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December 16, 2025

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Types of Capital Budgeting Methods Explained

One right investment decision can make or break a business. There is a shortage of funds, but many options to invest those funds, so in this case, capital budgeting really helps as it figures out money is worth spending on that project or not. This article is a guide to types of capital budgeting methods, which help to compare options and ensure one makes the right decision

What is Capital budgeting?

Capital budgeting is the process that companies use to decide whether they should spend on big projects that help them earn money in future. Businesses compare projects to see which option is more profitable. The projects can include building a new factory, buying new machines, launching a new product range or service or investing in R&D.Companies' funds are limited, so companies choose between different products and study them using capital budgeting. Capital budgeting helps companies make smart and informed decisions that will lead to company growth and success in the long term.

Types of Capital Budgeting Methods

1. Payback period method

Introduction: It is an important method in capital budgeting that companies use to decide how long it will take to recover the money they invested in a project or asset

Formula to calculate: Payback Period = Initial investment / Annual cash inflows

Role of this method: This method is easy to calculate, which helps managers and investors know how quickly they can get their invested money back. It is useful for short-term decisions for business

Example: Suppose the company purchases new machines at $60,000, and Rs 30,000 every year is earned by the company from these machines
So, using the payback period formula, we find that the company will get back the invested money in 2 years, and then there will profit for the company

2. Net Present Value

Introduction: Net Present Value (NPV) is a method used in capital budgeting to find out whether an investment or project will be profitable or not. It helps to understand how much future money is worth in today's terms. If the NPV is positive, the project is profitable and worth spending, and if it's negative, it will lead to a loss.

Formula: The net present value is calculated using this formula

Where C1, C2 …..Cn are the cash flows of different years

K=Discount rate

Investment: Total amount spent on starting

Role of this formula: It will indicate whether the project will add value to the company or not; it also provides an accurate picture of the profitability of a project, and enables comparison of projects with different costs and timelines. It also indicates whether an investment will earn more money than it costs after adjusting for time and risk.

Example: Let’s say Project X costs ₹3,000. It will earn ₹1,000, ₹900, ₹800, ₹700, and ₹600 over the next five years in its return. The interest rate or discount rate over this time is 10%.

‍

So using this formula,

So the final result is 105.09, and it is a positive value, which states the project is profitable.

3. Accounting Rate of Return, i.e ARR

Introduction: It is also called the average rate of return, and the profitability of a project or investment is measured by it. is dependent on accounting information (like profits from financial statements) instead of cash flows

Formula: So the ARR is calculated using this formula

ARR = Average net income after taxes/ Average Investment×100

where Average income after taxes=Total income after taxes/no of years

Average investment=Total investment/2

Role: It helps the company decide if a project is profitable or not. If the ARR is higher than the company's required rate of return, it is accepted; if it's less than, it's rejected. It is also used in the ranking of projects; if the ARR is higher than others, the highest rank will be given to that out of.

Example: Suppose a company spends ₹80,000 in a project over 4 years, and after taxes, it earns a profit of ₹32,000

Average income after taxes =32,000/4 =8000

Average Investment =80,000/2 =40,000

ARR= 8000/40000 x100 = 20%

In this case company's expected rate of return is 18 % then this project turns out to be profitable, as it is more than that

4. Profitability Index Method, i.e PI

Introduction: It is a method used to decide whether an investment project is worth accepting.PI shows the benefit earned per rupee invested, making it a relative measure.

Projects are accepted if the PI is more than 1 and rejected if less than 1. The project with the highest PI is selected.

Formula: The profitability index is calculated using this formula

Profitability Index = Present Value of Future Cash Inflows/Initial Investment

Role: It helps businesses decide which projects are worth investing. The method also includes the cash flows earned throughout the project, helping companies make better and more correct decisions

Example: Suppose a company expand its factory by investing $1,000,000. Assuming it will make $200,000 each year for 5 years, at a discount of 10%, determine the Profitability Index

Solution: The present value is calculated using the following formula,

PV total over these 5 years after using this formula=758,155

PV= 758,155/ 800,000 = 0.758

The project turns out to be not profitable, as the final value is less than 1

5. Internal Rate of Return, i.e IRR

Introduction: It is a method used to check project profitability with the rate of return a project is expected to earn. If this rate is higher than the company’s cost of capital, the project is considered profitable.

