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Charles Schwab: A Category of One Net Present Value (NPV) / MBA Resources

Introduction to Net Present Value (NPV) - What is Net Present Value (NPV) ? How it impacts financial decisions regarding project management?

NPV solution for Charles Schwab: A Category of One case study


At Oak Spring University, we provide corporate level professional Net Present Value (NPV) case study solution. Charles Schwab: A Category of One case study is a Harvard Business School (HBR) case study written by Stephen P. Bradley, Tom Esperson. The Charles Schwab: A Category of One (referred as “Schwab Schwab's” from here on) case study provides evaluation & decision scenario in field of Strategy & Execution. It also touches upon business topics such as - Value proposition, Competitive strategy, Internet.

The net present value (NPV) of an investment proposal is the present value of the proposal’s net cash flows less the proposal’s initial cash outflow. If a project’s NPV is greater than or equal to zero, the project should be accepted.

NPV = Present Value of Future Cash Flows LESS Project’s Initial Investment






Case Description of Charles Schwab: A Category of One Case Study


Examines Charles Schwab's on-line discount brokerage firm and questions whether or not Schwab has effectively balanced the old and new world of stock trading, and has remained a leader between giants like Merrill Lynch and Internet pure plays like E-Trade. Also looks at how Schwab has remained a competitive player with 363 brick and mortar branches while continuing to boost 81% of its trades over the Internet. While major bank mergers began to emerge as dominant online players, Schwab's unique status as a discount brokerage began to wane. In the wake of powerful full-service firms gaining online presence and discount brokerages offering $4.95 trades, how could Schwab sustain its competitive advantage?


Case Authors : Stephen P. Bradley, Tom Esperson

Topic : Strategy & Execution

Related Areas : Competitive strategy, Internet




Calculating Net Present Value (NPV) at 6% for Charles Schwab: A Category of One Case Study


Years              Cash Flow     Net Cash Flow     Cumulative    
Cash Flow
Discount Rate
@ 6 %
Discounted
Cash Flows
Year 0 (10018599) -10018599 - -
Year 1 3450300 -6568299 3450300 0.9434 3255000
Year 2 3968885 -2599414 7419185 0.89 3532294
Year 3 3964903 1365489 11384088 0.8396 3329009
Year 4 3245817 4611306 14629905 0.7921 2570991
TOTAL 14629905 12687294




The Net Present Value at 6% discount rate is 2668695

In isolation the NPV number doesn't mean much but put in right context then it is one of the best method to evaluate project returns. In this article we will cover -

Different methods of capital budgeting


What is NPV & Formula of NPV,
How it is calculated,
How to use NPV number for project evaluation, and
Scenario Planning given risks and management priorities.




Capital Budgeting Approaches

Methods of Capital Budgeting


There are four types of capital budgeting techniques that are widely used in the corporate world –

1. Profitability Index
2. Internal Rate of Return
3. Payback Period
4. Net Present Value

Apart from the Payback period method which is an additive method, rest of the methods are based on Discounted Cash Flow technique. Even though cash flow can be calculated based on the nature of the project, for the simplicity of the article we are assuming that all the expected cash flows are realized at the end of the year.

Discounted Cash Flow approaches provide a more objective basis for evaluating and selecting investment projects. They take into consideration both –

1. Magnitude of both incoming and outgoing cash flows – Projects can be capital intensive, time intensive, or both. Schwab Schwab's shareholders have preference for diversified projects investment rather than prospective high income from a single capital intensive project.
2. Timing of the expected cash flows – stockholders of Schwab Schwab's have higher preference for cash returns over 4-5 years rather than 10-15 years given the nature of the volatility in the industry.






Formula and Steps to Calculate Net Present Value (NPV) of Charles Schwab: A Category of One

NPV = Net Cash In Flowt1 / (1+r)t1 + Net Cash In Flowt2 / (1+r)t2 + … Net Cash In Flowtn / (1+r)tn
Less Net Cash Out Flowt0 / (1+r)t0

Where t = time period, in this case year 1, year 2 and so on.
r = discount rate or return that could be earned using other safe proposition such as fixed deposit or treasury bond rate. Net Cash In Flow – What the firm will get each year.
Net Cash Out Flow – What the firm needs to invest initially in the project.

