What are Accruals

Accruals are revenues earned or expenses incurred which impact a company’s net income on the income statement, although cash related to the transaction has not yet changed hands. Accruals also affect the balance sheet, as they involve non-cash assets and liabilities. Accrual accounts include, among many others, accounts payable, accounts receivable, accrued tax liabilities, and accrued interest earned or payable.

By recording accruals, a company can measure what it owes in the short-term and also what cash revenue it expects to receive. It also allows a company to record assets that do not have a cash value, such as goodwill. The main difference between accrual accounting and cash accounting lies in the period in which revenues and expenses are recorded as having occurred.

The accrual concept is considered to be standard accounting practice for large companies and is supported by both the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). These accounting frameworks provide guidelines to businesses around the world on how to account for revenues and expenses apart from just using cash receipts.

What is a Doji Candlestick?

The Doji candlestick chart pattern is a formation that occurs when a market’s open price and close price are almost exactly the same. It is characterized by having a small length, which indicates a small trading range. A Doji candlestick can take the form of a plus sign, a cross, or an inverted cross.

The different types of Doji pattern are- Neutral Doji, Long-legged Doji, Gravestone Doji and Dragonfly Doji

1-Neutral Doji: It is generally forms when the buying and selling powers for a stock in the market are at an equilibrium. It means that the price of the financial asset closes in the middle of the day’s high and low. Following the trend prior to the Doji, a change in direction can be expected. A neutral Doji looks like a plus sign.

2- Long-legged Doji: Long-legged Doji, which looks like a cross, also indicates that the price of the financial asset being traded closes in the middle of the day’s high and low. A long-legged Doji forms when the buying and selling powers for a stock in the market are at an equilibrium. This Doji type shows a great amount of indecision among buyers and sellers in the market.

3-Gravestone Doji: Gravestone Doji (which looks like an inverted “T”) signifies that a stock or other financial asset opened and closed at the day’s low. The pattern normally forms at the bottom or end of a downward trend. The longer upper side of the Gravestone Doji, also known as a shadow, hints at a possible end to the current trend direction in the market and a reverse in direction.

4- Dragonfly Doji: Opposite to the Gravestone Doji, a Dragonfly Doji (which looks a “T”) signifies that a stock or other financial asset opened and closed at the day’s high. It tends to form at the peak of an upward trend and signals a possible trend reversal. This Doji type also shows a great amount of indecision among buyers and sellers in the market.

What is a Doji candlestick?

The Doji candlestick chart pattern is a formation that occurs when a market’s open price and close price are almost exactly the same. It is characterized by having a small length, which indicates a small trading range. A Doji candlestick can take the form of a plus sign, a cross, or an inverted cross.

The different types of Doji pattern are- Neutral Doji, Long-legged Doji, Gravestone Doji and Dragonfly Doji

1-Neutral Doji: It is generally forms when the buying and selling powers for a stock in the market are at an equilibrium. It means that the price of the financial asset closes in the middle of the day’s high and low. Following the trend prior to the Doji, a change in direction can be expected. A neutral Doji looks like a plus sign.

2- Long-legged Doji: Long-legged Doji, which looks like a cross, also indicates that the price of the financial asset being traded closes in the middle of the day’s high and low. A long-legged Doji forms when the buying and selling powers for a stock in the market are at an equilibrium. This Doji type shows a great amount of indecision among buyers and sellers in the market.

3-Gravestone Doji: Gravestone Doji (which looks like an inverted “T”) signifies that a stock or other financial asset opened and closed at the day’s low. The pattern normally forms at the bottom or end of a downward trend. The longer upper side of the Gravestone Doji, also known as a shadow, hints at a possible end to the current trend direction in the market and a reverse in direction.

4- Dragonfly Doji: Opposite to the Gravestone Doji, a Dragonfly Doji (which looks a “T”) signifies that a stock or other financial asset opened and closed at the day’s high. It tends to form at the peak of an upward trend and signals a possible trend reversal. This Doji type also shows a great amount of indecision among buyers and sellers in the market.

What is a Forward Contract?

A forward contract is a customized contract between two parties to buy or sell an asset at a specified price on a future date. It can be used for hedging or speculation, although its non-standardized nature makes it particularly apt for hedging.

Unlike standard futures contracts, a forward contract can be customized to a commodity, amount and delivery date. Commodities traded can be grains, precious metals, natural gas, oil, or even poultry. A forward contract settlement can occur on a cash or delivery basis.

Forward contracts do not trade on a centralized exchange and are therefore regarded as over-the-counter (OTC) instruments. While their OTC nature makes it easier to customize terms, the lack of a centralized clearinghouse also gives rise to a higher degree of default risk. 

Example– You are a farmer and you want to sell wheat at the current rate of Rs.18, but you know that wheat prices will fall in the coming months ahead. In this case, you enter a contract with a grocery for selling them a particular amount of wheat at Rs.18 in three months. Now, if the price of wheat falls to Rs.16, then you are protected. But if the price of wheat rises, then you will get the price as mentioned in the contract.

What Is EBITDA?

EBITDA, or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, is a measure of a company’s overall financial performance and is used as an alternative to net income in some circumstances. EBITDA, however, can be misleading because it strips out the cost of capital investments like property, plant, and equipment.

