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What Is Rework? Rework is that part of the final produce which has not been accepted by the client because it does not meet the required specifications. However, those specifications can be met by working on the item once again. Hence the name rework. What Is Spoilage? Spoilage is also that part of the final […]
The Flow of Funds in a Financial System
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Risks Faced By Infrastructure Projects in Emerging Markets
Infrastructure projects are most needed in developing nations. These are the countries where infrastructure projects are able to create the most growth. This is because the spillover effects of infrastructure projects are felt significantly in emerging markets. Ideally, emerging markets should create policies that attract more and more foreign investment on to their shores. However, […]
Third-Party Risks in an Infrastructure Project
In the previous few articles, we have come across the various types of risk which are present in an infrastructure project. We have discussed the risk of cost overruns as well as the risks of revenue delays and everything in between. However, all the risks we discussed were directly applicable to the infrastructure company or […]
Framing Bias
Traditional economic theory assumes that investors are completely rational beings. Hence, they react to information in the same way if the content of the information is the same. However, behavioral finance theory seems to disagree with this assumption. According to them, investors interpret information in different ways if it is presented to them differently. This […]
The free cash flow to operating cash flow ratio is different from other ratios. It is different in the sense that it is comparing two measures of cash flow. Usually cash flow ratios compare a cash flow item to an item on the income statement or on the balance sheet. Here are the details of this ratio:
The terms used in the ratio i.e. operating cash flow as well as free cash flow have been described in the cash flow section. But here is a quick refresher.
Operating Cash Flow: Operating cash flow is considered by many to be the most appropriate measure of cash flow. It measures the cash flow that the company has been able to generate from its regular day to day operations. Cash flow generated from onetime events such as sale of assets and investments is not a part of this. Hence investors can expect this cash flow to continue in the next period.
Free Cash Flow: Free cash flow is not listed on the cash flow statement. Rather it is derived by subtracting the capital expenditure from operating cash flow. This measure is important because this is the amount of cash flow that the investors have left after meeting the growth needs of the firm.
The name of the ratio pretty much gives away the formula. The formula is as follows:
Free Cash Flow to Operating Cash Flow Ratio = Free Cash Flow / Operating Cash Flow
This ratio tells the investors about how much free cash flow is being generated for every rupee of operating cash flow. A higher ratio means company is not investing too much in capital expenditure and therefore maybe a mature company that is not seeking any more growth but rather seeking to sustain its operations.
Mature stable firms do not need to make too many capital investments and thus have a higher ratio. On the other hand companies that are growing will have a lower ratio. One needs to start questioning if mature companies have lower ratios or vice versa.
A company with a high gestation period will invest more and more each year, the effects of which will not be visible in the free cash flow to operating cash flow ratio until many years.
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