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The Global Insight

What is the assumption in internal rate of return?

Author

Christopher Davis

Updated on February 07, 2026

The assumptions of IRR is similar to that of NPV except for the reinvestment rate of generated cash flow. It includes: It considers both the magnitude and timing of cash flows. The discount rate does not change over the life of the project.

How do you assume an IRR?

Mathematically, the IRR can be found by setting the Net Present Value (NPV) equation equal to zero (0) and solving for the rate of return (IRR).

How does IRR assume reinvestment?

One of the most commonly cited limitations of the IRR is the so called “reinvestment rate assumption.” In short, the reinvestment rate assumption says that the IRR assumes interim cash flows are reinvested at the IRR, which of course isn’t always feasible.

Does IRR assume compounding?

It’s important for investors to understand how IRR differs from annualized returns to make smarter real estate investing decisions. IRR also assumes all distributions will be reinvested immediately, which means there is a built-in compounding assumption that actually doesn’t happen.

Why is IRR still a widely used tool?

IRR is used in many company financial profiles due its clarity for all parties. The IRR method also uses cash flows and recognizes the time value of money. Compared to payback period method, IRR takes into account the time value of money. This is because the IRR method expects high interest rate from investments.

Why is IRR a bad metric?

Ludovic Phalippou famously said in a paper published almost a decade ago that “IRR is probably the worst performance metric one could use in an investment context,” partly because it “can be readily inflated.” Phalippou also mentioned that IRR “exaggerates the variation across funds, exaggerates the performance of the …

What is the decision rule for the IRR?

The internal rate of return (IRR) rule states that a project or investment should be pursued if its IRR is greater than the minimum required rate of return, also known as the hurdle rate. The IRR Rule helps companies decide whether or not to proceed with a project.

Is IRR equal to interest rate?

The IRR is the interest rate (also known as the discount rate) that will bring a series of cash flows (positive and negative) to a net present value (NPV) of zero (or to the current value of cash invested). Using IRR to obtain net present value is known as the discounted cash flow method of financial analysis.

How is internal rate of return ( IRR ) used?

It is that method of capital budgeting in which we can calculate IRR and compare it with a cut off rate for selecting any project. IRR involves positive and negative cash flows. It is used to evaluate how attractive a specific investment or project happens to be.

Why is it difficult to calculate modified internal rate of return?

It also considers IRR the only cost of financing which may not be correct. Many projects offer cash flows with project activities on an ongoing basis and are difficult to predict in absolute terms in advance. Uneven cash flows make the IRR calculation difficult and may often result in multiple IRRs.

Are there any disadvantages to using internal rate of return?

Without a computer or financial calculator, IRR can only be computed by trial and error. One of the disadvantages of using IRR is that all cash flows are assumed to be reinvested at the same discount rate, although in the real world these rates will fluctuate, particularly with longer-term projects.

How to calculate internal rate of return in Excel?

Calculating the internal rate of return can be done in three ways: Using the IRR or XIRRXIRR FunctionThe XIRR function is categorized under Excel Financial functions. The function will calculate the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) for a series of cash flows that may not be periodic.