Cash Flow Statement
A Cash flow statement is a financial statement that shows the cash inflows and outflows of a business over a specific period of time, typically a month or a quarter. The statement provides information on a company's cash balance, as well as how and where cash is being generated or used. The statement is divided into three main sections: cash flow from operating activities, cash flow from investing activities, and cash flow from financing activities.
Cash flow from operating activities: This section shows the cash generated or used by a business from its core operations. This includes cash from sales, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and other operating expenses. For example, a retail store may have $100,000 in sales for the month, $80,000 in accounts receivable, and $60,000 in accounts payable. The cash flow from operating activities would be $20,000, which is calculated as sales of $100,000 minus accounts receivable of $80,000 and accounts payable of $60,000.
Cash flow from investing activities: This section shows the cash generated or used by a business from investing activities such as buying or selling property, equipment or investments. For example, a business may have invested $50,000 in a new piece of equipment, that would be reflected in this section as a negative cash flow of $50,000.
Cash flow from financing activities: This section shows the cash generated or used by a business from financing activities such as issuing or repaying debt, issuing or buying back stock. For example, if a business has issued $100,000 in new debt, that would be reflected in this section as a negative cash flow of $100,000.
A positive cash flow means that a business has more cash coming in than going out, which is generally considered a good sign of financial health, while a negative cash flow means that a business has more cash going out than coming in, which can be a cause for concern if it persists.
In summary, a cash flow statement is a financial statement that shows the cash inflows and outflows of a business over a specific period of time. It is divided into three main sections: cash flow from operating activities, cash flow from investing activities, and cash flow from financing activities. The statement provides information on a company's cash balance, as well as how and where cash is being generated or used. A positive cash flow is considered a good sign of financial health, while a negative cash flow can be a cause for concern if it persists.
Comments
Post a Comment