You work for Apple. After toiling away on $9.8 million worth of prototypes, you have finally produced your answer to Google Glasses: iGlasses (the name alone is genius). iGlasses will instantly transport the wearer into the world as Apple wants him to experience it: iTunes with the wink of an eye and apps that can be activated just by looking at them.
You think that these will sell for four years until the next big thing comes along (or until users are unable to interact with actual human beings). Revenues are projected to be $448 million per year along with expenses of $341.7 million.
You will need to spend $64.3 million immediately on additional equipment that will be depreciated using the 5-year MACRS schedule. Additionally, you will use some fully depreciated existing equipment that has a market value of $10.9 million.
As the iGlasses are an outcome of the R&D center, Apple plans to charge $5.4 million of the annual costs of the center to the iGlasses product for four years. Finally, Apple's working capital levels will increase from their current level of $115.4 million to $135.6 million immediately.
They will remain at the elevated level until year 4, when they will return to $115.4 million. Apple's discount rate for this project is 15.6% and its tax rate is 35%.
Calculate the free cash flows and determine the NPV of this project. (*) The opportunity cost must be after-tax.
