Multinational Financial Management

Current Asset Management and Short-Term Financing

A penny saved is a penny earned.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• To describe the basic objectives of international cash management
• To identify the advantages of a centralized international cash management program
• To describe the techniques that multinational corporations (MNCs) can use to expedite the collection of funds both within a foreign country and across borders, and to manage their disbursements more effectively
• To define payments netting and explain its benefits
• To identify the basic techniques and guidelines for globally managing a marketable securities portfolio
• To describe the techniques available to an MNC with operating subsidiaries in many countries to economize on cash and marketable securities
• To describe the techniques companies can use for international cash planning and budgeting
• To identify the basic problems MNCs have in managing their bank relations and to describe how MNCs can cope with these problems
• To describe the circumstances under which an MNC may benefit by easing its credit terms on foreign sales
• To describe a five-step approach that firms can use to compare the expected benefits and costs associated with extending credit internationally
• To identify the inventory management problems faced by MNCs and the techniques that they can use to deal with these problems
• To identify the key factors associated ...