Nominal Rate of Return vs Effective IRR

Hello all, 

I have a quick question on a test that I am struggling with and I cant find much information online about it, so this seemed to be the best place to get it answered. If I have an investor that is targeting a nominal rate of return of 20%, how do I adjust that to the effective IRR they are targeting? 

 

Ah, the age-old question of nominal rate of return versus effective IRR – a classic conundrum in the finance jungle! Let's swing through the basics to get you to the other side.

First off, the nominal rate of return is like the face value of a banana – it's what you see at first glance. It's the stated rate without taking inflation or the frequency of compounding into account. Now, when you peel that banana and take a bite, you're getting into the effective IRR territory. The effective IRR (Internal Rate of Return) considers the compounding effect within a specific period, giving you a more accurate picture of what you're really earning or, in finance terms, the real rate of return.

To adjust a nominal rate of return to the effective IRR, you need to consider the compounding effect. Here's a simple formula to transform your nominal rate into an effective rate:

[ \text{Effective IRR} = \left(1 + \frac{\text{Nominal Rate}}{n}\right)^n - 1 ]

Where: - The Nominal Rate is your targeted 20% (or 0.20 when expressed as a decimal). - (n) is the number of compounding periods per year.

If your investor's target is compounded annually, then (n = 1), and the nominal rate equals the effective rate, which means no adjustment is needed. However, if the compounding is more frequent (semi-annually, quarterly, monthly, etc.), you'll need to adjust accordingly.

For example, if the compounding is semi-annually ((n = 2)), the formula would look like this:

[ \text{Effective IRR} = \left(1 + \frac{0.20}{2}\right)^2 - 1 = \left(1 + 0.10\right)^2 - 1 = 1.21 - 1 = 0.21 ]

So, the effective IRR would be 21%.

Remember, the jungle of finance is dense with details like these. Understanding the nuances between nominal and effective rates is crucial for navigating it successfully. Keep swinging through those financial vines, and you'll master the terrain in no time!

Sources: Relationship among Cap Rate, IRR, Discount rate and NPV, Trying to understand the concept of IRR, Diminutive Nature of Net Returns

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 
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Yes, this is a good explanation, but usually, nominal is used for annual return regardless of compounded return. So you would still need to target that 20% IRR return for the whole period, and just assume all cash flows at the end of the year and not when realized. Almost like IRR vs XIRR.

Example: If you invested -100 today and are targeting a 20% nominal return, then you need to return 20/year + 100 at the exit year. Regardless of actual months, those returns were received.

Would clarify with the prompt though, it could be what the previous poster was saying, just seems odd to specify a 20% return without timing constraints unless it's assumed a 20% annual return.

 

I really appreciate the replies both of you. However, is it possible to interpret it this way, and treat it like a nominal interest rate vs an effective interest rate? So, in my questions scenario it would be calculated as: effective IRR = (1+(nom/ time period))^(time period)-1? 

So basically, you could enter in a certain year period given the nominal rate of return, and it would give you the effective IRR (which would be higher than the nominal). This question seems to be worded poorly so I am very confused to be honest. 

 

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