This enables the company to better match its inflows and outflows. However, this also means that much of what constitutes earnings is not a direct, immediate cash flow. There are a number of items that will appear on an income statement that are either flows that have already occurred, or are flows that have not yet occurred. However, because the transaction was based in that quarter or year, it appears on the income statement. Earnings, therefore, are intended to reflect the firm's economic activity for the period, not its cash flows.

Cash flow forecasts outline what the firm will have left over after it collects all of its money for the period and pays out all of its expenses (Forsythe, 2006). Because this measures the firm's economic activity, it can be used as an alternative to earnings in evaluating a firm's performance for the period. A cash flow forecast, by...
[ View Full Essay]