Final answer:
To infer net income using the indirect method, adjustments are made to the net cash provided by operating activities, taking into account non-cash expenses and changes in working capital. Accounting profit is calculated by subtracting explicit costs from revenues, while economic profit adjusts accounting profit by subtracting implicit costs.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Indirect Method of Cash Flow
The student's question revolves around the indirect method for calculating net income from the operating cash flows presented in a company's statement of cash flows. To infer the net income from operating cash flows using the indirect method, one needs to adjust for changes in working capital accounts, add back non-cash expenses, and subtract gains or add losses related to investing or financing activities from the net cash provided by operating activities.
Calculating Accounting Profit
Accounting profit is determined by subtracting explicit costs from total revenues. For example, if a company has revenues of $200,000 and explicit costs of $85,000, the accounting profit would be $115,000 ($200,000 - $85,000).
Calculating Economic Profit
The next step is to factor in the implicit costs to determine the economic profit. This is done by subtracting the implicit costs from the previously calculated accounting profit. If the accounting profit is $50,000 and the implicit costs are $30,000, the economic profit would therefore be $20,000 ($50,000 - $30,000). A negative economic profit, such as -$10,000, indicates that the company is not covering all of its costs including opportunity costs.