Question

Which of the following statements is correct?

a. The current cash flow from existing assets is highly relevant to investors. However, since the value of the firm depends primarily upon its growth opportunities, accounting net income projections from those opportunities are the only relevant future flows with which investors are concerned.
b. Two metrics that are used to measure a company's financial performance are net income and free cash flow. Accountants tend to emphasize net income as calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Finance people generally put at least as much weight on free cash flows as they do on net income.
c. To estimate the net cash provided by operations, depreciation must be subtracted from net income because it is a non-cash charge that has been added to revenue.
d. Interest paid by a corporation is a tax deduction for the paying corporation, but dividends paid are not deductible. This treatment, other things held constant, tends to discourage the use of debt financing by corporations.
e. If Congress changed depreciation allowances so that companies had to report higher depreciation levels for tax purposes in 2013, this would lower their free cash flows for 2013.

Answer 1

The correct statement is:

b. Two metrics that are used to measure a company's financial performance are net income and free cash flow. Accountants tend to emphasize net income as calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Finance people generally put at least as much weight on free cash flows as they do on net income.

Step-by-step explanation:

Net income and free cash flow are profitability measures. While net income measures profitability by including all expenses: cash and non-cash, free cash flow measures profitability by excluding the non-cash expenses but instead includes spending on assets and working capital periodic changes.