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Risk analysis is one of the most complex aspect of capital investment decisions. Many different
techniques have been suggested and no single technique can be deemed as best in all situations.
The variety of techniques suggested to handle risk in capital budgeting fall into two broad
categories :
(a) Techniques that consider the stand-alone risk of a project,
(b) Techniques that consider the risk of a project in the context of the firm or in the
context of the market.
Below given various broad classification of risk mitigation techniques
Sensitivity Analysis
Scenario Analysis
Break Even Analysis
Analysis of Stand Alone Risk Hillier Model
Simulation Analysis
Techniques of Risk Decision Tree Analysis
Analysis
Analysis of Contextual Risk Corporate Risk Analysis
Sources of Risk
Project cash flows and profitability may be affected due to following risk
Project Specific Competitive Risk Industry Market Risk International
Risk Specific Risk Risk
Estimation error; Unanticipated Unexpected Unanticipated Exchange
Quality of actions of the technological change in macro- Rate Risk
management competitors risk; economic factors. Political Risk
Regulatory
changes
Measures of Risk
Risks refers variability- which is complex and multifaceted phenomenon . A variety of measures
have been used to capture different facets of risk. The more important one are :range , standard
deviation , coefficient of variation and semi-variance.
With the help of following example we will explain various measures of risk.
In a Capital Project investment net present value has the following distribution.
Standard deviation is the most commonly used measure of risk in finance. The main reasons for
using deviation are as follows :
(a) If a variable is normally distributed , its mean and standard deviation contain all the
information about its probability distribution.
(b) If the utility of money is represented by a quadratic function (a function commonly
suggested to represent diminishing marginal utility of wealth ), then the expected utility
function of mean and standard deviation.
(c) Standard deviation is analytically easily tractable.
Use of Subjective Probability
For measuring expected value and dispersion of a variable , its probability distribution is
required. In some cases , it can be defined with fairly high degree objectivity on the basis of
past evidence. These can be referred as objective probability distribution. In most real life
situations , such objective evidence may not be available for defining probability distributions.
In such cases knowledgeable persons may pool their experience and judge to define the
probability distribution. Since there is high element of subjectivity in these distributions , such
distributions are generally referred to as subjective probability distributions.
Perspectives on risk
Stand Alone Risk:This represents the risk of a project when it is viewed in isolation.
Firm Risk : Also called corporate risk reflects the contribution of a project to the risk of the
firm.
Systematic Risk:This represents the risk of a project from the point of view of a diversified
investor. It is also called market risk.
SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS
Since the future is uncertain , investor may like to know what will happen to the viability of the
project when some variable like Income from Sales or investment deviates from its expected
value. In other words one may be interested to do what if analysis.
Avery popular method of assessing risk , sensitivity analysis has certain merits :
(i)It shows how robust or vulnerable a project is to changes in values of the underlying
variables.
(ii)It indicates where further work may be done. If NPV is higly sensitive to changes in some
factor, it may be worth while to explore how variability of that critical factor may be contained.
SCENARIO ANALYSIS
In scenario analysis , most commonly , three scenarios are considered : normal; pessimistic and
optimistic. It’s an improved approach over sensitivity because it considers variations in
several variables together.
From the information presented below compute net present values of the two projects for each
of the possible cash flows, applying sensitivity analysis :
The NPV of each project , assuming a 10 per cent required rate of return ,
can be calculated for each of the possible cash flows. We know that Present
Value of an Annuity(PVIFA) OF Re 1.00 for 15 years @10% is
7.606.Multiplying each possible cash flow by PVIFA we get expected cash
flows given below:
Project X Project Y
PV NPV PV NPV
Worst 45636 5636 Nil (40,000)
Moderate 60848 20848 60848 20848
Best 76060 36060 121696 81696
Project X Project Y
NPV Probability Probable NPV Probability Probable
of NPV NPV of NPV NPV
Occurrence Occurrence
Worst 5636 0.25 1409 (40,000) 0.25 (10000)
Moderate 20848 0.50 10424 20848 0.50 10424
Best 36060 0.25 9015 81696 0.25 20424
1.0 20848 1.0 20848
Sensitivity Analysis can also be used to ascertain how change in key variables (say sales volume
, sales price, variable costs, operating fixed costs, cost of capital and so on) affect the expected
outcome .Primary objective of sensitivity analysis is to determine how sensitive the NPV is to
changes in any of the key variables and to identify which variable has the most significant
impact on the NPV . Clearly sensitivity analysis brings a good insight /feel to the decision
maker about the riskiness of the project.
Scenario Analysis
Scenario Analysis provides a useful insight into risk complextion of the proposed project. It’s
usefulness is limited in that it considers only a few discreet outcomes – though in practice it has
infinite number of possibilities.
