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IOSR Journal of Business and Management (IOSR-JBM)
e-ISSN: 2278-487X, p-ISSN: 2319-7668. Volume 9, Issue 4 (Mar. - Apr. 2013), PP 45-52
www.iosrjournals.org
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Working Capital Trends and Liquidity Analysis of Fmcg Sector
in India
Shweta Mehrotra
Research Scholar, Faculty Of Commerce, Banaras Hindu University, India.
Abstract: Management of Working Capital is one of the most important functions of corporate management.
Every organization whether public or private, profit oriented or not, irrespective of its size and nature of
business, needs adequate amount of working capital. The efficient working capital management is most crucial
factor in maintaining survival, liquidity, solvency and profitability of the any business organization. A company
needs sufficient finance to carry out purchase of raw materials, payment of day-to-day operational expenses and
funds to meet these expenses are collectively known as working capital. Keeping in view the significance of
working capital management as a gray area of corporate finance function, an attempt has been made to
examine the working capital trends and practices particularity in FMCGs sector in India by selecting five
FMCGs companies (named as Hindustan Unilever Limited, Nestle India Limited, Britannia Industries, Procter
& Gamble and ITC). The FMCG sector in India is at present, the fourth largest sector with a total market size in
excess of USD 13 billion as of 2012. This sector is expected to grow to a USD 33 billion industry by 2015. This
industry primarily includes the production, distribution and marketing of consumer packaged goods, that is
those categories of products which are consumed at regular intervals. The study is based on secondary data i.e.
Annual Reports of the selected companies. The period of study is five years and traditional method of data
analysis and ratio analysis as tools of financial statement analysis for examine the degree of efficiency of
working capital management has been adopted.
Keywords: Current Assets, Financial Ratios, FMCG sector, Liquidity analysis, Working capital management.
I. Introduction
The concept of WC is very vital because the term used for the capital needed for the day-to-day
operation. Adam Smith (1776) explained, “The goods of the merchant yield him no revenue or profit, till he
sells them for money, and the money Yields him as little till it is again exchanged for goods. His capital is
continuously going from him 8n one shape, and returning to him in another, and it is only by means of such
circulation, or successive exchanges, that it can yield him profit; such capital therefore, may very properly be
called circulating capital.” What we called working Capital Smith called circulating capital. This capital is
needed for regular business operation such as purchase of raw materials, payment of direct and indirect expenses
carry on production, investment in stock and store, credit granted to customers keeping balance, etc. Decisions
relating to working capital and short –term financing are referred to as WCM. It is best described as the
administration of all aspects of current assets and current liabilities. The objectives of WCM are to ensure that
the firm is able to continue its operations and that it has sufficient cash flow to satisfy both maturing short- term
debt and upcoming operational expenses. WCM therefore, consists of: a) considering the trade- off between
costs and benefits derived from alternative levels of investment in WC and: b) managing of both control and
decisions regarding stock, debtors and cash. According to Harris (2005) Working capital management is a
simple and straightforward concept of ensuring the ability of the firm to fund the difference between the short
term assets and short term liabilities. Nevertheless, complete mean and approach preferred to cover all its
company‟s activities related to vendors, customer and product. (Hall, 2002). Now a day working capital
management has considered as the main central issues in the firms and financial managers are trying to identify
the basic drivers and level of working capital management (Lamberson, 1995). The working capital meets the
short-term financial requirements of a business enterprise. It is a trading capital, not retained in the business in a
particular form for longer than a year. The money invested in it changes form and substance during the normal
course of business operations. The need for maintaining an adequate working capital can hardly be questioned. Just as
circulation of blood is very necessary in the human body to maintain life, the flow of funds is very necessary to maintain
business. If it becomes weak, the business can hardly prosper and survive. Working capital starvation is generally credited as
a major cause if not the major cause of small business failure in many developed and developing countries (Rafuse, 1996).
The success of a firm depends ultimately, on its ability to generate cash receipts in excess of disbursements. The cash flow
problems of many small businesses are exacerbated by poor financial management and in particular the lack of planning cash
requirements (Jarvis et al, 1996). The study objectives are to examine the working capital management of the sample firms.
The amounts invested in working capital are often high in proportion to the total assets employed and so it is vital that these

Working Capital Trends And Liquidity Analysis Of Fmcg Sector In India
amounts are used in an efficient and effective way. However, there is evidence that small businesses are not very good at
managing their working capital.
