Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In financial accounting and economics it is important to be in a position to determine replacement costs of assets. These costs are essential for application of inflation accounting , the calculation of Tobin's q ratio, as well as the calculation of the free cash flow (FCF) of a company. However, it proves to be a daunting challenge to calculate especially accurate replacement costs of a company's fixed assets, owing to the considerable effects that inflation, economic lifetime of fixed assets and procurement strategies have on the replacement cost, and consequently on the FCF of a firm . In determining the FCF of a company, it is essential to differentiate between the goals of a company to maintain fixed assets or to expand operations. This split is difficult to ascertain, as few companies in South Africa publish the split. In addition to this, it is important to distinguish between actual required replacement investment (RI) and that part of the RI that has conveniently been postponed. As a consequence, analysis of a company's financial statements to determine replacement costs and subsequent FCF is further complicated. In 2001 , Hall investigated the behaviour of the average age of fixed assets as calculated with the Cutler and Westwick (1973: 17) formula , by developing specific inflation adjustment models. Hall's (2001: 40) study provided insight into some of the factors that might influence the application of the Cutler and Westwick formula for the calculation of the average age of a firm 's fixed assets. This research report developed Hall's models further, and proved that the average age of fixed assets, as used in the determination of replacement cost of a company's fixed assets, could only be applied in zero inflation conditions. In positive inflation periods, the average age of fixed assets as per Cutler and Westwick's formula is understated, resulting in lower estimations of replacement costs. Consequently, the additional depreciation as determined for inflation accounting purposes is understated. In this research report, the models referred to above were developed further to determine the required maintenance (or RI) part of the investing decision relative to depreciation written off. This enabled the modelling of FCF for companies, assuming certain model restrictions, such as constant inflation, evenroll fixed asset replacement and similar economic lifetimes for all fixed assets. However, this only provides some insight into the trends of additional deprecation required for different situations, and cannot be used in practice as comparable practical situations do not exist. This study therefore concludes that the calculation of replacement cost for inflation accounting purposes proves to be a very complex problem. No simple or quick model currently exists for determining the replacement costs of fixed assets and subsequent FCF of a firm. It is recommended that, when determining the replacement costs of fixed assets, the detailed fixed asset register of the firm should be consulted in order to determine the unique asset investment and replacement strategies, as well as the split of the fixed assets in terms of different economic lifetimes. Once this information is available, unique models per company could be developed based on the applicable inflation rates. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In finansiële rekeningkunde en ekonomie is dit belangrik om die vervangingswaarde van bates te kan bereken. Hierdie waardes is essensieël vir die toepassing van inflasieboekhouding, die berekening van Tobin se q-verhouding, sowel as die berekening van die vrye kontantvloei (VKV) van 'n maatskappy. Dit blyk egter 'n moeilike taak te wees om veral akkurate vervangingswaardes vir 'n maatskappy se vaste bates te bereken, as gevolg van die groet invloed wat inflasie, die ekonomiese leeftyd van die vaste bates en aankoopstrategieë het op die vervangingswaarde, en gevolglik op die VKV van 'n maatskappy. In die bepaling van die VKV van 'n maatskappy, is dit noodsaaklik om te onderskei tussen die doelwitte van die maatskappy om vaste bates te onderhou of om werksaamhede uit te brei. Hierdie onderskeid is moeilik om te bepaal, aangesien min maatskappye in Suid-Afrika dit publiseer. Ook is dit belangrik om te onderskei tussen werklik benodigde vervangingsinvestering (VVI) en daardie gedeelte van die VVI wat gerieflikheidshalwe uitgestel is. Die ontleding van 'n maatskappy se finansiële state ten einde vervangingswaarde en die daaropvolgende VKV te bereken, word gevolglik verder gekompliseer. In 2001 het Hall die gedrag van die gemiddelde ouderdom van vaste bates ondersoek met behulp van die Cutler en Westwick (1973: 17) formule, deur spesifieke inflasie aangepaste modelle te ontwikkel. Hall (2001 : 40) se studie het insig gebied in sommige van die faktore wat die toepassing van die Cutler en Westwick formule vir die berekening van die gemiddelde ouderdom van 'n maatskappy se vaste bates kan beïnvloed. Hierdie navorsingsverslag ontwikkel Hall se modelle verder en bewys dat die gemiddelde ouderdom van vaste bates, soos gebruik in die beraming van die vervangingswaarde van 'n maatskappy se vaste bates, net toegepas kan word in toestande van nul inflasie. In periodes van positiewe inflasie word die gemiddelde ouderdom, soos bepaal deur die Cutler en Westwick formule, te laag opgegee, met 'n gevolglike laer skatting van vervangingswaarde. Dit lei daartoe dat die addisionele waardevermindering, soos bepaal vir inflasieboekhoudingsdoeleindes, te laag opgegee word. In hierdie navorsingsverslag word die modelle waarna hierbo verwys is verder ontwikkel ten einde die vereiste instandhoudings- (of VVI-) gedeelte van die investeringsbesluit relatief tot waardevermindering te bepaal. Dit maak dit moontlik om die VKV van maatskappye te modelleer, met sekere modelbeperkings wat veronderstel word, soos konstante inflasie, vaste batevervanging volgens 'n harmonies opgeboude masjienpark, en soortgelyke ekonomiese leeftye vir aile vaste bates. Dit bied egter net 'n mate van insig in die patrone van addisionele waardevermindering wat vir verskillende situasies benodig word en kan nie in die praktyk aangewend word nie, aangesien vergelykbare praktiese situasies nie bestaan nie. Hierdie studie kom dus tot die gevolgtrekking dat die berekening van vervangingskostes vir die toepassing van inflasieboekhouding 'n baie komplekse probleem is. Geen maklike of vinnige model bestaan tans vir die bepaling van die vervangingswaarde van vaste bates en die gevolglike VKV van 'n maatskappy nie. Daar word aanbeveel dat, wanneer die vervangingswaarde van vaste bates bereken word, die gedetailleerde vaste bateregister van die maatskappy geraadpleeg moet word ten einde die unieke investering- en vervangingstrategieë, sowel as die skeiding van die vaste bates op grand van verskillende ekonomiese leeftye, te kan bepaal. Sodra hierdie inligting beskikbaar is, kan unieke modelle vir die maatskappy ontwikkel word op grand van die toepaslike inflasiesyfers.

