Introduction to Corporate Finance
Corporate finance
refers to the financial framework of a company. It involves different aspects
including financial planning, budgeting, capital structuring, forecasting, and
investments, and is crucial to the success of any firm. A business cannot
survive without a strategic and sustainable corporate finance
system.
Interested in this area? This introduction to corporate finance
covers the basics you need to know:
Capital
investing
Companies invest in projects and acquisitions using money that
will otherwise be idle. Investing provides an opportunity to get higher returns
compared to simply putting money in the bank. But successful investments
require thorough long-term planning, and this is where corporate
finance comes in!
It’s the job of corporate finance experts to properly
manage investments and minimiserisk. Capital budgeting, which involves
researching companies and opportunities, plays a critical role in capital
investing. Many companies hire third-party financial analysts and accounting
advisors who can do these tasks on their behalf. The best advisory firms have
systems and technologies in place to look at historical capital expenditures,
financial metrics, cash flows, and other matters that affect the viability of
an investment.
Capital
financing
The investments that a company will make require financing. This
is where capital financing comes in. It seeks ways to optimally finance
investments through equity and/or debt. Debt often means getting loans from
commercial banks, while equity financing means selling public stocks. Most
firms combine the two methods to avoid high periodical repayments and to keep
the value of their stock high.
Professional financial analysts have to determine the right
blend of equity and debt for a company and its goals. They do this by
considering several factors like the company’s weighted average cost of
capital, with the objective of lowering the cost of equity and debt as much as
possible. These advisors work with C-suite executives, CEOs, and boards to
define and resolve questions around profitability, growth, tax planning,
sustainability, and operating models.
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