[CANSLIM] Cash-Flow


From: Gene Ricci <genr@swbell.net>
Subject: [CANSLIM] Cash-Flow
Date: Sun, 19 May 2002 15:33:01 -0500

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I was reading Jan's note on cash-flow and got this about the same time.. =
from Schwab... what do you think?


      What is the Statement of Cash Flows?=20
    =20
    =20
      Think of cash as the lifeblood of every business. Without cash =
flow, no business can function-and without an accurate picture of cash =
flow, no investor can have a complete picture of a company.=20
      A company's statement of cash flows reflects how readily the =
business can pay its bills, and it provides important information about =
a company's sources and uses of cash. But measuring cash flow solely =
from a balance sheet or an income statement is difficult and potentially =
misleading. That's because not all revenue is received when a company =
earns it, and not all expenses are paid when incurred.=20

      The difference between an income statement and a statement of cash =
flows is roughly analogous to the difference between a credit card =
statement and a checkbook ledger. A credit card statement includes =
charges that haven't been paid off yet, while an updated checkbook =
ledger indicates where cash has been spent and whether there's enough to =
pay off debts like a credit card bill. Similarly, a company's expenses =
and revenues are recorded on an income statement, regardless of whether =
cash has changed hands yet. A statement of cash flows, on the other =
hand, traces where cash came from and where it was used.=20

      The statement also separates cash generated by the normal =
operations of a company from that gleaned through other investing and =
financing activities, as seen in the sample statement of cash flows of =
the hypothetical XYZ Corp.=20

            Statement of cash flows for XYZ Corp. for the year ending
            Dec. 31, 1999 (in millions)=20
          =20
            From operations  =20
            Net income  $30=20
            Plus depreciation  15=20
            Plus decrease in receivables (less increase)  (20)=20
            Less increase in inventories   (10) =20
            Plus increase in accounts payable (less decrease)   0 =20
            Net increase (decrease) in cash from operations  15 =20
            =20
            From investing   =20
            Less purchase of equipment   (150) =20
            =20
            From financing   =20
            Bonds issued   100 =20
            =20
            Net increase (decrease) in cash   (35) =20
            Cash at beginning of year   127 =20
            Cash at end of year   $92=20


      Cash flow from operations=20
      Cash flow from operations starts with net income (from the income =
statement) and adjusts out all of the non-cash items. Income and =
expenses on the income statement are recorded when a company earns =
revenue or incurs expenses, not necessarily when cash is received or =
paid. To figure out how much cash the company received or spent, net =
income is adjusted for any sales or expenditures made on credit and not =
yet paid with cash.=20

      Examples of these adjustments are shown above. XYZ had $20 million =
in sales to customers who had not paid the company as of the end of the =
year, so this increase in receivables is subtracted. XYZ also reported =
$15 million in depreciation expense (the portion of long-lasting assets, =
such as buildings, that is written off each year); depreciation is not a =
cash item, so it is added back. Finally, XYZ purchased $10 million of =
additional inventory that was not sold as of year end. Because the =
inventory was not sold, it is not considered an expense. But because =
cash was used in the purchase, the $10 million is subtracted from net =
income. Net cash received from XYZ's operations, after the above =
adjustments, was $15 million.=20

      Cash flow from investing=20
      Cash flow from investing includes cash received from or used for =
investing activities, such as buying stocks in other companies or =
purchasing additional property or equipment. XYZ Corp. had no cash =
receipts from investing in 1999 but spent $150 million to purchase =
equipment.=20

      Cash flow from financing=20
      Cash flow from financing activities includes cash received from =
borrowing money or issuing stock and cash spent to repay loans. XYZ =
Corp. received $100 million in cash from issuing bonds in 1999.=20

      Sizing up operating performance=20
      Of the three main sources of cash flow, analysts look to that from =
operations as the most important measure of performance. If operations =
alone don't generate positive cash flow, that may be cause for concern. =
In addition, a decrease in cash flow due to a sharp increase in =
inventory or receivables can signal that a company is having trouble =
selling products or collecting money from customers. However, analysts =
look at the relative amount of these changes-if accounts receivable have =
gone up by the same percentage as sales revenues, the increase may not =
be unusual.=20

