This book provides an introduction to investment appraisal and presents a range of methods and models, some of which are not widely known, or at least not well covered by other textbooks. Each approach is thoroughly described, evaluated and illustrated using examples, with its assumptions and limitations analyzed in terms of their implications for investment decision-making practice. Investment decisions are of vital importance to all companies. Getting these decisions right is crucial but, due to a complex and dynamic business environment, this remains a challenging management task. Effective appraisal methods are valuable tools in supporting investment decision-making. As organisations continue to seek a competitive edge, it is increasingly important that management accountants and strategic decision-makers have a sound knowledge of these tools.
How to make sound investment decisions: This book is based on long-term experience with students, especially at the School of International Business of Bremen University of Applied Sciences. For a better understanding, a case study is constructed to illustrate all methods discussed. Written in an easily understood style it focuses on the reality of student life as well as of practitioners. The goal of the book is to pace a sure way through the variety of methods. Mathematical basics are specifically explained in detail. This book shows clearly why there are different methods in investment appraisal and on where to focus in a given situation. As all methods are introduced by the same case study, it is easy to compare and evaluate the results. The statements in the text are further consolidated by abstracts and evaluations of each of the methods. Exercises with extensive solutions will lead to the confidence which is necessary for an ease of handling the investment appraisal techniques and for a good preparation for students’ exams. German and international students at universities and other institutions of higher education will find this book an excellent systematic preparation for their exams. It is also directed toward members of the general public who need expert guidance in making professional investment decisions. Due to the increasing mobility of students and the internationalisation of many economic or business curricula, not only do German students tend to study more abroad, but also foreign students tend to study more in Germany. In German universities the number of courses in the English language is also increasing. That is why I have written this text in English. A companion volume in German, entitled ‘Grundlagen der Investitionsrechnung: Eine Darstellung anhand einer Fallstudie’ is also available. In both textbooks the pages are constructed identically. Using both textbooks simultaneously will help those students who still lack the necessary business vocabulary in the respective language to reasonably follow a class in English or German. This book clearly closes an existing gap in the literature. This is the first book in English about capital expenditure budgeting in the sense as it is usually taught in German higher education institutions. As a result international students now have literature covering the contents of a course in investment appraisal in the form of an easy-to-read case study with easily understood graphics and notations.
Essentials of Financial Management is a paperback edition of an Open Access e-textbook suitable for students with limited knowledge of finance and financial markets. It answers the main questions of a corporate entity, such as how businesses finance their activities, how they select projects to invest in, the distribution of net cash flow and, of increasing importance, how businesses manage price risk relating to cost of goods sold or a decline in revenue. In providing invaluable guidance to finance, management and business students, Essentials of Financial Management employs two main philosophies: that finance is a real-life subject and that finance is a numerical subject, which is why this brilliant e-textbook contains real world examples as well as numerous Excel spreadsheet solutions for students to download and use.
Discover an insightful examination of the property investment appraisal process from leaders in the industry This book explains the process of property investment appraisal: the process of estimating both the most likely selling price (market value) and the worth of property investments to individuals or groups of investors (investment value). Valuations are important. They are used as a surrogate for transactions in the measurement of investment performance and they influence investors and other market operators when transacting property. Valuations need to be trusted by their clients and valuers need to produce rational and objective solutions. Appraisals of worth are even more important, as they help to determine the prices that should be paid for assets, even in times of crisis, and they can indicate market under- or over-pricing. In a style that makes the theory as well as the practice of valuation accessible to students and practitioners, the authors provide a valuable critique of conventional valuation methods and argue for the adoption of more contemporary cash-flow methods. They explain how such valuation models are constructed and give useful examples throughout. They also show how these contemporary cash-flow methods connect market valuations with rational appraisals. The UK property investment market has been through periods of both boom and bust since the first edition of this text was produced in 1988. As a result, the book includes examples generated by vastly different market states. Complex reversions, over-rented properties and leaseholds are all fully examined by the authors. This Fourth Edition includes new material throughout, including brand new chapters on development appraisals and bank lending valuations, heavily revised sections on discounted cash flow models with extended examples, and on the measurement and analysis of risk at an individual property asset level. The heart of the book remains the critical examination of market valuation models, which no other book addresses in such detail.
This book explains the financial appraisal of capital budgeting projects. The coverage extends from the development of basic concepts, principles and techniques to the application of them in increasingly complex and real-world situations. Identification and estimation (including forecasting) of cash flows, project appraisal formulae, and the application of net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR) and other project evaluation criteria are illustrated with a variety of calculation examples. Risk analysis is extensively covered by the use of risk adjusted discount rate, certainty equivalent, sensitivity, simulation and Monte Carlo analysis. The NPV and IRR models are further applied to forestry, property and international investments. Resource constraints are introduced to the capital budgeting decisions with a variety of worked examples using linear programming technique. All calculations are extensively supported by Excel workbooks on the Web, and each chapter is well reviewed by end of chapter questions.
