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 the case of Free Spirit Industries: Consider the following case: Free Spirit Industries is evaluating a proposed capital budgeting project (project Sigma) that will require an initial investment of $800,000 Free Spirit Industries 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 returns in percentage form are easier to understand and compare to required returns. Free Spirit Industries's WACC is 7%, and project Sigma has the same risk as the firm's average project. The project is expected to generate the following net cash flows: Which of the following is the correct calculation of project Sigma's IRR? Year Cash Flo Year 1 $375,000 Year 2 $500,000 Year 3 $425,000 Year 4 $500,000 O 32.5190 40.64% 34.54% 36.58% If this is an independent project, the IRR method states that the firm should If mutually exclusive projects are proposed that both have an IRR greater than the necessary WACC, the IRR method states that the firm should accept: O The project with the greatest IRR, assuming that both projects have the same risk as the firm's average O The project with the greater future cash inflows, assuming that both projects have the same risk as the firm's O The project that requires the lowest initial investment, assuming that both projects have the same risk as the project average project firm's average project