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A resolution to the NPV-IRR debate?

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 06:39 authored by Mike Osborne
Two criteria for choosing between capital investment projects are net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR). Sometimes they provide inconsistent rankings. This inconsistency sparked a debate about which criterion is better. The debate has lasted more than 100 years. This paper describes a new approach to the debate. The time value of money equation is a polynomial, and a polynomial of order n does not have a single root. It has n roots. The result of taking into account the n solutions for IRR is a new equation for NPV that suggests a resolution to the debate.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance

ISSN

10629769

Publisher

Elsevier

Issue

2

Volume

50

Page range

234-239

Department affiliated with

  • Business and Management Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2012-02-06

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