What is the discount rate?

The discount rate is a result represented in a percentage that reflects the present value of future cash flows. The value of money today diminishes in the future, thus there exists a certain time value of money. Inflation causes the future value of money to be lower than the current value. Therefore, with 100 euros at present, you get more value for your money than in a year, as prices increase. Calculating the discount rate is essential not only for companies but also for investors. They prefer having money now to invest rather than in a year because they would miss out on potential returns.

Why calculate the discount rate?

Businesses use the discount rate to calculate the company’s value in relation to future expectations. One of the tools used for this purpose is Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC). Like present value, the discount rate is a mandatory component for future value calculations. Banks and financiers use the percentage outcome as part of their assessment to decide whether or not to invest.

In practice, companies use the percentage to calculate the returns of various business components, such as inventory, capital, and other investments. When making investment decisions, a company may require a certain discount rate percentage to achieve the break-even point with the purchase. If the percentage is lower, there is an opportunity to modify the production process. There are several reasons why the discount rate is important:

What is the relationship between cash flow and discount rate?

Discounted Cash Flow, abbreviated as DCF, allows companies to arrive at discounted cash flow figures. This involves adjusting the financial value regarding time influence to determine the quality of a potential investment. Cash flow is crucial in every business because it indicates how the company is performing, such as its ability to meet short-term obligations.

Investors also consider a company’s cash flow important for determining credit risk. Moreover, as an entrepreneur, it’s essential to know your company’s cash flow position. In case of a negative cash flow, measures can be taken, such as efficient accounts receivable management. Cash flow calculation involves evaluating both outgoing and incoming cash flows.

Estimating investment value

The discount rate is a crucial component of the DCF method, as it helps estimate the value of an investment based on expected future cash flows. The time value of money plays a crucial role, and in this method, the discount rate is used to discount future cash flows. The outcome indicates whether a project is attractive to execute and whether it is viable.

Calculating the present value of future cash flows is done using the discount rate. For discount rate calculations, it’s important to consider the amount to be invested. Then, an assessment is made of the investment’s future returns. This involves determining the annual cash flow generated by the investment.

Profitable project with positive net present value

The net present value is calculated by subtracting the discounted cash flows from the original investment. A positive outcome indicates a profitable and attractive investment. It’s useful to get a concrete understanding of the discount rate through an example based on the DCF method.

Discount rate example

When considering an investment with the aim of realizing a certain amount of free cash flow in the future, the present value or discounted value of the respective future cash flows is important. If there is a required return of 10% and the desired additional future free cash flow is €100,000, then the discount rate is 10%. The present value decreases every year, making the cash flows further in the future worth much less or even having no present value at all.

Increasing impact of the discount rate

The discount rate has an increasing impact as the years progress. The further money is earned in the future, the lower its current value. If the cash flow remains the same annually, the present value decreases continually. When the discount rate exceeds the cash flow growth rate, there is a further decrease in the present value of cash flows.