6. Understanding the NPV profile

If mutually exclusive projects with normal cash flows are being analyzed, the net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR) methods ___________ [always/sometimesever] agree.

Projects W and X are mutually exclusive projects. Their cash flows and NPV profiles are shown as follows.

Year	Project W	Project X
0	$1,000	$1,500
1	$200	$350
2	$350	$500
3	$400	$600
4	$600	$750

If the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) for each project is 6%, do the NPV and IRR methods agree or conflict?

A: The methods agree.

B: The methods conflict.

When there is a conflict, a key to resolving this it is the assumed reinvestment rate. The IRR calculation assumes that intermediate cash flows are reinvested at the ________________[IRR/MIRR/Rate of Return] , and the NPV calculation implicitly assumes that the rate at which cash flows can be reinvested is the_________________[IRR/MIRR/Rate of Return] .

As a result, when evaluating mutually exclusive projects, the ______________[IRR/NPV] is usually the better decision criterion.

NPV (Dollars) 800 Project X Project W 200 -200 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 COST OF CAPITAL (Percent)