Responsibility accounting is an underlying concept of accounting performance measurement systems. The basic idea is that large diversified organizations are difficult, if not impossible to manage as a single segment, thus they must be decentralized or separated into manageable parts. These parts, or segments are referred to as responsibility centers that include: 1) revenue centers, 2) cost centers, 3) profit centers and 4) investment centers. This approach allows responsibility to be assigned to the segment managers that have the greatest amount of influence over the key elements to be managed. These elements include revenue for a revenue center (a segment that mainly generates revenue with relatively little costs), costs for a cost center (a segment that generates costs, but no revenue), a measure of profitability for a profit center (a segment that generates both revenue and costs) and return on investment (ROI) for an investment center (a segment such as Continue reading
Financial Concepts
Financial Planning – Meaning, Objectives and Process
The financial planning refers to the projection of future financial course of action to be carried for efficient execution of operating plans and effective accomplishment of corporate objective. Financial planning begins with the preparation of strategic plans that in turn guides the formulation of operating plans and budgets. Financial planning provides road map for guiding, coordinating and controlling firm’s financial action in order to achieve the objectives. Therefore, a planning that spells out future course of action, budgets and capital expenditures required for execution of operating plans is known as financial planning. Objectives of the Financial Planning Most corporate organizations spend significant time and labor in preparing the financial plan as it enables a firm: To identify significant actions to be taken in various aspects of firm’s finance functions. To develop various options in the field of finance functions, which can be exercised as condition change. To state clearly the Continue reading
Capital Structure Theory – Modigliani Miller Proposition
Capital Structure Decision in Corporate Finance The corporate finance is a specific area of finance dealing with the financial decisions corporations make and the tools as well as analysis used to make these decisions. The discipline as a whole may be divided among long-term and short-term decisions and techniques with the primary goal being maximizing corporate value while managing the firm’s financial risks. Capital investment decisions are long-term choices that investment with equity or debt, and the short-term decisions deals with the balance of current assets and current liabilities which is managing cash, inventories, and short-term borrowing and lending. Corporate finance can be defined as the theory, process and techniques that corporations use to make the investing, financing and dividend decisions that ultimately contribute to maximizing corporate value. Thus, a corporation will first decide in which projects to invest, then it will figure out how to finance them, and finally, Continue reading
Activity Based Costing (ABC) – Definition, Benefits and Weakness
Traditional or Absorption Costing System reflects full cost pertaining to a product. It is easy to use and, therefore, is practiced widely. The allocation of overhead costs under the system is based on a rate determined by either a percentage of direct labor cost or number of labor hours worked or another. Therefore, the reported allocation of overheads for a given product may be incorrect. It is the main defect of absorption costing. During 1980’s, the limitations of absorption costing system were felt with severity. Companies were looking for a system that could reflect true product cost in order to fight competition. The absorption costing system was designed decades ago, when most companies produced narrow range of products. Further, overhead costs were small enough to make a big difference in the identification of cost of a product. This criticism of absorption costing led to generation of the idea of ABC Continue reading
Junk Bonds in India
Sharp movements in the Indian equity market may be par for the course. But when it comes to the market for corporate bonds, it’s constantly stagnant. The reason is, we don’t have a corporate bond market. But this is overwhelmingly dominated by government securities (about 80% of the total). Of the remaining, close to 80% again comprises privately placed debt of public financial institutions. An efficient bond market helps corporate reduce their financing costs. It enables companies to borrow directly from investors, bypassing the major intermediary role of a commercial bank. One of the important instruments in corporate market is Junk Bonds which could be great source of financing for countries like India where markets are not much regulated. A speculative bond rated BB or below, “Junk bonds” are generally issued by corporations of questionable financial strength or without proven track records. They tend to be more volatile and higher Continue reading
Asset Swaps
Unlike interest rate swaps and basis rate swaps discussed earlier, in which cash flows of debt obligation were changed, asset swaps are used to change the characteristics of an asset. For example, an investor with a ten year fixed Japanese yen bond may decide to enter into a currency swap to change his investment income into US dollar. The investor may feel that the Japanese yen will lose its value against the US dollar and would like to change his income into US dollar. Assume the current five year swap rate for US$ versus Japanese Yen to be 6.45-6.50%. The coupon rate of the investor’s bond is 7.00% and the bond has five years remaining. The investor can exchange his 50 bps Japanese Yen payments at the spot market as an extra income above LIBOR or have the dealer manage that risk as well. At the maturity date, the Continue reading