You have been hired as a consultant for Pristine Urban-Tech Zither plc. (PUTZ), manufacturers of fine zithers. The market for zithers is growing quickly. The company bought some land three years ago for £1.4 million in anticipation of using it as a toxic waste dump site, but has recently hired another company to handle all toxic materials. Based on a recent appraisal, the company believes it could sell the land for £1.5 million on an after-tax basis. In four years the land could be sold for £1.6 million after taxes. The company also hired a marketing firm to analyse the zither market, at a cost of £125,000. An excerpt of the marketing report is as follows:
The zither industry will have a rapid expansion in the next four years. With the brand name recognition that PUTZ brings to bear, we feel that the company will be able to sell 3,200, 4,300, 3,900 and 2,800 units each year for the next four years, respectively. Again, capitalizing on the name recognition of PUTZ, we feel that a premium price of £780 can be charged for each zither. Because zithers appear to be a fad, we feel that, at the end of the four-year period, sales should be discontinued.
PUTZ believes that fixed costs for the project will be £425,000 per year, and variable costs are 15 per cent of sales. The equipment necessary for production will cost £4.2 million, and will be depreciated according to the 20 per cent reducing-balance method. At the end of the project the equipment can be scrapped for £400,000. Net working capital of £125,000 will be required immediately. PUTZ has a 28 per cent tax rate, and the required return on the project is 13 per cent. What is the NPV of the project? Assume the company has other profitable projects.