CHAPTER 16—SUPPLY CHAINS AND WORKING CAPITAL MANAGEMENT
TRUE/FALSE
1. Net working capital, defined as current assets minus the sum of payables and accruals, is equal to the
current ratio minus the quick ratio.
2. Net working capital is defined as current assets divided by current liabilities.
3. Net operating working capital is defined as operating current assets minus operating current liabilities..
4. Determining a firm’s optimal investment in working capital and deciding how that investment should
be financed are critical to working capital management.
5. An increase in any current asset must be accompanied by an equal increase in some current liability.
6. The concept of permanent current operating assets reflects the fact that some components of current
assets do not shrink to zero even when a business is at its seasonal or cyclical low. Thus, permanent
current operating assets represent a minimum level of current assets that must be financed.
7. A conservative current operating asset financing approach will result in permanent current assets and
some seasonal current assets being financed using long-term securities.
8. Although short-term interest rates have historically averaged less than long-term rates, the heavy use
of short-term debt is considered to be an aggressive current operating asset financing strategy because
of the inherent risks of using short-term financing.
9. If a firm takes actions that reduce its days sales outstanding (DSO), then, other things held constant,
this will lengthen its cash conversion cycle (CCC).
10. Other things held constant, if a firm “stretches” (i.e., delays paying) its accounts payable, this will
lengthen its cash conversion cycle (CCC).
11. Shorter-term cash budgets⎯say a daily cash budget for the next month⎯are generally used for actual
cash control while longer-term cash budgets⎯say monthly cash budgets for the next year⎯are
generally used for planning purposes.
12. Cash is often referred to as a “non-earning” asset. Thus, one goal of cash management is to minimize
the amount of cash necessary for conducting a firm’s normal business activities.
13. Firms hold cash balances in order to complete transactions (both routine and precautionary) that are
necessary in business operations and as compensation to banks for providing loans and services.
14. For a firm that makes heavy use of net float, being able to forecast collections and disbursement check
clearings is essential.
15. Setting up a lockbox arrangement is one way for a firm to speed up the collection of payments from its
customers.
16. The overriding goal of inventory management is to ensure that the firm never suffers a stock-out, i.e.,
never runs out of an inventory item.
17. The twin goals of inventory management are (1) to ensure that the inventories needed to sustain
operations are available, but (2) to hold the costs of ordering and carrying inventories to the lowest
possible level.
18. The average accounts receivable balance is a function of both the volume of credit sales and the days
sales outstanding.
19. If a firm has a large percentage of accounts over 30 days old, this is proof positive that its receivables
manager is not doing a good job.
20. The aging schedule is a commonly used method for monitoring receivables.
21. The four primary elements in a firm’s credit policy are (1) credit standards, (2) discounts offered, (3)
credit period, and (4) collection policy.
22. Changes in a firm’s collection policy can affect sales, working capital, and profits.
23. Not taking cash discounts is costly, and as a result, firms that do not take them are usually those that
are performing poorly and have inadequate cash balances.
24. Suppose a firm changes its credit policy from 2/10 net 30 to 3/10 net 30. The change is meant to meet
competition, so no increase in sales is expected. The average accounts receivable balance will probably
decline as a result of this change.
25. If a firm busy on terms of 2/10 net 30, it should pay as early as possible during the discount period.
26. Trade credit can be separated into two components: free trade credit, which is credit received after the
discount period ends, and costly trade credit, which is the cost of discounts not taken.
27. As a rule, managers should try to always use the free component of trade credit but should use the
costly component only if the cost of this credit is lower than the cost of credit from other sources.
28. If a firm’s suppliers stop offering discounts, then its use of trade credit is more likely to increase than
to decrease, other things held constant.
29. When deciding whether or not to take a trade discount, the cost of borrowing from a bank or other
source should be compared to the cost of trade credit to determine if the cash discount should be taken.
30. The calculated cost of trade credit can be reduced by paying late.
31. The calculated cost of trade credit for a firm that buys on terms of 2/10 net 30 is lower (other things
held constant) if the firm plans to pay in 40 days than in 30 days.
