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Payback without apology

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  • Glenn Boyle
  • Graeme Guthrie

Abstract

When interest rates are uncertain, the net‐present‐value threshold required to justify an irreversible investment is increasing in the length of a project's payback period. Therefore, slow‐payback projects should face a higher hurdle than fast‐payback projects, just as investment folklore suggests. This result suggests that the widely disparaged use of payback for capital budgeting purposes can be an intuitive response to correctly perceived costs and benefits.

Suggested Citation

  • Glenn Boyle & Graeme Guthrie, 2006. "Payback without apology," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 46(1), pages 1-10, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:acctfi:v:46:y:2006:i:1:p:1-10
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-629X.2006.00158.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Glenn W. Boyle & Graeme A. Guthrie, 2003. "Cash Flow Immediacy and the Value of Investment Timing," Journal of Financial Research, Southern Finance Association;Southwestern Finance Association, vol. 26(4), pages 553-570, December.
    2. Stein, Jeremy C, 1988. "Takeover Threats and Managerial Myopia," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 96(1), pages 61-80, February.
    3. Ingersoll, Jonathan E, Jr & Ross, Stephen A, 1992. "Waiting to Invest: Investment and Uncertainty," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 65(1), pages 1-29, January.
    4. Binder, John J & Chaput, J Scott, 1996. ""Error Correction": A Positive Analysis of Corporate Capital Budgeting Practices," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 7(3), pages 307-307, November.
    5. Narayanan, M P, 1985. "Observability and the Payback Criterion," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 58(3), pages 309-323, July.
    6. Milne, Alistair & Whalley, A Elizabeth, 2000. "'Time to build, option value and investment decisions': a comment," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(2), pages 325-332, May.
    7. Wambach, Achim, 2000. "Payback criterion, hurdle rates and the gain of waiting," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 9(3), pages 247-258.
    8. Cornell, Bradford, 1999. "Risk, Duration, and Capital Budgeting: New Evidence on Some Old Questions," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 72(2), pages 183-200, April.
    9. Binder, John J & Chaput, J Scott, 1996. "A Positive Analysis of Corporate Capital Budgeting Practices," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 6(3), pages 245-257, May.
    10. Glenn W. Boyle & Graeme A. Guthrie, 2003. "Investment, Uncertainty, and Liquidity," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 58(5), pages 2143-2166, October.
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    Cited by:

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    3. Mandy M Cheng & Habib Mahama, 2011. "The impact of capital proposal guidelines and perceived preparer biases on reviewers’ investment evaluation decisions," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 36(3), pages 349-370, December.

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