The Purpose and Process of Capital Budgeting

Capital budgeting is the process of evaluating and selecting long-term investments that are in line with the goal of investors’ wealth maximization. When a business makes a capital investment (assets such as equipment, building, land etc.) it incurs a cash outlay in the expectation of future benefits. The expected benefits generally extend beyond one year in the future. Out of different investment proposals available to a business, it has to choose a proposal that provides the best return and the return equals to, or greater than, that required by the investors.
In simple Capital Budgeting involves:-
• Evaluating investment project proposals that are strategic to business overall objectives
• Estimating and evaluating post-tax incremental cash flows for each of the investment proposals
• Selection an investment proposal that maximizes the return to the investors
However, Capital Budgeting excludes certain investment decisions, wherein, the benefits of investment proposals cannot be directly quantified
PURPOSE OF CAPITAL BUDGETING
The capital budgeting decisions are important, crucial and critical business decisions due to following reasons:
(i). Substantial expenditure: Capital budgeting decisions involves the investment of substantial amount of funds. It is therefore necessary for a firm to make such decisions after a thoughtful consideration so as to result in the profitable use of its scarce resources. The hasty and incorrect decisions would not only result into huge losses but may also account for the failure of the firm.
(ii). Long time period: The capital budgeting decision has its effect over a long period of time. These decisions not only affect the future benefits and costs of the firm but also influence the rate and direction of growth of the firm.
(iii). Irreversibility: Most of the investment decisions are irreversible. Once they are taken, the firm may not be in a position to reverse them back. This is because, as it is difficult to find a