396 INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
Inventory Management
Firms hold inventory for different purposes, which may be broadly categorized as trans-
action, precautionary, and speculative purposes. A firm may hold inventory to meet its
day-to-day business (production) requirements. The level of such inventory should be large
enough to meet the normal business requirements of the firm. It may also maintain some
extra stock (more than that required for normal business) to meet unexpected increases
in business requirements or any contingency. A firm may also maintain a certain stock to
cash in on unexpected opportunities in the future. While deciding on the level of inven-
tory (how much stock of inventory a firm should hold during a particular period), ...