Cash Management

This chapter summarizes the factors a financial manager needs to take into account with respect to a firm's cash management policy. We begin with a brief discussion of the various motives for holding cash. We introduce the transaction motive, the precautionary motive, the speculative motive, and the use of cash as a hedging tool. We then summarize the key variables that determine a firm's optimal cash balance. Next, we explain why a firm's cash collection policy and its cash conversion cycle matter for good cash management. Finally, we discuss how a firm can optimally invest its idle cash.