
3-22 TIME VALUE OF MONEY
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Opportunity
cost of money
Notice that we now refer to R as the "discount" rate. The discount
rate represents the opportunity cost of money, which is the rate
of return that could have been earned on the best alternative
investment. In finance, analysts often use the concept of opportunity
cost to evaluate investment alternatives. The logic is to estimate the
next best return scenario if a different investment decision had been
made. Applying this concept to discount rates, analysts say that, given
approximately equal time frames and levels of risk, the appropriate
rate to discount cash flows is the rate of return that represents the next
best alternative in the list of investment choices. The discount rate or
opportunity cost is also called the investor's required rate of return.
Discount rate = Opportunity cost = Investor's required rate of return
Present value terminology is similar to the future value terminology
we studied in the last section. You can use most financial calculators
for quick and easy present value calculations.
Discrete Discounting
A present value interest factor is the reciprocal of the future value
interest factor. The value of the present value interest factor
decreases as the time period or interest rate increases. Let's apply
the present value formula to a few examples.
Example
Suppose that you expect to receive four future cash flows of $1,000:
1) In one year at a discount rate of 10%
2) In two years at a discount rate of 10%
3) In two years at a discount rate of 12%
4) In three years at a discount rate of 10%
What is the present value of each of these $1,000 cash flows?