Final answer:
Increasing accounts receivable raises the quick ratio, as it is considered a liquid asset, without changing the cash ratio since it's not cash nor a cash equivalent.
Step-by-step explanation:
An increase in accounts receivable will increase a firm's quick ratio without affecting its cash ratio. The quick ratio, also known as the acid-test ratio, measures a company's ability to meet its short-term obligations with its most liquid assets. The cash ratio, on the other hand, measures a company's ability to pay off short-term debt with cash and cash equivalents alone. Increasing accounts receivable improves the quick ratio as it is considered a liquid asset, but it does not add to cash and cash equivalents, thus not impacting the cash ratio.
To understand why, we can look at the formulas:
An increase in accounts payable, inventory, or fixed assets does not directly increase the quick ratio, and increasing cash would affect both the quick and cash ratios. Therefore, the correct answer is d. Accounts receivable.