C.W. Yale, president of Hotchikiss, Inc., a client of yours, recently attended a seminar at which a speaker discussed the planning and control of capital expenditures, which he described as capital budgeting. Yale tells you he is not quite sure he understands the concept.
Required
1. Explain the nature of capital budgeting and provide several examples of capital-budgeting decisions.
2. What are the basic differences between the payback period decision model and the net present value (NPV) model? Explain.
3. Define the term weighted-average cost of capital (WACC). Of what importance is the concept of WACC to the capital-budgeting process?
4. Financial accounting data are not entirely suitable for use in making capital-budgeting decisions. Explain.
5. Explain the role of the post-audit in the capital-budgeting process.