Capital structure and payout policy - Working capital and li...

Learning Outcomes

This article explains working capital and liquidity management within the context of capital structure and payout policy, including:

• Evaluating a firm’s overall working capital policy and distinguishing between conservative, aggressive, and moderate approaches in exam-style scenarios
• Assessing a company’s short-term solvency by calculating, interpreting, and comparing key liquidity ratios such as the current, quick, and cash ratios
• Analyzing the cash conversion cycle, decomposing it into inventory, receivables, and payables days, and linking changes in each component to funding requirements
• Identifying suitable short-term financing instruments, comparing their cost and rollover risk, and judging how liquidity shocks can constrain investment and operations
• Explaining how working capital choices feed through to capital structure, affect the balance between short- and long-term debt, and influence dividend and share repurchase capacity
• Integrating liquidity analysis into broader equity and credit valuation, recognizing red flags in working capital trends that may signal stress before it appears in earnings

CFA Level 2 Syllabus

For the CFA Level 2 exam, you are expected to understand the importance of working capital and liquidity management in the context of capital structure and payout policy, with a focus on the following syllabus points:

• Explaining the objectives of working capital management and the trade-off between liquidity and profitability
• Assessing the impact of working capital policy on a firm’s risk profile and capital structure
• Calculating and interpreting essential liquidity ratios (current, quick, cash ratios)
• Analyzing the cash conversion cycle and its implications for funding needs
• Evaluating sources of short-term financing and the risks associated with various liquidity management strategies
• Identifying the effect of working capital policies on dividend distributions and overall payout flexibility

Test Your Knowledge

Attempt these questions before reading this article. If you find some difficult or cannot remember the answers, remember to look more closely at that area during your revision.

1. Which ratio provides the most conservative measure of a firm's liquidity? a) Current ratio b) Quick ratio c) Cash ratio
2. True or false? An aggressive working capital policy typically leads to increased liquidity risk and lower profitability.
3. What is the purpose of the cash conversion cycle, and how does it affect a company's short-term funding needs?
4. Name two advantages and two disadvantages of using short-term debt to finance working capital.

Introduction

Effective working capital and liquidity management ensures a firm maintains the ability to meet its short-term obligations without holding excessive idle assets. Poor management can quickly threaten solvency or force an otherwise healthy company to forego profitable investments. You must understand how day-to-day capital management decisions fit within the firm’s broader capital structure and payout objectives, and how liquidity management affects dividend and repurchase flexibility. For the CFA Level 2 exam, command of working capital cycles, liquidity ratios, and funding methods is essential.

Key Term: working capital
The difference between current assets and current liabilities. It represents the capital used in the firm’s daily operations.

Key Term: liquidity management
The process of ensuring a firm can meet its short-term financial obligations as they come due, while minimizing the cost of holding excess cash or liquid assets.

Objectives of Working Capital and Liquidity Management

The primary aim of working capital management is to ensure operational continuity by balancing liquidity and profitability. Too much investment in current assets can lower return on assets, while an overly aggressive policy may increase default risk.

Working capital management directly affects the firm’s:

• Short-term solvency and creditworthiness
• Cost of capital (as liquidity risk impacts required returns)
• Ability to pay dividends and repurchase shares under stress

Working Capital Policies

Firms commonly pursue one of three broad policies:

• Conservative: Maintains high liquidity by financing with a larger proportion of long-term capital; reduces risk but lowers returns.
• Aggressive: Relies more on short-term funding and keeps minimal cash; increases risk and potential return.
• Moderate: Attempts to balance liquidity and profitability.

Liquidity Ratios and Interpretation

Liquidity is assessed via several key ratios:

• Current ratio = current assets / current liabilities
• Quick ratio = (current assets – inventory) / current liabilities
• Cash ratio = (cash + marketable securities) / current liabilities

The quick and cash ratios provide increasingly stringent measures of a firm’s ability to meet obligations immediately. Pay special attention to changes in these ratios, not just their absolute values.

