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Independent vs. Mutually Exclusive Projects
Independent projects are projects that are unrelated to each other and allow for each project to be evaluated based on its own profitability. For example, if projects A and B are independent, and both projects are profitable, then the firm could accept both projects. Mutually exclusive means that only one project in a set of possible projects can be accepted and that the projects compete with each other. If projects A and B were mutually exclusive, the firm could accept either Project A or Project B , but not both. A capital budgeting decision between two different stamping machines with different costs and output would be an example of choosing between two mutually exclusive projects.
Project Sequencing
Some projects must be undertaken in a certain order, or sequence, so that investing in a project today creates the opportunity to invest in other projects in the future. For example, if a project undertaken today is profitable, that may create the opportunity to invest in a second project a year from now. However, if the project undertaken today turns out to be unprofitable, the firm will not invest in the second project.
Unlimited Funds vs. Capital Rationing
If a firm has unlimited access to capital, the firm can undertake all projects with expected returns that exceed the cost of capital. Many firms have constraints on the amount of capital they can raise and must use capital rationing. If a firm’s profitable project opportunities exceed the amount of funds available, the firm must ration, or prioritize, its capital expenditures with the goal of achieving the maximum increase in value for shareholders given its available capital.
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