Step 1 – Understand the nature of the project and calculate cash flow for each year.
Step 2 – Discount those cash flow based on the discount rate.
Step 3 – Add all the discounted cash flow.
Step 4 – Selection of the project

Why Strategy & Execution Managers need to know Financial Tools such as Net Present Value (NPV)?

In our daily workplace we often come across people and colleagues who are just focused on their core competency and targets they have to deliver. For example marketing managers at Schwab Schwab's often design programs whose objective is to drive brand awareness and customer reach. But how that 30 point increase in brand awareness or 10 point increase in customer touch points will result into shareholders’ value is not specified.

To overcome such scenarios managers at Schwab Schwab's needs to not only know the financial aspect of project management but also needs to have tools to integrate them into part of the project development and monitoring plan.

Calculating Net Present Value (NPV) at 15%

After working through various assumptions we reached a conclusion that risk is far higher than 6%. In a reasonably stable industry with weak competition - 15% discount rate can be a good benchmark.



Years              Cash Flow     Net Cash Flow     Cumulative    
Cash Flow
Discount Rate
@ 15 %
Discounted
Cash Flows
Year 0 (10018599) -10018599 - -
Year 1 3450300 -6568299 3450300 0.8696 3000261
Year 2 3968885 -2599414 7419185 0.7561 3001047
Year 3 3964903 1365489 11384088 0.6575 2606988
Year 4 3245817 4611306 14629905 0.5718 1855806
TOTAL 10464103


The Net NPV after 4 years is 445504

(10464103 - 10018599 )








Calculating Net Present Value (NPV) at 20%


If the risk component is high in the industry then we should go for a higher hurdle rate / discount rate of 20%.

Years              Cash Flow     Net Cash Flow     Cumulative    
Cash Flow
Discount Rate
@ 20 %
Discounted
Cash Flows
Year 0 (10018599) -10018599 - -
Year 1 3450300 -6568299 3450300 0.8333 2875250
Year 2 3968885 -2599414 7419185 0.6944 2756170
Year 3 3964903 1365489 11384088 0.5787 2294504
Year 4 3245817 4611306 14629905 0.4823 1565305
TOTAL 9491229


The Net NPV after 4 years is -527370

At 20% discount rate the NPV is negative (9491229 - 10018599 ) so ideally we can't select the project if macro and micro factors don't allow financial managers of Schwab Schwab's to discount cash flow at lower discount rates such as 15%.





Acceptance Criteria of a Project based on NPV

Simplest Approach – If the investment project of Schwab Schwab's has a NPV value higher than Zero then finance managers at Schwab Schwab's can ACCEPT the project, otherwise they can reject the project. This means that project will deliver higher returns over the period of time than any alternate investment strategy.

In theory if the required rate of return or discount rate is chosen correctly by finance managers at Schwab Schwab's, then the stock price of the Schwab Schwab's should change by same amount of the NPV. In real world we know that share price also reflects various other factors that can be related to both macro and micro environment.

In the same vein – accepting the project with zero NPV should result in stagnant share price. Finance managers use discount rates as a measure of risk components in the project execution process.

Sensitivity Analysis

Project selection is often a far more complex decision than just choosing it based on the NPV number. Finance managers at Schwab Schwab's should conduct a sensitivity analysis to better understand not only the inherent risk of the projects but also how those risks can be either factored in or mitigated during the project execution. Sensitivity analysis helps in –

What will be a multi year spillover effect of various taxation regulations.

What can impact the cash flow of the project.

What are the key aspects of the projects that need to be monitored, refined, and retuned for continuous delivery of projected cash flows.

What are the uncertainties surrounding the project Initial Cash Outlay (ICO’s). ICO’s often have several different components such as land, machinery, building, and other equipment.

Understanding of risks involved in the project.

Some of the assumptions while using the Discounted Cash Flow Methods –

Projects are assumed to be Mutually Exclusive – This is seldom the came in modern day giant organizations where projects are often inter-related and rejecting a project solely based on NPV can result in sunk cost from a related project.

Independent projects have independent cash flows – As explained in the marketing project – though the project may look independent but in reality it is not as the brand awareness project can be closely associated with the spending on sales promotions and product specific advertising.






Negotiation Strategy of Charles Schwab: A Category of One

References & Further Readings

Stephen P. Bradley, Tom Esperson (2018), "Charles Schwab: A Category of One Harvard Business Review Case Study. Published by HBR Publications.


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