In: Finance
You must evaluate the purchase of a spectrometer for a firm. The base price is $140,000 and it would cost another $30,000 to modify the equipment for special use by the firm.
The equipment will be depreciated to zero value over the 3 years using prime cost (straight line) method. The machine would be sold after 3 years for $60,000. The machine would require a $8,500 increase in net working capital and fully recover at the end of its 3-year life. The equipment should save the firm $50,000 per year in before-tax labor costs.
Below shows the forecasted sales revenues, variable cost and fixed cost.
| 
 Year 1  | 
 Year 2  | 
 Year 3  | 
|
| 
 Sales quantity (units)  | 
 4,000  | 
 5,000  | 
 5,500  | 
| 
 Selling price per unit  | 
 $4  | 
 $4  | 
 $4  | 
| 
 Fixed cost of production (per year)  | 
 $1,500  | 
 $1,500  | 
 $1,500  | 
| 
 Variable cost of production (per unit)  | 
 $1.1  | 
 $1.1  | 
 $1.1  | 
The marginal tax rate is 40% and the discount rate is 10%.
What is the net present value (NPV) of the proposed project?
(a.) Calculation of Net present value (NPV) of the proposed project :
| Year 0 | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
| Initial Investment ( 140000 + 30000) | 170000 | |||
| Saving in Pre tax Labour Cost | 50000 | 50000 | 50000 | |
| Sales (Quantity * Selling Price) | 16000 | 20000 | 22000 | |
| Less :Variable cost of Production (Quantity * Variable cost per unit) | 4400 | 5500 | 6050 | |
| Less :Fixed Cost of Production | 1500 | 1500 | 1500 | |
| Less : Depreciation (170000 / 3 ) | 56666.67 | 56666.67 | 56666.67 | |
| Earning before taxes | 3433.333 | 6333.333 | 7783.333 | |
| Taxes @ 40% | -1373.33 | -2533.33 | -3113.33 | |
| Earnings After Taxes | 2060 | 3800 | 4670 | |
| Add : Depreciation | 56666.67 | 56666.67 | 56666.67 | |
| Plus : Salvage Value | 60000 | |||
| Less : tax on salvage @ 40% | 24000 | |||
| NWC | 8500 | |||
| Plus : Recapture of NWC | 8500 | |||
| Operating Cash Flows | 178500 | 58727 | 60467 | 105836.7 | 
| PV Factor @ 10% | 1 | 0.909091 | 0.826446 | 0.751315 | 
| PV of Net Cash flows (Inflow) | 53387.88 | 49972.45 | 79516.65 | |
| PV of Net Cash flows (Outflow) | 178500 | |||
| The net present value (NPV) of this project is | = $ 4376.9847 or $ 4376.98 | |||
| NPV = PV of cash inflow - PV of cash outflow | ||||
| = 182879.9847- 178500 | ||||
| = $ 4376.9847 or $ 4376.98 | ||||
| Working Note : | ||||
| Book Value = 0 (Since it is fully depreciated | ||||
| Gain on Sale = Salvage Value - Book Value | ||||
| = 60000- 0 | ||||
| = 60000 | ||||
| Tax on Gain on Sale = 60000 * 0.4 = 24000 | ||||