Understanding the Corporate Annual Report: Nuts, Bolts, and Chapter 3

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Transcript Understanding the Corporate Annual Report: Nuts, Bolts, and Chapter 3

Understanding the Corporate Annual Report: Nuts, Bolts, and a Few Loose Screws

Chapter 3 Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Chapter 3 will cover:

• Statement of financial condition (balance sheet) • Statement of shareholders’ equity Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Statement of Financial Condition Shows:

• What a firm o

wns

(assets) • What a firm

owes

– to outsiders (liabilities) – to owners (shareholders’ equity) Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Statement of Financial Condition is:

Prepared at a specific point in time: • End of year • End of quarter Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

At all times. . .

The balance sheet must balance • Assets = Liabilities + Shareholders’ Equity Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Assets

Current assets include: • Cash • Cash equivalents • Other assets expected to be converted into cash within one year or one operating cycle, whichever is longer Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Operating Cycle

• Time required to purchase/manufacture goods, sell the goods, and collect the cash Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Cash

Cash is cash in any form: • Awaiting deposit • On deposit Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Cash Equivalents

• Short-term, highly liquid investments • Readily convertible into cash Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Marketable Securities

• Short-term investments • Earn a return on cash not needed immediately • Valuation depends upon the intent of investment Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Receivables (Accounts Receivable)

• Customer balances outstanding on credit sales • Carried at net realizable value Net realizable value: • Actual amount less allowance for estimated uncollectible accounts Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Allowance Account

• Important in assessing earnings quality • There should be a consistent relationship among the changes in sales, accounts receivable, & the allowance account

Caution flag

raised if sales & accounts receivable are increasing, but allowance account is decreasing Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Inventories

Are items that are: • Held for sale • Used in the manufacture of products Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

A Retail Company

• Has only one type of inventory • Merchandise inventories purchased for resale Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

A Manufacturing Company

Has three types of inventory: • Raw materials • Work in process • Finished goods Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Cost Flow Assumption for Inventory

Determines: • Value on balance sheet • Expense of cost of goods sold on income statement Is important for analysis Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Commonly Used Cost Flow Assumptions

• LIFO (last in, first out) • FIFO (first in, first out) • Average cost Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

LIFO

• Matches current costs with current revenue on income statement • Undervalues balance sheet inventory during inflation • Overvalues balance sheet inventory during deflation Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

FIFO

• Values balance sheet inventory close to current cost • Understates cost of goods sold during inflation • Overstates cost of goods sold during deflation Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

For Taxes & Reporting Purposes:

• Companies must use the same method if LIFO is chosen for tax purposes • Many companies have switched to LIFO during inflation to pay lower taxes (with higher cost of goods sold expense) Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Accounting Convention of Conservatism

If actual value falls below cost: • Inventory written down Inventory never written up in value Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Common Size Balance Sheet

• Expresses all items on balance sheet as percent of total assets • Useful in trend & structural analysis Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Deferred Income Taxes

Result from temporary differences in recognizing revenue & expense for: • Tax purposes (payments to I.R.S.) • Reporting purposes (preparation of financial statements) Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Examples of Temporary Differences

Accounting for: • Depreciation expense • Installment sales • Leases • Warranty & service contracts • Pensions & other employee benefits • Subsidiary investment earnings Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Permanent Differences

Do not affect deferred taxes Example: • Accounting for municipal bond revenue • Recognized as income for reporting but not tax Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Deferred Taxes

Can appear on balance sheet as: • Asset and/or liability • Current and/or noncurrent Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Property, Plant, & Equipment

• Tangible, long-lived assets • Also called fixed assets or capital assets • Produce benefit for more than one year Carrying value on balance sheet: • Cost less accumulated depreciation Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Land is an Exception

• Carried at cost; not depreciated • Assumed to have unlimited useful life Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Goodwill

• Results from one company acquiring another • Price paid more than fair market value of net identifiable assets (Identifiable assets less liabilities assumed) Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Carrying Value of Goodwill

• Company evaluates value • Decreased value requires write-off • Increased value is not recorded Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Liabilities