Objectives
The study aims at analyzing the working capital management of FMCG (fast moving consumer goods)
Sector in India. The main objectives are:
 To analyze the working capital trends in FMCG sector;
 To discover the relative importance of various current assets components;
 To draw conclusion on the effectiveness of working capital management;
 To study:
How the companies handle debtors
How they handle inventories
How they manage other current assets
Working Capital Trends and Liquidity analysis
In the present study an attempt has been made to analyze, assess and evaluate the working capital
management (WCM) through ratio analysis and WC trends and liquidity position of some selected FMCG
companies in India for the period of five years. These companies rare: Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), ITC
Ltd, P&G India, Britannia Industries and Nestle India. The study uses secondary data that have been extracted
from the annual reports of the selected FMCG companies. The methodology followed in this study includes
techniques of financial analysis, such as ratio analysis which deal with every aspect of WC (working capital),
computation of ratios and their comparison with the fixed standards. It has been shown as company wise
working capital analysis.
WC can solve a large portion of the firm‟s total assets, more than half of a typical firm‟s total
investment is in current assets. In any industrial undertaking the major components of working capital are
inventories, sundry debtors, cash and bank balances and loan and advances. Since the level of WC determines
the liquidity position of a firm, the WC trend and liquidity analysis of the units under study have been discussed
below.
Hindustan Unilever limited (HUL)
Hindustan Unilever limited (HUL) is India‟s largest FMCG Company with the heritage of over 75
years in India. As per Nielsen market research data, two out of three Indians use HUL products. It is owned by
the British-Dutch company Unilever which controls 52% majority stake in HUL. Its products include foods,
beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products. HUL was formed in 1933 as Lever Brothers India
Limited and came into being in 1956 as Hindustan Lever Limited through a merger of Lever Brothers,
Hindustan Vanaspati Mfg. Co. Ltd. and United Traders Ltd. Lever Brothers started its actual operations in India
in the summer of 1888, when crates full of Sunlight soap bars, embossed with the words "Made in England by
Lever Brothers" were shipped to the Kolkata harbor and it began an era of marketing branded Fast Moving
Consumer Goods (FMCG)
HUL works to create better future every day and helps people feel good, look good and get more out of
life with brands and services. With over 35 brands spanning 20 distinct categories such as soap, detergents,
shampoos, skin care, toothpastes, deodorants, cosmetics, tea, coffee, water purifiers, etc. the company is a part
of the everyday life of millions of consumers across India. Its portfolio includes leading household brands such
as Lux, Lifebuoy, SurfExcel, Rin, Wheel, Fair & Lovely, Pond‟s, Vaseline, Lakme, Dove, Clinic Plus, Sunsilk,
Pepsodent, CloseUp, Axe, Brook Bond, Bru, Knorr, Kissan, Kwality Wall‟s and Pureit. The company has over
16000 employees and has an annual turnover of around Rs.19400 corers (financial year 2010-2011). Over the
last two years, HUL have added one million new stores, doubling its coverage and taking the HUL products and
services to some of the remotest corners.
In India, HUL is known for its tight management of working capital and the company has been
operating with a negative working capital since 2000. But the management realized that as competition
intensifies, there is still scope for improving operational efficiency and cutting working capital needs. Unilever
companies in India integrated all aspects of finance, accounting and logistics into one all-embracing commercial
function. "Commercial" focused on cutting working capital requirements through innovative supply chain
management and use of Information Technology to improve the efficiency of transactions.
.

Table1A: Working Capital Trends and Liquidity Analysis of HUL from December 2007 to March 2012
(Rs. In crore)
March 2012 March 2011 March 2010 March 2009 December 2007
Inventories 2516.65 2811.26 2179.93 2528.86 1953.60
Sundry Debtors 678.99 943.20 678.44 536.89 443.37
Cash & Bank
Balance
510.05 281.91 231.37 190.59 200.11
Loan &
Advances
1314.72 1099.72 1068.31 1196.95 1083.28
Total Current
Assets
6340.40 6494.19 5818.89 6040.05 3681.11
Total Current
Liabilities
7634.36 7589.19 6935.52 5968.06 5302.31
Net Current
Assets
-1293.96 -1095.00 -1116.63 71.99 -1621.20
Source: Compiled from the Annual Reports of HUL.
