Accounting rate of return and NPV Puzo Publications uses the accounting rate of PI 6.29 return method to evaluate proposed capital investments. The company’s desired rate of LO 6, 7, 10, 11 return (its cost of capital) is 18%. The project being evaluated involves a new product that will have a three-year life. The investment required is $150,000, which consists of a $120,000 machine, and inventories and accounts receivable totaling $30,000. The ma¬ chine will have a useful life of three years and a salvage value of $75,000. The salvage value will be received during the fourth year, and the inventories and accounts receiv¬ able related to the product also will be converted back to cash in the fourth year. Accrual accounting net income from the product will be $43,500 per year, before depreciation expense, for each of the three years. Because of the time lag between selling the product and collecting the accounts receivable, cash flows from the product will be;

1 St year 2nd year 3rd year 4th year

$21,000 36,000 43,500 30,000 Required:

a. Calculate the accounting rate of return for the first year of the product. Assume straight-line depreciation. Based on this analysis, would the investment be made? Explain your answer.

b. Calculate the net present value of the product using a cost of capital of 18% and assuming that cash flows occur at the end of the respective years. Based on this analysis, would the investment be made? Explain your answer.

c. Which of these two analytical approaches is the more appropriate to use? Explain your answer.