<p>This study examines the impact of working capital management on cash holdings of small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises in Sweden. The aim of this work is to theoretically derive significant factors related to working capital management which have an influence on the cash level of SMEs and test these in a large sample of Swedish manufacturing SMEs. The theoretical framework for this study consists of a treatise of motives for holding cash, working capital management and cash level. From these theoretical findings, two hypotheses are deduced:</p><p>• H1: Cash holdings are negatively related to the presence of cash substitutes</p><p>• H2: Cash holdings are positively related to working capital management efficiency</p><p>The quantitative investigation consists of the statistical analysis – namely comparison of means and correlation analysis – of key figures which are calculated from the financial statements of a large sample of firms. The dataset contains 13,287 Swedish manufacturing SMEs of the legal form ‘Aktiebolag’. Both hypotheses are confirmed by the results. Empirical evidence is presented which substantiates the supposition that the presence of cash substitutes – namely inventory and accounts receivable – entails lower cash holdings. Furthermore, it is confirmed that working capital management efficiency – measured by the cash conversion cycle – is positively related to cash level. The discussion of the empirical findings pays regard to the different subordinate components of both cash substitutes and working capital management efficiency. Implications of the detected findings are highlighted with respect to their potential utility for the achievement and maintenance of a firm’s target cash level.</p>

This study examines the impact of working capital management on cash holdings of small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises in Sweden. The aim of this work is to theoretically derive significant factors related to working capital management which have an influence on the cash level of SMEs and test these in a large sample of Swedish manufacturing SMEs. The theoretical framework for this study consists of a treatise of motives for holding cash, working capital management and cash level. From these theoretical findings, two hypotheses are deduced: • H1: Cash holdings are negatively related to the presence of cash substitutes • H2: Cash holdings are positively related to working capital management efficiency The quantitative investigation consists of the statistical analysis – namely comparison of means and correlation analysis – of key figures which are calculated from the financial statements of a large sample of firms. The dataset contains 13,287 Swedish manufacturing SMEs of the legal form ‘Aktiebolag’. Both hypotheses are confirmed by the results. Empirical evidence is presented which substantiates the supposition that the presence of cash substitutes – namely inventory and accounts receivable – entails lower cash holdings. Furthermore, it is confirmed that working capital management efficiency – measured by the cash conversion cycle – is positively related to cash level. The discussion of the empirical findings pays regard to the different subordinate components of both cash substitutes and working capital management efficiency. Implications of the detected findings are highlighted with respect to their potential utility for the achievement and maintenance of a firm’s target cash level.

No description available.

