💰Intro to Finance Unit 1 – Financial Management Basics

Key Concepts and Terminology

• Financial management focuses on making decisions to maximize shareholder value
• Involves analyzing financial statements, assessing risk and return, and making investment and financing decisions
• Key terms include assets, liabilities, equity, cash flow, net present value (NPV), and cost of capital
• Financial managers must balance short-term and long-term goals while considering the company's overall strategy
• Liquidity refers to a company's ability to meet short-term obligations, while solvency relates to its long-term financial health
• Profitability measures a company's ability to generate profits relative to its revenue or assets
• Working capital management involves optimizing current assets and liabilities to ensure smooth operations

Financial Statements Overview

• The three main financial statements are the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement
• The balance sheet provides a snapshot of a company's assets, liabilities, and equity at a specific point in time
  • Assets include cash, inventory, and property, plant, and equipment (PP&E)
  • Liabilities consist of short-term and long-term debt, accounts payable, and accrued expenses
  • Equity represents the owners' stake in the company and includes retained earnings and common stock
• The income statement summarizes a company's revenues, expenses, and net income over a period of time
• The cash flow statement tracks the inflows and outflows of cash from operating, investing, and financing activities
• Financial ratios, such as the current ratio and debt-to-equity ratio, help analyze a company's financial health and performance

Time Value of Money

• The time value of money (TVM) is the concept that money available now is worth more than an identical sum in the future due to its potential to earn interest
• Present value (PV) is the current value of a future sum of money or stream of cash flows given a specified rate of return
  • The formula for present value is: $PV = \frac{FV}{(1+r)^n}$, where FV is the future value, r is the discount rate, and n is the number of periods
• Future value (FV) is the value of an asset or cash flow at a specified date in the future that is equivalent to a specified sum today
• The net present value (NPV) is the difference between the present value of cash inflows and the present value of cash outflows over a period of time
• The internal rate of return (IRR) is the discount rate that makes the net present value of all cash flows equal to zero

Risk and Return Basics

• Risk refers to the uncertainty of future returns, while return is the gain or loss on an investment
• The risk-return tradeoff states that the potential return rises with an increase in risk
• Systematic risk, or market risk, affects the entire market and cannot be diversified away
  • Examples include interest rate changes, inflation, and political events
• Unsystematic risk, or specific risk, is unique to a particular company or industry and can be reduced through diversification
• The Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) describes the relationship between systematic risk and expected return for assets
  • The formula for CAPM is: $E(R_i) = R_f + \beta_i(E(R_m) - R_f)$, where $E(R_i)$ is the expected return of the investment, $R_f$ is the risk-free rate, $\beta_i$ is the beta of the investment, and $E(R_m)$ is the expected return of the market
• Beta measures the volatility of a security or portfolio compared to the market as a whole

Capital Budgeting Techniques

• Capital budgeting is the process of evaluating and selecting long-term investments, such as new equipment or projects
• The payback period is the length of time required to recover the initial investment
  • While simple to calculate, it does not consider the time value of money or cash flows beyond the payback period
• The discounted payback period is similar to the payback period but takes into account the time value of money
• Net present value (NPV) is the difference between the present value of cash inflows and outflows
  • Projects with a positive NPV are considered acceptable investments
• The internal rate of return (IRR) is the discount rate that makes the NPV of all cash flows equal to zero
  • Projects with an IRR greater than the required rate of return are considered acceptable investments
• Profitability index (PI) measures the ratio of the present value of future cash flows to the initial investment
  • A PI greater than 1 indicates a profitable investment

Sources of Financing

• Companies can finance their operations and investments through various sources, including debt and equity
• Debt financing involves borrowing money that must be repaid with interest
  • Examples include bank loans, bonds, and lines of credit
  • Advantages of debt financing include tax deductibility of interest and lower cost compared to equity financing
  • Disadvantages include increased financial risk and the need for regular interest payments
• Equity financing involves raising funds by selling ownership stakes in the company
  • Examples include common stock, preferred stock, and venture capital
  • Advantages of equity financing include no required repayment and increased financial flexibility
  • Disadvantages include dilution of ownership and potentially higher costs compared to debt financing
• The optimal capital structure balances the costs and benefits of debt and equity to maximize shareholder value
• The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is the average rate a company expects to pay to finance its assets, considering the proportions of debt and equity in its capital structure

Financial Planning and Forecasting

• Financial planning involves setting financial goals, creating a budget, and developing strategies to achieve those goals
• Forecasting is the process of estimating future financial performance based on historical data and assumptions about the future
• Pro forma financial statements are projected financial statements based on assumptions about future performance
  • They include the pro forma income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement
• Sensitivity analysis examines how changes in key assumptions affect financial projections
• Scenario analysis considers the potential impact of different economic or market conditions on financial performance
• Financial planning and forecasting help managers make informed decisions, identify potential risks, and adjust strategies as needed

Practical Applications and Case Studies

• Evaluating the financial performance of a company using ratio analysis (e.g., Apple Inc.'s liquidity, profitability, and efficiency ratios)
• Applying the time value of money concepts to make investment decisions (e.g., deciding whether to invest in a new production facility based on its NPV and IRR)
• Analyzing the risk and return of a portfolio of stocks using the CAPM (e.g., constructing a diversified portfolio of S&P 500 stocks)
• Comparing capital budgeting techniques to select the best investment opportunity (e.g., choosing between two proposed projects based on their NPV, IRR, and payback period)
• Determining the optimal capital structure for a company considering its industry and growth stage (e.g., a startup tech company deciding between venture capital funding and a bank loan)
• Creating pro forma financial statements to assess the impact of a proposed merger or acquisition (e.g., forecasting the combined company's income statement and balance sheet post-merger)
• Conducting sensitivity and scenario analyses to evaluate the potential risks and rewards of a strategic decision (e.g., analyzing the impact of changes in market demand on a company's financial performance)