(Calculating the payback and discounted payback periods) The Bar-None Manufacturing Company manufactures fence panels used in cattle feedlots throughout the Midwest. Bar-None’s management is considering three investment projects for next year but doesn’t want to make any investment that requires more than three years to recover the firm’s initial investment. The cash flows for the three projects (A, B, and C) are as follows:

a. Given Bar-None’s three-year payback period, which of the projects will qualify for acceptance?

b. Rank the three projects using their payback periods. Which project looks the best using this criterion? Do you agree with this ranking? Why or why not?

c. If Bar-None uses a 10 percent discount rate to analyze projects, what is the discounted payback period for each of the three projects? If the firm still maintains its three-year payback policy for the discounted payback, which projects should the firm undertake?

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Year Project A Project B Project C 0 $(1,000) $(10,000) $(5,000) 1 600 5,000 1,000 234 In 300 3,000 1,000 200 3,000 2,000 100 3,000 2,000 5 500 3,000 2,000