32. One of the effects of ceasing to take trade credit discounts is that the firm’s accounts payable will rise,
other things held constant.
33. “Stretching” accounts payable is a widely accepted, entirely ethical, and costless financing technique.
34. Accruals are “free” capital in the sense that no explicit interest must normally be paid on accrued
liabilities.
35. Accruals are “spontaneous,” but unfortunately, due to law and economic forces, firms have little
control over the level of these accounts.
36. The facts (1) that no explicit interest is paid on accruals and (2) that the firm can control the level of
these accounts at will makes them an attractive source of funding to meet working capital needs.
37. Short-term marketable securities are held for two separate and distinct purposes: (1) to provide
liquidity as a substitute for cash and (2) as a non-operating investment. Marketable securities held
while awaiting reinvestment are not available for liquidity purposes.
38. Short-term financing is riskier than long-term financing since, during periods of tight credit, the firm
may not be able to rollover (renew) its debt. This is especially true if the funds are used to finance
long-term assets rather than short-term assets.
39. One of the advantages of short-term debt financing is that firms can obtain short-term credit more
quickly than long-term credit.
40. Funds from short-term loans can generally be obtained faster than from long-term loans for two
reasons: (1) when lenders consider long-term loans they must make a more thorough evaluation of the
borrower’s financial health, and (2) long-term loan agreements are more complex.
41. An informal line of credit and a revolving credit agreement are similar except that the line of credit
creates a legal obligation for the bank and thus is a more reliable source of funds for the borrower.
42. The maturity of most bank loans is short term. Bank loans to businesses are frequently made as 90-day
notes which are often rolled over, or renewed, rather than repaid when they mature. However, if the
borrower’s financial situation deteriorates, then the bank may refuse to roll over the loan.
43. Loans from commercial banks generally appear on balance sheets as notes payable. A bank’s
importance is actually greater than it appears from the dollar amounts shown on balance sheets
because banks provide nonspontaneous funds to firms.
44. A promissory note is the document signed when a bank loan is executed, and it specifies financial
aspects of the loan.
45. A line of credit can be either a formal or an informal agreement between a borrower and a bank
regarding the maximum amount of credit the bank will extend to the borrower during some future
period, assuming the borrower maintains its financial strength.
46. If a firm has set up a revolving credit agreement with a bank, the risk to the firm of being unable to
obtain funds when needed is lower than if it had an informal line of credit.
47. Uncertainty about the exact lives of assets prevents precise maturity matching in an ex post (i.e., after
the fact) sense even though it is possible to match maturities on an ex ante (expected) basis.
48. The maturity matching, or “self-liquidating,” approach to financing involves obtaining the funds for
permanent current assets with a combination of long-term capital and short-term capital that varies
depending on the level of interest rates. When short-term rates are relatively high, short-term assets
will be financed with long-term debt to reduce costs.
49. A firm that follows an aggressive current asset financing approach uses primarily short-term credit and
thus is more exposed to an unexpected increase in interest rates than is a firm that uses long-term
capital and thus follows a conservative financing policy.
50. The relative profitability of a firm that employs an aggressive current asset financing policy will
improve if the yield curve changes from upward sloping to downward sloping.
51. The longer its customers normally hold inventory, the longer the credit period supplier firms normally
offer. Still, suppliers have some flexibility in the credit terms they offer. If a supplier lengthens the
credit period offered, this will shorten the customer’s cash conversion cycle but lengthen the supplier
firm’s own CCC.
52. The cash conversion cycle (CCC) combines three factors: The inventory conversion period, the
average collection period, and the payables deferral period, and its purpose is to show how long a firm
must finance its working capital. Other things held constant, the shorter the CCC, the more effective
the firm’s working capital management.
53. A firm’s peak borrowing needs will probably be overstated if it bases its monthly cash budget on the
assumption that both cash receipts and cash payments occur uniformly over the month but in reality
payments are concentrated at the beginning of each month.
54. A firm’s peak borrowing needs will probably be overstated if it bases its monthly cash budget on the
assumption that both cash receipts and cash payments occur uniformly over the month but in reality
receipts are concentrated at the beginning of each month.
