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Cost-of-Capital Estimation and Capital-Budgeting Practice in Australia

Author

Listed:
  • Giang Truong

    (Lonergan Edwards & Associates Limited, Level 27, 363 George Street, Sydney, NSW 2000.)

  • Graham Partington

    (Finance Discipline, School of Business, University of Sydney, NSW 2006)

  • Maurice Peat

    (Finance Discipline, School of Business, University of Sydney, NSW 2006)

Abstract

We use a sample survey to analyse the capital-budgeting practices of Australian listed companies. We find that NPV, IRR and Payback are the most popular evaluation techniques. Real options techniques have gained a toehold in capital budgeting but are not yet part of the mainstream. Discounting is typically by the weighted average cost of capital, assumed constant for the life of the project, and with the same discount rate across divisions. The WACC is usually based on target weights for debt and equity. The CAPM is widely used, while other asset pricing models are not. The discount rate is reviewed regularly and is updated as conditions change. In most companies, project analysis takes no account of the value of imputation tax credits. Australian corporate practice is generally consistent with the practice of Australian price regulators, except that regulators take into account the value of imputation tax credits when computing the cost of capital.

Suggested Citation

  • Giang Truong & Graham Partington & Maurice Peat, 2008. "Cost-of-Capital Estimation and Capital-Budgeting Practice in Australia," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 33(1), pages 95-121, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ausman:v:33:y:2008:i:1:p:95-121
    DOI: 10.1177/031289620803300106
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Sebastian Jaimungal & Yuri Lawryshyn, 2017. "Using managerial revenue and cost estimates to value early stage real option investments," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 259(1), pages 173-190, December.
    3. Xudong Rao & Terrance M. Hurley & Philip G. Pardey, 2020. "Recalibrating the reported returns to agricultural R&D: what if we all heeded Griliches?," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 64(3), pages 977-1001, July.
    4. Stephen Gray & Jason Hall & Drew Klease & Alan McCrystal, 2009. "Bias, stability, and predictive ability in the measurement of systematic risk," Accounting Research Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 22(3), pages 220-236, November.
    5. Cannavan, Damien & Gray, Stephen, 2017. "Dividend drop-off estimates of the value of dividend imputation tax credits," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 46(PB), pages 213-226.
    6. Peter Markovič & Michal Šinský, 2009. "Trends in application of capital budgeting methods for investment projects evaluation," Ekonomika a Management, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2009(1).
    7. Daunfeldt, Sven-Olov & Hartwig, Fredrik, 2012. "What Determines the Use of Capital Budgeting Methods? Evidence from Swedish listed companies," HUI Working Papers 57, HUI Research.
    8. Syed Jawad Hussain Shahzad, 2015. "Multiscale Systematic Risk: Empirical Evidence from Pakistan," International Journal of Economics and Empirical Research (IJEER), The Economics and Social Development Organization (TESDO), vol. 3(12), pages 605-615, December.
    9. Andor, Gyorgy & Mohanty, Sunil K. & Toth, Tamas, 2015. "Capital budgeting practices: A survey of Central and Eastern European firms," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 148-172.
    10. Shahzad, Syed Jawad Hussain & Zakaria, Muhammad & Raza, Naveed, 2014. "Sensitivity Analysis of CAPM Estimates: Data Frequency and Time Frame," MPRA Paper 60110, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Syed Jawad Hussain Shahzad & Saniya Khalid & Saba Ameer, 2016. "CAPM estimates: Can data frequency and time period lend a hand?," International Journal of Financial Engineering (IJFE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 3(02), pages 1-12, June.

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