CHAPTER 2
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND CASH FLOW

Answers to Concepts Review and Critical Thinking Questions

1. True. Every asset can be converted to cash at some price. However, when we are referring to a liquid asset, the added assumption that the asset can be quickly converted to cash at or near market value is important. 2. The recognition and matching principles in financial accounting call for revenues, and the costs associated with producing those revenues, to be “booked” when the revenue process is essentially complete, not necessarily when the cash is collected or bills are paid. Note that this way is not necessarily correct; it’s the way accountants have chosen to do it. 3. The bottom line number shows the change in the cash balance on the balance sheet. As such, it is not a useful number for analyzing a company. 4. The major difference is the treatment of interest expense. The accounting statement of cash flows treats interest as an operating cash flow, while the financial cash flows treat interest as a financing cash flow. The logic of the accounting statement of cash flows is that since interest appears on the income statement, which shows the operations for the period, it is an operating cash flow. In reality, interest is a financing expense, which results from the company’s choice of debt and equity. We will have more to say about this in a later chapter. When comparing the two cash flow statements, the financial statement of cash flows is a more appropriate measure of the company’s performance because of its treatment of interest. 5. Market values can never be negative. Imagine a share of stock selling for –$20. This would mean that if you placed an order for 100 shares, you would get the stock along with a check for $2,000. How many shares do you want to buy? More generally, because of corporate and individual