3.16 : Cash Flow Statement

A cash flow statement provides a comprehensive overview of a company's cash inflows and outflows over a specific period, offering insight into its liquidity and overall financial health. This statement is crucial for evaluating whether a business has enough cash to fund its operations and maintain financial stability.

The cash flow statement is divided into three main sections: operating activities, investing activities, and financing activities.

Operating activities reflect the cash generated or used by a company's core business operations. This includes cash from sales, payments to suppliers, and other day-to-day expenses, helping assess the company's ability to generate cash from its primary operations.

Investing activities represent cash spent or received from long-term asset transactions. These activities include purchasing property, equipment, or investments and proceeds from selling assets. This section reflects the company's growth and capital investment strategies.

Financing activities detail how a company funds its operations, including cash from issuing debt or equity and payments made for dividends or loan principal repayments. This section reveals the company's financial strategies regarding capital and shareholder distributions.

When used with the rest of the financial statements, a cash flow statement provides investors, creditors, and management with information on solvency and liquidity. It shows how cash is generated in the business and helps users understand how flexible it is to adapt to changing circumstances and opportunities for future growth and sustainability.