This metric also excludes expenses associated with debt by adding back interest expense and taxes to earnings. Nonetheless, it is a more precise measure of corporate performance since it is able to show earnings before the influence of accounting and financial deductions.

Formula of EBITDA
EBITDA= Net Income+Interest+Taxes+D+A

where: D=Depreciation A=Amortization​

OR

EBITDA= Operating Profit+DE+AE

where: DE=Depreciation expense AE=Amortization expense​

EBITDA can be used to analyze and compare profitability among companies and industries, as it eliminates the effects of financing and capital expenditures. EBITDA is often used in valuation ratios and can be compared to enterprise value and revenue. EBITDA does not fall under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) as a measure of financial performance. its calculation can vary from one company to the next.

What is a Zero-Coupon Bond

A zero-coupon bond is a debt security that does not pay interest but instead trades at a deep discount, rendering a profit at maturity, when the bond is redeemed for its full face value. A zero-coupon bond is also known as an accrual bond.

Some bonds are issued as zero-coupon instruments from the start, while others bonds transform into zero-coupon instruments after a financial institution strips them of their coupons, and repackages them as zero-coupon bonds.

Formula of Zero Coupon bond: Price= F / (1 + r)n

F= face value of the bond, R= rate of interest, N= number of years until maturity

Example- A person is looking to purchase a zero-coupon bond with a face value of Rs 1,000 and 5 years to maturity. The interest rate on the bond is 5% compounded annually. What price will that person pay for the bond today?

Price of bond = Rs 1,000 / (1+0.05)5 = Rs 783.53

The price that person will pay for the bond today is Rs 783.53.

What Is Gross Margin?

Gross margin is a company’s net sales revenue minus its cost of goods sold (COGS). In other words, it is the sales revenue a company retains after incurring the direct costs associated with producing the goods it sells, and the services it provides. The higher the gross margin, the more capital a company retains on each rupee of sales, which it can then use to pay other costs or satisfy debt obligations. The net sales figure is simply gross revenue, less the returns, allowances, and discounts.

The formula of Gross Margin= Net sales- COGS(cost of goods sold)

Companies use gross margin to measure how their production costs relate to their revenues. For example, if a company’s gross margin is falling, it may strive to slash labor costs or source cheaper suppliers of materials. Alternatively, it may decide to increase prices, as a revenue increasing measure. Gross profit margins can also be used to measure company efficiency or to compare two companies of different market capitalizations.

Difference between Gross Profit and Net Profit- While gross margin focuses solely on the relationship between revenue and COGS, the net profit margin takes all of a business’s expenses into account. When calculating net profit margins, businesses subtract their COGS, as well as ancillary expenses such as product distribution, miscellaneous operating expenses, and taxes.

What Is a Junk Bond?

Junk bonds or High Yield Bonds are bonds that carry a higher risk of default than most bonds issued by corporations and governments. A bond is a debt or promises to pay investors interest payments and the return of invested principal in exchange for buying the bond. Junk bonds represent bonds issued by companies that are struggling financially and have a high risk of defaulting or not paying their interest payments or repaying the principal to investors.

Companies that issue junk bonds are typically start-ups or companies that are struggling financially. Junk bonds carry risk since investors are unsure whether they’ll be repaid their principal and earn regular interest payments. As a result, junk bonds pay a higher yield than their safer counterparts to help compensate investors for the added level of risk. Companies are willing to pay the high yield because they need to attract investors to fund their operations.

Rating of the bonds by Standard and Poor’s include- AAA (excellent), AA (very good), A (good), BBB (adequate), BB and B (junk), CCC (currently vulnerable to non payment), CC (highly vulnerable to non payment), D (in Default)

What Is Vetting?

Vetting is the process of thoroughly investigating an individual, company, or other entity before making a decision to go forward with a joint project. A background review is a vetting process.

Some of the examples of vetting

  • A board of directors will thoroughly vet a candidate for company CEO or another top management position.
  • An investment adviser will vet a potential investment for its track record, management quality, and growth potential before recommending it to clients.

What vetting entails?

A vetting process might begin with a confirmation of facts. Is the job candidate’s resume accurate in describing all the skills and experience that are claimed? Does the contractor called Worldwide Shipping have actual experience shipping worldwide? The process continues with the verification of information. Every degree, award or certification claimed by a candidate is checked for accuracy. Whether it is a person, a company, or an investment that is being vetted, the process gets deeper, and potentially more intrusive, from there. Credit history checks, criminal background checks, and personal interviews with past and current associates all are fair game in the vetting process.

Heavy reliance on vetting by governments can raise concern on high costs as well as long delays.

What is a Furlough?

A furlough is a temporary layoff, an involuntary leave, or another modification of normal working hours without pay for a specified duration. Businesses use furloughs for a variety of reasons, such as plant shutdowns, or when a broad reorganization makes it unclear which employees will be retained. For employers, one of the main advantages of furloughs over layoffs is that they can call back trained workers when conditions improve rather than hiring and training new employees. Furloughs may be short- or long-term, depending on the circumstances

The Difference Between Furloughs and Layoffs

Furloughs are temporary cessations of work when employees retain their jobs but do not get paid. During furloughs, employees keep their benefits and anticipate that they will return to work within a certain period of time. However, in layoffs, employees are permanently discharged and have no expectation of getting their employment back. For employers, one of the main advantages of furloughs over layoffs is that they can call back trained workers when conditions improve rather than hiring and training new employees.