The earning capacity and potential of the firm are reflected by the Income Statement or the Profit and Loss Account. The profit and loss account is the “scoreboard” of the firm’s performance during a particular period of time (usually one year). Since it reflects the results of operations for a period of time, it is a flow statement. In contrast, the balance sheet is a stock, or status statement as it shows assets, liabilities and owners’ equity at a point of time. The profit and loss account presents the summary of revenues, expenses and net income (or net loss) of a firm for a period of time. Net income is the amount by which the revenues earned during a period exceed the expenses incurred during that period. If the firm’s operations prove to be unprofitable, total expenses will exceed total revenues and the difference is referred to Continue reading
Financial Management Tools
Capital Budgeting- Definition, Nature and Procedure
Meaning of Capital Budgeting Capital expenditure budget or capital budgeting is a process of making decisions regarding investments in fixed assets which are not meant for sale such as land, building, machinery or furniture. The word investment refers to the expenditure which is required to be made in connection with the acquisition and the development of long-term facilities including fixed assets. It refers to process by which management selects those investment proposals which are worthwhile for investing available funds. For this purpose, management is to decide whether or not to acquire, or add to or replace fixed assets in the light of overall objectives of the firm. What is capital expenditure, is a very difficult question to answer. The terms capital expenditure are associated with accounting. Normally capital expenditure is one which is intended to benefit future period i.e., in more than one year as opposed to revenue expenditure, the Continue reading
Fixed Assets Accounting
Unless internal controls over plant and equipment are carefully designed many units of equipment are likely to be broken, discarded or stolen without any entry being made in the accounting records for their disposal. The assets accounts will then be overstated and depreciation programs for such missing unites of equipment will presumably continue. Consequently net income will be misstated because of the omission of losses on retirement of plant assets and because of erroneous depreciation charges. One important control devise which guards against failure to record the retirement of assets is the use of controlling accounts and subsidiary ledgers for plant and equipment. The general ledger ordinarily contains a serpent assets account and related depreciation accounts for each major classification of plant assets, such as land, buildings, office equipment and deal very equipment. For example the general ledger will contain the account office equipment and also the related accounts depreciation Continue reading
How To Assess the Financial Health of a Company
To check the financial health of a business, you need to evaluate its financial performance, liquidity, solvency, profitability, and other key financial indicators. Below are some of the key areas to focus on when assessing the financial health of your business. Financial Statements The first step in evaluating the financial health of your business is to review your financial statements. The financial statements include the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement. These statements provide a summary of your business’s financial activity and performance over a specific period. Balance Sheet: The balance sheet provides an overview of your business’s financial position at a specific point in time. It lists your assets, liabilities, and equity. You can use the balance sheet to evaluate your business’s liquidity and solvency. Income Statement: The income statement shows your business’s revenue, expenses, and net income over a specific period. You can use the income Continue reading
Types of Securitization Structures
Through securitization process, debts are factored and discounted in a structured and sophisticated manner which allows for the availability of funds and the repayment of the debt obligations through the creation of an insolvency remote vehicle which is separate, distinct and independent of the Originator. Securitization structures are most appropriate for a company that seeks financing but is unable to tap funding sources for the desired tenor and funding cost because of its perceived credit risk. In general, any asset class with relatively predictable cash flows can be securitized. The Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) re-designs the type of bonds to be issued depending on the deal structure. The broad types of securitization structures include: Cash vs. Synthetic Structures: Most transactions world over follow the cash structure in which the originator sells assets and receives cash instead. In a synthetic transaction, the seller keeps his title and investment on the assets Continue reading
Management Accounting – Definition, Nature and Functions
That part of accounting system which facilitates the management process of decision-making is called management accounting. Basically it is the study of managerial aspect of financial accounting, “accounting in relation to management function”. It shows how the accounting function can be re-oriented so as to fit it within the framework of management activity. It presents accounting information in such a way as to assist management in the creation of policy and in the day-to-day operations of an undertaking. Management accounting has the ability to communicate a great variety of facts in a systematic and meaningful manner. The task of management accounting is not to make decisions; rather it facilitates the process of decision-making. Management accounting is a systematic approach to planning and control functions of management. It generates information for establishing plans and controls. Definition of Management Accounting According to the Chartered Institute of Management Continue reading