The general meaning of finance refers to the provision of funds, as and when needed. However, as management function, the term ‘Financial Management’ has a distinct meaning. Financial management deals with the study of procuring funds and its effective and judicious utilization, in terms of the overall objectives of the firm, and expectations of the providers of funds. The basic objective is to maximize the value of the firm. The purpose is to achieve maximization of share value to the owners, i.e. equity shareholders. There are two basic aspects of financial management : 1. Procurement of Funds As funds can be obtained from different sources thus, their procurement is always considered as a complex problem by business concerns. These funds procured from different sources have different characteristics in terms of risk, cost and control that a manager must consider while procuring funds. The funds should be procured at Continue reading
Financial Management Concepts
Relationship Between Financial Leverage and Risk
Not to be confused with operating leverage, financial leverage involves the use of debt in the firm’s financial structure. Though it may be operationally defined and measured in a variety of ways, it essentially entails the use of debt to extend the earning power of funds committed by the firm’s shareholders. When used properly financial leverage magnifies returns on committed funds. Because of the nature of financial leverage, it carries within it not only the general types of risk associated with operating leverage, but also two others that have rather specific implications. First, there is the risk of default-the inability to meet debt obligations as they come due. By definition, as financial leverage increases, cash flow requirements necessary to service additional debt increase as well. The risk of inadequate cash flow is, therefore, a primary concern in strategic decisions regarding financial structure. This, of course, suggests that liquidity and leverage Continue reading
Cash Flow Statement – Meaning, Components and Preparation Methods
The cash flow statement was previously known as the flow of funds statement. The cash flow statement reflects a firm’s liquidity. The balance sheet is a snapshot of a firm’s financial resources and obligations at a single point in time, and the income statement summarizes a firm’s financial transactions over an interval of time. These two financial statements reflect the accrual basis accounting used by firms to match revenues with the expenses associated with generating those revenues. The cash flow statement includes only inflows and outflows of cash and cash equivalents; it excludes transactions that do not directly affect cash receipts and payments. These noncash transactions include depreciation or write-offs on bad debts or credit losses to name a few. The cash flow statement is a cash basis report on three types of financial activities: operating activities, investing activities, and financing activities. Noncash activities are usually reported in footnotes. The Continue reading
Economic Value Added (EVA) – Definition, Calculation and Implementation
Economic Value Added (EVA) is a value based financial performance measure, an investment decision tool and it is also a performance measure reflecting the absolute amount of shareholder value created. It is computed as the product of the “excess return” made on an investment or investments and the capital invested in that investment or investments. “Economic Value Added (EVA) is the net operating profit minus an appropriate charge for the opportunity cost of all capital invested in an enterprise or project. It is an estimate of true economic profit, or amount by which earnings exceed or fall short of the required minimum rate of return investors could get by investing in other securities of comparable risk.” Economic Value Added (EVA) is a variation of residual income with adjustments to how one calculates income and capital. Stern Stewart & Co., a consulting firm based in New York, introduced the concept on Continue reading
Classification of Cost of Capital
The cost of capital define as the minimum rate of return a firm must earn on its investment in order to satisfy investors and to maintain its market value. It is the investors required rate of return. Cost of capital also refers to the discount rate which is used while determining the present value of estimated future cash flows. The major classification of cost of capital are: Historical Cost and future Cost: Historical Cost represents the cost which has already been incurred for financing a project. It is calculated on the basis of the past data. Future cost refers to the expected cost of funds to be raised for financing a project. Historical costs help in predicting the future costs and provide an evaluation of the past performance when compared with standard costs. In financial decisions future costs are more relevant than historical costs. Specific Costs and Composite Cost: Specific Continue reading
Accounts Receivable Management
Meaning of Accounts Receivables When goods and services are sold under an agreement permitting the customer to pay for them at a later date, the amount due from the customer is recorded as accounts receivables; So, receivables are assets accounts representing amounts owed to the firm as a result of the credit sale of goods and services in the ordinary course of business. The value of these claims is carried on to the assets side of the balance sheet under titles such as accounts receivable, trade receivables or customer receivables. This term can be defined as “debt owed to the firm by customers arising from sale of goods or services in ordinary course of business.” According to Robert N. Anthony, “Accounts receivables are amounts owed to the business enterprise, usually by its customers. Sometimes it is broken down into trade accounts receivables; the former refers to amounts owed by customers, Continue reading