55. The cash budget and the capital budget are handled separately, and although they are both important,
they are developed completely independently of one another.
56. Since depreciation is a non-cash charge, it neither appears on nor has any effect on the cash budget.
Thus, if the depreciation charge for the coming year doubled or halved, this would have no effect on
the cash budget.
57. Synchronization of cash flows is an important cash management technique, as proper synchronization
can reduce the required cash balance and increase a firm’s profitability.
58. On average, a firm collects checks totaling $250,000 per day. It takes the firm approximately 4 days
from the day the checks were mailed until they result in usable cash for the firm. Assume that (1) a
lockbox system could be employed which would reduce the cash conversion procedure to 2 1/2 days
and (2) the firm could invest any additional cash generated at 6% after taxes. The lockbox system
would be a good buy if it costs $25,000 annually.
59. Since receivables and payables both result from sales transactions, a firm with a high receivables–to–
sales ratio must also have a high payables-to-sales ratio.
60. Dimon Products’ sales are expected to be $5 million this year, with 90% on credit and 10% for cash.
Sales are expected to grow at a stable, steady rate of 10% annually in the future. Dimon’s accounts
receivable balance will remain constant at the current level, because the 10% cash sales can be used to
support the 10% growth rate, other things held constant.
61. For a zero-growth firm, it is possible to increase the percentage of sales that are made on credit and
still keep accounts receivable at their current level, provided the firm can shorten the length of its
collection period sufficiently.
62. A firm’s collection policy, i.e., the procedures it follows to collect accounts receivable, plays an
important role in keeping its average collection period short, although too strict a collection policy can
reduce profits due to lost sales.
63. Because money has time value, a cash sale is always more profitable than a credit sale.
64. If a firm sells on terms of 2/10 net 30 days, and its DSO is 28 days, then the fact that the 28-day DSO
is less than the 30-day credit period tells us that the credit department is functioning efficiently and
there are no past-due accounts.
65. If a firm switched from taking trade credit discounts to paying on the net due date, this might cost the
firm some money, but such a policy would probably have only a negligible effect on the income
statement and no effect whatever on the balance sheet.
66. If a profitable firm finds that it simply must “stretch” its accounts payable, then this suggests that it is
undercapitalized, i.e., that it needs more working capital to support its operations.
67. If one of your firm’s customers is “stretching” its accounts payable, this may be a nuisance but it does
not represent a real financial cost to your firm as long as the customer periodically pays off its entire
balance.
68. If the yield curve is upward sloping, then short-term debt will be cheaper than long-term debt. Thus, if
a firm’s CFO expects the yield curve to continue to have an upward slope, this would tend to cause the
current ratio to be relatively low, other things held constant.
69. The risk to the firm of borrowing using short-term credit is usually greater than if it used long-term
debt. Added risk stems from (1) the greater variability of interest costs on short-term than long-term
debt and (2) the fact that even if its long-term prospects are good, the firm’s lenders may not be willing
to renew short-term loans if the firm is temporarily unable to repay those loans.
70. Long-term loan agreements always contain provisions, or covenants, that constrain the firm’s future
actions. Short-term credit agreements are just as restrictive in order to protect the interest of the lender.
71. A firm constructing a new manufacturing plant and financing it with short-term loans, which are
scheduled to be converted to first mortgage bonds when the plant is completed, would want to separate
the construction loan from its current liabilities associated with working capital when calculating net
working capital.
72. A revolving credit agreement is a formal line of credit. The firm must generally pay a fee on the
unused balance of the committed funds to compensate the bank for the commitment to extend those
funds.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
73. Which of the following will cause an increase in net working capital, other things held constant?
a.
A cash dividend is declared and paid.
b.
Merchandise is sold at a profit, but the sale is on credit.
c.
Long-term bonds are retired with the proceeds of a preferred stock issue.
d.
Missing inventory is written off against retained earnings.
e.
Cash is used to buy marketable securities.
74. Firms generally choose to finance temporary current operating assets with short-term debt because
a.
short-term interest rates have traditionally been more stable than long-term interest rates.
b.
a firm that borrows heavily on a long-term basis is more apt to be unable to repay the debt
than a firm that borrows short term.
c.
the yield curve is normally downward sloping.
d.
short-term debt has a higher cost than equity capital.
e.
matching the maturities of assets and liabilities reduces risk under some circumstances,
and also because short-term debt is often less expensive than long-term capital.
