Your first assignment in your new position as assistant financial analyst at Caledonia Products is to evaluate two newcapital-budgeting proposals. Because this is your firstassignment, you have been asked not only to provide a recommendation but also to respond to a number of questions aimed at assessing your understanding of the capital-budgeting process. This is a standard procedure for all new financial analysts atCaledonia, and it will serve to determine whether you are moved directly into the capital-budgeting analysis department or are provided with remedial training. The memorandum you received outlining your assignment follows:

To: New Financial Analysts

From: Mr. V. Morrison, CEO, Caledonia Products

Re: Capital-Budgeting Analysis

Provide an evaluation of two proposed projects, both with 5-year expected lives and identical initial outlays of $130,000. Both of these projects involve additions to Caledonia's highly successful Avalon product line, and as a result, the required rate of return on both projects has been established at 15 percent. The expected free cash flows from each project are shown in the popup window:

PROJECT A		PROJECT B
Initial outlay	$130,000		$130,000
Inflow year 1	30,000		40,000
Inflow year 2	30,000		40,000
Inflow year 3	30,000		40,000
Inflow year 4	40,000		40,000
Inflow year 5	70,000		40,000

In evaluating these projects, please respond to the followingquestions:

g. Determine the PI for each of these projects. Should either project be accepted?

h. Would you expect the NPV and PI methods to give consistentaccept/reject decisions? Why or why not?

i. What would happen to the NPV and PI for each project if the required rate of return increased? If the required rate of returndecreased?

j. Determine the IRR for each project. Should either project beaccepted?

k. How does a change in the required rate of return affect theproject's internal rate of return?

l. What reinvestment rate assumptions are implicitly made by the NPV and IRR methods? Which one is better?