Module 4 Flashcards
Payback period =
Time taken to recover initial outlay (recorded as X years, Y months)
Payback period advantages (2)
- Good initial screening tool
- Easy to calculate and understand
Payback period disadvantages (2)
- Ignores cashflows after the payback period
- Ignores the time value of money (no discounting of cash flows)
Accounting rate of return =
Expressing the average annual cashflows compared to the average capital investment as a %
ARR formula
Average annual profits / Average capital investment
Average annual profits =
Average pre tax cash flows less annual depreciation
Average capital investment =
1/2 x (cost + residual value)
Accounting rate of return advantage
Simple to understand
Accounting rate of return disadvantages (3)
- Can’t meaningfully compare to cost of capital
- Ignores the time value of money
- Ignores the life of the project
Net Present Value (NPV) =
Discounting cashflows to their present value using WACC
If NPV > 0
Accept
If NPV < 0
Reject
NPV advantages (3)
- Easy to calculate
- Includes the time value of money
- Considers all relevant cash flows
Internal rate of return (IRR)
Discount rate that gives us NPV = 0 as a percentage
If IRR > Cost of capital
Accept
If IRR < Cost of capital
Reject
IRR disadvantages (3)
- Can be possible to get more than one IRR
- Doesn’t provide the magnitude of the increase in wealth from the project (ignores the scale of any project)
- Can prove misleading where projects are mutually exclusive or if capital is rationed
Cost of preference shares =
% preference share / market value
Disadvantages with WACC (2)
- Difficult to estimate for unlisted companies
- Not possible to calculate for government organisations
Only correct to use the WACC as the discount rate in NPV analysis if (3)
- Project being assessed is small relative to the business
- Existing capital structure will be maintained
- Project has same risk profile as rest of business
NPV is superior method of investment appraisal because
It measures the addition the shareholder’s wealth of accepting a new project
Relevant cash flows
Those cash flows affected by the decision to invest
Relevant cash flows > sunk costs
Ignore
Relevant cash flows > opportunity costs
Include the lost contribution