75. Which of the following actions should Reece Windows take if it wants to reduce its cash conversion
cycle?
a.
Take steps to reduce the DSO.
b.
Start paying its bills sooner, which would reduce the average accounts payable but not
affect sales.
c.
Sell common stock to retire long-term bonds.
d.
Sell an issue of long-term bonds and use the proceeds to buy back some of its common
stock.
e.
Increase average inventory without increasing sales.
76. A lockbox plan is
a.
used to identify inventory safety stocks.
b.
used to slow down the collection of checks our firm writes.
c.
used to speed up the collection of checks received.
d.
used primarily by firms where currency is used frequently in transactions, such as fast
food restaurants, and less frequently by firms that receive payments as checks.
e.
used to protect cash, i.e., to keep it from being stolen.
77. A lockbox plan is most beneficial to firms that
a.
have widely dispersed manufacturing facilities.
b.
have a large marketable securities portfolio and cash to protect.
c.
receive payments in the form of currency, such as fast food restaurants, rather than in the
form of checks.
d.
have customers who operate in many different parts of the country.
e.
have suppliers who operate in many different parts of the country.
78. Which of the following is NOT commonly regarded as being a credit policy variable?
a.
Collection policy.
b.
Credit standards.
c.
Cash discounts.
d.
Payments deferral period.
e.
Credit period.
79. Summary balance sheet data for Greener Gardens Co. is shown below (in thousands of dollars). The
company is in a highly seasonal business, and the data show its assets and liabilities at peak and off–
peak seasons:
Peak
Off-Peak
$ 50
$ 30
0
20
40
20
100
50
500
500
$690
$620
$ 30
$ 10
50
0
300
300
310
310
$690
$620
From this data we may conclude that
a.
Greener Gardens’ current asset financing policy is relatively aggressive; that is, the
company finances some of its permanent assets with short-term discretionary debt.
b.
Greener Gardens follows a relatively conservative approach to current asset financing; that
is, some of its short-term needs are met by permanent capital.
c.
Without income statement data, we cannot determine the aggressiveness or conservatism
of the company’s current asset financing policy.
d.
Without cash flow data, we cannot determine the aggressiveness or conservatism of the
company’s current asset financing policy.
e.
Greener Gardens’ current asset financing policy calls for exactly matching asset and
liability maturities.
80. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.
Although short-term interest rates have historically averaged less than long-term rates, the
heavy use of short-term debt is considered to be an aggressive strategy because of the
inherent risks associated with using short-term financing.
b.
If a company follows a policy of “matching maturities,” this means that it matches its use
of common stock with its use of long-term debt as opposed to short-term debt.
c.
Net working capital is defined as current assets minus the sum of payables and accruals,
and any decrease in the current ratio automatically indicates that net working capital has
decreased.
d.
If a company follows a policy of “matching maturities,” this means that it matches its use
of short-term debt with its use of long-term debt.
e.
Net working capital is defined as current assets minus the sum of payables and accruals,
and any increase in the current ratio automatically indicates that net working capital has
increased.
81. Other things held constant, which of the following would tend to reduce the cash conversion cycle?
a.
Place larger orders for raw materials to take advantage of price breaks.
b.
Take all discounts that are offered.
c.
Continue to take all discounts that are offered and pay on the net date.
d.
Offer longer payment terms to customers.
e.
Carry a constant amount of receivables as sales decline.
82. Which of the following actions would be likely to shorten the cash conversion cycle?
a.
Change the credit terms offered to customers from 3/10 net 30 to 1/10 net 50.
b.
Begin to take discounts on inventory purchases; we buy on terms of 2/10 net 30.
c.
Adopt a new manufacturing process that saves some labor costs but slows down the
conversion of raw materials to finished goods from 10 days to 20 days.
d.
Change the credit terms offered to customers from 2/10 net 30 to 1/10 net 60.
e.