Worked Example 1.1

A company reports $2.5 million in current assets (including $0.5 million inventory), $0.2 million in cash, and $1.8 million in current liabilities. Calculate the current, quick, and cash ratios.

Answer:

• Current ratio: $2.5m / $1.8m = 1.39
• Quick ratio: ($2.5m – $0.5m) / $1.8m = $2.0m/$1.8m ≈ 1.11
• Cash ratio: $0.2m / $1.8m ≈ 0.11
  The firm’s liquidity cushion is modest, but cash on hand covers only a fraction of liabilities.

The Cash Conversion Cycle

The cash conversion cycle (CCC) measures the time between outlays for materials and collection from customers. It is a direct indicator of working capital efficiency and short-term funding needs.

$\text{CCC} = \text{Days Inventory Outstanding} + \text{Days Receivable Outstanding} - \text{Days Payable Outstanding}$

Key Term: cash conversion cycle
The period between the cash outlay for inventory and the collection of cash from sales.

Shorter cycles signal greater efficiency, lower funding costs, and can support higher payout policies.

Worked Example 1.2

Suppose a retailer has days inventory outstanding (DIO) of 40, days receivables (DSO) of 30, and days payables (DPO) of 25. Calculate the cash conversion cycle.

Answer:
CCC = 40 + 30 – 25 = 45 days
This means the company needs to finance 45 days of operations from internal or external liquidity.

Short-Term Financing and Liquidity Risk

Liquidity gaps are often bridged with short-term debt or trade credit. Common sources:

• Bank lines (overdraft, revolving credit)
• Commercial paper
• Trade payables
• Factoring receivables

Short-term funding is less costly but exposes firms to rollover/refinancing risk. If credit tightens, dividends and buybacks may need to be suspended.

Key Term: rollover risk
The risk that a firm will not be able to refinance maturing short-term obligations on favorable terms, or at all.

Key Term: trade credit
A supplier-provided, short-term source of finance that allows the purchaser to delay payment for goods or services.

Worked Example 1.3

A manufacturer uses a revolving line of credit to fund seasonal increases in receivables. Last year, the company drew $1m at an average interest rate of 7%. During a financial crisis, the bank slashes the credit limit. What operational and payout implications arise?

Answer:
Abruptly reduced access to external credit may force the company to cut dividends, delay investments, or sell assets to fund working capital. Liquidity shortfalls can lead to default if not addressed.

Exam Warning

Many candidates overlook the distinction between the current ratio and the quick ratio on exam day, especially when inventory is not easily sold for cash. Inventory-heavy businesses may have deceptively high current ratios but still risk liquidity problems.

Working Capital, Capital Structure, and Payout Policy

Working capital policies interact closely with decisions about debt and equity mix and the firm’s ability to pay dividends and repurchase shares:

• Aggressive working capital policies may increase short-term debt in capital structure, heightening financial risk.
• Insufficient liquidity can force reductions in dividends, buybacks, or make payout changes less flexible.

Stable liquidity supports sustainable payout ratios. Firms with strong, predictable cash flow cycles can maintain higher payouts without incurring excessive risk.

Revision Tip

To minimize liquidity-induced payout suspensions, regularly forecast working capital needs under stressed scenarios, and align funding sources with asset maturities.

Summary

Managing working capital and liquidity is a balance between profitability and risk. Key ratios and the cash conversion cycle allow for the assessment of a firm's ability to meet ongoing obligations. The choice of funding source has direct consequences for capital structure, risk, and flexibility in distributing profits to shareholders.

Key Point Checklist

This article has covered the following key knowledge points:

• Objectives and trade-offs in working capital and liquidity management
• Interpretation and application of key liquidity ratios
• Calculation and significance of the cash conversion cycle
• Risks and methods of short-term funding, including rollover risk
• How working capital choices affect capital structure and payout policy

Key Terms and Concepts

• working capital
• liquidity management
• cash conversion cycle
• rollover risk
• trade credit