Table 1B: Key Financial Ratios of HUL
March
2012
March 2011 March
2010
March 2009 December
2007
Operating Profit per share (Rs.) 15.38 12.34 12.82 13.60 9.54
Operating Profit Margin (%) 15.03 13.53 15.74 14.46 14.95
Gross Profit Margin (%) 14.04 12.41 14.70 13.50 15.86
Net Profit margin (%) 12.07 11.56 12.29 12.69 12.58
Current Ratio 0.83 0.86 0.84 0.92 0.68
Quick Ratio 0.45 0.43 0.46 0.51 0.25
Inventory Turnover Ratio 9.93 7.91 8.99 9.26 7.20
Debtors Turnover Ratio 27.27 24.28 29.24 41.83 31.41
Investment Turnover Ratio 9.93 7.91 8.99 9.26 8.20
Fixed Assets Turnover Ratio 6.26 5.63 5.35 7.81 9.80
Total Assets Turnover Ratio 6.37 8.31 7.66 9.22 10.53
Average Finished Goods held 29.08 35.15 32.05 34.18 29.81
Number of days in working
capital
-21.06 -20.02 -22.62 1.5 -42.05
It is evident from the above mentioned Table that among current assets inventories has the largest share and it
dominants the gross working capital during study period. Inventories and Loan and Advances represent almost
more than 50 per cent of gross working capital except during March 2009-2010. The current ratio or working
capital ratio is perhaps the most universally used of all the ratios. Ti measures the ability of the firm to pay off
its short- term maturity obligations. It demonstrates how quickly a company can meet its short- term obligations.
It can be observed from the table that the current ratio of HUL varies between 0.68 and 0.92 during last five
years. It is evident that on an average, per every one rupee of current assets, the company has been managing
0.206 rupee of current assets as a caution to meet its current liabilities. Quick ratio ranges between 0.25 and 0.51
during study period. It is a more severe test of liquidity than current ratio. On an average the company has
maintained 0.205 rupee of current assets except inventories against the standard quick ratio i.e.1:1. Inventory
turnover ratio is highest (9.93 times) in March 2012 and lowest (7.20 times) in December while Debtor turnover
ratio was highest (41.83 times) in March 2009 and lowest (24.28 times) in March 2011. Debtors management
appears to be quite satisfactory as more the number of times debtors turnover, better the liquidity position of the
company.
Number of days in working capital is used to describe how many days a company will take to convert
its working capital into revenue and fewer the number of days it is better. A short working capital cycle means a
business has good cash flow. However, HUL has negative working capital during study period except in 2009.
A negative working capital cycle means what a company purchases and sells turns into cash quicker than it has
to pay to its creditors and has more capital available to fund growth. For a business to grow it needs access to
cash and being able to free up cash from working capital cycle is cheaper than other sources of finance such as
loans.

ITC Limited
ITC Limited is an Indian public conglomerate company (25.4% owned by British corporation, British
American Tobacco) headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Its diversified business includes four
segments: Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), Hotels, Paperboards, Paper & Packaging and Agri Business.
ITC's annual turnover stood at $7 billion and market capitalization of over $34 billion. The company has its
registered office in Kolkata. It started off as the Imperial Tobacco Company, and shares ancestry with Imperial
Tobacco of the United Kingdom, but it is now fully independent, and was rechristened to India Tobacco
Company in 1970 and then to I.T.C. Limited in 1974. The company is currently headed by Yogesh Chander
Deveshwar. It employs over 29,000 people at more than 60 locations across India and is listed on Forbes 2000.
ITC Limited completed 100 years on 24 August 2010.
ITC has a diversified presence in FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods), Hotels, Paperboards &
Specialty Papers, Packaging, Agri-Business and Information Technology. While ITC is an outstanding market
leader in its traditional businesses of Hotels, Paperboards, Packaging, Agri-Exports and Cigarettes, it is rapidly
gaining market share even in its nascent businesses of Packaged Foods & Confectionery, Branded Apparel,
Personal Care and Stationery.
Table 2A: Working Capital Trends and Liquidity Analysis of ITC Ltd. from 2008 to 2012
(Rs. In Crore)
March 2012 March 2011 March 2010 March 2009 March 2008
Inventories 5637.83 5267.53 4549.07 4599.72 4050.52
Sundry Debtors 986.02 907.62 858.80 668.67 736.93
Cash & Bank
Balance
140.50 988.77 120.16 68.73 153.34
Loan &
Advances
1952.54 2173.89 1929.16 2150.21 1949.29
Total Current
Assets
11395.32 10592.28 8463.31 8450.99 7306.99
Total Current
Liabilities
10519.67 9772.94 9169.48 5862.08 5265.09
Net Current
Assets
875.65 819.34 -706.17 2588.91 2041.90
Source: Compiled from the Annual Reports of ITC Ltd.
