Evaluating cash flows with the NPV method The net present value (NPV) rule is considered one of the most common and preferred criteria that generally lead to good investment decisions. Consider this case: Suppose Happy Dog Soap Company is evaluating a proposed capital budgeting project (project Alpha) that will require an initial investment of $400,000. The project is expected to generate the following net cash flows: Year Cash Flow Year 1 $325,000 Year 2 $450,000 Year 3 $500,000 Year 4 $475,000 Happy Dog Soap Company's weighted average cost of capital is 7%, and project Alpha has the same risk as the firm's average project. Based on the cash flows, what is project Alpha's net present value (NPV)? $1,227,407 $1,392,310 $1,067,310 $1,517,310 Making the accept or reject decision Happy Dog Soap Company's decision to accept or reject project Alpha is independent of its decisions on other projects. If the firm follows the NPV method, it should project Alpha. Which of the following statements best explains what it means when a project has an NPV of $0? When a project has an NPV of $0, the project is earning a rate of return less than the project's weighted average cost of capital. It's OK to accept the project, as long as the project's profit is positive. When a project has an NPV of $0, the project is earning a profit of $0. A firm should reject any project with an NPV of $0, because the project is not profitable. When a project has an NPV of $0, the project is earning a rate of return equal to the project's weighted average cost of capital. It's OK to accept a project with an NPV of $0, because the project is earning the required minimum rate of return. 2. Internal rate of return (IRR) The internal rate of return (IRR) refers to the compound annual rate of return that a project generates based on its up-front cost and subsequent cash flows. Consider this case: Falcon Freight is evaluating a proposed capital budgeting project (project Delta) that will require an initial investment of $1,600,000. Falcon Freight has been basing capital budgeting decisions on a project's NPV; however, its new CFO wants to start using the IRR method for capital budgeting decisions. The CFO says that the IRR is a better method because percentages and returns are easier to understand and to compare to required returns. Falcon Freight's WACC is 9%, and project Delta has the same risk as the firm's average project. The project is expected to generate the following net cash flows: Year Cash Flow Year 1 $350,000 Year 2 $475,000 Year 3 $425,000 Year 4 $500,000 Which of the following is the correct calculation of project Delta's IRR? 3.17% 4.05% 3.52% 2.99% If this is an independent project, the IRR method states that the firm should If the project's cost of capital were to increase, how would that affect the IRR? The IRR would not change. The IRR would increase. The IRR would decrease