This new short text by the authors of Investment Appraisal and Financial Decisions focuses on investment appraisal decisions. Fundamentals of Investment Appraisal examines the internal workings of a company rather than covering the much broader subject of financial management. Theory is illustrated with numerous worked examples, followed by a chapter summary, quick questions - all answered at the end of the book - and more detailed practice questions.
This book presents a new approach to the valuation of capital asset investments and investment decision-making. Starting from simple premises and working logically through three basic elements (capital, income, and cash flow), it guides readers on an interdisciplinary journey through the subtleties of accounting and finance, explaining how to correctly measure a project’s economic profitability and efficiency, how to assess the impact of investment policy and financing policy on shareholder value creation, and how to design reliable, transparent, and logically consistent financial models. The book adopts an innovative pedagogical approach, based on a newly developed accounting-and-finance-engineering system, to help readers gain a deeper understanding of the accounting and financial magnitudes, learn about new analytical tools, and develop the necessary skills to practically implement them. This diverse approach to capital budgeting allows a sophisticated economic analysis in both absolute terms (values) and relative terms (rates of return), and is applicable to a wide range of economic entities, including real assets and financial assets, engineering designs and manufacturing schemes, corporate-financed and project-financed transactions, privately-owned projects and public investments, individual projects and firms. As such, this book is a valuable resource for a broad audience, including scholars and researchers, industry practitioners, executives, and managers, as well as students of corporate finance, managerial finance, engineering economics, financial management, management accounting, operations research, and financial mathematics. It features more than 180 guided examples, 50 charts and figures and over 160 explanatory tables that help readers grasp the new concepts and tools. Each chapter starts with an abstract and a list of the skills readers can expect to gain, and concludes with a list of key points summarizing the content.
This concise and accessible textbook covers all of the key quantitative methods needed to solve everyday business problems. Les Oakshott’s clear and friendly writing style guides students from basic statistics, through to advanced topics, such as hypothesis testing and time series, as well as operational research techniques such as linear programming and inventory management. Step-by-step instructions and accompanying activities will help students to practice and gain confidence in carrying out techniques. The book’s coverage is fully grounded within the real world of business. Real-life case studies open every chapter and numerous examples throughout demonstrate why quantitative techniques are needed for a business to be successful. An ideal textbook for undergraduate students of business, management and finance, it is also widely used by MBA students and postgraduates.
An introduction to the manufacturing industry Essential Manufacturing provides a comprehensive introduction to the wide breadth of the manufacturing industry. There is a need for all engineering and business students to understand the importance and context of the manufacturing industry. An engineer should have a well rounded appreciation of all aspects of the industry they work in, including manufacturing. This is evidenced by professional bodies expecting all accredited engineering courses to provide students with a background that allows them to see their own specific discipline in context. Similarly, business students will often find themselves dealing in some way with manufactured products or even be directly involved in manufacturing operations management. This book will cover the full spectrum of the manufacturing industry to provide a holistic appreciation of the topic but with enough detail to be of practical use. The book begins with an introduction to the manufacturing industry, its history, and some important manufacturing concepts. The materials used in manufacturing and how they are produced are covered. This is followed by a more detailed description of the more common manufacturing processes, their application, and the types of automation used in the manufacturing industry. Consideration is then given to the important aspects of manufacturing operations management and production planning and control, work study, and manufacturing economics. How to maintain quality in the manufacturing process, including metrology, is examined and this is followed by human factors in manufacturing. Finally, a speculative look at the future of manufacturing is included. Key features: Takes a self-contained approach. Includes review questions. Suitable as an introduction for more advanced study. Satisfies the requirements of college and first and second year university engineering courses. The book provides a comprehensive, concise introduction to the manufacturing industry for engineering and management students.
In most cases of civil engineering development, a range of alternative schemes meeting project goals are feasible, so some form of evaluation must be carried out to select the most appropriate to take forward. Evaluation criteria usually include the economic, environmental and social contexts of a project as well as the engineering challenges, so engineers must be familiar with the processes and tools used. The second edition of Engineering Project Appraisal equips students with the understanding and analytical tools to carry out effective appraisals of alternative development schemes, using both economic and non-economic criteria. The building blocks of economic appraisal are covered early, leading to techniques such as net present worth, internal rate of return and annual worth. Cost Benefit Analysis is dealt with in detail, together with related methods such as Cost Effectiveness and the Goal Achievement Matrix. The text also details three multi-criteria models which have proved useful in the evaluation of proposals in the transportation, solid waste, energy and water resources fields: the Simple Additive Weighting (SAW) Model, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique and Concordance Analysis. There is a full discussion dealing with risk and uncertainty in these models. With many worked examples and case studies, Engineering Project Appraisal is an essential text for both undergraduate and postgraduate students on professional civil engineering courses, and it is expected that students on planning and construction management courses will find it a valuable addition to their reading.
