Final answer:
Relevant cash flows are cash flows that are directly related to a decision or investment. They can include cash flows from beneficial spillover effects, opportunity costs, erosion effects, and sunk costs.
Step-by-step explanation:
Relevant Cash Flows
In finance, relevant cash flows are the cash flows that are directly related to a decision or investment. These cash flows can include:
- Cash flows from beneficial spillover effects: These are positive cash flows that result from an investment or decision and have a positive impact on other related activities.
- Cash flows from opportunity costs: These are the cash flows that result from giving up the next best alternative when making a decision.
- Cash flows from erosion effects: These are the negative cash flows that result from a new investment or decision negatively impacting existing activities.
- Cash flows from sunk costs: These are costs that were incurred in the past and cannot be recovered, and therefore should not be considered in current decision-making.
For example:
- If a company invests in research and development for a new product, the cash flows from the sales of the new product can be considered relevant cash flows.
- If a company decides to renovate its manufacturing facility, the cash flows from potential disruptions to ongoing production can be considered relevant cash flows.