Short-Term Investments | Financial Accounting (2024)

Learning Outcomes

  • Demonstrate an understanding of accounting for short-term investments

When a corporation purchases the stock of another corporation, the method of accounting for the stock investment depends on the corporation’s motivation for making the investment and the relative size of the investment. A corporation’s motivation for purchasing the stock of another company may be: (1) as a short or long-term investment of excess cash; (2) as a long-term investment in a substantial percentage of another company’s stock to ensure a supply of a required raw material (for example, Albemarle’s investment in the Wodgina project); or (3) as a long-term investment for expansion (when a company purchases another profitable company rather than starting a new business operation, as Facebook did when it purchased WhatsApp).

Short-Term Investments | Financial Accounting (1)

Reporting these investments on the balance sheet depends on management’s intent. If the investment is intended to be temporary, it is categorized as a current asset. If it intended to be long-term, it is a noncurrent asset.

Trading securities include both debt securities (bonds) and equity securities (stocks) an entity intends to sell in the short term for a profit that it expects to generate from increases in the price of the securities, so they are always considered current assets.Trading is usually done through an organized stock exchange, which acts as the intermediary between a buyer and seller, though it is also possible to directly engage in purchase and sale transactions with counterparties.

Trading securities are recorded in the balance sheet of the investor at their fair value as of the balance sheet date. If there is a change in the fair value of such an asset from period to period, this change is recognized in the income statement as a gain or loss.

Other investments in marketable securities are classified as either available-for-sale or held-to-maturity.

  • Held-to-maturity investments are usually bonds (loans to other companies) held until they come due, which may be years in the future.
  • Available-for-sale securities don’t fit in the other two categories, and so may be classified as current or noncurrent, depending on the facts and circumstances.

In this section, we’ll focus on trading securities. Think of trading securities as your on-line brokerage account where you put a few extra dollars trying to earn a quick profit instead of letting that money sit in a savings account that pays very little. Available-for-sale securities and held-to-maturity securities are more like your 401(k) retirement plan, where you set it aside and leave it.

Short-Term Investments | Financial Accounting (2)

For example, Facebook, Inc. had almost $20 billion in cash and cash equivalents at the end of 2019 (see below) which may seem like a lot of cash sitting idle and not earning much return on investment (because cash and cash equivalents are invested in short-term, low-risk and therefore low-return but highly liquid securities). However, with annual operating expenses of almost $50 billion in 2019, plus cash needed for capital investments, $20 billion in the bank is not unreasonable. Imagine if your annual household expenses were $50,000 and you had $20,000 in the bank—that wouldn’t be unreasonable.

However, there is another $36 billion in marketable securities on the balance sheet (trading securities and short-term available-for-sale securities). Equate that to you personally having another $36,000 invested in the stock market. One question you might have is: where is all that cash coming from? In a later module, you’ll study the statement of cash flows, which may answer that question, but for now, we are just analyzing the balance sheet. It is clear though that Facebook has a lot of cash and liquid assets.

You can view the transcript for “9 – Intent-Based Accounting” here (opens in new window).

Investors in common stock can use two methods to account for their investments. The purchaser’s level of ownership determines whether the investment is accounted for by (a) the cost method or (b) the equity method.

Under both methods, the purchaser initially records the investment at cost (price paid at acquisition). Under the cost method, the investor company does not adjust the investment account balance subsequently for its share of the investee’s reported income, losses, and dividends. If the investor company receives dividends, it debits whatever money market or savings or checking account the dividend was deposited to and credits an income statement account called Dividend Revenue or something similar. That account is usually reported “below the line” (after operating income but before taxable income).

For example, YourCompany buys, via an EFT from the general checking account to a broker, 100 shares of Public, Inc. at $55 per share, and intends to sell it within six months, or as soon as it hits $60, whichever is sooner. The intent is to hold it short-term, and it is unlikely that YourCompany owns any significant portion of ownership. This is called a trading security and will be categorized as short-term, and we will use the cost method to account for such investments.

Journal
DateDescriptionPost. Ref.DebitCredit
Marketable Securities$5,500
Checking Account$5,500
To record the purchase of 100 shares of Public, Inc.

