This open access book discusses firm valuation, which is of interest to economists, particularly those working in finance. Firm valuation comes down to the calculation of the discounted cash flow, often only referred to by its abbreviation, DCF. There are, however, different coexistent versions, which seem to compete against each other, such as entity approaches and equity approaches. Acronyms are often used, such as APV (adjusted present value) or WACC (weighted average cost of capital), two concepts classified as entity approaches. This book explains why there are several procedures and whether they lead to the same result. It also examines the economic differences between the methods and indicates the various purposes they serve. Further it describes the limits of the procedures and the situations they are best applied to. The problems this book addresses are relevant to theoreticians and practitioners alike.

This book is mainly focused on the development of tools for decision-makers in finance, ranging from treasurers of firms to professional investors and bank managers. It presents a broad variety of applications using techniques and methodologies from various fields such as econometrics, operations research and financial mathematics. The tools for decision-making have been modified towards financial decision support systems. The role of the decision-maker has become dominant, both in the development and in the use of the decision support systems. The developments in both the computer hardware and software for computers simplify the design of individualized decision support systems. Financial modelling functions as a liason between theoretical financial expertise and practice.

Presenting a complete step-by-step guide for analyzing capital investment opportunities, this important book helps technical managers discriminate among investments and implement projects in the most cost-effective way. Designed for the professional manager with little formal training in economic analysis, Cost Analysis for Capital Investment Decisions analyzes and criticizes discounted cash flow methodology ... develops equations for both discrete and continuous cash flow streams ... examines "irreducibles" that cannot be converted to monetary terms and shows how to combine monetary and nonmonetary attributes ... discusses the impact of inflation on profitability indices ... includes more than 100 line diagrams and over 100 worked problems portraying cash flow patterns and displaying how cost studies are done ... and more. Comprehensive and easy to read, this excellent reference is highly recommended for cost, mechanical, chemical, industrial, electrical and electronics, project, design, and construction engineers/managers; project accountants; budget managers, schedulers, estimators, and planners; and advanced undergraduate and graduate students in the above disciplines. Book jacket.