Financial Tools: Cash Flow and Financial Planning

Cash flow, the lifeblood of the firm, is a key determinant of the value of the firm. The financial manager must plan and manage the firm’s cash flow. The goal is to ensure the firm’s solvency and to generate positive cash flow for the firm’s owners. Both the magnitude and the risk of the cash flows generated on behalf of the owners determine the firm’s value. To carry out the responsibility to create value for owners, the financial manager uses tools such as cash budgets and pro forma financial statements as part of the process of generating positive cash flow. Good financial plans should result in large free cash flows. Clearly, the financial manager must deliberately and carefully plan and manage the firm’s cash flows to achieve the firm’s goal of maximizing share price.

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