If an independent project with conventional, or normal, cash flows is being analyzed, the net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR) method agree. Projects W and X are mutually exclusive project flows and NPV profiles are shown as follows. If the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) for each project is 10%, do the NPV and IRR methods agree or conflict? The methods agree, the methods conflict. A key to resolving this conflict is the assumed reinvestment rate. The NPV calculation implicitly assumes that intermediate cash flows are reinvested at the, and the IRR calculation assumes that the rate at which cash flows can be reinvested is the. As a result, when evaluating mutually exclusive projects, the is usually the better decision criterion