Internal Rate of Return

The discount rate at which the net current value (the value of all future cash flows, in excess of the real investment, expressed  in today's dollars) of an investment equals to zero. Internal rate of return is frequently used by financial managers to decide whether to commit to an investment. In most cases, an investment opportunity is accepted when the internal rate of return is greater than the opportunity cost (the projected return on an investment of similar risk) of the capital needed for the investment. The profit percentage earned on a proposed investment once all costs are considered for a specific period of time.