Using a panel data analysis of a sample of 80 listed non-financial Jordanian firms during the period from 2000 to 2011, we investigated the corporate cash-holding decision. The firm’s decision to hold cash has come to the fore in last two or three years as a result of the recent global financial crisis, and the impact that this has had on the firms’ ability to raise funds from external sources. There is evidence in the US, for example, that firms have increased their holdings of cash as a result of increasing constraints from external sources. This current study therefore examines this issue from the point of view of a developing economy. We started by investigating the empirical determinants of corporate cash holdings; the results showed that firm size and growth opportunities have no significant effect on corporate cash-holding decisions, while firm’s cash flow, leverage, and liquid assets substitute have a significant negative effect on cash-holding decisions, and profitability and cash dividends have a positive effect on cash-holding decisions. Then we investigated empirically how cash-holding affects the value of corporate firms. Based on Fama and French’s (1998) valuation model and Faulkender and Wang’s (2006) model, the results showed that the marginal value of each Jordanian Dinar (JD) is valued at a discounted value of 0.41 JD; with higher leverage the marginal value of cash is declining, with a higher level of cash the marginal value of cash is increasing and, finally, cash dividends have no significant effect on shareholders’ value. We also investigated empirically how a group of explanatory variables affect a firm’s debt ratio by focusing on the liquidity variable. Results showed that the total debt ratio is positively affected by firm size and is negatively affected by growth opportunities, profitability, assets tangibility and total liquidity, cash, and non-cash liquidity. The long-term debt ratio is positively affected by firm size, non-debt tax shield, asset tangibility, total liquidity, cash, and non-cash liquidity, while the long-term debt ratio is negatively affected by growth opportunities and profitability. For the short-term debt models, the debt ratio is negatively affected by firm size, asset tangibility, and liquidity in its different forms. An investigation into the speed of adjustment showed that Jordanian firms quickly adjusted the total and long-term debt ratio, while they do not have an optimal or target short-term debt ratio.

[Truncated thesis] This thesis investigates the relevance of Jensen’s (1986) free cash flow theory to the market for corporate control in Australia. Jensen posits that firms generating cash in excess of that required to fund positive NPV projects face greater agency problems as the free cash flow exacerbates the conflict of interest between shareholders and managers. One implication from Jensen’s free cash flow theory is that firms with high levels of free cash flow are more likely to initiate takeovers that are value-decreasing. There are two practical issues in testing Jensen’s theory; first, constructing an appropriate proxy for free cash flow and secondly, identifying firms with free cash flow. These issues are addressed directly in the first of the two essays that comprise this thesis. The first essay develops and assesses the merits of four operational measures for free cash. One of them is a stock measure while the others are flow measures. The stock measure is included because previous studies have mostly used the stock measure of cash when identifying firms rich in free cash (henceforth, cash rich firms), despite that Jensen (1986) has made explicit reference to free cash flow. We test the validity of this approach by investigating whether stock measures of free cash coincide with flow measures. Our results reveal that the stock and flow measures of free cash give rise to quite different lists of cash rich firms. This is an important empirical contribution of the thesis. Given the lack of definitive criteria for deciding which operational measure of free cash flow is most appropriate, we identify multiple sets of free cash flow firms based on the different operational measures developed. For each operational definition, two methods are used to identify cash rich firms. The first method defines a firm as cash rich if its cash variable ranks in the tenth percentile. The second method defines firms as cash rich if their cash variable value is greater than one and a half standard deviations of the value predicted by a model.

Diss. oec. Univ. Zürich, 2000. / Buchhandelsausg. der Diss. Zürich , 1999. Literaturverz.

Text in Afrikaans / Die primere doelstelling met hierdie studie was om 'n kritiese beskouing van die staat van kontantvloei-inligting (hierna genoem die staat) as element van finansiele verslagdoening te verskaf met die oog op die identifisering van moontlike leemtes, tekortkominge en nut wat die gebruikers van die staat ondervind. Die studie dui daarop dat alhoewel daar 'n aantal leemtes en tekortkominge in die huidige staat is, daar wei 'n behoefte aan die kant van die gebruiker na 'n staat van kontantvloei-inligting as deel van die finansiele state bestaan. Die waarde van sodanige staat is deurgaans in die literatuurstudie sowel as met die empiriese studie beklemtoon. Dit het ook in die studie na vore gekom dat die staat vir gebruikers van groot waarde is in die evaluering van solvensie en risiko in bepaalde ondernemings. Die gebruikswaarde van die staat maak dit dringend noodsaaklik dat daar onverwyld aandag aan die leemtes geskenk moet word. Verskeie aanbevelings vir 'n verbeterde staat van kontantvloei-inligting word dan ook in hierdie studie gemaak en dit sluit 'n moontlike model in. 'n Aantal aanbevelings rondom die praktiese aspekte van die gebruik van die staat word ook gemaak, omdat dit die potensiaal het om 'n onmisbare hulpmiddel vir die gebruiker te word. / The prime objective of this study was to take a critical look at the cash flow information statement (hereinafter named the statement) as an element of financial reporting. It was based on the experience of the users in view of identifying possible gaps, shortcomings and benefits. The study suggests that a definite need occurs from the users side for cash flow information as part of the financial statements. It was also evident from the study that the statement is a very important tool for the evaluation of solvency and risk. The usability of the statement necessitates that attention be given to the gaps. Several recommendations, including a possible model were made for an improvement in the statement. A number of recommendations were also made regarding practical aspects for the use of the statement, since it has the potential to be an indispensable tool for users. / Financial Accounting / M. Com. (Accounting)