Table 2B: Key Financial Ratios of ITC Ltd.
March
2012
March
2011
March
2010
March
2009
March
2008
Current Ratio 1.08 1.08 0.92 1.42 1.36
Quick Ratio 0.51 0.50 0.39 0.61 0.56
No. of days in working
capital
12.56 13.97 -13.69 62.19 52.39
Average finished goods held 40.51 40.67 36.33 64.35 43.88
It can be observed from the above-mentioned Table that ITC limited is dealing with positive working capital
during study period except in March 2010. During March 2010 current liabilities shown drastic increment of 56
per cent but current assets remained almost constant. Among total current assets inventory has the largest share
and it comprises more than 50 per cent of gross working capital. Loans and advances has second largest share in
gross working capital in last five years. The current ratio of the company ranges between 0.92:1 and 1.42:1. It
means on an average per every one rupee of current liabilities, the company has been maintaining 1.17 rupees of
current assets as a caution to meet its short- term obligations which is good. Quick ratio varies between 0.39:1
and 0.61:1 during the period. It has been noticed that there was continuous increment in debtors‟ turnover ratio
and inventory turnover ratio. Moreover the table disclosed a mean value of debtors‟ turnover ratio at 23.29 times
which indicates effective debtor management. As for as Number of days in working capital is concerned,
number of days in working capital has been decreased during the study period and even it turned into negative in
2010. Fewer the number of days better the position and it means the company has better cash flow.

Proctor & Gamble (P&G) India
P&G is one of the largest and amongst the fastest growing consumer goods companies in India.
Established in 1964, P&G India now serves over 650 million consumers across India. Its presence pan across the
Beauty and Grooming segment, the Household Care segment as well as the Health and Well Being segment
with trusted brands that are household name across India. These include Vicks, Ariel, Tide, Whisper, Olay,
Gillette, Ambipur, Pampers, Pantene, Oral-B, Head & Shoulders, Wella and Duracell.
Table3A: Working Capital Trends and Liquidity Analysis of P&G India from 2008 to 2012
(Rs. In Crore)
June 2012 June 2011 June 2010 June 2009 June 2008
Inventories 92.27 65.33 54.41 53.98 46.52
Sundry
Debtors
48.15 31.02 28.68 22.51 13.34
Cash & Bank
Balance
182.37 3.76 8.76 4.52 6.67
Loan &
Advances
548.45 461.28 322.40 336.65 208.95
Fixed Deposits 0.00 126.19 223.57 83.51 159.81
Total Current
Assets
871.24 687.58 637.82 501.17 435.29
Total Current
Liabilities
401.49 284.98 300.01 217.94 224.61
Net Current
Assets
469.75 402.60 337.81 283.23 210.68
Source: Compiled from the Annual Reports of P&G India
Table 3B: Key Financial Ratios of P&G India
June 2012 June 2011 June 2010 June 2009 June 2008
Current Ratio 2.17 2.41 2.13 2.30 1.94
Quick Ratio 1.94 2.16 1.92 2.02 1.70
Inventory Turnover 14.13 20.48 21.28 17.79 16.88
Debtors Turnover 32.78 33.54 35.21 43.11 46.03
Fixed Assets Turnover Ratio 3.75 3.20 3.71 3.48 3.17
Average Finished Goods held - 18.42 23.59 30.05 28.42
No. of days in working capital 130.34 144.76 134.94 131.94 117.78
From the above-mentioned table it can be viewed that the company has positive working capital throughout
study period. It is observed that Loans and advances have major share in gross working capital followed by
fixed deposits except in June 2012 (as fixed deposit was nil in 2012). The volume of net working capital has
also increased over the study period. Cash and bank balance has lowest share in total current assets except in
June 2012 and the percentage of cash and bank balances have been increased i.e. 47 per cent drastically in 2012
as compared to the last year. The current ratio ranges between 1.94 to 2.41 which reflects that there is over
investment in current assets and the portions of current assets are almost double the current liabilities during
study period. However, inventory turnover ratio disclosing an average value of 18.11 times which means
efficient management of inventory and more frequently the stock are sold. Debtor turnover ratio ranges between
32.78 times and 46.03 times and it has shown a decreasing trend during study period which is a pinch for the
company. The number of days in working capital of the company is on higher side and it is a sign a company
may be facing some cash trouble.
