WCR is the
balance between the portion of current assets
and the portion of current liabilities which
are directly and exclusively associated with
the operating cycle
[purchasing
- wip storage - production - finished goods
storage - sales - collection]
It represents the funds necessary
to run the daily operations.
WCR increases
with the firm's sales even if :
same
inventory
turnover
same collection
period
same suppliers'
credit terms
A firm in a period of growth
should expect an increase of its WCR
As a consequence :
the induced investment should
be considered as an integral part of the firm's
CAPEX
program in any new production investment project
If :
WC
represents the funds available after we have
financed the long term assets, to work in
the operating cycle of the company
and if :
WCR
measure the funds necessary to finance this
operating cycle,
the Balance Sheet
can be viewed as a dialogue
between WC and WCR.
WC
says : how much I bring
to the operating cycle ?
answers : how much I
need for the operating cycle ?
The difference between WC &
WCR is the Net Cash Position (NCP).
NET
CASH POSITION = WC - WCR
Finally, the WCR
change with the seasonal activity of the business.
Sources :
Understanding
Financial Statements, 1999,
Marc Bertonèche, Ph. D. in Finance
from the Northwestern University, Professor
at the Bordeaux University and at Sciences-PO
Paris, Visiting Professor at Harvard Business
School and Oxford University.
Interpreting
and using Financial Statements, 1999,
Marc Bertonèche, Ph. D. in Finance
from the Northwestern University, Professor
at the Bordeaux University and at Sciences-PO
Paris, Visiting Professor at Harvard Business
School and Oxford University
Corporate
Finance Course, Bernard Jaquier, Professor
in Economics & Finance, Lausanne, Switzerland, 2024