Deck 18: Working Capital Management

Question 1

P.Noel's Inc.'s current ratio is 2.Current liabilities are $500,000.P.Noel's current assets equal ________ and net working capital is ________.

A)$500,000 and $1,000,000
B)$500,000 and $250,000
C)$1,000,000 and $500,000
D)$500,000 and $500,000

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following could offset the higher risk exposure a company would face if it s current ratio and net working capital were relatively low?

A)Its current assets would need to be highly liquid.
B)Its accounts receivable collection policy could increase the average collection period.
C)It could offer no discounts for early payment by its customers.
D)It could buy back some of its shares in the open market in order to reduce its equity.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

An increase in ________ would increase a firm's current ratio and net working capital.

A)notes payable
B)inventories
C)cash
D)both B and C

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Net working capital provides a very useful summary measure of a firm's short-term financing decisions.

Question 5

Solstice Corporation has current assets of $10 million and current liabilities of $8 million.Solstice's current ratio is ________ and its net working capital is ________.

A)1.25,$10 million
B)1.25,$2 million
C)2,$1.25 million
D).8, ($2 million)

Question 6

An increase in ________ would increase net working capital.

A)plant and equipment
B)accounts payable
C)accounts receivable
D)both B and C

Question 7

A company with a current ratio less than one or negative net working capital would not be able to pay its bills on time.

Question 8

Current assets include

A)all assets that have not been fully depreciated.
B)accounts payable,accounts receivable and short-term notes.
C)cash,accounts receivable and leased equipment.
D)cash,accounts receivable and inventory.

Question 9

In general,the greater a firm's reliance upon short-term debt or current liabilities,the lower the

A)liquidity.
B)flexibility.
C)certainty of interest costs.
D)both A and C.

Question 10

Which of the following policies will reduce a retailer's investment in working capital?

A)Using cash rather than trade credit for inventory purchases
B)Accepting major credit cards rather than offering store credit
C)Keeping unsold seasonal merchandise in storage so that it can be offered again the following year
D)All of the above

Question 11

Which of the following would be considered an issue that is related to the management of working capital?

A)How much inventory should the firm maintain?
B)How should a firm finance its current assets?
C)To whom should the firm grant trade credit?
D)All of the above

Question 12

Net working capital refers to which of the following?

A)Current assets
B)Current assets minus current liabilities
C)Current assets minus inventory
D)Current assets divided by current liabilities

Question 13

Working capital refers to investment in current assets,while net working capital is the difference between current assets and current liabilities.

Question 14

The ability of a firm to pay its bills on time is called

A)liquidity
B)insolvency.
C)capital adequacy.
D)float.

Question 15

Which of the following is most likely to occur if a firm overinvests in net working capital?

A)The firm's liquidity will be lower than it should be.
B)The current ratio will be lower than it should be.
C)The return on investment will be lower than it should be.
D)The interest coverage ratio will be lower than it should be.

Question 16

J.B.'s Wholesale Club has current assets of $12.25 million and current liabilities of $14 million.Which of the following is possible?

A)J.B.makes efficient use of its current assets.
B)J.B.may be at some risk of being unable to pay its bills.
C)J.B.appears to be overinvesting in current assets.
D)Either or both A and B may be true.

Question 17

Which of the following is most likely to occur if a firm under invests in net working capital?

A)The firm might not have sufficient cash to pay its bill in a timely manner.
B)The firm might not have adequate inventory to meet the needs of its customers.
C)The firm could be losing sales because its terms of sale are too strict.
D)All of the above.

Question 18

Within the context of working capital management,the risk-return trade-off involves an increased risk of unpaid bills versus increased profitability.

Question 19

A decrease in ________ would increase net working capital.

A)accounts payable
B)accounts receivable
C)cash
D)equipment

Question 20

Which of the following will reduce the liquidity of a firm? An increase in

A)short-term notes payable.
B)accounts payable.
C)current assets.
D)both A and B.

Question 21

Which of the following is most consistent with the self-liquidating debt principle in working capital management?

