2. 2
What is Finance?
At the macro level, finance is the study of financial
institutions and financial markets and how they
operate within the financial system in both the
domestic economy and global economies.
At the micro level, finance is the study of financial
planning, asset management, and fund raising for
businesses and financial institutions.
Financial management can be described in brief using
the following balance sheet.
3. 3
What is Finance?
ABC Company
Balance Sheet
As of December 31, 2003
Assets: Liabilities & Equity:
Current Assets Current Liabi l i ties
Cash & M.S. Accounts payable
Accounts receivable Notes Payable
Inventory Total Current Liabilities
Total Current Assets Long-Term Liabilities
Fixed Assets: Total Liabi l i ties
Gross f ixed assets Equity:
Less: Accumulated dep. Common Stock
Goodw ill Paid-in-capital
Other long-term assets Retained Earnings
Total Fixed Assets Total Equity
Total Assets Total Liabilities & Equity
Working
Capital
Working
Capital
Investment
Decisions
Financing
Decisions
Macro Finance
4. 4
What is Finance?
A well-developed financial system is a hallmark and
essential characteristic of any modern developed
nation.
Financial markets, financial intermediaries, and
financial management are the important components.
Financial markets and financial intermediaries facilitate
the flow of funds from borrowers to savers.
Financial management involves the efficient use of
financial resources in the production of goods.
5. Areas of Specialization in Finance
5
Financial Markets
• Markets of users and savers of funds.
Financial Services
• Design and delivery of financial advice and
products to individuals, businesses,
government.
Managerial Finance
• Financial management of business firms.
6. 6
Areas of Employment in Finance
Financial Analyst
Capital budgeting analyst/manager
Project finance manager
Cash manager
Credit analyst/manager
Pension fund manager
7. 7
Basic Forms of Business
Organization
Sole Proprietorship
• Owned by one person, operated for personal profit.
Partnerships
• Owned by two or more people, operated for joint
profit.
Corporations
• “Legal entity”, owned by individuals, operated for
joint profit.
8. 8
Sole Proprietorship
STRENGTHS:
Low organizational cost
Income taxed once as
personal income
Independence
Secrecy
Ease of dissolution
WEAKNESSES:
Unlimited liability
Limited funding
Proprietor must be all
Difficult to develop staff
career opportunities
Lack of continuity on
death of proprietor
9. 9
Partnerships
STRENGTHS:
Improved funding
sources
Increased
managerial talent
Income split by
partnership contract,
taxed as personal
income
WEAKNESSES:
Unlimited liability to
all partners
Partnership
dissolved upon death
of partner
Difficult to liquidate
or transfer ownership
10. 10
Corporations
STRENGTHS:
Owners’ liability limited
Large capitalization
possible, greater funding
Ownership readily
transferable
Indefinite life
Professional
management
WEAKNESSES:
Higher tax rates
Expensive
organization
Greater government
regulation
When publicly traded,
lacks secrecy
12. Organization of Finance Functions
12
CFO – Chief Financial Officer
Treasurer responsibilities:
• Financial planning, fund raising, capital
expenditure decisions, cash and credit
management.
Controller responsibilities:
• Corporate accounting, cost accounting, and
tax management.
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Relationship to Economics
Fundamental Economic Principle:
Marginal Analysis
• Financial decisions should be made and
actions taken only when the added benefits
exceed the added costs.
14. 14
Relationship to Accounting
Cash Flows
• Accrual Basis: recognizes sales revenue and
expenses incurred to make sale at time of
sale.
• Cash Basis: recognizes revenues and
expenses as they occur.
15. Accounting vs. Financial Views
15
Accounting View
(Accrual Basis)
Income Statement
Peakes Quay, Inc.
For year ended 12/31
Financial View
(Cash Basis)
Cash Flow Statement
Peakes Quay, Inc.
