value
What does IRR calculate in relation to project appraisal?
-Estimates the return on the project
What are the advantages of using ARR as an investment appraisal method?
- ARR provides a percentage return which can be compared with a target return
- Focuses on profitability – a key issue for shareholders
- This method recognizes the concept of net earnings i.e. earnings after tax and depreciation. This is a vital factor in the appraisal of a investment proposal.
What are the disadvantages of ARR?
- Does not consider time value of money
- Profit is subjective and does not equal cash
- Treats profits arising late in the project in the same way as those which might arise early
- Does not take into account cash flows – only profits (they may not be the same thing)
What is the time value of money?
The time value of money (TVM) is the concept that money available at the present time is worth more than the identical sum in the future due to its potential earning capacity.
-This core principle of finance holds that provided money can earn interest, any amount of money is worth more the sooner it is received