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What’s the payback period?💸💰🕒 +example



PAYBACK PERIOD...

🧮 is a financial formula used to measure the time to recover initial investment

💰 helps assess risk and feasibility

💸 is calculated by adding up cash flows until investment is fully recouped


∎ IT IS KEY TO REMEMBER THAT...

👍 shorter payback periods indicate good investments

👎 longer payback periods may not be worthwhile

👨‍💼 this is used by investors to compare investment opportunities

💼 it’s also used by businesses to determine project viability

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📈 Payback period shows how long it takes for a business to recover an investment➠it is in fact a financial metric used to measure the length of time required for an investment to generate enough cash flows to recover its initial cost;


💰 This techinique is a way of assessing the risk associated with an investment and helps investors evaluate the feasibility of a project;


💸 The payback period is calculated by adding up the cash flows generated by the investment over time until the initial investment is fully recovered;


👍 If the payback period is shorter than the expected lifespan of the investment, then it is considered a good investment;


👎 However, if the payback period is longer than the expected lifespan of the investment, then the investment may not be satisfying and worthwhile;


👨‍💼 Investors can use the payback period to compare different investment opportunities and make informed decisions about where to allocate their capital;


💼 Businesses can use the payback period to determine whether a project is financially viable and whether it is worth pursuing.


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FORMULA AND EXAMPLE


✎The formula is:

PAYBACK PERIOD =

Years before break-even + (Unrecovered Amount/Cash Flow in Recovery Year)


✎Let's say a company is considering investing $50,000 in a new machine that is expected to generate cash flows as follows:


Year 1: $10,000

Year 2: $20,000

Year 3: $15,000

Year 4: $8,000

Year 5: $7,000


✎To calculate the payback period, the company needs to determine how long it will take to recover the initial investment of $50,000 and different cash flows for each of the 5 following years:


Year 1: $10,000

Year 2: $30,000 ($10,000 + $20,000)

Year 3: $45,000 ($10,000 + $20,000 + $15,000)

Year 4: $53,000 ($10,000 + $20,000 + $15,000 + $8,000)

(here we have reached 50,000, then this is the recovery year and the previous one indicates years before break-even)

Year 5: $60,000 ($10,000 + $20,000 + $15,000 + $8,000 + $7,000)


✎Given the formula as above...

PAYBACK PERIOD =

Years before break-even + (Unrecovered Amount/Cash Flow in Recovery Year) =

3 + (50,000 - 45,000)/8,000 =

3.625 years =

3 years and 7.5 months


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