Investopedia explains 'Profitability Index Rule'
The profitability index rule is a variation of the net present value (NPV) rule. In general, if NPV is positive, the profitability index would be greater than 1; if NPV is negative, the profitability index would be below 1. The profitability index differs from NPV in one important respect; Being a ratio, it ignores the scale of investment and provides no indication of the size of the actual cash flows.
For example, a project with an initial investment of $1 million, and present value of future cash flows of $1.2 million, would have a profitability index of 1.2. Based on the profitability index rule, the project would proceed.
|