A)Fixed assets should be financed with short-term notes payable.
B)Inventory should be financed with preference shares.
C)Accounts receivable should be financed with short-term lines of credit.
D)Borrow on a floating rate basis to finance investments in permanent assets.

Question 22

With respect to working capital policy,firms most often employ

A)a cautious approach which finances short-term assets with long-term financing.
B)the principle of self-liquidating debt.
C)an aggressive approach which finances long-term assets with short-term financing.
D)the principle of liquidity optimisation.

Question 23

Which of the following is considered to be a spontaneous source of financing?

A)Operating leases
B)Accounts receivable
C)Inventory
D)Accounts payable

Question 24

Which of the following is a spontaneous source of financing?

A)Accrued wages
B)Preference shares
C)Trade credit
D)Both A and C

Question 25

What is the conventional method for financing permanent levels of accounts receivable and inventory?

A)Bonds and equity
B)Short-term loans
C)Accounts payable and accrued expenses
D)Equity only

Question 26

Which of the following is most likely to be a temporary source of financing?

A)Commercial paper
B)Preference shares
C)Long-term debt
D)All of the above

Question 27

A quite risky working capital management policy would have a high ratio of

A)short-term debt to bonds and equity.
B)short-term debt to total debt.
C)bonds to property,plant,and equipment.
D)short-term debt to equity.

Question 28

According to the self-liquidating debt principle,permanent assets should be financed with ________ liabilities.

A)permanent
B)spontaneous
C)current
D)fixed

Question 29

Accounts payable is considered a

A)spontaneous financing source.
B)temporary financing source.
C)permanent financing source.
D)both A and B.

Question 30

Current assets of NorthPole.com at the end of each quarter were: 1st quarter $1.3 million,2nd quarter $1.7 million,3rd quarter $1.5 million and 4th quarter $2.2 million.The best estimate for North Pole's permanent current assets is

A)$2.2 million.
B)$1.675 million.
C)$1.3 million.
D)$0.9 million.

Question 31

Commercial paper

A)rates are generally higher than rates on bank loans and comparable sources of short-term financing.
B)generally has a minimum compensating balance requirement.
C)offers the firm with very large credit needs a single source for all its short-term financing.
D)has all of the properties stated above.

Question 32

Which of the following is NOT a spontaneous source of financing?

A)Accrued salaries payable
B)Loans secured by accounts receivable
C)Accrued taxes payable
D)Accounts payable

Question 33

Disadvantages of using current liabilities as opposed to long-term debt include

A)greater risk of not being able to pay bills.
B)uncertainty of interest costs.
C)higher cash flow exposure.
D)both A and B.

Question 34

The principle of maturity matching suggests that

A)machinery with a 5-year economic life be financed with debt that will be paid off in five years or less.
B)seasonal peaks in inventory be financed with traded credit.
C)the minimum level of current assets required for the firm's year around operations be financed with permanent sources.
D)all of the above.

Question 35

Spontaneous sources of financing include

A)marketable securities.
B)accruals.
C)bonds.
D)commercial paper.

Question 36

The current ratio and net working capital are good predictors of a firm's ability to meet its short-term obligations.Do you agree or disagree? Provide your rationale.

Question 37

Which of the following is NOT considered a permanent source of financing?

A)Corporate bonds
B)Ordinary shares
C)Preference shares
D)Commercial paper

Question 38

A "pop-up" store wants to use vacated space at a shopping centre to sell seasonal merchandise during the months of October,November and December.The rent is $10,000 per month,but the centre's owners are requiring a payment of $100,000 on September 1.If the space is vacated in good condition at the end of December,the owners will return $70,000 to the lessees.How should the $100,000 be financed?

A)Space is a permanent asset and should be financed with equity or long-term debt.
B)Because the lessee may rent the same or similar space in future years,they should use long-term debt or equity.
C)The space is a temporary asset and should be financed with short-term loans.
D)The space is a temporary asset and should be financed with trade credit.