Simulation
Is a statistical technique employed to have an insight into risk in a capital investment decision.
The technique applies predetermined probability distributions and random numbers to estimate
risky outcomes.
A simulation model is similar to sensitivity analysis as it attempts to answer what if questions.
The advantage in simulations is that it is more comprehensive than sensitivity analysis. Instead
of showing the impact on the NPV for change in one key variable at one point of the in
sensitivity analysis , simulation enables the distribution of probable values (of NPV), for change
in all the key variables, in one iteration /run only. Being so it provides more information and
better understanding about the risk associated with investment decisions to the finance
managers.
Case Let -3
Let us assume that the marketing department of Visuvious Ltd has developed the following
table (one for sale price another for sales volume ) for its new product , containing probability
and assigned random numbers.
Case Let -4
A company is considering selecting one of the two mutually exclusive projects A and B .the
relevant information required to evaluate the riskiness of the project is given below:
On the basis of Standard Deviation alone Project B since larger ,it is more risky since
standard deviation is more in B than A..
On the basis of Coefficient of Variation Project B would be considered less risky since
coefficient of variation is less here.
Here we can conclude that coefficient of variation is better measure of the uncertainty of cash
flow returns than the standard deviation. This is
A firm has an investment proposal , requiring an outlay of Rs 2,00,000 at present which is t=0.
The investment proposal has an economic life with no salvage value . In year 1, there is a 0.3
probability (30 per cent chance) that cash flow will be Rs 80,000; a 0.4 (40 per cent chance ) that
cash flow will be Rs 1,10,000 and a 0.3 probability (30 per cent chance) that the cash flow will
be Rs 1,50,000. In year 2 , the cash flow possibilities depend on the cash flow occurs in the
year 1.That is cash flow for the year 2 are conditional on the cash flow for the year 1.
Accordingly, the probabilities assigned with cash flow of the year 2 are conditional
probabilities. The estimated conditional cash flow and their associated conditional probabilities
are as follows:
Cash Flow –Rs 80,000 Cash Flow –Rs 1,10,000 Cash Flow –Rs 1,50,000
Cash Flows Probability Cash Flows Probability Cash Flows Probability
40,000 0.2 1,30,000 0.3 1,60,000 0.1
1,00,000 0.6 1,50,000 0.4 2,00,000 0.8
1,50,000 0.2 1,60,000 0.3 2,40,000 0.1
Solution1
Sum of these weighted NPVs is positive and therefore the project should be accepted.
Risk Adjusted Discount Approach (RADR):This is one of the simplest and most widely used
methods for incorporating risk into capital investment analysis . Under this method , the
amount of risk inherent in a project is incorporated in the discount rate employed in the
present value calculations. In case of a project which is trying to introduce an untried
product in an untried market Risk Adjusted Discount Rate will be much higher than in an
established market an established product by an established company who is expanding
capacity to exploit the opportunity in the market.
The use of a single rate of discount without considering the differing risk of various
projects would be logically inconsistent with the firm’s goal of shareholders’s wealth
maximization.
RADR presumably represent the differential risk in different classes of investments. The
rationale for using differing RADR for different projects is as follows. The rate of
discount or cost of capital (k) is the minimum acceptable required rate of return. It is the
rate at which the investor demand in providing capital to the firm for an investment
having a specified risk since such rate is available elsewhere in the economy on assets of
1
For detail computations please see accompanying Spread Sheet.
2
This Column shows two years cash inflow discounted @ 8% i.e in the first year 1/1.08 and in the second year
1/1.082 and then total cash inflow deducted from investment of Rs 2,00,000.
3
Two years probability factor of the cash flow has been multiplied.
4
Expected NPV is Expected NPV @ 8% multiplied by Joint Probabilities.
similar risk. Therefore , if the project earns less than the rates earned in the economy for
that risk, the shareholders will be earning less than prevailing rate for that risk level, and
the market value of the company’s shares will fall.
The cost of capital therefore represents the investors time preference for money for a
typical investment project. Thus the cost of capital is equivalent to the prevailing rate in
the market on that risk class of investment. A well accepted economic premise is that the
required rate of return should increase as the risk increases. Therefore greater the riskiness
of the project , the greater should be the discount rate and vice versa. The risk adjusted
discount rate is the discount rate which combines time as well as risk preference of
investors.
Accept Reject Rule : The decision could be taken on the basis of NPV or IRR method.
Here NPV decision will be calculated on the basis of RADR and it has to be positive. In
case of IRR is used , it has to be equated with risk adjusted discount rate. If IRR exceeds
the risk adjusted discount rate , the investment project would be accepted or else would be
rejected.