• Represent claims against assets Current liabilities: • Payment expected within one year (or one operating cycle, whichever is longer) Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Accounts Payable

• Short-term obligation • Arise from supplier credit Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Short-term Borrowings

Are promissory notes to: • Suppliers • Financial institutions Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Taxes Payable

Taxes expensed but not yet paid Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Dividends Payable

Dividends declared but not yet paid Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Long-term Borrowings

Obligations with maturities beyond one year: • Bonds • Long-term notes payable • Mortgages • Obligations under leases Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Long-term Borrowings

Continued: The current portion (amount due within one year) • Is included in current liabilities Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Postemployment Liabilities

Includes certain postemployment obligations For example: • Accrued amount for expected medical bills of retired employees & spouses Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Pension Accounting

Two types of plans: 1.

Defined benefit: employer specifies amount contributed Example: • 401 (k) Pension expense is amount contributed Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Pension Accounting

Continued: 2.

Defined benefit: specifies amount that will be paid to employees after retirement Pension expense is estimated based on assumptions Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Information About Defined Benefit Plans

• Is disclosed in notes • You may need several accounting courses to understand notes Or read this book Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Leases

Operating lease • Conventional rental agreement Capital lease • Treated as if it were a purchase of asset Requires recognition of asset & liability on balance sheet Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Hybrid Securities

Example: • Mandatorily redeemable preferred stock • Have characteristics of debt & equity • Carried between liabilities & equity on balance sheet Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Shareholders’ Equity or Stockholders’ Equity

• Ownership interests in company • Residual interest in assets that would remain after satisfying all of the liabilities Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Preferred Stock

• Usually carries fixed annual dividend • But no voting rights Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Common Stock

• Usually does not receive a fixed return (Dividends declared at discretion of company’s directors) • But has voting rights Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Common Stock

Continued: • Carried at par or stated value • Number of shares sold multiplied by par or stated value • Bears no relationship to market price Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Retained Earnings

• Sum of all company profits less any payments made to shareholders in cash or stock dividends • Are not piles of unused cash Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income or Loss

• Items “like” a revenue or expense but are not the same • “Unrealized gains & losses” • Not counted as part of earnings • Changes go to equity Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income or Loss Include:

• Unrealized gains/losses in marketable securities classified as available for sale • Specific type of pension liability adjustment • Gains & losses on derivative financial instruments • Foreign currency translation adjustments Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Treasury Stock

Company repurchases their own shares for: • Employee stock option & retirement plans • Building holdings for prospective mergers • Increasing earnings per share by reducing shares outstanding Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Treasury Stock

Continued: • Preventing takeovers by reducing shareholders • Investing excess cash Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Stock Options

• Increasingly popular form of employee compensation • Cost of options is not recognized as expense Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Stock Options

Continued: Options: Gives the holder right to purchase company shares at a stated price by a certain date If price rises, holder exercises options, makes a profit Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Stock Options

Continued: Difference between option price & market price: • Is deductible for tax purposes Information about stock options disclosed in notes Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Statement of Shareholders’ Equity

• One of four required financial statements • Shown for three-year period • Explains changes in all shareholders’ equity accounts Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Shareholders’ Equity Accounts Include:

• Common stock • Preferred stock • Additional paid in capital • Retained earnings • Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) • Treasury stock Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Caution Flags

• Reductions in allowance for doubtful accounts when accounts receivable & sales are increasing • Sales & receivables – Growing at different rates – Moving in opposite directions Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

More Caution Flags

• Categories of inventories moving in opposite directions • Sales & inventories – Growing at different rates – Moving in opposite directions Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Even More Caution Flags

• Excessive use of “other” for material, unexplained items • Write-down in value of goodwill • Borrowings growing faster than assets being financed • Debt rising when assets are decreasing Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Yet, More Caution Flags

• Financial statement notes obscure rather than enlighten • Understanding notes requires Ph.D. in accounting Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing

Final Caution Flags

• Substantial income from unpredictable/possibly unsustainable sources (e.g., pension plans) • Extensive use of stock options for employee compensation Fraser/Ormiston: Understanding the Corporate Annual Report (C) 2002 Prentice Hall Business Publishing