Barlae Auto Repair, Inc. is evaluating a project to purchase equipment that will not only expand the company’s capacity but also improve the quality of its repair services. The board of directors requires all capital investments to meet or exceed the minimum requirement of a 10 percent rate of return. However, the board has not clearly defined the rate of return. The president and controller are pondering two different rates of return: unadjusted rate of return and internal rate of return. The equipment, which costs $200,000, has a life expectancy of five years. The increased net profit per year will be approximately $14,000, and the increased cash inflow per year will be approximately $55,400. (PV of $1 and PVA of $1) (Use appropriate factor(s) from the tables provided.)
Required
a-1. Determine the unadjusted rate of return and (use average investment) to evaluate this project.
a-2. Based on the unadjusted rate of return, should the company invest in the equipment?
b-1. What is the approximate internal rate of return of this project?
b-2. Based on the internal rate of return, should the company invest in the equipment?
c. Which method is better for this capital investment decision?