An example: In an investment Rs 1.00 lakh in a project the cash flow after taxes occurred
as : Rs 50000, 70000, and 75000 respectively. When discounted at risk free rate of of 8%
following NPV occurred :
Year Yr -0 Yr -1 Yr -2 Yr -3
Investment 100000
Cash Flow after Rs 50000 Rs 70000 Rs 75000
Taxes
Risk Free (1.08) 1.1664 1.2597
Discount Rate
Discounted 46296.30 60013.71 59537.99
Cash Flow
Application of RADR
Up on considering risk of the project and the financing costs the new risk adjusted discount
rate was arrived at 16.5%.The future cash flow of the project was discounted at this
discount rate and following results were obtained.
Year Yr -0 Yr -1 Yr -2 Yr -3
Investment 100000
Cash Flow after Rs 50000 Rs 70000 Rs 75000
Taxes
Risk Adjusted 1.165 1.3572 1.5812
Discount Rate
(RADR)
Discounted 42918.45 51576.78 47432.33
Cash Flow
Present Value of Future Cash Flow at Risk Adjusted Discount Rate (RADR):
Rs 141927.56=42918.45 +51576.78+47432.33
NPV of this Project with new discount rate is Rs 41927.56 =( Rs 141927.56 –Rs 100000)
Given the expected cash flows and estimated risk adjusted discount rate (RADR), the
projects expected NPV is positive and the project should be accepted.
Investment decisions are associated with risk as the future returns are uncertain in the
sense that the actual returns are likely to vary from estimates . If the returns could be
made certain , there would be no element of risk. It can reasonably be expected that the
investors would prefer a relatively smaller but certain cash flows than an uncertain ,
though slightly larger cash flows.How much less they would accept would depend on their
perception or utility preference with respect to risk. Therefore , depending on perception ,
the first step in the use of certainty equivalent approach is to ascertain riskless cash flows
comparable to expected cash flows stream from the project.
Suppose a project is expected to generate a cash flow amounting to Rs 30,000. Since this
involves a risk , a smaller but certain cash flow would be as acceptable to the firm as this
one.If we assume , on the basis of the perception of management with respect to risk ,the
firm would rank a certain cash flow of Rs 18000 as equal to uncertain cash flow of Rs
30,000. In other words a CERTAINTY EQUIVALENT Coefficient is 0.60 =(Rs 18000/ Rs
30000 ). This coefficient when multiplied by the risky cash flow , would generate the
riskless cash flows , i.e. 0.60 x Rs 30,000.
The coefficient is fractional amount which can assume a value between 0 and 1. There is
an inverse relationship between the degree of risk and the value of the coefficient , the
higher the risk is associated with the project cash flow , the lower is the coefficient.
Present Value Calculations: After the expected cash flows has been converted to certainty
equivalents , the second step under this approach is to calculate their present values. The
rate of discount would be risk free rate or the the rate which appropriately reflects the
time value of money. It is the same discount rate which is used for computing the present
values in the normal course of evaluating capital expenditure.This rate differs from the
rate used in the risk adjusted discount method.
Accept Reject Rule : The decision could be taken on the basis of NPV or IRR method.Here
NPV has to be positive. In case of IRR is applied it has to equated with risk free discount
rate. If r exceeds the risk free rate , the investment project would be accepted or else would
be rejected.
Evaluation:
It is simple to calculate ;
It modifies cash flows to incorporate risks, hence conceptually superior.
But there is practical problems of implementation;
It does not use probability estimation;
It is subjective estimate hence it need to be objective; precise and consistent.
Example : We have taken the above example to shoe CE concept.In an investment Rs 1.00
lakh in a project the cash flow after taxes occurred as : Rs 50000, 70000, and 75000
respectively. When discounted at risk free rate of of 8% following NPV occurred :
Year Yr -0 Yr -1 Yr -2 Yr -3
Investment 100000
Cash Flow after Rs 50000 Rs 70000 Rs 75000
Taxes
Risk Free (1.08) 1.1664 1.2597
Discount Rate
Discounted 46296.30 60013.71 59537.99
Cash Flow
Here the company estimated that certainty equivalent cash flow for three years would be .
75; .70 and .65. We apply certainty equivalent cash flow approach .
Year Yr -0 Yr -1 Yr -2 Yr -3
Investment 100000
Cash Flow after Rs 50000 Rs 70000 Rs 75000
Taxes
CE Coefficient .75 .70 .65
CE cash Flow 37500 49000 48750
Risk Free (1.08) 1.1664 1.2597
Discount Rate
Discounted 34722.22 42009.62 38699.69
Cash Flow