What is net present value?
A capital investment analysis method. It incorporates the time value of money & measures the net difference b/t the present value of an investment’s cash inflows and the investment’s initial cost.
Net present value (NPV) is a financial concept that calculates the current value of future cash flows based on a specific discount rate. It is the difference between the present value of cash inflows and the present value of cash outflows over a period of time.
In essence, it helps investors and managers to determine the profitability of an investment by considering the time value of money. This approach assumes that money available today is worth more than the same amount in the future since it can earn interest or generate returns when invested.
To calculate the NPV, the future cash flows are discounted back to their present value using the discount rate, which reflects a company’s cost of capital or the investor’s required rate of return. If the NPV is positive, it indicates that the project or investment is profitable and should be accepted, while a negative NPV suggests that the investment should be declined.
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