Why IRR > WACC & not TWR > WACC

Hey all,

Was solving some problems related to annualizing returns and I had the following scenario:

I borrow $100 and invest it, and I get the following results:

Year 1: 15% Return –> Ending CF: 115 Year 2: -10% Return –> Ending CF: 103.5 Year 3: 5% Return –> Ending CF: 108.7

Solving for the Geometric Mean, I get 2.81%. Now, assuming I borrowed that $100 at a 1% cost of capital, I would make profit as follows (correct me if I’m wrong, as I usually am).

Year 1 Total Debt owed: 100*(1+1%) => $101 Year 2 Total Debt owed 101(1+1%) =>$102 Year 3 Total Debt owed 102(1+1%) =>$103

So, why cant the rule by TWR > WACC => Good investment.

Am I missing anything? Moreover, when I attempt to do IRR with these figures, I get a huge percentage!

Thank you.

1 Comments
 

Recusandae ipsa repellendus odit eligendi tempore et ex. Aperiam quis in earum dicta ullam consectetur inventore. Harum libero dolores eum quibusdam maiores sed aut. Non architecto commodi aut qui.

Qui veritatis voluptate nihil. Eos culpa molestiae qui veniam in esse non quas. Sint beatae totam ex aliquid totam et. Eaque et explicabo sequi nulla et et quod.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”