Cash inflows
(noun)
Cash inflows are the movement of money into a business, project or financial product.
Examples of Cash inflows in the following topics:
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Day-to-Day Needs
- Operating cash flow refers to the daily cash inflows and outflows generated from business revenues earned, excluding certain costs.
- Business operations have daily cash inflows and outflows.
- Cash inflows come from cash sales of inventory, collection of credit sales, sales of other assets, and funds obtained through credit financing.
- Cash outflows occur due to cash payment of business expenses, purchase of assets, and payment on debt .
- "Cash and cash equivalents" on the balance sheet are the most liquid assets found on this statement.
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Alternate Sources of Funds
- The cash flow statement, which shows cash inflows and outflows for a specific reporting period and distinguishes between three types of activities that generate or use cash: operating, investing, and financing.
- Operating activities that generate cash flows are:
- Cash inflows from investing activities involve cash flows associated with non-current assets:
- Financing activities include the inflow of cash from investors, such as banks and shareholders.
- The cash flow statement shows cash inflows and outflows for a specific reporting period and distinguishes between three types of activities that generate or use cash: operating, investing, and financing.
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Revenues
- Revenue is cash inflows or other enhancements of assets derived by delivering or producing goods.
- Revenue is cash inflows or other enhancements of assets during a period from delivering or producing goods, rendering services or other activities that constitute an entity's ongoing major operations.
- A company's performance is measured to the extent to which its asset inflows (revenues) compare with its asset outflows (expenses).
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HR Metrics
- Another measure is payback period, "The payback period of an investment is the period of time required for the cumulative cash inflows (net cash flows) from a project to equal the initial cash outlay (net investment)" (Moyer, McGuigan, & Kretlow, 2006).
- The payback period is measured by the net investment divided by the annual cash inflows as a result of that investment; this measure will give a company an idea of how long it takes the project to earn by its cost.
- The final measure for financial metrics of HR is a net present value, "The net present value of a capital expenditure project is defined as the present value of the stream of net (operating) cash flows from the projects minus the project's net investment" (Moyer, McGuigan, & Kretlow, 2006).
- This is done by taking the present value of all future expected cash flows from the HR change and subtracting it from the cost of the project.
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Direct and Indirect Measurement
- When it comes to financial reporting activities, the statement of cash flows is a useful tool when it comes to understanding a business's liquidity and available short-term cash and cash equivalent assets.
- Understanding cash flows is useful because it
- As the name implies, the direct method of reporting cash flows identifies clear circumstances of cash inflow or outflow.
- It is a simpler, more straight forward approach to cash flows, where each line item is a tangible form of cash credit or debit.
- The resulting balance is considered the net increase or decrease in overall cash and cash equivalents.
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Sample Income Statement
- Income statements should help investors and creditors determine the past financial performance of the enterprise, predict future performance, and assess the capability of generating future cash flows through income and expense reports.
- Revenue: Cash inflows or other enhancements of an entity's assets during periods of delivering or producing goods, rendering services, or other activities constituting the ongoing major operations.
- Expenses: Cash outflows, consumption of assets, or incurrence of liabilities during a period from delivering or producing goods, rendering services, or carrying out other activities constituting the entity's ongoing major operations.
- These are reported separately so that stakeholders can better predict future cash flows: irregular items probably won't recur.
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Cash flow forecasts
- This is why cash flow forecasts are prepared.
- If the cash flow forecast shows, for example, that you are in a deficit position two months out, you will have time to raise the necessary cash you need and avoid a sudden cash crisis.
- Unlike the income statement, a cash flow statement deals only with actual cash transactions.
- Depreciation, a non-cash transaction, does not appear on a cash flow statement.
- Cash is generated primarily by sales.
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Importing
- Imports are the inflow of goods and services into a country's market for consumption.
- Imports are the inflow of goods and services into a country's market for consumption.
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Non-Bank Financial Institutions
- Understand, however, check-cashing stores charge you for that convenience.
- Many check-cashing stores charge a fee of $4 for every $100 on a payroll check.
- That means if you have a $700 payroll check, you're paying $28 just to cash it.
- Many check-cashing stores also make payday loans.
- A payday loan is a small, high-interest, short-term cash loan.
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The Imperative of Liquidity
- To accurately frame the discussion of cash flows, an understanding of liquidity is integral.
- Having cash on hand is a seemingly simple concept.
- When considering cash flow, it is important to understand liquidity risk.
- Conversely, having cash sitting without investment also incurs an opportunity cost.
- Inflation generally devalues any cash asset, and investing capital into money markets can generate interest.