Free Cash Flow Statement

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BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY: Cash flow is an important aspect for a company as well as investors of the company. It indicates the company's ability to provide for various expenditure during the course of the business. The free cash flows theories were introduced in 1986 for the first time by Jensen and it gradually evolved. Free cash flow is one of the key indicators of the financial performance and profitability of a business entity. It provides a broader perspective for those who are interested in holding a stake in the business. An investor should pay close attention to the free cash flow, not ordinary cash flow, as cash flow alone does not really reflect what is available for the company's stakeholders. Smart investors love companies that…show more content…
Free cash flow is known as one of the criteria of examining performance and financial health of companies which was initially suggested by Jensen in 1986. FCF is a term that has received increasing attention in 1990s. As Jensen states (1986), free cash flow means is the excess of cash generated from its operations over capital expenditure , which are required for all projects of the entity which have positive net present value (NPV). Free cash flow can have useful and important applications for shareholders and managers of entities. The free cash flow theory suggested by Jensen states that more internal cash enables the managers to avoid market controlling. In this situation, they do not need the shareholders agreement and they are free to decide about the investments on their will. According to Richardson (2006), free cash flow is the net cash obtained from operating activities deduced from development costs; this cost is then added to R&D expenditures and finally investment expenditures in new projects is deducted from…show more content…
If a firm is increasing its cash flow steadily every year, it usually indicates that it is running its operations efficiently by reducing costs or expanding its market share. The high free cash also puts the company in a position to pay its debt and give generous dividends to its shareholders. It can also be used to buy other profitable businesses. The companies that are experiencing a steady decline in free cash flow could be going through a period of declining growth and facing liquidity problems. Without free cash, a company may be unable to pay off its debt and may even have to borrow more debt in order to finance its growth requirements. It will not be able to pay dividends, pursue opportunities for expansion through acquisitions or develop new products. Investors should also be aware that companies can influence their free cash flow by  Increasing the time taken to pay the bills to their creditors(thus preserving their cash),  Shortening the credit time given to debtors and to collect what's owed to them. (accelerating the receipt of cash)  Reducing the purchase inventory. (again, preserving
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