What is an internal rate of return and what advantages and disadvantages are accrued by using it to ...

Internal rate of return (IRR) is a method of evaluating the expected outlays and income associated with a new project investment opportunity. IRR is the discount rate that equates the present values of a project's revenue and expense streams. If IRR is greater than or equal to the company's required rate of return, the project is worth funding. The advantage of using IRR analysis is its ability to compare alternative projects from the perspective of expected return on investment. IRR suffers from difficulty in conflicting solutions if cash flows are not normal, e.g., if net outflows follow a period of net cash inflows. IRR is not the rate of return for a project.