Cash Defined in the Context of the
Cash Flow Statement
Cash is a non-productive asset, and therefore companies strive to keep their immediately accessible cash balance at a minimum. Instead of carrying large cash balances, companies place their cash in term deposits, or other money market instruments so that they can earn interest. For purposes of the cash flow statement, therefore, cash includes cash on hand ,cash on deposit, and highly liquid short-term investments——cash equivalents.
The Uses of a Cash Flow Statement
The cash flow statement reveals not only the operating cash flow of the company, but also enables the user to reconcile the cash flows to net income. Users can thereby see just how a company can have a cash flow that is different from the reported net income.