The thesis describes the effects of physical cash pooling implementation in a multinational company. The aim is to establish a general methodological framework for evaluating the costs and benefits of physical cash concentration. The basis is a theoretical overview of the cash concentration, which includes the definition of the main concepts and the methodical procedure for the implementation of this liquidity management tool in the company. In the empirical part there is a concrete application of the methodical procedure, internal and external environment analysis, as well as discussion of the effects of cash pooling implementation. The final chapter sets out a general assessment framework for the costs and benefits of physical cash pooling.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-25T18:40:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ModelosAdministCaixa-final.pdf: 398880 bytes, checksum: d603d80b6b81b6b275d8aa7a9cdefe88 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-09-13 / nenhum / The cash consists in the more critical asset and most liquid to be managed by the company, in function of its relative unpredictably, of the costs incurred into its funding when of the existence of a cash deficit and of the opportunity cost of its investments how much a surplus of cash occurs (cash excess). As much the lack as the cash excess compromises the reach the main objective of the administration who is the maximization of the company s value for the shareholders. The main purpose of this study is to identify the application of cash management models presented in the theory of financial management by sugar and alcohol plants, hosted in the region of Sertãozinho in the State of São Paulo. First of all we study the theoretical aspects of the cash management and research of field through questionnaire sent to five companies later selected. We conclude that the companies do not use the cash management models existing in the theoretical field substantially by the ignorance and by the transaction cost disregard regarding the benefit generated by the interest income provided by financial market. Analyses of cost benefit are accomplished considering only the opportunity cost or interest income. We notice that the companies focus to work with cash balance near to zero using tools of purchase, production and sale budget for projection to long term and historical of lasts payments combined with information from areas of Accounts Payable and Collecting for short term projection. As they are large companies they use resources investment and funding agile bank products that favors a cash management satisfactory management, even without the models utilization mentioned by the theory / O caixa consiste no ativo mais líquido e mais crítico de ser administrado pela empresa, em função de sua relativa imprevisibilidade, dos custos incorridos na sua obtenção quando da existência de um déficit de caixa (falta de caixa) e dos custos de oportunidades decorrentes de sua aplicação quanto ocorre um superávit de caixa (excesso de caixa). Tanto a falta como o excesso de caixa compromete o alcance do objetivo principal da administração que é a maximização do valor da empresa para o acionista. O principal objetivo deste estudo é identificar a aplicação dos modelos de administração de caixa apresentados na teoria de administração financeira pelas usinas de açúcar e álcool sediadas na região de Sertãozinho no Estado de São Paulo. Inicialmente estudamos os aspectos teóricos da administração de caixa detalhados no capítulo de fundamentação teórica e posteriormente pesquisa de campo através de envio de questionário as cinco empresas selecionadas. Concluímos que as empresas não utilizam os modelos de administração de caixa existentes no campo teórico substancialmente pelo desconhecimento e pela desconsideração do custo de transação em relação ao beneficio gerado pelos rendimentos do mercado financeiro. Analises de custo beneficio são realizadas considerando somente o custo de oportunidade ou juros. Notamos que as empresas objetivam trabalhar com caixa próximo de zero utilizando ferramentas de orçamento de compras, produção e vendas para projeção de longo prazo e histórico de últimos pagamentos combinado com informações das áreas de Contas a Pagar e Cobrança para projeção a curto prazo. Como são empresas de grande porte utilizam ágeis produtos bancários de investimento e captação de recursos o que favorece uma satisfatória administração de caixa, mesmo sem a utilização dos modelos abordados pela teoria