Your first assignment in your new position as assistant financial analyst at Caledonia Products is to evaluate two new capital$-$budgeting proposals. Because this is your first assignment, 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 at Caledonia, 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 $$150,000.$ 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. In evaluating these projects, please respond to the following questions:

a$.$ Why is the capital$-$budgeting process so important?

b$.$ Why is it difficult to find exceptionally profitable projects?

c$.$ What is the payback period on each project? If Caledonia imposes a $4-$year maximum acceptable payback period, which of these projects should be accepted?

d$.$ What are the criticisms of the payback period?

e$.$ Determine the NPV for each of these projects. Should either project be accepted?

f$.$ Describe the logic behind the NPV$.$

g$.$ Determine the $\frac{?}{PI}$ for each of these projects. Should either project be accepted?

h$.$ Would you expect the NPV and PI methods to give consistent acceptreject decisions? Why or why not?

i$.$ What would happen to the NPV and $\frac{?}{PI}$ for each project if the required rate of return increased? If the required rate of return decreased?

j$.$ Determine the IRR for each project. Should either project be accepted?

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

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

Data table

$\backslash$table$[[($Click on the following icon in order to copy its contents into a spreadsheet$)],[,$PROJECTA,PROJECT B$,],[$Initial outlay,$-$$$150,000,-$$$150,000,],[$Inflow year $1,30,000,40,000,],[$Inflow year $2,20,000,40,000,-2+2$