Profitability Index (PI) Calculation
Formula:
```
PI = (Present Value of Future Cash Flows) / (Initial Investment)
```
Steps:
1. Determine the initial investment: This is the upfront cost of the project, including any setup costs, equipment purchases, or working capital requirements.
2. Estimate the future cash flows: Forecast the net cash inflows or outflows for each period of the project's life.
3. Discount the future cash flows: Apply an appropriate discount rate to each future cash flow to account for the time value of money.
4. Sum the discounted cash flows: Add up the discounted cash flows over the project's life.
5. Calculate the present value: This is the sum of the discounted cash flows.
6. Divide the present value by the initial investment: The result is the Profitability Index.
Example:
Consider a project with an initial investment of $100,000 and the following future cash flows:
| Year | Cash Flow |
|---|---|
| 1 | $40,000 |
| 2 | $30,000 |
| 3 | $50,000 |
| 4 | $40,000 |
Assuming a discount rate of 5%:
1. Discount the cash flows:
- Year 1: $40,000 / (1 + 0.05)^1 = $38,095
- Year 2: $30,000 / (1 + 0.05)^2 = $28,571
- Year 3: $50,000 / (1 + 0.05)^3 = $42,857
- Year 4: $40,000 / (1 + 0.05)^4 = $36,050
2. Sum the discounted cash flows: $38,095 + $28,571 + $42,857 + $36,050 = $145,573
3. Calculate the present value: $145,573
4. Calculate the PI:
- PI = $145,573 / $100,000
- PI = 1.46
Interpretation:
A PI greater than 1 indicates that the project is profitable, as the present value of the future cash flows exceeds the initial investment. In this case, the PI of 1.46 suggests that for every $1 invested, the project is expected to return $1.46 in present value terms.