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Calculating NPV Howell Petroleum is considering a new project that complements its existing business. The machine required for the project costs \(\$ 1.8\) million. The marketing department predicts that sales related to the project will be \(\$ 1.1\) million per year for the next four years, after which the market will cease to exist. The machine will be depreciated down to zero over its fouryear economic life using the straight-line method. Cost of goods sold and operating expenses related to the project are predicted to be 25 percent of sales. Howell also needs to add net working capital of \(\$ 150,000\) immediately. The additional net working capital will be recovered in full at the end of the project's life. The corporate tax rate is 35 percent. The required rate of return for Howell is 16 percent. Should Howell proceed with the project?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The NPV of the project is -\$0.57675 million, which is negative. Therefore, it is not advisable for Howell Petroleum to proceed with the project, as it would result in a loss.

Step by step solution

01

Compute yearly cash flows

First, we need to find the yearly cash flows from the project. To do this, we will calculate the revenue, cost of goods sold, operating expenses, and depreciation, and then subtract the costs from the revenue. 1. Revenue: \(1.1\) million per year for four years. 2. Cost of goods sold and operating expenses: 25% of sales or \(0.275\) million (\(1.1\text{ million} \times 0.25\)). 3. Depreciation: The machine costs \(\$1.8\) million and will be depreciated over its four-year life on a straight-line basis, which results in a depreciation of \(0.45\) million per year (\(1.8\text{ million} ÷ 4\)). Now we will calculate the yearly cash flows: Yearly Cash Flows = Revenue - Cost of goods sold & operating expenses - Depreciation Yearly Cash Flows = \(1.1\text{ million} - 0.275\text{ million} - 0.45\text{ million} = \$0.375\text{ million}\)
02

Determine after-tax cash flow

To determine the after-tax cash flow, we need to find the tax payment for each year and subtract it from the yearly cash flows. Tax Payment = (Yearly Cash Flows - Depreciation) × Corporate Tax Rate Tax Payment = (\(0.375\text{ million} - 0.45\text{ million}) × 0.35 = -\$0.02625\text{ million}\) After-Tax Cash Flow = Yearly Cash Flows - Tax Payment After-Tax Cash Flow = \(0.375\text{ million} - (-0.02625\text{ million}) = \$0.40125\text{ million}\)
03

Calculate the NPV of the project

Now we will calculate the NPV of the project using the following formula: NPV = Initial Investment + \[ \sum_{i=1}^{n} \frac{After-Tax Cash Flow}{(1 + Required Rate of Return)^i} \] - Final Net Working Capital Recovery Where n is the number of years. Initial Investment = -\(1.8\text{ million} - 0.15\text{ million} = -\$1.95\text{ million}\) Required Rate of Return = 16% (or 0.16) Final Net Working Capital Recovery = \(0.15\text{ million}\) (since it is recovered in full) NPV = -\(1.95\text{ million} + \[ \sum_{i=1}^{4} \frac{0.40125\text{ million}}{(1 + 0.16)^i} \] - 0.15\text{ million}\) Calculate each individual term in the sum: \(\frac{0.40125\text{ million}}{(1 + 0.16)^1} = 0.34591\text{ million}\) \(\frac{0.40125\text{ million}}{(1 + 0.16)^2} = 0.29819\text{ million}\) \(\frac{0.40125\text{ million}}{(1 + 0.16)^3} = 0.25723\text{ million}\) \(\frac{0.40125\text{ million}}{(1 + 0.16)^4} = 0.22193\text{ million}\) Now we can add these up and calculate the NPV: NPV = -\(1.95\text{ million} + (0.34591 + 0.29819 + 0.25723 + 0.22193)\text{ million} - 0.15\text{ million} = -\$0.57675\text{ million}\)
04

Make a decision based on the computed NPV

Since the NPV is -\(0.57675\text{ million}\) (which is negative), it is not advisable for Howell Petroleum to proceed with the project, as it would result in a loss.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Capital Budgeting
Capital budgeting is the process businesses use to evaluate potential major projects or investments. The objective is to determine the expected future cash flows of a project and assess whether the project will yield profits that exceed its costs. There are multiple techniques to decide on these investments. A popular method is Net Present Value (NPV), an indicator of how much value an investment or project adds to a company.

The core steps in capital budgeting include:
  • Identifying potential investments or projects.
  • Estimating future cash flows for these projects.
  • Calculating the present value of expected cash flows using a required rate of return.
  • Making decisions based on the present value calculation.
Considerations in these decisions often include the scale of the investment, the duration of costs and returns, and the associated risks, balancing the potential benefits with the potential costs.
Depreciation
Depreciation is an accounting method of allocating the cost of a tangible asset over its useful life. Essentially, it reflects the asset's consumption or use, allowing companies to offset their costs through calculated deductions on their financial statements. This systematic allocation is crucial in providing a more accurate financial picture for both reporting purposes and investment decision-making.

Straight-line depreciation, used in this exercise, is the simplest depreciation method. It involves declining an asset's value evenly over its useful life. For Howell Petroleum's project, the machine's \(\\(1.8\) million cost is depreciated at \(\\)0.45\) million per year over four years. Depreciation affects a project's cash flow through tax benefits, as it reduces taxable income, billing only the actual cash outlay before taxes. Thus, accurate depreciation calculations can significantly impact investment evaluations in capital budgeting.
Corporate Tax Rate
The corporate tax rate is the tax imposed on a company's taxable income. It is an essential consideration in project evaluations as it affects the project’s net cash flows and, consequently, its viability. Taxes reduce a company's income, which means understanding the actual tax burden is crucial for accurate financial projections.

In capital budgeting exercises like Howell's, tax calculations determine how much money the project will retain after statuary deductions. Here, a 35% corporate tax rate applies. The tax payment is derived from adjusted pre-tax cash flows, which are reduced by depreciation. The resulting after-tax cash flow is then used to determine NPV. Understanding the impact of the corporate tax rate helps in reflecting true profitability and avoiding financial missteps in decision-making.
Required Rate of Return
The required rate of return represents the minimum return an investor expects to achieve by investing in a project, given its risk level. It's an essential benchmark in capital budgeting that helps determine whether a project meets an investor's financial objectives.

This rate, often derived from the company's cost of capital or a risk-adjusted rate, acts as the discount rate in NPV calculations. For Howell Petroleum, this rate is 16%. The rate of return accounts for the time value of money—highlighting that funds received in the future are worth less than those received today. Calculating NPV involves discounting future cash flows using this rate. When the NPV is positive, the investment is generally considered favorable because it exceeds the required rate. In contrast, a negative NPV, as found in this case, indicates that the project does not cover the cost of capital, signaling a potential loss.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

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