average collection period

(noun)

365 divided by the receivables turnover ratio

Related Terms

  • business cycle
  • outstanding check
  • days in inventory

Examples of average collection period in the following topics:

  • Days Sales Outstanding

    • Days sales outstanding (also called DSO or days receivables) is a calculation used by a company to estimate their average collection period.
    • In accountancy, days sales outstanding (also called DSO or days receivables) is a calculation used by a company to estimate their average collection period.
    • The days sales outstanding figure is an index of the relationship between outstanding receivables and credit account sales achieved over a given period.
    • The days sales outstanding analysis provides general information about the number of days on average that customers take to pay invoices.
    • DSO ratio = accounts receivable / average sales per day, or
  • Ratio Analysis and EPS

    • Average collection period: Accounts receivable / (Annual credit sales / 365 days)
    • Average payment period: Accounts payable / (Annual credit purchases / 365 days)
    • Cash Conversion Cycle: Inventory conversion period + Receivables conversion period - Payables conversion period
    • Return on assets (ROA ratio or Du Pont Ratio): Net income / Average total assets
  • Collecting Receivables

    • Companies use different methods to collect their outstanding receivables, like sending out reminders or employing a collection agency.
    • The accounts receivable days is the average number of days that it takes a firm to collect on its sales.
    • This is a financial ratio that measures the number of times, on average, receivables are collected during a period.
    • Most collection agencies operate as agents of creditors and collect debts for a fee or percentage of the total amount owed.
    • There are many types of collection agencies.
  • Calculating the Cash Flow Cycle

    • CCC=# days between disbursing cash and collecting cash in connection with undertaking a discrete unit of operations.
    • The Cash Conversion Cycle emerges as interval C→D (i.e., disbursing cash→collecting cash).
    • The operating cycle emerges as interval A→D (i.e., owing cash→collecting cash)
    • The receivables conversion period (or "Days sales outstanding") emerges as interval B→D (i.e., being owed cash→collecting cash)
    • We estimate its LEVEL "during the period in question" as the average of its levels in the two balance sheets that surround the period: (Lt1+Lt2)/2.
  • Calculating and Understanding Average Returns

    • Average returns are commonly found using average ROI, CAGR, or IRR.
    • The average ROI is the arithmetic average: divide the total ROI by the number of periods.
    • Average ROI generally does not calculate the actual average rate of return, because it does not incorporate compounding returns.
    • CAGR is derived from the compounding interest formula, FV=PV(1+i)t, where PV is the initial value, FV is the future value, i is the interest rate, and t is the number of periods.
    • The CAGR formula is what results when solving for i: the interest rate becomes CAGR, FV becomes Vf, PV becomes Vi, and the number of periods is generally assumed to be in years.
  • Inventory Techniques

    • FIFO, LIFO, and average cost methods are accounting techniques used in managing inventory.
    • Average cost method is quite straightforward.
    • It takes the weighted average of all units available for sale during the accounting period and then uses that average cost to determine the value of COGS and ending inventory.
    • There are two commonly used average cost methods: Simple weighted average cost method and moving average cost method.
    • This gives a Weighted Average Cost per Unit.
  • Receipts

    • The direct method of projecting incoming cash flow is through understanding cash receipts and disbursements of the time period being projected.
    • Receipts generally refer to the collection of accounts receivable, which are the payments of paying customers over time.
    • With longer term forecasting, it can be useful to consider past averages over time.
    • Larger organizations can look at their average cash receipts over the past few years, and couple that with growth trajectories to project what level of cash inflow is likely over a given time frame.
  • Differences Between Required Return and the Cost of Capital

    • The average cost of capital is calculated via combining the overall average required rate on debt stakeholders and equity stakeholders
    • A required return is exactly what it sounds like— the amount of profit as a percentage of the investment that will be created over a given time period.
    • Through establishing this required rate, the investor is stipulating their expectations on repayment of this invested capital, which the borrower will confirm and agree to repay over a set time period (usually via timed installments).
    • Kd and Ke will each be averaged based on their respective inputs).
    • Calculate the weighted average cost of capital by understanding the required rate of various investors
  • Balance Sheet Analysis

    • A business operating entirely in cash can measure its profits by withdrawing the entire bank balance at the end of the period, plus any cash in hand.
    • In other words: businesses have assets and so they cannot, even if they want to, immediately turn these into cash at the end of each period.
    • Solvency analysis aims at analyzing whether the firm is financed so that it is able to recover from a losses or a period of losses.
    • 3.2) Analysis of profitability refers to the analysis of return on capital, for example return on equity, ROE, defined as earnings divided by average equity.
    • Employees also need these reports in making collective bargaining agreements (CBA) with the management, in the case of labor unions or for individuals in discussing their compensation, promotion and rankings.
  • Disadvantages of the Payback Method

    • Payback period analysis ignores the time value of money and the value of cash flows in future periods.
    • While the time value of money can be rectified by applying a weighted average cost of capital discount, it is generally agreed that this tool for investment decisions should not be used in isolation.
    • An implicit assumption in the use of payback period is that returns to the investment continue after the payback period.
    • The modified payback period algorithm may be applied then.
    • Then the cumulative positive cash flows are determined for each period.
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