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Why is NPV considered the best investment appraisal method compared to IRR, Payback, and ARR?

NPV accounts for the time value of money, unlike Payback Period which ignores it.

This makes NPV a more accurate reflection of an investment's true profitability.

NPV considers all cash flows over the entire lifespan of the investment, while IRR only looks at the rate of return, potentially missing important details.

NPV allows for direct comparison between projects of different scales and risk profiles, whereas IRR can sometimes lead to conflicting rankings.

NPV incorporates the appropriate discount rate to reflect the project's cost of capital and risk, providing a more realistic assessment than the arbitrary benchmarks used in Payback Period.

The NPV method can handle varying discount rates across different time periods, adapting to changes in market conditions, unlike the static calculations of methods like ARR.

NPV provides a clear, quantifiable outcome - the net present value in monetary terms.

This makes it easier for decision-makers to interpret the results compared to percentage-based metrics like IRR.

NPV accounts for the magnitude of cash flows, not just their timing.

This is crucial for large-scale, capital-intensive projects where the scale of returns matters just as much as the payback period.

NPV analysis can incorporate sensitivity analysis to test the robustness of results against changes in key variables, adding an extra layer of risk assessment.

Unlike Payback Period, NPV does not have a bias towards short-term projects, as it considers the full lifecycle of the investment.

The NPV method aligns with the fundamental financial principle of maximizing shareholder wealth, making it a more suitable choice for strategic investment decisions.

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