REVIEW OF CHAPTER 17  

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Temporary and Long-Term Investments

  1.     (S.O. 1)  Corporations purchase investments because (1) they may have excess cash, (2) they generate earnings from investment income, and (3) for strategic reasons.

 

Accounting for Short-Term Debt Investments

 

2.     (S.O. 2)  Debt investments are investments in government and corporation bonds.  At acquisition, the cost principle is applied and all expenditures necessary to acquire these investments are included in the cost (e.g., brokerage fees).  At acquisition, Debt Investments is debited and Cash is credited for the cost of the investment.

 

3.     Interest revenue must also be recorded on debt investments.  Assume Buboo Company (fiscal year ends December 31) receives $2,000 interest every six months on a debt investment purchased April 1, 2001.  The following entries are required:

 

        Oct.       1     Cash..........................................................................................                  2,000

                                   Interest Revenue.........................................................................                                          2,000

 

        Dec.    31     Interest Receivable.....................................................................                  1,000

                                   Interest Revenue.........................................................................                                          1,000

 

        Apr.       1     Cash..........................................................................................                  2,000

                                   Interest Receivable......................................................................                                          1,000

                                   Interest Revenue.........................................................................                                          1,000

 

4.     When bonds are sold, it is necessary to credit the investment account for the cost of the bonds, debit Cash, and any difference between the sale price and cost of bonds is recorded as a gain or loss.  The gain or loss on the sale of debt investments is reported under Other Revenues and Gains or Other Expenses and Losses, respectively, in the income statement.

 

Accounting for Long-Term Debt Investments

 

5.     The accounting for temporary debt investments and for long-term debt investments is similar except for when bonds are purchased at a premium or a discount.  For temporary investments, the bond premium or discount is not amortized, and for long-term investments, the bond premium or discount is amortized.  The investor can use either the straight-line or the effective-interest method of amortization.


Accounting for Stock Investments

 

6.     (S.O. 3)  Stock investments are investments in the capital stock of corporations.  The accounting for stock investments differs depending on the degree of influence the investor has over the issuing corporation.  The presumed influences based on the investor's ownership interest and the accounting guidelines that are to be used are as follows:

       

        Investor's Ownership Interest             Presumed Influence

        in Investee's Common Stock                      on Investee                       Accounting Guidelines

              Less than 20%                                           Insignificant                           Cost Method

 

              Between 20% and 50%                              Significant                              Equity Method

 

              More than 50%                                          Controlling                          Consolidated financial

                                                                                                                                 statements

 

Holdings Less than 20%

 

7.     In accounting for stock investments of less than 20%, the cost method is used.  Under the cost method, the investment is recorded at cost and revenue is recognized only when cash dividends are received.

         a.     At acquisition, the cost principle applies and Stock Investments is debited and Cash is credited.

         b.     When dividends are received, Cash is debited and Dividend Revenue is credited.

         c.     When stock is sold, Cash is debited, Stock Investments is credited, and any difference between the two is debited or credited to Loss or Gain on Sale of Stock Investments, respectively.  The loss or gain is reported under Other Expenses and Losses or Other Revenues and Gains in the income statement.

 

Holdings Between 20% and 50%

 

8.      When an investor owns between 20% and 50% of the common stock of a corporation, it is generally presumed that the investor has a significant influence over the financial and operating activities of the investee; and therefore the equity method is used.  Under the equity method, the investor does not record its share of the investee until the investee has earned income.

         a.     At acquisition, the cost principle applies and Stock Investments is debited and Cash is credited.

         b.     Each year, the investor records its share of the investee's income (investee's income X % of ownership in investee) with a debit to Stock Investments and a credit to Revenue from Investee Company (if the investee incurred a loss, then the opposite entry is made).

         c.     Upon receiving dividends from the investee, the investor makes a debit to Cash and a credit to Stock Investments.


Holdings of More Than 50%

 

9.      (S.O. 4)  A company that owns more than 50% of the common stock of another entity is known as the parent company.  The entity whose stock is owned by the parent company is called the Subisidiary (affiliated) company.  Because of its stock ownership, the parent company has a controlling interest in the subsidiary company.

10.     When a company owns more than 50% of the common stock of another company, consolidated financial statements are usually prepared.  Consolidated financial statements present the assets and liabilities controlled by the parent company and the aggregate profitability of the subsidiary companies.

 

Valuation and Reporting of Investments

 

11.     (S.O. 5)  For purposes of valuation and reporting at a financial statement date, debt and stock investments are classified into the following three categories.

         a.     Trading securities are securities bought and held primarily for sale in the near term to generate income on short-term price differences.

         b.     Available-for-sale securities are securities that may be sold in the future.

         c.     Held-to-maturity securities are debt securities that the investor has the intent and ability to hold to maturity.

 

12.     The valuation guidelines for the above securities are as follows:

 

                    Trading                                 Available-for-sale                            Held-to-maturity

                 At fair value with                        At fair value with changes                  At amortized cost

                 changes reported in                     reported in the stock-

                 net income                                  holders' equity section

 

Trading Securities

 

13.     When the trading securities are not sold, the difference between the total cost of the securities and their total fair value is reported as unrealized gains or losses in the income statement.  The adjusting entry to record an unrealized gain would include a debit to Market Adjustment Trading and a credit to Unrealized Gain Income.  The adjusting entry to record an unrealized loss would include a debit to Unrealized Loss Income and a credit to Market Adjustment Trading.  The unrealized gains or losses are reported in the income statement under Other Revenues and Gains or Other Expenses and Losses, respectively.

 

Available-for-Sale

 

14.     If available-for-sale securities are held with the intent to sell them within the next year or operating cycle, the securities are classified as current assets in the balance sheet.  Otherwise, they are classified as long-term assets in the investments section of the balance sheet.


15.     The available-for-sale securities adjusting entry is made in the same way as the trading securities adjusting entry except that the unrealized gain or loss is reported in the stockholders' equity section of the balance sheet.  This balance is then adjusted with the market adjustment account to show the difference between the cost and fair value at that time.

 

16.   (S.O. 6)  Temporary investments are securities held by a company that are (a) readily marketable and (b) intended to be converted into cash within the next year or operating cycle, whichever is longer.  Investments that do not meet both criteria are classified as long-term investments.

 

17.   An investment is readily marketable when it can be sold easily whenever the need for cash arises.  Intent to convert means that management intends to sell the investment within the next year or the operating cycle, whichever is longer.

 

Balance Sheet Presentation

 

18.     Temporary investments are listed immediately below cash in the current asset section of the balance sheet.  Temporary investments are reported at fair value.  Long-term investments are generally reported in a separate section of the balance sheet immediately below current assets; and available-for-sale securities are reported at fair value, and investments in common stock accounted for under the equity method are reported at equity.

 

19.     In the income statement, the following items are reported in the nonoperating section:

 

                 Other Revenue and Gains                                       Other Expenses and Losses

                 Interest Revenue                                                        Loss on Sale of Investments

                 Dividend Revenue                                                      Unrealized Loss Income

                 Gain on Sale of Investments                                       

                 Unrealized Gain Income

 

         The unrealized gain or loss on available-for-sale securities is reported as a separate component of stockholders' equity.

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