Final answer:
The cost of borrowing money to purchase and hold inventory will be greater for Company B (Smith) with a 48-day operating cycle. Option b.
Step-by-step explanation:
The cost of borrowing money to purchase and hold inventory will be greater for Company B (Smith).
The operating cycle is the time it takes for a company to convert its cash into inventory, sell the inventory, and then receive cash from the sale. Generally, the longer the operating cycle, the more time and money a company needs to invest in its inventory.
Comparing the operating cycle lengths of the four companies, we can see that Company B (Smith) has the longest operating cycle of 48 days. This means that Company B takes longer to sell its inventory and receive the cash. As a result, Company B will need to hold the inventory for a longer period and incur a higher cost of borrowing money to finance the inventory.