The Question:
What is the value today of the cash flows I will generate in the future?
Approach:
The value of future money is discounted to achieve present value
Commentary:
Used for budgeting purposes. The Discount Rate may be equivalent to interest earned on investments, WCC, or inflation plus risk.
Key to a convincing NPV calculation is picking the right Discount Rate.
Very similar to Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) analysis.
The Formula:
Net Present Value (NPV) = Rt/ (1+i)^t Or, NPV ($)= (Total cash in – cash out, $) / (1 + Discount %) ^ total yearsIf the Discount Rate is 3%, then in year 1 we discount by 3%, in year 2 by 3% + 3%, and so on
Metric: Economic Value Added (EVA)
The Question:
How much profit in dollar terms have I generated, factoring in borrowing costs for the investment?
Approach:
Net profit after tax (NOPAT) less the cost of capital
Commentary:
Gives an actual dollar figure for revenue generated rather than the percentage shown by ROI. CFO likes the fact that cost of capital is included. Pain the a** to calculate!
The Formula:
Economic Value Added (EVA) = Net Operating Profit After Tax (NOPAT, $) – Cost of Capital ($)
Cost of Capital ($) = Capital Employed ($) * Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC, $)