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Approaches to calculating
project hurdle rates

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2nd December, 2011

Thought Leadership Series

Approaches to calculating project hurdle rates

Traditionally, firms have used certain thumb rules to estimate hurdle rates that are easy to measure
but often inaccurate, leading to overinvestment/ underinvestment problems.
Gradually firms have started using more theoretically correct models. These models are supposed to
provide accurate measurements of hurdle rates, presuming input data quality is very good.
However, the lack of readily available quality data and deficiency in sound understanding of finance
that these models required, proved to be a hindrance for these models gaining wide acceptance.

Lately, with improved systems for data capture and computation, the quality and quantity of input
data set for these models has significantly improved. This coupled with the maturing of knowledge
curve across global organisations has made the correct application of these models easier. Clearly,
the trend is to move away from simpler traditional models to more accurate models.
This study does a comparative analysis of the models that help predict project hurdle rates better.

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Hurdle rate is the minimum acceptable return on a

project that a firm requires, given its risk profile and
opportunity cost of other investments
At a broad level, there are 3 approaches adopted by firms to measure hurdle rates.
Hurdle Rate Formulae*
Firm WACC + 3%-5% Premium

Thumb
Rules

5 Year Stock Index average returns (SENSEX in India)

Lending Rate received from bank by Firm

Firm WACC
Build Up

Firm WACC + Project Default Premium + Project Risk Premium - Project Strategic
Importance Discount - Project Size Discount + Project Tenure Premium + Expected
Inflation Premium

Project
WACC

Project WACC

*Refer to Appendix 3 for description

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While Conventional Thumb rules are easy to measure,

the Firm WACC Build Up and Project WACC score higher
in accuracy and scientific nature
Approach

Accuracy

Ease of
Measurement

Scientific
Nature

Use

Conventional Thumb rules

Firm WACC Build Up methodologies
Project WACC methodologies

Below is a more detailed analysis of Firm WACC Build Up and Project WACC approaches
Approach

Inclusion of
Strategic
Value &
Attractiveness
of Project

Reflects
Firms
Needs

Measuring
Project
Riskiness

Objectivity
of Output

Capturing project
risk profile and
providing a good
estimate of
return

Ease of
Measurement
of respective
WACC & Beta

Ease of
Measurement
of other
parameters*

Firm WACC
Build Up
Project
WACC
Legend

Poor

Average

Good

*Refer to Appendix 3, Appendix 4 for parameters

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Firm and Project WACC measurement components

Components of
WACC

Options*

Accuracy

Ease of
Measurement

NA

NA

1) Debt publicly traded: kd = Yield to Maturity on outstanding debt

Cost of Debt

2) Debt not traded: kd = Based on Firms credit rating, actual or

synthetic
3) In case of Projects, kd = annual interest rate paid on debt
1) CAPM: ke = Rf + Firm/Project*(Rm Rf)
2) Fama French: ke = Rf + Firm/Project*(Rm - Rf) + B1*(small cap return
premium)+ B2*(Book-to-market value premium)

Cost of
Equity

3) Pastor Stambaugh: ke = Rf + Firm/Project*(Rm - Rf) + B1*(small cap

return premium)+ B2*(Book-to-market value premium) +
B3*(Liquidity Premium)
4) Burmeister, Roll & Ross: ke = Rf + B1*(confidence risk premium)+
B2*(tenure risk premium) + B3*(inflation risk premium) +
B4*(business cycle risk premium) + B5*(market timing risk premium)
5) Cost of Equity Build Up: ke = Bond Yield + Equity Risk premium

Cost of
Preferred
Stock

1) For Projects preferred stock is not applicable

2) Kps = dividend on preferred stock/price per share of preferred stock
Legend

Poor

Average

Good

*Refer to Appendix 4 for description of parameters

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Key statistics from a Global CFO Survey* of 127

companies on hurdle rates
What does your hurdle rate represent?

Project WACC or Firm WACC Build Up

60.0

Thumb Rules

24.6

Cost of Equity

15.4
If you calculate the hurdle rate for a division/business segment, do you

Always %

use the company-wide hurdle rate

53.9

use the hurdle rate of firms that are in the same industry as the division in question (proxy
firms)

13.8

adjust the industry hurdle rate of proxy firms for tax rate, cost of debt, capital structure, etc.
differences between your firm and proxy firms

8.3

How important are the following risk factors in determining the hurdle rate?

Very Imp %

Market risk of a project, defined as the sensitivity of the project returns to economic conditions

30.5

Project risk that is unique to the firm and unrelated to the state of the economy

28.7

*CFO Survey, Iwan Meier and Vefa Tarhan, 2006

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Key statistics from a Global CFO Survey* of 127

companies on hurdle rates
How important are the following factors while determining your hurdle rate?

Very Imp %

Whether it is a short-lived or long-lived project

10.8

Whether it is a strategic or non-strategic project

26.5

Whether it is a revenue expansion or a cost reduction project

14.9

Whether it is a replacement project or a new investment

16.0

Whether it is a domestic project or a foreign project

10.5

Whether the project in question requires significantly more funds than the typical project your
firm takes

30.0

If you were to change your hurdle rates, how important would the following factors be?

