OPTIMIZATION MODELS FOR SHORT TERM INVESTMENTS

A cash management imperative is that idle excess balances represent an opportunity cost to the firm. To ignore investment possibilities, even for one day, is inconsistent with the objective of managing cash as an asset that must return value to the company. Our next logical focus is, therefore, on short-term investment strategies.

 

In most firms, the cash management staff is responsible for short-term investing. One reason for this is that the cash manager has ‘hands-on’ knowledge of the money market and its players. Besides, cash manager is equipped, and psychologically geared, to react to fast-breaking investment opportunities. He and his staff are used to thinking in terms of very short time frames, days and hours. In the investment world, that us when profits are made, and fortunes lost.

 

There are several outlets for short-term investments like inter corporate advances; inter corporate bills financing, stock market operations, treasury bills, commercial papers, etc. The return on such investments is different and depends on money market conditions, amounts to be invested, period of investment, and transaction cost. The risks associated with a certain investment determines its safely, marketability and, hence, its yield. For the most part, the cash manager is primarily concerned with preserving principal. Although he hopes for the best returns on short-term investments, he looks for instruments that are, above all, safe.

SIMULATION APPROACH

Still today we have discussed on cash management and credit analysis. Today we are going to discuss on Simulation Approach. Simulation analysis permits the financial manager to incorporate in his forecasting both likely value of ending cash balances (surplus/deficits) for each of the forecast periods (say, for each month over the next quarter) and the margin of error associated with this estimate. It involves the following steps: First, probability distributions for each of the major uncertain variables are developed. The variables would generally include sales, selling price, proportion of cash and credit sales, collection rates, production costs, and capital expenditures. Some of these variables have the greatest influence upon cash balances.

 

Clearly, more time and effort should be spent in obtaining probability distribution of these variables. Second, values are drawn at random for the variables from their respective probability distributions and using these values each balances are estimated. Third, the process is repeated several times (say, 1000times). Needless to say, such tedious and cumbersome computations are done on computer.

 

In practice, the array of possible hedging strategies is quite a bit more complicated. One is required to consider various alternatives and the associated costs and risks in hedging strategies.

Collection Rate Uncertainty

The firm is also faced with collection rate uncertainty. The firm may historically have collected an average of a certain per cent of its outstanding receivables from a particular period in another particular period, but this average contains considerable variability. Further, changing market and economic conditions may make extrapolation of past historic data into future periods a futile exercise.  

 

There is still another source of uncertainty – production cost uncertainty. The price of materials may change; production problems may arise that lead to increased labor costs; and errors in the sales estimates themselves would necessarily lead to forecasting errors in purchases – hence the volume of payables.  

 

Capital outflow uncertainty is one of the biggest sources of surprises in cash flow forecasting. This is the uncertainty regarding the timing of cash disbursement related to the firm’s major capital expenditure and constructions programmes. For instance, construction firms are notorious for filing late progress reports and then expecting immediate payment. While only a small per cent of the firm’s total bills are from capital construction programmes, the amounts involved are usually very large. One unexpected item of this sort can impair a carefully drawn cash flow forecast.  

 

An efficient way to deal with above uncertainties is to apply simulation analysis of the cash forecast. We will now briefly outline this method.

Source of Uncertainty in Cash Forecasting

Accurate cash flow forecasting hinges on the forecaster’s ability to reduce the amount if observed error between forecast values and actual values that have occurred. Given the short-run nature of the cash forecast, with most things occurring in the near future, one would tent to think that most financial transaction could be forecast very accurately. This is far from true.

 

In practice few firms, if any are able to forecast their inflows and outflows accurately. Sales forecasts are notoriously unreliable, for actual sales depend in part upon factors that lie outside the control of the firm. Changes in the marketing of competitive products, as well as changes in general economic conditions, can lead to large forecasting errors.

 

We may further note that any errors in sales forecasts have multiple impacts on the firm’s cash flows; they impact on receivable levels (and therefore collections) and also on production expenses (and therefore disbursements).

 

Issues and Approaches to Forecasting -3

We are talking Issues and Approaches to Forecasting. An useful forecasting method is to analyze the historical payment patterns to determine the proportion of credit sales that are collected at various times after the date of sale, and then to use this information (along with the estimates of future sales) to project future receipts. We may, however, adopt a better and a more sophisticated approach.

 

In this, all collection rates are estimated simultaneously by regressing past sales figures against past collections. The estimated coefficients of the sales figures in the regression can be interpreted as the collection proportions, and the standard errors of the estimated regression coefficient as the uncertainty inherent in the estimation of these collection proportions.

 

In a situation where the firm is in multiple business lines, the use of overall payment patterns to forecast receipts will be accurate only when the proportions of total sales made in each business lines are constant. This is an unlikely situation, particularly since the different lines usually have different seasonal variations. In such a multiple situation, the most accurate forecasting result is achieved by forecasting receipts for the different units of the firm individually based on their own receipt patterns, then summing these receipts forecasts to obtain total cash receipts for the firm.

 

Issues and Approaches to Forecasting -2

We are talking Issues and Approaches to Forecasting from last two posts. There are four techniques for forecasting financial variables. Diret Method, Proportion of another Account, Compounded Growth, Multiple Dependencies. We talk on all of the above four techniques for forecasting financial variables.

 

Since cash forecast deal mostly with the near future, many of the items on the cash forecast are usually estimated by some variation of the post method. The bases of these spot estimated are usually the firm’s other financial plans. Remaining estimates are mostly on a ‘proportion of another account’ basis, the account often being particular period’s sales. The other two methods are employed less frequently.  

