aarushi mehtaKnowledge Contributor
What is payback period in capital budgeting?
What is payback period in capital budgeting?
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The payback period in capital budgeting is the length of time it takes for a company to recover its initial investment in a project or capital expenditure through the cash flows generated by that project. In simpler terms, it’s the time it takes for the project’s cumulative cash flows to equal the initial investment.
To calculate the payback period, you sum up the cash flows generated by the project until they equal or exceed the initial investment. The payback period is usually expressed in years or months.
The payback period is a simple and intuitive measure of investment risk and liquidity. Shorter payback periods are generally preferred because they indicate a quicker return of the initial investment. However, it doesn’t account for the time value of money or cash flows beyond the payback period, so it’s often used in conjunction with other capital budgeting techniques for a more comprehensive analysis of investment decisions.