Adopt a new manufacturing process that speeds up the conversion of raw materials to
finished goods from 20 days to 10 days.
83. Which of the following is NOT directly reflected in the cash budget of a firm that is in the zero tax
bracket?
a.
Depreciation.
b.
Cumulative cash.
c.
Repurchases of common stock.
d.
Payment for plant construction.
e.
Payments lags.
84. Which of the following statements concerning the cash budget is CORRECT?
a.
Cash budgets do not include financial items such as interest and dividend payments.
b.
Cash budgets do not include cash inflows from long-term sources such as the issuance of
bonds.
c.
Changes that affect the DSO do not affect the cash budget.
d.
Capital budgeting decisions have no effect on the cash budget until projects go into
operation and start producing revenues.
e.
Depreciation expense is not explicitly included, but depreciation’s effects are reflected in
the estimated tax payments.
85. Which of the following items should a company report directly in its monthly cash budget?
a.
Cash proceeds from selling one of its divisions.
b.
Accrued interest on zero coupon bonds that it issued.
c.
New shares issued in a stock split.
d.
New shares issued in a stock dividend.
e.
Its monthly depreciation expense.
86. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.
The cash budget and the capital budget are developed separately, and although they are
both important to the firm, one does not affect the other.
b.
Since depreciation is a non-cash charge, it neither appears on nor has any effect on the
cash budget.
c.
The target cash balance should be set such that it need not be adjusted for seasonal
patterns and unanticipated fluctuations in receipts, although it should be changed to reflect
long-term changes in the firm’s operations.
d.
The typical cash budget reflects interest paid on loans as well as income from the
investment of surplus cash. These numbers, as well as other items on the cash budget, are
expected values; hence, actual results might vary from the budgeted amounts.
e.
Shorter-term cash budgets, in general, are used primarily for planning purposes, while
longer-term budgets are used for actual cash control.
87. Which of the following statements is most consistent with efficient inventory management? The firm
has a
a.
low incidence of production schedule disruptions.
b.
below average total assets turnover ratio.
c.
relatively high current ratio.
d.
relatively low DSO.
e.
below average inventory turnover ratio.
88. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.
In managing a firm’s accounts receivable, it is possible to increase credit sales per day yet
still keep accounts receivable fairly steady, provided the firm can shorten the length of its
collection period (its DSO) sufficiently.
b.
Because of the costs of granting credit, it is not possible for credit sales to be more
profitable than cash sales.
c.
Since receivables and payables both result from sales transactions, a firm with a high
receivables-to–sales ratio must also have a high payables-to-sales ratio.
d.
Other things held constant, if a firm can shorten its DSO, this will lead to a higher current
ratio.
e.
A firm that makes 90% of its sales on credit and 10% for cash is growing at a constant rate
of 10% annually. Such a firm will be able to keep its accounts receivable at the current
level, since the 10% cash sales can be used to finance the 10% growth rate.
89. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.
If a firm that sells on terms of net 30 changes its policy to 2/10 net 30, and if no change in
sales volume occurs, then the firm’s DSO will probably increase.
b.
If a firm sells on terms of 2/10 net 30, and its DSO is 30 days, then the firm probably has
some past-due accounts.
c.
If a firm sells on terms of net 60, and if its sales are highly seasonal, with a sharp peak in
December, then its DSO as it is typically calculated (with sales per day = Sales for past 12
months/365) would probably be lower in January than in July.
d.
If a firm changed the credit terms offered to its customers from 2/10 net 30 to 2/10 net 60,
then its sales should increase, and this should lead to an increase in sales per day, and that
should lead to a decrease in the DSO.
e.
Other things held constant, the higher a firm’s days sales outstanding (DSO), the better its
credit department.
90. Which of the following is NOT a situation that might lead a firm to increase its holdings of short-term
marketable securities?
a.
The firm is going from its peak sales season to its slack season, so its receivables and
inventories will experience a seasonal decline.
b.
The firm is going from its slack season to its peak sales season, so its receivables and
inventories will experience seasonal increases.
c.
The firm has just sold long-term securities and has not yet invested the proceeds in
operating assets.
d.
The firm just won a product liability suit one of its customers had brought against it.
e.
