Nguyen Tan Binh
1
Fulbright Economics Teaching Program
2005-2006
Principles of accounting Lecture 4
7/17/2006 Nguyễn Tấn Bình 1
Principles of Accounting
Fulbright Economics Teaching Program
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Academic Year: 2005-2006
7/17/2006 Nguyễn Tấn Bình 2
Lecture Notes 4
Statement of 
Cash Flows
Nguyen Tan Binh
2
Fulbright Economics Teaching Program
2005-2006
Principles of accounting Lecture 4
7/17/2006 Nguyễn Tấn Bình 3
The main objective of 
the statement of cash flows
• Shows the relationship between the Net 
Income and Net Cash Flow
• Explains how cash is generated and used
during a business period
• Evaluates the ability to pay debt in time
• This information is very useful to decision 
makers (managers, lenders, shareholders…) 
in forecasting the future cash flows
7/17/2006 Nguyễn Tấn Bình 4
The necessity of 
the statement of cash flows 
Additionally provides a lot of important information 
that the balance sheet and the income statement 
cannot to provide: 
• The balance sheet only reflects the values and the 
sources of assets at a certain date (a point of time)
9 How to know how much the firm has disbursed for 
purchases (or collected from liquidations) of fixed 
assets during a business period?
9 How to know how much the firm has borrowed (or 
paid back) during a business period?
Nguyen Tan Binh
3
Fulbright Economics Teaching Program
2005-2006
Principles of accounting Lecture 4
7/17/2006 Nguyễn Tấn Bình 5
The necessity of 
the statement of cash flows
Additionally provides a lot of important information that the 
balance sheet and the income statement fail to provide
: 
• The income statement is made on the accrual, not 
the cash, basis of accounting
9 Why does a firm show profit but have no cash, and vice 
versa?
9 How to explain changes (increases or decreases) in cash 
balance from the beginning to the end of the business 
period? 
7/17/2006 Nguyễn Tấn Bình 6
What is called “cash” in the 
statement of cash flows
• Cash, bank deposits, floats, and cash 
equivalent securities
• Cash equivalent securities include
– Marketable securities with high liquidity
– Easy to be transferred into cash
Nguyen Tan Binh
4
Fulbright Economics Teaching Program
2005-2006
Principles of accounting Lecture 4
7/17/2006 Nguyễn Tấn Bình 7
Classification of cash flows
A firm of any form or any size has 3 types of 
activities:
1. Operating
2. Investing
3. Financing
The statement of cash flows reflects three 
cash flows from the three above activities
7/17/2006 Nguyễn Tấn Bình 8
Cash flow from operating
• Disbursement flows into and receipt flows from 
the main operating activity of the firm
• There are two methods to calculate the cash flow 
from operating activity:
–Direct method
–Indirect method
Nguyen Tan Binh
5
Fulbright Economics Teaching Program
2005-2006
Principles of accounting Lecture 4
7/17/2006 Nguyễn Tấn Bình 9
Cash flow from operating
Receipt flows (inflows) include:
– Collections from customers
– Interest receipt, receipt from other 
operations
– Dividend receipt (from 
investments in other companies)
7/17/2006 Nguyễn Tấn Bình 10
Cash flow from operating
Disbursement flows (outflows) include
– Payment to suppliers
– Interest, tax payments
– Salary payment
– Payment to other operations 
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Nguyen Tan Binh
6
Fulbright Economics Teaching Program
2005-2006
Principles of accounting Lecture 4
7/17/2006 Nguyễn Tấn Bình 11
Cash flows from investing and 
financing
• Only one method to prepare 
cash flows from investing and 
financing: the direct method
•Shows the actual 
disbursement and receipt 
flows 
7/17/2006 Nguyễn Tấn Bình 12
Cash flow from investing 
• Disbursement and receipt 
flows for purchases and 
sales of fixed assets, 
investments, and investment 
recovery
Nguyen Tan Binh
7
Fulbright Economics Teaching Program
2005-2006
Principles of accounting Lecture 4
7/17/2006 Nguyễn Tấn Bình 13
Cash flow from investing
• Receipt flows (inflows) include
– Liquidations of fixed assets
– Sales of marketable 
securities 
– Recovery of investment or 
lending
7/17/2006 Nguyễn Tấn Bình 14
• Disbursement flows (outflows) include
– Purchases of fixed assets
– Purchases of marketable 
securities
– Lending or capital 
contribution to other 
companies
Cash flow from investing
Nguyen Tan Binh
8
Fulbright Economics Teaching Program
2005-2006
Principles of accounting Lecture 4
7/17/2006 Nguyễn Tấn Bình 15
• Disbursement flows into and 
receipt flows from financing 
activity (capital mobilization) 
for the firm’s operations
• Funds raised from owners and 
lenders
Cash flow from financing
7/17/2006 Nguyễn Tấn Bình 16
• Receipt flows (inflows) include
– Stock issue
– Corporate bond issue
– Bank loans
Cash flow from financing
Nguyen Tan Binh
9
Fulbright Economics Teaching Program
2005-2006
Principles of accounting Lecture 4
7/17/2006 Nguyễn Tấn Bình 17
• Disbursement flows (outflows) include
– Repurchases of stock (treasury 
stock)
– Recall or payment of corporate 
bond
– Debt payment
– Dividend payment
Cash flow from financing
7/17/2006 Nguyễn Tấn Bình 18
Non-cash investing and financing 
activities
Example: 
– Debt-equity conversion
– Purchases and sales of fixed assets on 
credit
• These activities do not generate cash flows, hence, 
are not shown on the statement of cash flows
• However, the endnotes to the statement of cash 
flows or a separate statement is prepared to explain 
their changes on the balance sheet