Final answer:
The capital budgeting method that takes into account both the size of the original investment and the discounted cash flows is the Net Present Value (NPV) method. NPV is calculated by subtracting the initial investment from the present value of the expected cash flows.
Step-by-step explanation:
The capital budgeting method that takes into account both the size of the original investment and the discounted cash flows is the Net Present Value (NPV) method.
NPV is calculated by subtracting the initial investment from the present value of the expected cash flows. If the resulting NPV is positive, the investment is considered profitable. If it is negative, the investment is not considered financially viable. For example, if a project requires an initial investment of $100,000 and the expected cash flows have a present value of $120,000, the NPV would be $20,000. This indicates that the project is profitable as the present value of the cash flows exceeds the initial investment.