      The point of cash flow analysis is to be certain that a company =
isn't tying up funds in assets that are not generating enough cash flow =
to meet obligations-so it's an important piece of the financial puzzle.=20
    =20

       Cash-Flow is a good item to check to see if earnings are at least =
equal=20
  to the money coming in.  However, to me it would seem that this test =
would=20
  only be valid for companies that needn't invest in a lot of R&D (eg. =
consumer=20
  and retail companies).

       Companies with a lot of R&D (which are a % of sales, and which =
are=20
  deducted from earnings as an expense and not added back in to arrive =
at=20
  Cash-Flow) would seem to be an exception to your hard and fast =
Cash-Flow rule=20
  (ie. Cash-Flow positive).=20

       Moreover, it would seem to me that companies which are investing =
in a=20
  lot of R&D would be the same companies which WON suggests are in the =
most=20
  dynamic and rewarding industries (eg. technology stocks or biomed =
stocks).

       I'll give you an example of a stock which has poor cash-flow, but =
has a=20
  very high R&D:  ENZN.  One of the reasons I'm looking at it is because =
of its=20
  sparkling earnings and sales (sequential, quarterly, and yearly).  Of =
course,=20
  the chart looks terrible, but its fundamentals (as far as I'm =
concerned) even=20
  with its poor cash-flow, does not eliminate it.

  jans


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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS">I was reading Jan's&nbsp;note on =
cash-flow and=20
got this about the same time.. from Schwab... what do you =
think?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS"></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>
<TABLE cellSpacing=3D0 cellPadding=3D0 width=3D435 border=3D0>
  <TBODY>
  <TR>
    <TD><FONT class=3DbodyFontBold face=3D"Arial, Helvetica" =
size=3D2><B>What is the=20
      Statement of Cash Flows?</B></FONT></TD></TR>
  <TR>
    <TD><FONT class=3DbodyFontSmall face=3D"Arial, Helvetica" =
size=3D1></FONT></TD></TR>
  <TR>
    <TD height=3D10></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- END article header B =
- --><!-- ARTICLE COPY --><!-- opening -->
<TABLE cellSpacing=3D0 cellPadding=3D0 width=3D435 border=3D0>
  <TBODY>
  <TR>
    <TD><FONT class=3DbodyFont face=3DARIAL,HELVETICA size=3D2>Think of =
cash as the=20
      lifeblood of every business. Without cash flow, no business can=20
      function=97and without an accurate picture of cash flow, no =
investor can=20
      have a complete picture of a company.=20
      <P>A company's statement of cash flows reflects how readily the =
business=20
      can pay its bills, and it provides important information about a =
company's=20
      sources and uses of cash. But measuring cash flow solely from a =
balance=20
      sheet or an income statement is difficult and potentially =
misleading.=20
      That's because not all revenue is received when a company earns =
it, and=20
      not all expenses are paid when incurred.=20
      <P>The difference between an income statement and a statement of =
cash=20
      flows is roughly analogous to the difference between a credit card =

      statement and a checkbook ledger. A credit card statement includes =
charges=20
      that haven't been paid off yet, while an updated checkbook ledger=20
      indicates where cash has been spent and whether there's enough to =
pay off=20
      debts like a credit card bill. Similarly, a company's expenses and =

      revenues are recorded on an income statement, regardless of =
whether cash=20
      has changed hands yet. A statement of cash flows, on the other =
hand,=20
      traces where cash came from and where it was used.=20
      <P>The statement also separates cash generated by the normal =
operations of=20
      a company from that gleaned through other investing and financing=20
      activities, as seen in the sample statement of cash flows of the=20
      hypothetical XYZ Corp.=20
      <P>
      <TABLE cellSpacing=3D1 width=3D"100%" border=3D1>
        <COLGROUP align=3Dleft width=3D"75%">
        <COLGROUP span=3D2 width=3D"5%">
        <COLGROUP span=3D3 width=3D"20%">
        <TBODY>
        <TR>
          <TH bgColor=3D#ffcc00 colSpan=3D3><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica =

