Net Present Value (NPV)
Date created: Oct 12, 2022 • Last updated: Oct 12, 2022
What is Net Present Value?
Net Present Value is the difference between the present value of cash inflows and the present value of cash outflows, over a period of time. It is used to determine the viability of an initiative or investment.
Net Present Value Formula
How to calculate Net Present Value
Company A has a 7.5 year interest-free, long-term loan of $500,000. The current bank loan rate of 5% and monthly payment required of $8,333 will start on the 31st month. To calculate the current value of the loan: In the Excel NPV tool: Rate: 5%/12=0.42%, Value1-value 30:$0, Value31-Value 89 : $8,333, CPT NPV=$389,800.50. This means the company will spend the cost at the present value of $389,800.50 to obtain the loan of $500,000.
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What is a good Net Present Value benchmark?
An investment is viable if the NPV is positive.
How to visualize Net Present Value?
In most cases, a summary chart is sufficient to visualize your Net Present Value. This chart displays the current value of your metric with an optional comparison to a previous time period.
Net Present Value visualization example
Summary Chart
Net Present Value
Chart
Measuring Net Present ValueMore about Net Present Value
The NPV rule states that companies must only invest in projects that have a positive NPV. Intuitively, this rule implies that it is only worth investing in projects where the return exceeds the cost of investment.
The amount of money generated by future cash flows, less the actual cost of investing in these cash flows is the NPV of the project or investment. The process of computing the present value of a future cash flow is called discounting and this is essential for calculating the worth of the future return of the project in today’s terms. The discount rate is set by a business based on the shareholders’ expected rate of return or the existing interest rate paid on debt by the business.
This rule adds value to financial decision making by allowing businesses to weigh costs against future returns while respecting the time value of money. NPV is used to determine the viability of an initiative or investment
Recommended resources related to Net Present Value
This link contains several simple examples of how to calculate and apply the NPV rule.Metric Toolkit
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