Discount factor: Difference between revisions

From ACT Wiki
Jump to navigationJump to search
imported>Doug Williamson
m (Link with qualifications page.)
imported>Doug Williamson
(Updated entry. Source ACT Glossary of terms)
Line 1: Line 1:
(DF).  
(DF).  
The purpose of Discount factors is to answer questions of the type:
"What is the value today (Time 0) of a promise to receive £100m at Time 1 year (one year into the future)."




Line 32: Line 27:
'''''Examples'''''
'''''Examples'''''


For example, when the periodic cost of capital (r) = 6% and the number of periods in the total time under review (n) = 1, then:
For example,  
 
when the periodic cost of capital (r) = 6%  
 
and the number of periods in the total time under review (n) = 1, then:


Discount factor = (1+r)<sup>-n</sup>
Discount factor = (1+r)<sup>-n</sup>
Line 41: Line 40:




Continuing this example, the present value (today, Time 0) of a promise to receive £100m at Time 1 year hence (one year into the future) is calculated at a rate of 6% per annum as:
The greater the time delay, the smaller the Discount Factor.
 
£100m x 0.9434


= £94.34m.
For example,


when the periodic cost of capital = 6% as before,


The greater the time delay, the smaller the Discount Factor.
but the number of periods delay increases to 2, then:
 
For example, when the periodic cost of capital = 6% as before, but the number of periods delay increases to 2, then:


Discount factor = (1+r)<sup>-n</sup>
Discount factor = (1+r)<sup>-n</sup>
Line 60: Line 56:
''(A smaller figure than the 0.9434 we calculated previously for just one period's delay.)''
''(A smaller figure than the 0.9434 we calculated previously for just one period's delay.)''


Continuing this case, the present value (today, Time 0) of a promise to receive £100m at Time 2 years hence (two years into the future) is calculated at a rate of 6% per annum as:
£100m x 0.8890
= £88.90m.




'''2.'''  
'''2.'''  


Loosely and historically, the yield or cost of capital used for the purpose of calculating Discount Factors.   
Loosely,the yield or cost of capital used for the purpose of calculating Discount Factors.   


For example the 6% rate applied in definition 1. above.
For example the 6% rate applied in definition 1. above.

Revision as of 15:51, 19 November 2014

(DF).


1.

Strictly, the number less than one which we multiply a future cash flow by, to work out its present value as:

PV = DF x future cashflow.


The periodic discount factor is calculated from the periodic yield as:

DF = (1 + periodic yield)-1


Commonly abbreviated as DF(n,r) or DFn


where

n = number of periods, and

r = periodic cost of capital.


Examples

For example,

when the periodic cost of capital (r) = 6%

and the number of periods in the total time under review (n) = 1, then:

Discount factor = (1+r)-n

= 1.06-1

= 0.9434


The greater the time delay, the smaller the Discount Factor.

For example,

when the periodic cost of capital = 6% as before,

but the number of periods delay increases to 2, then:

Discount factor = (1+r)-n

= 1.06-2

= 0.8890

(A smaller figure than the 0.9434 we calculated previously for just one period's delay.)


2.

Loosely,the yield or cost of capital used for the purpose of calculating Discount Factors.

For example the 6% rate applied in definition 1. above.


See also