In: Finance
The following table tracks the main components of working capital over the life of a four-year project.
2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
Accounts receivable | 0 | 150,000 | 225,000 | 190,000 | 0 |
Inventory | 75,000 | 130,000 | 130,000 | 95,000 | 0 |
Accounts payable | 25,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 | 35,000 | 0 |
Calculate net working capital and the cash inflows and outflows due to investment in working capital. (Negative answers should be indicated by a minus sign.)
Net working capital is calculated as current assets less current liabilities. | ||||||
It reflects the net current assets available with business. | ||||||
Net working capital = Accounts receivable + Inventory - Accounts payable | ||||||
Calculation of net working capital is shown below | ||||||
2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | ||
Accounts receivable | $0 | $150,000 | $225,000 | $190,000 | $0 | |
Inventory | $75,000 | $130,000 | $130,000 | $95,000 | $0 | |
Accounts payable | $25,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | $35,000 | $0 | |
Net working capital | 0 | $50,000 | $230,000 | $305,000 | $250,000 | $0 |
Calculation of cash inflow and outflow due to investment in working capital is shown below | ||||||
2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | ||
Net working capital | $50,000 | $230,000 | $305,000 | $250,000 | $0 | |
Cash flow | -$50,000 | -$180,000 | -$75,000 | $55,000 | $250,000 | |
Cash flow = Net working capital of previous year - Net working capital of current year. | ||||||
Negative cash flow reflects cash outflow and positive cash flow reflects cash inflow. |