Formula: Below is the formula stated for calculating the Internal rate of return.

Where: N = total number of years, CFₙ = cash flow in each period (money spent or received), IRR = internal rate of return. To determine IRR, we take NPV as 0

Role: It considers the time value of money, where money today is more valuable than the same amount received at some time in the future. IRR considers all cash flows during the whole life of a project or asset,

Example: The initial investment required in Project X is $6,000.The expected earnings are $2,000 in the first year,$2,200 in the second year, $1,800 in the third year, $1,600 in the fourth year, and $1,000 in the fifth year.

Solution to find IRR,

In this formula, we do a lot of hit and trial of the IRR value until the NPV become 0

In this case, NPV =0 at approxiametly14.98%, which is more than the cost of capital, given, which means the project is profitable

Suggested reading on the difference between cash flow and fund flow

Procedure of Capital Budgeting

Step 1: Identification of Options available

This step means finding new projects that grow the company. This includes ideas such as new product ideas, partnerships or buying another business, buying a factory or machinery

Step 2: Determine the cash flows

In this step, the company estimates the value of (cash inflows) and (cash outflows), and this includes initial cost, earnings, and the final value after the project. For estimation, we can do research, use company data or ask for expert advice

Step 3: Checking the Project’s Profitability

In this step, the company studies whether the project will be profitable using methods like Net Present Value, Internal Rate of Return, and Profitability Index

Step 4: Choosing the Best Project

In this step Company analyses all options and selects the projects that bring the best profit and fit its goals. Tools like NPV, IRR, and payback period help in comparing and ranking them.

Step 5: Executing the Project Plan

In this step, the project which was planned has started to work. The company manages the work, checks progress, and fixes problems if something goes off track.

Step 6: Review and monitoring

After the project ends, the company checks how well it performed. It compares results with actual plans, and if not meet expectations, it learns from experience and improves future projects.

Determining Profitability using methods

The above methods, which are discussed, are used to check whether one should accept or reject the project, so below are the following parameters on which it is decided;

Method	When to accept	When to reject
Payback Period	Payback period ≤ company’s decided time	Payback period ≤ company’s decided time
Net Present Value	NPV ≥ 0	NPV < 0
Accounting Rate of Return	ARR ≥ company’s required return	ARR < required return
Profitability Index	PI ≥ 1	PI < 1
Internal Rate of Return	IRR ≥ cost of capital	IRR < cost of capital

Suggested read on Net Profit

Conclusion

Overall, methods of capital budgeting help businesses make the right decision to either accept the project or reject it. Methods like NPV, ARR, PI, or IRR help in analysing a project and choosing the best out of it . By comparing different options and understanding the risks, businesses make sure their investments lead to success and growth in the long term

Suggested guide on 10 practices to improve cash flow

FAQs

1. How are IRR and ROI not similar?

IRR gives the annual rate of return over the whole project, and ROI shows how much you earned with respect to what you had invested. IRR is used in the case of a project that has inflows over different years, but in cases where the investment has a fixed time and gives one return at the end, ROI is used.

2. Why should we use capital budgeting?

It helps choose the right long-term investments, avoids unprofitable projects, and uses money wisely. It also helps compare options, plan for the future, and support the company’s growth.

3. Which is most easiest method in terms of calculation in capital budgeting?

Payback period is one of the easiest methods in terms of calculation

4. How discounted cash flow method help in decision-making for business?

It is a method that helps a business judge a project more fairly by looking at both the amount of money it will earn and when that money will come in. It works by converting future cash flows into their present value, so the company can clearly see if the project is worth taking.

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