The key function of the financial management is the selection of the most profitable assortment of capital investment and it is the most important area of decision-making of the financial manager because any action taken by the manger in this area affects the working and the profitability of the firm for many years to come.
Significance of Capital Budgeting Decisions
The significance of capital budgeting can be emphasized taking into consideration the very nature of the capital expenditure such as heavy investment in capital projects, long-term implications for the firm, irreversible decisions and complicates of the decision making. Its importance can be illustrated well on the following other grounds:
1. Indirect Forecast of Sales. The investment in fixed assets is related to future sales of the firm during the life time of the assets purchased. It shows the possibility of expanding the production facilities to cover additional sales shown in the sales budget. Any failure to make the sales forecast accurately would result in over investment or under investment in fixed assets and any erroneous forecast of asset needs may lead the firm to serious economic results.
2. Comparative Study of Alternative Projects. Capital budgeting makes a comparative study of the alternative projects for the replacement of assets which are wearing out or are in danger of becoming obsolete so as to make the best possible investment in the replacement of assets. For this purpose, the profitability of each projects is estimated.
3. Timing of Assets-Acquisition. Proper capital budgeting leads to proper timing of assets-acquisition and improvement in quality of assets purchased. It is due to ht nature of demand and supply of capital goods. The demand of capital goods does not arise until sales impinge on productive capacity and such situation occur only intermittently. On the other hand, supply of capital goods with their availability is one of the functions of capital budgeting.
4. Cash Forecast. Capital investment requires substantial funds which can only be arranged by making determined efforts to ensure their availability at the right time. Thus it facilitates cash forecast.
5. Worth-Maximization of Shareholders. The impact of long-term capital investment decisions is far reaching. It protects the interests of the shareholders and of the enterprise because it avoids over-investment and under-investment in fixed assets. By selecting the most profitable projects, the management facilitates the wealth maximization of equity share-holders.
6. Other Factors. The following other factors can also be considered for the significance of capital budgeting decisions:
- It assist in formulating a sound depreciation and assets replacement policy.
- It may be useful n considering methods of cost reduction. A reduction campaign may necessitate the consideration of purchasing most up-to–date and modern equipment.
- The feasibility of replacing manual work by machinery may be seen from the capital forecast be comparing the manual cost an the capital cost.
- The capital cost of improving working conditions or safety can be obtained through capital expenditure forecasting.
- It facilitates the management in making of the long-term plans an assists in the formulation of general policy.
- It studies the impact of capital investment on the revenue expenditure of the firm such as depreciation, insure and there fixed assets.