CHAPTER 10
The Fundamentals of Capital Budgeting

Learning Objectives 1. Discuss why capital budgeting decisions are the most important decisions made by a firm’s management. 2. Explain the benefits of using the net present value (NPV) method to analyze capital expenditure decisions, and be able to calculate the NPV for a capital project. 3. Describe the strengths and weaknesses of the payback period as a capital expenditure decision-making tool, and be able to compute the payback period for a capital project. 4. Explain why the accounting rate of return (ARR) is not recommended for use as a capital expenditure decision-making tool. 5. Be able to compute the internal rate of return (IRR) for a capital project, and discuss the conditions under which the IRR technique and the NPV technique produce different results. 6. Explain the benefits of a postaudit review of a capital project.

I. Chapter Outline

10.1 An Introduction to Capital Budgeting

A. The Importance of Capital Budgeting • Capital budgeting decisions are the most important investment decisions made by management. • The goal of these decisions is to select capital projects that will increase the value of the firm. • Capital investments are important because they involve substantial cash outlays and, once made, are not easily reversed. • Capital budgeting techniques help management to systematically analyze potential business opportunities in order to decide which are worth undertaking.
|Imagine you were to start your own business. No matter what type you started, you would have to answer the following three questions in some |
|form or another: |
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