            size=3D2>Statement of cash flows for XYZ Corp. for the year=20
            ending<BR>Dec. 31, 1999 (in millions)</FONT></TH></TR>
        <TR>
          <TH colSpan=3D3></TH></TR>
        <TR>
          <TH bgColor=3D#ffffcc><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica =
size=3D2>From=20
            operations</FONT></TH>
          <TD></TD>
          <TD></TD></TR>
        <TR>
          <TD><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica size=3D2>Net =
income</FONT></TD>
          <TD></TD>
          <TD align=3Dmiddle><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica =
size=3D2>$30</FONT></TD></TR>
        <TR>
          <TD><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica size=3D2>Plus =
depreciation</FONT></TD>
          <TD></TD>
          <TD align=3Dmiddle><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica =
size=3D2>15</FONT></TD></TR>
        <TR>
          <TD><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica size=3D2>Plus decrease in =
receivables=20
            (less increase)</FONT></TD>
          <TD></TD>
          <TD align=3Dmiddle><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica =
size=3D2>(20)</FONT></TD></TR>
        <TR>
          <TD><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica size=3D2>Less increase in=20
            inventories</FONT> </TD>
          <TD></TD>
          <TD align=3Dmiddle><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica size=3D2>(10)=20
</FONT></TD></TR>
        <TR>
          <TD><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica size=3D2>Plus increase in =
accounts=20
            payable (less decrease) </FONT></TD>
          <TD></TD>
          <TD align=3Dmiddle><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica =
size=3D2><U>0</U></FONT>=20
          </TD></TR>
        <TR>
          <TD><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica size=3D2>Net increase =
(decrease) in=20
            cash from operations</FONT></TD>
          <TD></TD>
          <TD align=3Dmiddle><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica =
size=3D2>15</FONT> </TD></TR>
        <TR>
          <TD></TD>
          <TD></TD>
          <TD></TD></TR>
        <TR>
          <TH bgColor=3D#ffffcc><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica =
size=3D2>From=20
            investing</FONT> </TH>
          <TD></TD>
          <TD></TD></TR>
        <TR>
          <TD><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica size=3D2>Less purchase of=20
            equipment</FONT> </TD>
          <TD></TD>
          <TD align=3Dmiddle><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica size=3D2>(150) =

        </FONT></TD></TR>
        <TR>
          <TD></TD>
          <TD></TD>
          <TD></TD></TR>
        <TR>
          <TH bgColor=3D#ffffcc><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica =
size=3D2>From=20
            financing</FONT> </TH>
          <TD></TD>
          <TD></TD></TR>
        <TR>
          <TD><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica size=3D2>Bonds issued</FONT> =
</TD>
          <TD></TD>
          <TD align=3Dmiddle><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica =
size=3D2>100</FONT> </TD></TR>
        <TR>
          <TD></TD>
          <TD></TD>
          <TD></TD></TR>
        <TR>
          <TD><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica size=3D2>Net increase =
(decrease) in=20
            cash</FONT> </TD>
          <TD></TD>
          <TD align=3Dmiddle><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica size=3D2>(35)=20
</FONT></TD></TR>
        <TR>
          <TD><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica size=3D2>Cash at beginning of =