Very Imp %

Interest rate changes

38.8

Cyclical changes in the economy

8.6

Cyclical changes in the industry

22.2

Changes in political uncertainty

5.9

Changes in the expected risk premium

33.1

Changes in the corporate tax rates

11.7
*CFO Survey, Iwan Meier and Vefa Tarhan, 2006

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Findings on the percentage of firms that employed the

following methods for calculating hurdle rate, across
periods
Thumb Rules

WACC

CAPM

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

1960

1975

1990

2005

*Hurdle Rate Premium, Iwan Meier and Vefa Tarhan, 2006

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Appendix I
Firm WACC measurement
The Firm WACC formula:
WACC = wd * kd *(1-t) + wps* kps + we*ke
where,
wd, wps, we are the weights for debt, preferred stock and equity in the capital structure
of the firm
kd, kps, ke are the cost of debt, preferred stock and equity respectively for the firm
t is the marginal tax rate of the firm
Methods of calculation of kd, kps, ke have been described in page 4.

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Appendix II
Project WACC measurement
The Project WACC formula:
WACC = wd * kd *(1-t) + we*ke

where,
wd, we are weights for debt and equity in the capital structure of the investment on the
project
kd, ke are the cost of debt and equity respectively
t is the marginal tax rate of the firm
Methods of calculation of kd, ke have been described in page 4.
One needs to be careful when calculating ke for Project WACC the beta should be
Project reflecting Projects risks and this is usually different from Firm that reflects
Firms risks.
Preferred stock is not a component of Project WACC.
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Appendix III
Definitions
Parameter

Description

Measurement

Project Default Premium

This is a premium to compensate

for the uncertainty in the cash
flows of a project.

The IRRs of the project with

certain cash flows and with
probability weighted cash flows are
computed and the difference is the
value of this premium .

Project Risk Premium

This premium compensates for the

risk aversion of the firm towards a
risky project with uncertain cash
flows.

This is a function of the standard

deviation of NPVs of the project in
all scenarios. Value assigned by the
firm on the basis of the standard
deviation.

This is a discount reducing the

hurdle rate, to capture the strategic
importance of the project to the
firm.

Value is subjectively assigned by

the firm after assessing strategic
importance.

Project Strategic Importance

Discount

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Appendix III
Definitions
Parameter

Project Size Discount

Project Tenure Premium

Expected Inflation Premium

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Description

Measurement

If a project is very large in size, it

generates high NPV even at
moderate returns and hence the
hurdle rate may be decreased.

Value is subjectively assigned by

the firm.

For projects of long tenure the cash

remains vested for a long duration,
and hence a premium
compensates for this.

Value is subjectively assigned by

the firm.

Increase in inflation would

decrease the value of future cash
flows and returns; hence a
premium to compensate for it.

Expected increase in inflation over

the tenure of the project.

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Appendix IV
Definitions
Parameter

Description

Measurement

Yield to Maturity

Measures the cost of debt.

IRR of the cash flows associated

with the debt.

Rf

Risk free rate.

RBI Bonds Yield.

Rm

Return on market portfolio.

Average returns over a period on a

composite index such as SENSEX.

A measure of the volatility, or

systematic risk, of a security of a
firm in comparison to the market
as a whole. It is the tendency of a
security's returns to respond to
swings in the market.

To estimate Firm , a set of historical

returns on the firm equity and
returns on the index or market
portfolio, is regressed ; these
returns can be daily, weekly or any
period. The slope of the fitted line
from the linear least-squares
calculation is the estimated Beta.

A measure of the volatility, or

systematic risk, of the cash flows of
a project in comparison to the
market as a whole.

Project beta can be measured by

calculating the beta of a company
whose core operations are similar
to the project and then adjusting
for leverage and public or private
nature.

Firm

Project

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Appendix IV
Definitions
Parameter

Description

Measurement

Small cap return premium

Small cap stocks are required to

provide higher returns than large
cap stocks because they have less
demand and hence the premium.

Average return on 3 small-cap

portfolios minus average return on
3 large-cap portfolios.

Book-to-market value premium

The lack of demand of securities of

a firm results in it having high
book-to-market value and hence
the premium .

Average return on 2 high book-tomarket portfolios minus the

average return on 2 low book-tomarket portfolios.

Liquidity Premium

This premium compensates for the

lack of liquidity of a security.

Difference between average returns

on a liquid and an illiquid security,
which otherwise possess similar
characteristics.

B1, B2,B3,B4,B5

Coefficients of the respective

factors. These denote the relation
of cost of equity with each of the
factors.

Regression analysis with historical

set of data on the respective factors
and return on equity.

Bond Yield

Measures the cost of debt.

IRR of the cash flows associated

with the debt.

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Appendix IV
Definitions
Parameter

Description

Measurement

Confidence risk premium

This premium compensates for the

risk aversion and lack of
confidence of the firm towards a
risky project with uncertain cash
flows.

Value is subjectively assigned by

the firm. Coefficient changes
accordingly.

Tenure risk premium

For projects of long tenure the cash

remains vested for a long duration,
and hence a premium
compensates for this.

Value is subjectively assigned by

the firm. Coefficient changes
accordingly.

Inflation risk premium

Increase in inflation would

decrease the value of future cash
flows and returns; hence a
premium to compensate for it

Expected increase in inflation over

the tenure of the project.

Business cycle risk premium

The cyclic nature of the sector of

the project leads to significant
uncertainty in cash flows. This
premium compensates for it.

Value is subjectively assigned by

the firm. Coefficient changes
accordingly.

Market timing risk premium

This premium compensates for the

fall in security prices & increasing
costs in case of a downturn.

Estimate the range of values of the

cost of securities through scenario
analysis and select a premium.

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Thank You

Authored by PwC Business

Consulting

Hari Rajagopalachari

Executive Director

[email protected]

Shyam Pattabiraman

Principal Consultant

[email protected]

Zubin Sarkar

Consultant

[email protected]

Ankit Agrawal

Consultant

[email protected]

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