The firm must make a known future payment, such as paying for a new plant that is under
construction.
91. Which of the following statement completions is CORRECT? If the yield curve is upward sloping,
then the marketable securities held in a firm’s portfolio, assumed to be held for emergencies, should
a.
consist mainly of short-term securities because they pay higher rates.
b.
consist mainly of U.S. Treasury securities to minimize interest rate risk.
c.
consist mainly of short-term securities to minimize interest rate risk.
d.
be balanced between long- and short-term securities to minimize the adverse effects of
either an upward or a downward trend in interest rates.
e.
consist mainly of long-term securities because they pay higher rates.
92. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.
Commercial paper is a form of short-term financing that is primarily used by large, strong,
financially stable companies.
b.
Short-term debt is favored by firms because, while it is generally more expensive than
long-term debt, it exposes the borrowing firm to less risk than long-term debt.
c.
Commercial paper can be issued by virtually any firm so long as it is willing to pay the
going interest rate.
d.
Commercial paper is typically offered at a long-term maturity of at least five years.
e.
Trade credit is provided only to relatively large, strong firms.
93. Which of the following statements is NOT CORRECT?
a.
Accruals are “free” in the sense that no explicit interest is paid on these funds.
b.
A conservative approach to working capital management will result in most, if not all,
permanent current operating assets being financed with long-term capital.
c.
The risk to a firm that borrows with short-term credit is usually greater than if it borrowed
using long-term debt. This added risk stems from the greater variability of interest costs on
short-term debt and possible difficulties with rolling over short-term debt.
d.
Bank loans generally carry a higher interest rate than commercial paper.
e.
Commercial paper can be issued by virtually any firm so long as it is willing to pay the
going interest rate.
94. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.
Conservative firms generally use no short-term debt and thus have zero current liabilities.
b.
A short-term loan can usually be obtained more quickly than a long-term loan, but the cost
of short-term debt is normally higher than that of long-term debt.
c.
If a firm that can borrow from its bank at a 6% interest rate buys materials on terms of
2/10 net 30, and if it must pay by Day 30 or else be cut off, then we would expect to see
zero accounts payable on its balance sheet.
d.
If one of your firm’s customers is “stretching” its accounts payable, this may be a nuisance
but it will not have an adverse financial impact on your firm if the customer periodically
pays off its entire balance.
e.
Under normal conditions, a firm’s expected ROE would probably be higher if it financed
with short-term rather than with long-term debt, but using short-term debt would probably
increase the firm’s risk.
95. Which of the following statements is NOT CORRECT?
a.
Credit policy has an impact on working capital because it influences both sales and the
time before receivables are collected.
b.
The cash budget is useful to help estimate future financing needs, especially the need for
short-term working capital loans.
c.
If a firm wants to generate more cash flow from operations in the next month or two, it
could change its credit policy from 2/10 net 30 to net 60.
d.
Managing working capital is important because it influences financing decisions and the
firm’s profitability.
e.
A company may hold a relatively large amount of cash and marketable securities if it is
uncertain about its volume of sales, profits, and cash flows during the coming year.
96. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.
If cash inflows from collections occur in equal daily amounts but most payments must be
made on the 10th of each month, then a regular monthly cash budget will be misleading.
The problem can be corrected by using a daily cash budget.
b.
Sound working capital policy is designed to maximize the time between cash expenditures
on materials and the collection of cash on sales.
c.
If a firm wants to generate more cash flow from operations in the next month or two, it
could change its credit policy from 2/10 net 30 to net 60.
d.
If a firm sells on terms of net 90, and if its sales are highly seasonal, with 80% of its sales
in September, then its DSO as it is typically calculated (with sales per day = Sales for past
12 months/365) would probably be lower in October than in August.
e.
Depreciation is included in the estimate of cash flows (Cash flow = Net income =
Depreciation); hence depreciation is set forth on a separate line in the cash budget.
97. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.
A conservative financing policy is one where the firm finances part of its fixed assets with
short-term capital and all of its net working capital with short-term funds.
b.
If a company receives trade credit under terms of 2/10 net 30, this implies that the
company has 10 days of free trade credit.