 

It is a common experience that forecast of disbursements is much easier than receipts, because the cash manager can rely on internal information and knowledge of payment knowledge of firm’s other plans (or budgets) and can make use of the forecasting techniques described above. However, a major challenge for him comes in estimating the receipts from the collection of the firm’s receivables. In this regard, an useful forecasting method is to analyze the historical payment patterns to determine the proportion of credit sales that are collected at various times after the date of sale, and then to use this information (along with the estimates of future sales) to project future receipts.

 

Issues and Approaches to Forecasting -1

We are talking issues and approaches to forecasts. The most common approach to short-term cash forecasts is the receipts and disbursement approach. This method minutely traces the movement of cash and is preferred by firms that exercise very close cash control. 

 

After the firm has determined what types of receipts and disbursement are important in its overall cash flow, an important question is how to forecast the future level of these types of inflows and outflows. There are four common techniques of forecasting financial variables (i.e. items/disbursement): 

 

 Direct Method – In using this technique, it is assumed that the variable to be forecast is independent of all other variable, or alternatively, is predetermined. The variable (e.g. lease rental) is forecast by using its excepted or predetermined level.
 

Proportion of Another Account - This technique is used to project financial variables that are expected to vary directly with the level of another variable. For example, if sales volume increases, it is natural that more units will have to be produced to replenish inventory. It is then reasonable to project certain direct costs of production, such as direct materials, as a per cent of sales.
 

ompounded Growth - This method is used when a particular financial variable is expected to grow at a steady growth rate over time.

 

Multiple Dependencies – Under this technique the variable is considered to be influenced by more than one factor. The statistical technique of liner regression is often employed with historical data to determine which explanatory variables are significant in explaining the dependent variable. We will see the application of regression technique after a while. 

 

Since cash forecast deal mostly with the near future, many of the items on the cash forecast are usually estimated by some variation of the post method. The bases of these spot estimated are usually the firm’s other financial plans. Remaining estimates are mostly on a ‘proportion of another account’ basis, the another account often being particular period’s sales. The other two methods are employed less frequently. 

Issues and Approaches to Forecasting

An important question in short-term cash forecasting is what the length of the forest period to be forecast should be. This depends critically on the volume of the firm’s cash inflows and outflows. If the firm is sufficiently large, it will probably pay the firm to forecast on a daily basis. Small firms with lesser amounts to deal with are probably better off using a month or even a quarter as the length of their shortest period.

 

Most firms, however, to not confirm themselves to a single forecast; instead they use several forecast with periods of various lengths. In this context, the question arises how one forecast related to another. To see how this question arises, assume that a firm is practicing multiple period-length forecasting and is generating forecasts for the next quarter, months within this quarter, and weeks, within these months.

 

Does the forecast start with quarterly data and break this down into months, then break the months down into weeks, or does the forecast start with weekly data and aggregate this into months and quarters? Starting with data on relatively long periods and breaking it down into smaller periods is called distribution; starting with data on relatively short periods and aggregating into longer periods is called scheduling. Both the methodologies have advantages and disadvantages. Scheduling requires more data manipulation, but distribution required more sophisticated statistical techniques.

The most common approach to short-term cash forecasts is the receipts and disbursement approach. This method minutely traces the movement of cash and is preferred by firms that exercise very close cash control.

Cash Loans for bad credit

 

We are talking Credit Analysis, Credit Collection, Short term Investment and Cash Management in our previous post. We talk all those things with reference to business or commercial purpose. We workout working capital needs for business. We talk credit collection or cash management for business.

 Like business needs working capital management and planning, individual also need to plan for working capital or short term cash management. Last weekend I and my family were visiting a friend of us. When we were sitting together we were talking abut stock market and financial condition of AIG. We talked about AIG going to be bankrupt soon.

When we talked about AIG going to be bankrupt, he slowly speak up that he was running short on cash. Due to his past mistake he was having a bad credit which leaves him with very few options for purchasing necessities. He was suppose to pay home loan installment and also few other outstanding bills. He was proud and a private person so borrowing money from family members and friends were not going to happen. He was so nervous. He was just going to break his tears and cry with me.  I hold his hand and tell him don’t worry. There are many doors still open for you. I told him that kind of problem has its own solution it is very simple, so I suggested him not to be anxious, his problem can be resolve with a cash loans or installment loans from thinkcash.com.

He said in past he needed the  money and he took money from some cash advance company. He said the way they process my documents was so time consuming and lengthy and the rates were so high. I stopped him right away.  I asked him have you heard the name thinkcash.com. I told him about thinkcash.com. Thinkcash.com is a short term, personal loan company which lends amounts for emergency times and known for cash loans and installment loans.

As I am attached with finance industry in my professional life he knew the value of what I have told him. Thinkcash.com is quick, private and personal. The rates are typically 25-75% lower than payday loans and other loans providers available online. I told him that you can fill out application form online and the money wired by the next business day. Once you applied, all you have to do is to wait.  No need to fax or call an officer in charge for the status of your loan or even go for follow up. Isn’t it the fastest way rather than the others?

He asked me, what about repayment and penalties. If he doesn’t have money to pay off completely at a time, are there any penalties? Thinkcash.com cash loans can be paid on installment basis. The process is nicely streamlined. I want to give special annotation with this note; thinkcash.com is a no hassle loan company.

He was then very happy to know that there is still a solution for his short term financial needs.