Nestle India
Nestlé is the world's leading Nutrition, Health and Wellness Company. Its mission of "Good Food,
Good Life" is to provide consumers with the best tasting, most nutritious choices in a wide range of food and
beverage categories and eating occasions from morning to night. The Company was founded in 1866 by

Henri Nestlé in Vevey, Switzerland, where our headquarters are still located today. We employ around 2, 80,000
people and have factories or operations in almost every country in the world.
It is evident from the following table that inventories has the largest share (almost more than 50 per cent) in
gross working capital followed by loans and advances. The table is also disclosing that the company is dealing
negative working capital as the total current liabilities are more than total current assets. The current ratio of the
company is very low i.e.0.60:1 on an average as against the standard ratio i.e. as per Tandon Committee1
which
indicates that the company is maintaining only 0.60 rupee of current assets as a caution to meet the short-term
liabilities. Quick ratio is also very low during study period. Inventory turnover ratio fluctuated between 8.79
times and 12.33 times which means the company has satisfactory inventory management. Debtors‟ turnover
ratio stood at 85.4 times on an average basis during study period which reflects efficient debtor management.
Moreover, the company has negative working capital during study period. A negative working capital is a sign
of managerial efficiency in a business with low inventory and accounts receivables (which means it operates on
an almost strictly cash basis). In other situation, it is a sign a company may be facing bankruptcy or serious
financial trouble. However, it is not with Nestle India. In fact, it indicates that it may be collecting money from
sale before it pays for goods which mean it has good cash flow.
Table 4A: Working Capital Trends and Liquidity Analysis of Nestle India from December 2007 to
December 2012
(Rs. In Crore)
December
2011
December
2011
December
2009
December
2008
December
2007
Inventories 734.04 575.95 498.74 434.911 401.22
Sundry Debtors 115.42 63.29 64.19 45.59 53.49
Cash & Bank
Balance
25.55 19.45 26.73 12.66 15.75
Loan &
Advances
256.36 200.17 184.85 162.67 186.23
Fixed Deposits 201.66 235.84 128.86 181.03 22.01
Total Current
Assets
1333.03 1094.70 903.37 836.86 678.70
Total Current
Liabilities
2216.96 1751.62 1501.18 1259.76 1027.30
Net Current
Assets
-883.93 -656.92 -597.81 -422.90 -348.60
Source: Compiled from the Annual Reports of Nestle India
Table 4B: Key Financial Ratios of Nestle India
December
2011
December
2010
December
2009
December
2008
December
2007
Current Ratio 0.42 0.62 0.60 0.66 0.66
Quick Ratio 0.24 0.27 0.24 0.29 0.23
No. of days in working capital -42.48 -37.78 -41.86 -35.17 -35.85
Average finished goods held 22.14 22.77 22.17 26.46 28.54
Britannia Industries
In 1892 to be precise, a biscuit company was started in a nondescript house in Calcutta (now Kolkata) with an
initial investment of Rs. 295. The company we all know as Britannia today. The beginnings might have been
1
. In 1974, a study group under the chairmanship of Mr. P. L. Tandon was constituted for framing guidelines for commercial
banks for follow-up & supervision of bank credit for ensuring proper end-use of funds. The group submitted its report in
August 1975, which came to be popularly known as Tandon Committee‟s Report. Its main recommendations related to
norms for inventory and receivables, the approach to lending, style of credit, follow ups & information system.
Retrivrd from http://rbidocs.rbi.org.in/rdocs/PublicationReport/PDFs/16088.pdf

humble-the dreams were anything but. By 1910, with the advent of electricity, Britannia mechanized its
operations, and in 1921, it became the first company east of the Suez Canal to use imported gas ovens.