Question 39

The balance sheet for Peterson Manufacturing Company is presented below.
Peterson Mfg.Co.
Balance Sheet
December 31,1995
Cash $32,000 Current liabilities $72,000
Accounts receivable 40,000 Long-term liabilities 48,000
Inventories 48,000 Ordinary equity 120,000
Total current assets $120,000
Net fixed assets 120,000
Total $240,000 Total $240,000
During 2009,the firm earned $28,000 after taxes based on net sales of $480,000.
a.Calculate Peterson's current ratio and net working capital.
b.Assume that Peterson's uses $20,000 of its cash to reduce current liabilities.Recompute the current ratio and net working capital.
c.What effect,if any,does the change proposed in question b have on Peterson's liquidity?

Question 40

A toy manufacturer following the self-liquidating debt principle will generally finance seasonal inventory build-up prior to the holiday season with:

A)ordinary shares.
B)selling equipment.
C)trade credit.
D)preference shares.

Question 41

Increasing the use of short-term debt versus long-term debt financing will increase profit.

Question 42

Spontaneous sources of financing may be either short-term or long-term.

Question 43

Unlike spontaneous sources of financing,discretionary financing requires a managerial decision.

Question 44

Accrued wages are considered an unsecured,non-spontaneous source of financing.

Question 45

The primary sources of collateral for short-term secured loans are accounts receivable and inventory.

Question 46

Trade credit is a source of spontaneous financing.

Question 47

King Co.'s inventory turnover ratio is 12.Its inventory conversion period is

A)12 days.
B)30.4 days.
C)2.5 days.
D)There is not enough information.

Question 48

All else equal,which of the following is the most likely to occur if actual sales are much less than forecasted sales?

A)The company will be in a better position to pay down most of its debt.
B)The firm's actual investment in inventory will be unchanged from the amount forecasted.
C)Accounts receivable will rise significantly above the forecast.
D)The company might face a cash flow crunch.

Question 49

Within the context of working capital management,the risk-return trade-off involves an increased risk of illiquidity lversus increased profitability.

Question 50

Potential risks of using short-term bank loans for permanent assets include

A)higher costs.
B)a loss of flexibility.
C)inability to renew the loans on favourable terms.
D)falling interest rates.

Question 51

Trade credit appears on a company's balance sheet as accounts payable.

Question 52

If management expects interest rates to rise and credit to tighten in the near future,it should consider

A)increasing its use of commercial paper and loans secured by current assets.
B)decreasing the use of spontaneous financing.
C)decreasing the level of permanent financing.
D)increasing the level of permanent financing.

Question 53

The use of short-term debt provides flexibility in financing since the firm is only paying interest when it is actually using the borrowed funds.

Question 54

Summary data from the quarterly balance sheets of ACH Air Conditioners are shown below.
.
a.If ACH follows the self-liquidating debt principle,how much long-term debt will be used to finance current assets? Explain your answer briefly.
b.What would be the highest and lowest levels of temporary debt?

Question 55

L.Stevens Inc.uses permanent sources of financing to cover its peak level of current assets.When it does not need the money to finance inventories and accounts receivable,it invests the excess funds in short-term certificates of deposit.What are the advantages and disadvantages of this policy?

Question 56

Trade credit is an example of which of the following sources of financing?

A)Spontaneous
B)Temporary
C)Permanent
D)Both A and B

Question 57

Queen Co.'s balance in accounts receivable is $240,000.Annual credit sales are $2,880,000.Queen's average collection period is

A)12 days.
B)30.4 days.
C)2.5 days.
D)There is not enough information.

Question 58

Short-term debt is frequently less expensive because it provides the borrower more security.

Question 59

Prince Co.'s inventory turnover ratio is 30.4.Its inventory conversion period is

A)12 days.
B)30.4 days.
C)2.5 days.
D)There is not enough information.

Question 60

A firm can reduce net working capital by substituting long-term financing,such as bonds,with short-term financing,such as a one-year notes payable.

Question 61

As the inventory turnover ratio decreases,the inventory conversion cycle increases.

