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Discounting Future Cash Flows. HL Investment Appraisal P190-192 ( Stimpson & Smith, 2012, Business & Management for the IB Diploma Program). Discounting Future Cash Flows. When calculating the Average Rate of Return for project (ARR) it is important to discount future cash flows.
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Discounting Future Cash Flows HL Investment Appraisal P190-192 (Stimpson & Smith, 2012, Business & Management for the IB Diploma Program)
Discounting Future Cash Flows • When calculating the Average Rate of Return for project (ARR) it is important to discount future cash flows. • This additional calculation considers the impact of inflation on the future returns from a project.
Future Cash Flows & Inflation(Example) • If you were offered a $1000, today or in one years time, most people would take the money today. The pay today is preferred for these reasons: • It can be spent immediately and the benefits of this expenditure can be obtained immediately. This is not waiting. • The $1000 could be saved at the current rate of interest. The total cash plus interest will be greater than the offer of $1000 in one year’s time. • The cash today is certain , but the future cash offer is always open to uncertainty.
The Time Value of Money • When we calculate how much money will be worth in the future, we are taking the “time value of money” into consideration. • Discounting is the process of reducing the value of future cash flows to give then their value in today’s terms. • How much less is future cash worth compared to today’s money? • The answer depends on the rate of interest.
The Time Value of Money • If $1000 received today can be saved at 10%, then it will growth to $1100 in one years time. • Therefore $1100 in one years time has the same value as $1000 today at 10% interest. • The value of $1000 is called the present value of $1100 received in one years time. • Discounting calculates the present value of future cash flows so that investment projects can be compared with each other by considering the today’s value of their returns.
Discounting – How does it work? The present value of a future sum of money depends on two factors: • The higher the interest rate, the less value future cash has in today’s money. • The longer into the future cash is received, the less value it has today
Two Variables: Interest Rates & Times • The two variables – interest and time are used to calculate discount factors • You do not have to calculate these percentages – they are given in an IB table, which can be used in exams.
Discount Table - Example How to use this table: Example A company anticipates that a project will generate a return of $3000 in 3 years time. The current interest rate is 10%. The discount factor to be used is .75. This means that $1 received in 3 years time is worth 75 cents today. The discount factor is multiplied by $3000 and the present value is $2250.
Net Present Value (NPV) Net Present Value (NPV) • Today’s value of the estimated cash flows resulting from an investment. • It requires you to calculate the discount rate in various years to get the total discounted cash flows and subtract the initial investment.
How to calculate Net Present Value (NPV) of a Project over several years: (example) Net Present Value is now calculated: Total Discounted Cash Flows = $ 11,940 (4560+3440+2370+1480) Subtract Original Investment = - $(10,000) NPV (Net Present Value) $1940
Analysis of NPV Example • In the previous example, the project earns $1940 in today’s money value. • So if the finance can be borrowed at an interest rate of less than 8% the investment will be profitable. • What would happen to the NPV if the discount rate was raised, perhaps because interest rates have increased? • This would reduce NPV as future cash flows are worth even less when they are discounted at a higher rate.
What discount rate will a business use? • Usually a business will choose a rate of discount that reflects the interest cost of borrowing the capital to finance the investment. • Even if the finance is raised internally, the rate of interest should still be used to discount future returns. • This is because the opportunity cost of internal finance – it could be left on deposit in the bank to earn interest.
What discount rate will a business use? • An alternative approach to selecting the discount rate to be used is for a business to adopt a cut-off or criterion rate. • The business would use this to discount the returns on the project and, if the net present value is positive, the investment could go ahead.
Exercises – Discounting Future Cash Flows • A company spends a $855,000 on a new fleet of five trucks. • It is anticipated that the trucks will generate the following new revenue each year: • Year 1: $275,000 • Year 2: $305,000 • Year 3: $310,000 • Year 4: $299,000 • The discount rate is 20%. • Calculate the discounted cash flow for each year and the Net Present Value (NPV) at the end of the 4 year period.