Chapter 15 provided an introduction and overview
of the concept of working-capital management.
In this chapter, we explore the management
of the asset components of the working-capital
equation. Accordingly, we focus on the alternatives
available to managers for increasing shareholder
wealth with respect to the most important
types of current assets: (1) cash and marketable securities,
(2) accounts receivable, and (3) inventory.
These are listed in order of declining liquidity.
Such alternatives include (1) techniques available
to management for favorably influencing cash receipt
and disbursement patterns, (2) investments that allow
a firm to employ excess cash balances productively,
(3) critical decision formulas for determining the appropriate
amount of investment in accounts receivable,
and (4) methods, such as those pertaining to
order quantity and order point issues, for evaluating
the most suitable levels of inventory.
These issues are important to the financial
manager for several reasons. For example, judicious
management of cash and near-cash assets
allows the firm to hold the minimum amount of
cash necessary to meet the firm’s obligations in a
timely manner. As a result, the firm is able to take
advantage of the opportunity to earn a return on
its liquid assets and increase its profitability.
With this in mind, we begin the study of current
asset management by exploring the various
aspects of the management of cash and marketable securities. Afterward, we analyze the
important issues related to the management of accounts receivable and inventory.