Financial Management Flashcards
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What is the primary focus of working capital management?
Managing inventory & receivables (current assets & liabilities)
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How is Net Working Capital calculated?
NWC = Current Assets - Current Liabilities
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What are the characteristics of effective Working Capital Management?
Shorten the cash conversion cycle
Don’t negatively impact operations
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What is the Inventory Conversion Period?
Average time needed to convert materials into finished goods and sell them
Average Inventory = (BI + E) / 2
Inventory Conversion Period = Average Inventory / Sales Per Day
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What is the Receivables Collection Period?
Average time needed to collect A/R
RCP = Average Receivables / Credit Sales Per Day
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What is the Payables Deferral Period?
Average time between materials and labor purchase and their A/P payment
Average Payables = (BP + EP) / 2
Payables Deferral Period = Average Payables / (COGS/365)
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What is the Cash Conversion Cycle?
Amount of time it takes to receive a cash inflow (Customers) after making a cash outflow (Vendors)
Inventory Conversion Period
+ Receivables Collection Period
– Payables Deferral Period
= Cash Conversion Cycle
(Inventory Really (-Pays) Cash)
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What traits should Cash and Short-Term Investments have?
Liquid
Safe
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For what are Letters of Credit used?
Used for importing goods.
Issued by importer’s bank.
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What is the advantage of using Trade Credit?
No interest cost if paid timely.
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What is a Lockbox System? What are the advantages?
Customer Payments are sent to a bank-managed PO box.
Employees don’t have access to cash.
Deposits are more timely.
Interest income from deposits should pay for the Lockbox fees (if they don’t- lockbox is not beneficial)
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What is float?
Time it takes to mail a payment and have it clear your bank account
Maximize float on cash payments
Minimize float on cash receipts
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What are Zero Balance Accounts?
Regional bank sends enough cash to cover daily checks
Advantages:
Checks take longer to clear -more float
Low amounts of cash tied up for compensating (minimum) balances
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What is the difference between Treasury Bills- Notes and Bonds?
Treasury Bills: Short term (less than one year) Think: $1 Bill
Treasury Notes: Medium term (less than 10 years- more than 1)
Treasury Bonds: Long term (greater than 10 years) Think: government is in long-term bondage to you; they owe you money
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What is commercial paper?
Similar to T-Bill- but issued by corporations instead of Government
Greater than 9 Months Maturity
Unsecured
Issued by large firms
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of Commercial Paper?
Advantages: Financing at less than Prime. No compensating balances required.
Disadvantages: Unpredictability of markets. Credit crisis emerges and large insurance/investment companies aren’t lending.