For year ended 12/31
Sales revenue $100,000
Less: Costs 80,000
Net Profit $ 20,000
Cash inflow $ 0
Less: Cash outflow 80,000
Net cash flow ($80,000)
16. Financial Manager–Key Activities
16
Financial Analysis & Planning
Balance Sheet
Current
Assets
_______________
Fixed
Assets
Current
Liabilities
_______________
Long-Term Funds
(Debt & Equity)
Making
Investment
Decisions
Making
Financing
Decisions
17. Should Firms Maximize Profit?
Corporations commonly define profit as
“Earnings per Share” (EPS).
• A measure of total earnings divided by total
17
number of ownership shares.
EPS ignores critical factors of
• the timing of the returns.
• cash flows available to common shareholders.
• risk factors facing the firm.
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Or Should Firms Maximize
Shareholder Wealth?
Evaluating Shareholder Wealth addresses
factors of timing, cash flows and risk
ignored by the EPS.
Therefore, Maximizing Shareholder Wealth
is a more comprehensive goal for the firm,
its managers and employees.
This can be explored through “economic
valued added” and a focus on stakeholders.
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Economic Value Added – EVA®
EVA measures whether an investment
contributes to shareholder wealth.
EVA is calculated by subtracting cost of
funds used from after-tax operating
profits.
While popular, EVA is essentially derived
from the concept of “net present value.”
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What about Stakeholders?
Stakeholders include groups that have direct
economic links to the firm.
Stakeholders include not only owners, but also
employees, customers, suppliers, and
creditors.
Maintaining positive stakeholder relationships
helps maximize long-term benefits to
shareholders.
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Importance of Ethics
The standards of conduct or moral judgment:
Honesty, trustworthiness, fair dealing are
foundations of sustainable business relations:
• With customers,
• With suppliers,
• With creditors,
• With employees,
• With owners.
Ethical behaviour is necessary to achieve the
goal of maximizing shareholder wealth.
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Internal Ethical Review
Are rights of stakeholders being violated?
Does firm have extra duties to stakeholders?
Will a decision unfairly discriminate benefits
among stakeholders?
If stakeholders are harmed, should this be
remedied? How?
What is the relationship between shareholders
and stakeholders?
23. Financial Goals of a Company
23
Maximize sales.
Maximize cash
flow.
Maximize market
share.
Maximize profit.
Minimize costs.
Maximize return on
sales, investment,
equity.
Ensure earnings
stability.
Achieve target
goals for sales,
profits, market
share or return.
25. Management acts as an agent
for the owners (shareholders)
25
Role of Management
of the firm.
An agent is an individual authorized by
another person, called the principal, to
act in the latter’s behalf.
26. Jensen and Meckling developed
a theory of the firm based on
agency theory.
26
Agency Theory
Agency Theory is a branch of economics
relating to the behavior of principals and
their agents.
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Agency Issues:
The Principal-Agent Problem
Whenever ownership is independent of
management there exists potential problem of
conflicts.
The owner’s goals for the firm are best described
as maximizing shareholder wealth.
Managers are also concerned with personal
wealth, job security, lifestyle, and benefits.
These concerns may conflict with shareholder
interests.
28. Resolving the Agency Problem
Good corporate governance by the Board of
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Directors is the heart of any resolution.
Agency Costs – the costs of this governance:
• Monitoring costs,
• Bonding costs,
• Structuring compensation costs.
Market forces, such as the potential for hostile
takeover provide some deterrence.
Legal forces, fraud, and fiduciary misconduct
laws aim to act as deterrents as well.
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Current View on Incentive Plans
Executive compensation packages
generally include incentive plans that grant
stock options, performance based shares,
or cash bonuses upon meeting or
exceeding corporate goals.
Such packages may also include long-term
benefits that can protect the manager
against poor corporate performance.
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Corporate Governance
Corporate governance: represents the system by
which corporations are managed and controlled.
• Includes shareholders, board of directors, and senior
management.
Then shareholder wealth maximization remains the
appropriate goal in governing the firm.