A manager at a consumer electronics firm is considering a year project to improve its packaging
process for cables and other accessories and reduce waste. The project requires a temporary product
line to be set up in a warehouse that is currently rented out to a local distributor. The manager has
collected the following information on the project:
The project requires an immediate investment of $ in new equipment. The equipment
will have a year economic life and will be depreciated straightline to a salvage value of
zero. After years, the equipment can be sold for $
The production line is expected to produce revenues of $ per year starting in year
and its operating cash costs are expected to be $ per year.
The rent the firm receives on its warehouse equals $ per year. The current book value of
the warehouse is $ and the annual depreciation amount equals $ The firm plans
to sell the warehouse at the end of year for $ irrespective of whether the project will
be undertaken.
Operating the product line will require an immediate investment of $ in Net Working
Capital. The level of NWC will remain constant for the duration of the project.
Since the project reduces waste, the firm can claim an immediate onetime tax credit of $
if it sets up the product line.
The manager has estimated that the relevant cost of capital for an investment of this type equals
The marginal corporate tax rate for the electronics firm is Furthermore, you can assume
that all cash flows are realized at the end of the year. Should the manager go ahead with the
investment project? Show your calculations hint: set up a cash flow template and first work out the
Free Cash Flows of the project, and then calculate the projects NPV and IRR