Which capital budgeting metric reflects the total ratio of the present value of future cash inflows to the initial cash outlay?
APayback Period
BProfitability Index (PI)
CNet Present Value (NPV)
DAccounting Rate of Return
Explanation
• The Profitability Index (PI), or Benefit-Cost Ratio, is calculated as: $text{PI} = frac{text{Present Value of Future Cash Inflows}}{text{Initial Cash Outlay}}$.
• A project is financially acceptable under the Profitability Index rule if its PI is greater than 1.0.
• PI is especially useful when ranking projects under conditions of capital rationing.
Exam Relevance
- Topic: Corporate Finance
- Subtopic: Capital Budgeting

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