The manufacturer Research In motion applies Lcm and reports that its inventories are stated at the lower of cost and net realizable value
Recording the lower of cost or market Inventory must be adjusted downward when market is less than cost. To illustrate, if LCM is applied must be adjusted to the individual items of inventory in exhibit 6.9, the merchandise inventory account must be adjusted from the $295000 recorded cost down to the $265000 market amount as follows.
accounting rules require that inventory be adjusted to mar ket when market is less than cost, but inventory normally cannot be written up to market when market exceeds cost. If recording inventory down to market is acceptable, why are companies not allowed to record inventory up to market? One view is that a gain. However, this problem also applies when market is less than cost. A optimistic amount when more than one estimate of the amount to be received or paid exists and these estimates are about equally likely.