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Does working capital change?

Yes, working capital can change over time as a company’s current assets and liabilities change. For example, when you get a new invoice from a supplier, your current liabilities rise, causing working capital to decrease.

What is the working capital cycle?

The working capital cycle is the amount of time that it takes to convert net current assets and liabilities into cash. For example, inventory is a current asset, but it might take you a day, a week, or a month to turn inventory into cash.

You can calculate the cycle using the formula:

Inventory days + receivable days – payable days = working capital cycle

Longer cycles mean you have to tie up capital for longer periods of time. Shorter cycles mean a more agile and adaptable business.

Is a working capital quick ratio the same as a current ratio?

These two ratios are different things. Quick ratio looks at only things that can be turned into cash within 90 days rather than one year. That means quick ratio only looks at cash on hand, marketable securities, and accounts receivable.

In general, assets will be lower under quick ratio than current ratio.
 

How are working capital and cash flow related?

Working capital and cash flow and related in that a company’s cash flow can impact its working capital.

When a business sells a fixed asset, that boosts its cash flow and its working capital because it increases cash on hand without reducing other current assets. On the other hand, spending cash on a fixed asset or other long-term investment would reduce working capital by turning a current asset into a non-current asset.

Sales of inventory don’t affect working capital because it is converting one current asset into another. However, it would increase cash flow.
 

Is there a difference between working capital and net working capital?

No, in most cases, there is no difference between working capital and net working capital. Both terms refer to the same thing.

How is working capital different from fixed assets/capital?

Working capital looks only at current assets, meaning those that can be easily converted into cash. Fixed assets are not easy to turn into cash, so they don’t impact working capital.

For example, land, heavy equipment, vehicles, buildings, and computer equipment are all fixed assets because they take time to turn into spendable cash.
 

What is working capital management?

Working capital management is a business practice that focuses on making a company’s working capital as efficient as possible.

Businesses want to keep their working capital ratios as low as possible without falling behind on expenses. This is because having extra cash or other assets on hand incurs a real cost, such as inventory carrying costs, or an opportunity cost, such as having cash that isn’t being invested into growth.

Working capital management focuses on all aspects of working capital, including assets and liabilities, to make sure a business can meet its obligations and use all of its resources efficiently.
 

About the Author

TJ Porter

TJ Porter

Personal Finance Writer

I have in-depth experience in reviewing financial products such as savings accounts, credit cards, and brokerages, writing how-tos, and answering financial questions both simple and complicated.

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