Dump Course Packet Q's Pre-Midterm Flashcards
(92 cards)
What is a corporation?
A corporation is a legal entity that can enter into contracts.
Who owns a corporation?
Shareholders own the corporation.
Who runs the corporation?
Managers run the corporation as caretakers for the Shareholders.
Does the makeup of the shareholders affect the operation of the corporation?
The makeup of the shareholders can change without affecting the operation of the corporation.
What are most well-known companies?
Most companies that you have heard of are public corporations, meaning they have a wide shareholder base and their ownership claims (stock) trade on a public exchange.
What is the role of financial managers in corporations?
Caretakers of the shareholders’ money.
What decisions do financial managers make about projects?
Pick which projects to invest in.
How do financial managers decide how to fund projects?
How to pay for these projects (debt vs. equity) and what the overall mix of debt and equity should be for the firm.
What is another responsibility of financial managers?
Ensure that the firm has enough money to meet its obligations and invest in all profitable projects.
What are the 2 principal decisions in financial management?
- Investment or capital budgeting decisions (real assets): Pick which projects to invest in.
- Capital structure (Financing) decisions (financial assets): How to pay for these projects (debt vs. equity) and what the overall mix of debt and equity should be for the firm.
What questions arise in investment decisions?
In what should we invest? Should we expand, shrink, or diversify?
What questions arise in capital structure decisions?
How much cash should we raise? How should we raise cash? What types of financial claims should we have? How much cash should we return to investors?
Why is finance important?
Any time your company needs to spend money on something to help it make money in the future, you will need to use finance to determine whether it is worth it.
Why does someone in marketing need finance?
Decide whether an ad campaign is worth the cost. Determine the value of a brand.
Why does someone in IT need finance?
Decide whether your company should invest in new managerial software. Decide whether to invest in a new, faster server.
Why does someone in accounting need finance?
Investors and lenders will use the financial statements you put together to conduct financial analyses. Knowing how your numbers are used will make you a better accountant.
Why does someone in operations need finance?
Investment decisions are some of the most important decisions an operations manager makes. You need to use finance to evaluate investment decisions.
What information is contained in the balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows?
Investors and other stakeholders in the firm need regular financial information to help them monitor the firm’s progress. Accountants summarize this information in a balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows. The balance sheet provides a snapshot of the firm’s assets and liabilities. The assets consist of current assets that can be rapidly turned into cash and fixed assets such as plant and machinery. The liabilities consist of current liabilities that are due for payment within a year and long-term debts. The difference between the assets and the liabilities represents the amount of the shareholders’ equity.
Why use market values in place of book values?
Market Value of Equity (Market Capitalization) is Market Price per Share x Number of Shares Outstanding. It cannot be negative and often differs substantially from book value as valuable assets may not be on the balance sheet.
Why is accounting numbers important?
Accounting numbers are important in determining taxes.
Why is free cash flow important?
Market value of a firm equals the present value of expected free cash flow the firm will generate in the future. This is because free cash flow represents the amount of cash flow that can be paid to the firm’s owners (stockholders and creditors). The underlying objective of decision-making is to maximize shareholders’ wealth, so free cash flow is an important idea.
What is free cash flow?
Free cash flow is the amount of cash flow generated by a company’s operations net of investment in working capital and long-term assets.
What is the interest rate or required rate of return?
Interest rate or required rate of return is the return investors require in order for them to invest their money.
What determines an interest rate or required return?
Real rate of interest, Expected inflation, Risk.