Is 100% IRR possible?

Asked by: Maeve Dicki  |  Last update: October 15, 2025
Score: 4.8/5 (23 votes)

If you invest 1 dollar and get 2 dollars in return, the IRR will be 100%, which sounds incredible. In reality, your profit isn't big. So, a high IRR doesn't mean a certain investment will make you rich. However, it does make a project more attractive to look into.

What if IRR is 100%?

If you double your money in 1 year, that's a 100% IRR. Invest $100 and get back $200 in 1 year, and you've just earned 100% of what you put in. If you double your money in 2 years, you need to earn *roughly* 50% per year to get there.

Can you have a negative 100% IRR?

Or it might be a realistic cash flow model with a negative IRR. A negative IRR is not meaningless or necessarily incorrect (unless it is less than -- more negative than -- -100%). It might simply mean that the project or investment operates at a loss, especially when time-value is taken into account.

What if IRR is very high?

The internal rate of return (IRR) is a metric used to estimate the return on an investment. The higher the IRR, the better the return of an investment.

What is considered a strong IRR?

Real estate investments often target an IRR in the range of 10% to 20%. However, these numbers can vary: Conservative Investments: For lower-risk, stable properties, a good IRR might be around 8% to 12%. Moderate Risk: Many investors aim for an IRR in the range of 15% to 20% for moderate-risk projects.

IRR (Internal Rate of Return)

18 related questions found

What is a good IRR for 7 years?

For levered deals, commercial real estate investors today are generally targeting IRR values somewhere between about 7% and 20% for those same five to ten year hold periods, with lower risk-deals with a longer projected hold period also on the lower end of the spectrum, and higher-risk deals with a shorter projected ...

What is ideal IRR range?

XIRR is especially useful for investments with irregular cash flows, like mutual funds, where contributions and withdrawals happen at different times. Generally, a benchmark for a good XIRR is around 15-20%.

What is the rule of thumb for IRR?

Typically expressed in a percent range (i.e. 12%-15%), the IRR is the annualized rate of earnings on an investment. A less shrewd investor would be satisfied by following the general rule of thumb that the higher the IRR, the higher the return; the lower the IRR the lower the risk.

Is 40% IRR good?

Here is a summary of the target IRRs for different types of venture capital investments: Early-stage investments: 30–50% Later-stage investments: 20–35% Industry-specific investments: 30–40% (depending on the risk profile of the industry)

What is the biggest problem with IRR?

Ignores the time value of money: IRR does not consider the time value of money and the opportunity cost of invested capital, making it unsuitable for comparing investments with different durations.

Can you have an IRR of 0?

Mathematically, IRR is the rate that would result in the net present value of future cash flows equaling exactly zero.

What are the disadvantages of IRR?

IRR overstates the annual equivalent rate of return for a project whose interim cash flows are reinvested at a rate lower than the calculated IRR. IRR does not consider cost of capital; it should not be used to compare projects of different duration.

Do negative IRRs make sense?

So the IRR -2.6 is the rate at which you are losing money. Such scenario is very much possible in real life situations, and there is nothing wrong with your analysis if you get negative IRR. IRR is often defined as the theoretical discount rate at which the NPV of a cash flow stream becomes zero.

Is it possible to have a ROI of 100%?

Return on investment (ROI) is calculated by dividing the profit earned on an investment by the cost of that investment. For instance, an investment with a profit of $100 and a cost of $100 would have an ROI of 1, or 100% when expressed as a percentage.

Does 100% ROI mean break even?

For example, ROI of 100% means that you earned twice as much as you spent. But ROAS of 100% means that you have broken even. It seems that everything is simple and easy to calculate. But for a more correct ROI calculation, a marketer needs to take into account many nuances.

Is IRR better than ROI?

IRR tends to be useful when budgeting capital for projects, while ROI is useful in determining the overall profitability of an investment expressed as a percentage. Thus, while both ROI and NPV are useful, the right metric to use will depend on the context.

What does a 100% IRR mean?

If you invest 1 dollar and get 2 dollars in return, the IRR will be 100%, which sounds incredible. In reality, your profit isn't big. So, a high IRR doesn't mean a certain investment will make you rich. However, it does make a project more attractive to look into.

What is a realistic IRR?

Generally, an IRR of 18% or 20% is considered very good in real estate. Generally speaking, a high percentage return (greater than 10%) indicates a successful investment, while a low IRR (less than 5%) might mean investors should reconsider their investment options.

What is a good IRR for 10 years?

You're better off getting an IRR of 13% for 10 years than 20% for one year if your corporate hurdle rate is 10% during that period. You also have to be careful about how IRR takes into account the time value of money.

What if IRR is more than 100?

A condition that would make the IRR greater than 100% is if the cost of capital was greater than the return on investment. This is because the IRR is a measure of profitability and so if the cost of capital is more than what you are earning on your investment, then it would be considered unprofitable.

What is 20% IRR over 5 years?

In other words, if you are provided an IRR of 20% and asked to determine the proceeds achieved in year 5, the result is simple: Your investment will grow by 20% for 5 years. This works out to 2.49.

What IRR do private equity look for?

Expected IRRs in Private Equity

Generally, PE firms look for IRRs in the range of 20% to 30% or more. Venture Capital: Investments in early-stage companies are high-risk but can offer high rewards, with expected IRRs often ranging from 25% to 35%.

What is a good IRR range?

While there's no one-size-fits-all answer, a good IRR for multifamily real estate investments typically ranges from 15% to 20% or higher. It's essential to consider factors such as the location, asset class, and risk profile of the investment.

What is rule of 70 IRR?

The rule of 70 calculates the years it takes for an investment to double in value. It is calculated by dividing the number 70 by the investment's growth rate. The calculation is commonly used to compare investments with different annual interest rates.

How to explain IRR to dummies?

Internal rate of return is a capital budgeting calculation for deciding which projects or investments under consideration are investment-worthy and ranking them. IRR is the discount rate for which the net present value (NPV) equals zero (when time-adjusted future cash flows equal the initial investment).