Chapter 1 Introduction to Corporate Finance 3
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the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to operate for 40 years, are now being re-licensed for
20 more years, and may be able to operate efficiently for 80 years overall.
Yet a stream of cash inflows lasting for 40-plus years may still not be enough. For example,
the Southern Company has received authorization to build two new nuclear plants. The cost
of the plants has been estimated (perhaps optimistically) at $14 billion. Construction will take
seven years (perhaps also an optimistic estimate). Thus Southern, if it goes ahead, will have
to invest at least $14 billion and wait at least seven years for any cash return. The longer it has
to wait for cash to flow back in, the greater the cash inflow required to justify the investment.
Thus the financial manager has to pay attention to the timing of cash inflows, not just to their
cumulative amount.
Of course not all investments have distant payoffs. For example, Walmart spends about
$45 billion each year to stock up its stores and warehouses before the holiday season. The
company’s return on this investment comes within months as the inventory is drawn down and
the goods are sold.
In addition, financial managers know (or quickly learn) that cash returns are not guaran-
teed. An investment could be a smashing success or a dismal failure. For example, the Iridium
communications satellite system, which offered instant telephone connections worldwide,
soaked up $5 billion of investment before it started operations in 1998. It needed 400,000
subscribers to break even, but attracted only a small fraction of that number. Iridium defaulted
Company Recent Investment Decisions Recent Financing Decisions
Facebook (U.S.) Acquires WhatsApp for $22 billion. Pays for the purchase with a mixture of cash and
Facebook shares.
Fiat Chrysler (Italy) Announces plans to spin off its Ferrari luxury
car unit.Repays €2.5 billion of medium term debt.GlaxoSmithKline
(U.K.)Spends $6.6 billion on research and development
for new drugs.Raises $5 billion by an issue of bonds in the United
States.
LVMH^2 (France) Acquires Clos des Lambrays, one of the most
prestigious vineyards in Burgundy.Raises an additional €1.1 billion by short-term
borrowing.
Procter & Gamble
(U.S.)Spends about $9.7 billion on advertising. Reinvests $4 billion of profits.Tesla Motors (U.S.) Spends $250 million largely on manufacturing
facilities for a new model of electric car.Raises over $300 million by the sale of new shares.Union Pacific (U.S.) Announces spending plans of $3.9 billion,
including the purchase of 200 new locomotives.Pays $1.5 billion as dividends.Vale (Brazil) Sets aside $2.6 billion to develop its huge coal
mine in Mozambique.Maintains credit lines with its banks that allow the
company to borrow any time up to $5 billion.
Walmart (U.S.) Plans to invest $1.2 to $1.5 billion in e-commerce
and digital initiatives.Buys back $6.7 billion of its shares.Exxon Mobil (U.S.) Commits about $7 billion to develop oil sands at
Fort McMurray in Alberta.Reinvests $17.8 billion of profits.❱ TABLE 1.1 Examples of recent investment and financing decisions by major public corporations.
(^2) LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (usually abbreviated to LVMH) markets perfumes and cosmetics, wines and spirits, watches,
and other fashion and luxury goods. And, yes, we know what you are thinking, but LVMH really is short for Moët Hennessy Louis
Vuitton.