Britannia's business was flourishing. But, more importantly, Britannia was acquiring a reputation for quality and
value. As a result, during the tragic World War II, the Government reposed its trust in Britannia by contracting it
to supply large quantities of "service biscuits" to the armed forces. As time moved on, the biscuit market
continued to grow… and Britannia grew along with it. In 1975, the Britannia Biscuit Company took over the
distribution of biscuits from Parry's who till now distributed Britannia biscuits in India. In the subsequent public
issue of 1978, Indian shareholding crossed 60%, firmly establishing the Indianans of the firm. The following
year, Britannia Biscuit Company was re-christened Britannia Industries Limited (BIL). Four years later in 1983,
it crossed the Rs. 100 crores revenue mark. On the operations front, the company was making equally dynamic
strides. In 1992, it celebrated its Platinum Jubilee. In 1997, the company unveiled its new corporate identity -
"Eat Healthy, Think Better" - and made its first foray into the dairy products market. In 1999, the "Britannia
Khao, World Cup Jao" promotion further fortified the affinity consumers had with „Brand Britannia'. Britannia
strode into the 21st Century as one of India's biggest brands and the pre-eminent food brand of the country. It
was equally recognized for its innovative approach to products and marketing: the Lagaan Match was voted
India's most successful promotional activity of the year 2001 while the delicious Britannia 50-50 Maska-Chaska
became India's most successful product launch. In 2002, Britannia's New Business Division formed a joint
venture with Fonterra, the world's second largest Dairy Company, and Britannia New Zealand Foods Pvt. Ltd.
was born. In recognition of its vision and accelerating graph, Forbes Global rated Britannia 'One amongst the
Top 200 Small Companies of the World', and The Economic Times pegged Britannia India's 2nd Most Trusted
Brand.
Table 5A: Working Capital Trends and Liquidity Analysis of Britannia Industries from March 2008 to
March 2012
(Rs. In Crore)
March 2012 March 2011 March 2010 March 2009 March 2008
Inventories 328.28 311.20 268.34 253.63 301.53
Sundry Debtors 52.14 57.27 39.49 49.61 46.33
Cash & Bank
Balance
30.94 27.25 18.11 40.56 43.54
Loan &
Advances
391.22 351.11 211.00 209.61 185.54
Fixed Deposits 0.00 1.50 5.25 0.24 0.23
Total Current
Assets
784.59 648.33 552.19 553.65 577.49
Total Current
Liabilities
1124.15 625.96 510.10 437.54 370.31
Net Current
Assets
-339.57 22.37 42.09 116.11 207.18
Source: Compiled from the Annual Reports of Britannia Industries
Table 5B: Key Financial Ratios of Britannia Industries
March 2012 March
2011
March 2010 March
2009
March 2008
Current Ratio 0.70 1.04 1.08 1.27 1.22
Quick Ratio 0.36 0.50 0.50 0.65 0.68
Inventory Turnover 13.15 16.68 15.08 14.54 9.98
Debtors Turnover 90.75 87.18 76.42 64.88 69.07
Average Finished Goods held - 12.58 13.81 11.59 11.08
No. of days in working capital -24.62 1.91 4.45 14.43 28.82
The abovementioned table disclosed that the company was dealing with positive working capital except
during March 2011-12 as current liabilities increased drastically by almost 80 per cent as compared to current
assets which has rose by only 21 per cent. Moreover, in gross working capital loans and advances has largest
share during last two years whereas from March 2010 to March 2008 inventories had the largest share in total
current assets. However, fixed deposits have least share in gross working capital and it was nil in March 2012.

As for as number of days in working capital is concerned, it has shown a declining trend and even turned into
negative during march 2010-11. It indicates that the company has good cash flow and negative working capital
reflects that the company operates on an almost strictly cash basis with low inventory and accounts receivables.
II. Conclusion
More companies go under because of cash flow issues, rather than declining profitability. Hence
traditional prudence always suggests that a firm should have sufficient cash to cover its immediate liabilities.
However there is a growing breed of FMCG companies that claim otherwise. Unlike most other industries, the
turnover of a FMCG company is not limited by its ability to produce, but its ability to sell. They can generate
cash so quickly they actually have a negative working capital. This happens because customers pay upfront and
so rapidly, the business has no problem raising cash (like amazom.com, McDonald). In these companies
products are delivered and sold to the customer before the company even pays for them. Hence they concentrate
their resources on marketing and either outsource their manufacturing or make a limited investment (as
compared to their turnover) in plant and machinery. Therefore there is a limited room to raise funds by
mortgaging the plant and machinery. The developments in SCM, ERP and implementation of JIT have made the
firms leaner and hence now it‟s not possible to raise substantial funds via inventories. Typically a firm pledges
its plant, machinery or inventory to raise the bank loan/overdraft required to fund its operation. Realizing these
limitations, many companies (esp. Dell and Dabur) starting using their negotiating powers over their customers
and suppliers to fund their expansion in operations. A negative working capital is a sign of managerial
efficiency in a business with low inventory and accounts receivables (which means it operates on an almost
strictly cash basis). In other situation, it is a sign a company may be facing bankruptcy or serious financial
trouble.
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