DEFINITION OF 'NET PRESENT VALUE - NPV' Net Present Value (NPV) is the difference between the present value of cash inflows and the present value of cash outflows. NPV is used in capital budgeting to analyze the profitability of a projected investment or project. The following is the formula for calculating NPV: where C t = net cash inflow during the period t C o = total initial investment costs r = discount rate , and t = number of time periods A positive net present value indicates that the projected earnings generated by a project or investment (in present dollars) exceeds the anticipated costs (also in present dollars). Generally, an investment with a positive NPV will be a profitable one and one with a negative NPV will result in a net loss . This concept is the basis for the Net Present Value Rule , which dictates that the only investments that should be made are th...