What does a 22% IRR mean?

Asked by: Dr. Edwin Greenholt III  |  Last update: February 21, 2026
Score: 4.3/5 (51 votes)

In the example below, an initial investment of $50 has a 22% IRR. That is equal to earning a 22% compound annual growth rate. In reality, there are many other quantitative and qualitative factors that are considered in an investment decision.) If the IRR is lower than the hurdle rate, then it would be rejected.

What does a 20% IRR mean?

A 20% IRR shows that an investment should yield a 20% return, annually, over the time during which you hold it. Typically, higher IRR is better IRR. And because the formula includes NPV, which accounts for cash in and out, the IRR formula is even more accurate than its common counterpart return on investment.

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%.

Is 25% IRR good?

Whether an IRR is good or bad will depend on the cost of capital and the opportunity cost of the investor. For instance, a real estate investor might pursue a project with a 25% IRR if comparable alternative real estate investments offer a return of, say, 20% or lower.

What is a good IRR ratio?

There isn't a one-size-fits-all answer, but generally, an IRR of around 5% to 10% might be considered good for very low-risk investments, an IRR in the range of 10% to 15% is common for moderate-risk investments, and in investments with higher risk, such as early-stage startups, investors might look for an IRR higher ...

🔴 3 Minutes! Internal Rate of Return IRR Explained with Internal Rate of Return Example

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What does IRR tell you?

The Internal Rate of Return (IRR) is the discount rate that makes the net present value (NPV) of a project zero. In other words, it is the expected compound annual rate of return that will be earned on a project or investment.

What is a good IRR score?

You want a positive IRR—a negative IRR indicates you'd lose money on the investment. Generally, an IRR of 18% or 20% is considered very good in real estate.

What is a good IRR for 10 years?

For unlevered deals, commercial real estate investors today are generally targeting IRR values of somewhere between about 6% and 11% for five to ten year hold periods, with lower-risk deals with a longer projected hold period on the lower end of that spectrum, and higher-risk deals with a shorter projected hold period ...

What is the rule of thumb for IRR?

So the rule of thumb is that, for “double your money” scenarios, you take 100%, divide by the # of years, and then estimate the IRR as about 75-80% of that value. For example, if you double your money in 3 years, 100% / 3 = 33%. 75% of 33% is about 25%, which is the approximate IRR in this case.

Is 100% IRR possible?

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.

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).

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.

What is the IRR in simple terms?

IRR stands for internal rate of return. It measures your rate of return on a project or investment while excluding external factors. It can be used to estimate the profitability of investments, similar to accounting rate of return (ARR).

Is IRR equal to interest rate?

The IRR is the interest rate (also known as the discount rate) that will bring a series of cash flows (positive and negative) to a net present value (NPV) of zero (or to the current value of cash invested).

What is the difference between IRR and ROI?

Return on investment (ROI) and internal rate of return (IRR) are both ways to measure the performance of investments or projects. ROI shows the total growth since the start of the projact, while IRR shows the annual growth rate. Over the course of a year, the two numbers are roughly the same.

How do you interpret an IRR?

Generally, the higher the IRR, the better. However, in comparing several potential projects a company might choose one with a lower IRR as long as it still exceeds the cost of capital.

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.

Is IRR based on Ebitda?

Calculates the value of a business, or an internal rate of return (IRR), based on its projected EBITDA as a proxy for enterprise cash flows.

Why is IRR flawed?

The simple reason for the problem is that the gap between the actual reinvestment rate and the assumed IRR exists for a longer period of time, so the impact of the distortion accumulates.

Is an IRR of 20 good?

A good IRR in real estate investing could be somewhere between 15% to 20%. However, it varies based on the cost basis, the market, the particular class, the investment strategy, and many other variables.

What is a good cash-on-cash return in real estate?

The inclusion of financing costs differentiates the cash-on-cash return from the cap rate, which divides net operating income (NOI) by the market value of a property. The standard cash-on-cash return ranges from 8% to 12%, contingent on market conditions, economic sentiment, and investment firm-specific factors.

Is 26% IRR good?

Private Equity and Venture Capital

Usually, an IRR between 20% and 30% is considered good, although top-performing funds may deliver even higher returns.

What is an attractive IRR?

IRR helps investors assess the profitability of potential investments by considering the time value of money. It allows for a comparison of different investment options with varying cash flow patterns. A higher IRR generally indicates a more attractive investment opportunity.

Is an IRR of 18% good?

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.