            year</FONT> </TD>
          <TD></TD>
          <TD align=3Dmiddle><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica =
size=3D2><U>127</U></FONT>=20
          </TD></TR>
        <TR>
          <TD><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica size=3D2>Cash at end of =
year</FONT> </TD>
          <TD></TD>
          <TD align=3Dmiddle><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica=20
          size=3D2><U>$92</U></FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
      <P><FONT class=3DbodyFontBold face=3D"Arial, Helvetica" =
size=3D2>Cash flow from=20
      operations</FONT> <BR>Cash flow from operations starts with net =
income=20
      (from the income statement) and adjusts out all of the non-cash =
items.=20
      Income and expenses on the income statement are recorded when a =
company=20
      earns revenue or incurs expenses, not necessarily when cash is =
received or=20
      paid. To figure out how much cash the company received or spent, =
net=20
      income is adjusted for any sales or expenditures made on credit =
and not=20
      yet paid with cash.=20
      <P>Examples of these adjustments are shown above. XYZ had $20 =
million in=20
      sales to customers who had not paid the company as of the end of =
the year,=20
      so this increase in receivables is subtracted. XYZ also reported =
$15=20
      million in depreciation expense (the portion of long-lasting =
assets, such=20
      as buildings, that is written off each year); depreciation is not =
a cash=20
      item, so it is added back. Finally, XYZ purchased $10 million of=20
      additional inventory that was not sold as of year end. Because the =

      inventory was not sold, it is not considered an expense. But =
because cash=20
      was used in the purchase, the $10 million is subtracted from net =
income.=20
      Net cash received from XYZ's operations, after the above =
adjustments, was=20
      $15 million.=20
      <P><B class=3DbodyFontBold>Cash flow from investing</B> <BR>Cash =
flow from=20
      investing includes cash received from or used for investing =
activities,=20
      such as buying stocks in other companies or purchasing additional =
property=20
      or equipment. XYZ Corp. had no cash receipts from investing in =
1999 but=20
      spent $150 million to purchase equipment.=20
      <P><B class=3DbodyFontBold>Cash flow from financing</B> <BR>Cash =
flow from=20
      financing activities includes cash received from borrowing money =
or=20
      issuing stock and cash spent to repay loans. XYZ Corp. received =
$100=20
      million in cash from issuing bonds in 1999.=20
      <P><B class=3DbodyFontBold>Sizing up operating performance</B> =
<BR>Of the=20
      three main sources of cash flow, analysts look to that from =
operations as=20
      the most important measure of performance. If operations alone =
don't=20
      generate positive cash flow, that may be cause for concern. In =
addition, a=20
      decrease in cash flow due to a sharp increase in inventory or =
receivables=20
      can signal that a company is having trouble selling products or =
collecting=20
      money from customers. However, analysts look at the relative =
amount of=20
      these changes=97if accounts receivable have gone up by the same =
percentage=20
      as sales revenues, the increase may not be unusual.=20
      <P>The point of cash flow analysis is to be certain that a company =
isn't=20
      tying up funds in assets that are not generating enough cash flow =
to meet=20
      obligations=97so it's an important piece of the financial puzzle.=20
    </P></FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
  <DIV>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Cash-Flow is a good item to check to see =
if=20
  earnings are at least equal <BR>to the money coming in.&nbsp; However, =
to me=20
  it would seem that this test would <BR>only be valid for companies =
that=20
  needn't invest in a lot of R&amp;D (eg. consumer <BR>and retail=20
  companies).<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Companies with a lot of =
R&amp;D=20
  (which are a % of sales, and which are <BR>deducted from earnings as =
an=20
  expense and not added back in to arrive at <BR>Cash-Flow) would seem =
to be an=20
  exception to your hard and fast Cash-Flow rule <BR>(ie. Cash-Flow =
positive).=20
  <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Moreover, it would seem to me that =
companies=20
  which are investing in a <BR>lot of R&amp;D would be the same =
companies which=20
  WON suggests are in the most <BR>dynamic and rewarding industries (eg. =

  technology stocks or biomed stocks).<BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; =
I'll give=20
  you an example of a stock which has poor cash-flow, but has a <BR>very =
high=20
  R&amp;D:&nbsp; ENZN.&nbsp; One of the reasons I'm looking at it is =
because of=20
  its <BR>sparkling earnings and sales (sequential, quarterly, and=20
  yearly).&nbsp; Of course, <BR>the chart looks terrible, but its =
fundamentals=20
  (as far as I'm concerned) even <BR>with its poor cash-flow, does not =
eliminate=20
  it.<BR><BR>jans<BR><BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>

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