Question 62

Currier & Ive's Lithography has a Cost of Goods Sold of $60.8 million.The company's accounts payable balance is $7.5 million.Its accounts payable deferral period is

A)81 days.
B)45 days.
C)8.11 days.
D)48.7 days.

Question 63

Increasing the accounts payable deferral period also increases the cash conversion cycle.

Question 64

The operating cycle can never be longer than the cash conversion cycle.

Question 65

Which item would constitute poor collateral for an inventory loan?

A)Lumber
B)Vegetables
C)Copper
D)Chemicals

Question 66

Clark Corporation has an average collection period of 7 days,an inventory conversion period of 30 days,and a payables deferrable period of 60 days.What is Clark's operating cycle?

A)97 days
B)37 days
C)23 days
D)-23 days

Question 67

Abbot Corporation has an average collection period of 49 days,an inventory conversion period of 83 days,and a payables deferral period of 36 days.What is Abbott's cash conversion cycle?

A)96 days
B)70 days
C)85 days
D)132 days

Question 68

A firm buys on terms of 3/10,net 30.What is the cost of trade credit under these terms?

A)55.7%
B)47.4%
C)31.5%
D)23.2%

Question 69

The correct equation for calculating the cost of short-term credit is

A)rate = interest/(principal × time).
B)rate = (principal × time)/interest.
C)rate = principal/(time × interest).
D)rate = principal × interest × time.

Question 70

Frosty's Frozen Food Inc.'s inventory balance is $1.22 million.Frosty's Cost of Good's Sold is $30.4 million.Its inventory conversion period is

A)12 days.
B)24.92 days.
C)14.65 days.
D)299.2 days.

Question 71

Becker.com has an inventory turnover ratio of 52,an accounts receivable balance of $365,000,average daily credit sales of $36,500,accounts payable of $182,500 and cost of goods sold of $7,993,500.What is Becker's operating cycle to the nearest day?

A)17 days
B)61 days
C)27 days
D)-27 days

Question 72

It is not possible to have a negative cash conversion cycle.

Question 73

Cash Conversion Cycle = Operating Cycle - Accounts Payable Deferral Period.

Question 74

Which of the following statements regarding a line of credit is true?

A)The purpose for which the money is being borrowed must be stated by the borrower.
B)A line of credit agreement usually fixes the interest rate that will be applied to any extensions of credit.
C)A line of credit agreement is a legal commitment on the part of the bank to provide the stated credit.
D)Such agreements usually cover the borrower's fiscal year.

Question 75

Vites Equipment Company has increased its inventory turnover ratio from 12 to 18.By how many days has it reduced the operating cycle?

A)20 days
B)6 days
C)10 days
D)1.5 days

Question 76

Abbot Corporation has an average collection period of 49 days,an inventory conversion period of 83 days,and a payables deferrable period of 36 days.What is Abbott's operating cycle?

A)96 days
B)70 days
C)85 days
D)132 days

Question 77

Which of the following is an advantage of using commercial paper for short-term credit?

A)The interest rate is usually lower than for equivalent bank loans.
B)It is a readily available source of credit for most firms
C)It is a type of free credit.
D)It can be issued for very small amounts.

Question 78

Clark Corporation has an average collection period of 7 days,an inventory conversion period of 30 days,and a payables deferrable period of 60 days.What is Clark's cash conversion cycle?

A)97 days
B)37 days
C)23 days
D)-23 days

Question 79

A& B Global's annual credit sales are $18 million;the accounts receivable balance is $1.5 million;the cost of goods sold is $12.6 million;the inventory balance is $350,000,and the balance in accounts payable is $700,000.
a.Compute A&B's operating cycle.
b.Compute A&B's cash conversion cycle.

Question 80

Becker.com has an inventory turnover ratio of 52,an accounts receivable balance of $365,000,average daily credit sales of $36,500,accounts payable of $182,500 and cost of goods sold of $7,993,500.What is Becker's cash conversion cycle to the nearest day?

A)17 days
B)9 days
C)27 days
D)-27 days