When a dividend is deposited into our brokerage money market account, we record it as follows:

Journal
DateDescriptionPost. Ref.DebitCredit
Money Market Account$5
Dividend Revenue$5
To record receipt of Public, Inc. dividend.

At year-end, companies adjust the book value of trading securities (and available-for-sale securities, covered in the next section) to fair market value. Fair market value is considered to be the market price of the securities or what a buyer or seller would pay to exchange the securities. An unrealized holding gain or loss will usually result in each portfolio.

To illustrate the application of the fair market value to trading securities, assume YourCompany only has that 100 shares of Public, Inc. stock in the trading securities portfolio. At year-end, based on the closing value from the stock market listing, the trading price is now $50. The journal entry required at the end of the year is:

Journal
DateDescriptionPost. Ref.DebitCredit
Dec 31Unrealized loss on trading securities500
Dec 31Trading securities500
Dec 31To record unrealized loss from market decline of trading securities.

Note that the debit is to the Unrealized Loss on Trading Securities account. This loss is unrealized because the securities have not been sold. However, the loss is reported in the income statement as a deduction in arriving at net income. The credit in the preceding entry is to the Trading Securities account so as to adjust its balance to its fair market value. An unrealized holding gain would be an addition to net income. In addition, some companies may post the unrealized gains and losses to a contra or companion account. That is a bookkeeping decision.

If YourCompany sold the 100 shares of Public, Inc. in January of the next year at $60 per share, the company would receive $6,000. The gain on sale entry would be:

Journal
DateDescriptionPost. Ref.DebitCredit
Jan 1Checking Account6,000
Jan 1Trading securities5,000
Jan 1Gain on sale of trading securities1,000
Jan 1To record the sale of YourCompany stock.

No adjustment needs to be made to the unrealized loss account previously debited because the unrealized loss recorded last year has flowed through the income statement and been closed to retained earnings through the closing process.

Obviously, there would be a subsidiary ledger tracking the individual stocks, which could be as simple as the brokerage statement, as long as the amounts tie to the general ledger control account (trading securities).

PRACTICE QUESTION

As an expert and enthusiast, I have access to a vast amount of information on various topics, including accounting for short-term investments. I can provide you with an overview of the concepts mentioned in the article you provided. Here's a breakdown of the key points:

Accounting for Short-Term Investments

When a corporation purchases the stock of another corporation, the method of accounting for the stock investment depends on the corporation's motivation for making the investment and the relative size of the investment. The motivation for purchasing the stock can be categorized as follows:

  1. Short or Long-Term Investment of Excess Cash: If the investment is made to utilize excess cash, it can be categorized as a short or long-term investment.
  2. Long-Term Investment for Raw Material Supply: If the investment is made to ensure a supply of a required raw material, it is considered a long-term investment.
  3. Long-Term Investment for Expansion: If a company purchases another profitable company instead of starting a new business operation, it is considered a long-term investment for expansion.

The classification of these investments on the balance sheet depends on management's intent. If the investment is intended to be temporary, it is categorized as a current asset. If it is intended to be long-term, it is classified as a noncurrent asset.

Trading Securities

Trading securities include both debt securities (bonds) and equity securities (stocks) that an entity intends to sell in the short term for a profit. These securities are always considered current assets. Trading is usually done through an organized stock exchange, but it is also possible to directly engage in purchase and sale transactions with counterparties.

Trading securities are recorded on the balance sheet at their fair value as of the balance sheet date. Any change in the fair value of these assets from period to period is recognized in the income statement as a gain or loss.

Available-for-Sale and Held-to-Maturity Securities

Other investments in marketable securities are classified as either available-for-sale or held-to-maturity.

  1. Held-to-Maturity Investments: These are usually bonds (loans to other companies) held until they come due, which may be years in the future.
  2. Available-for-Sale Securities: These securities don't fit into the other two categories and can be classified as current or noncurrent, depending on the facts and circumstances.

Accounting Methods for Investments in Common Stock

Investors in common stock can use two methods to account for their investments based on the purchaser's level of ownership:

  1. Cost Method: Under the cost method, the investor initially records the investment at cost and does not adjust the investment account balance subsequently for its share of the investee's reported income, losses, and dividends.
  2. Equity Method: Under the equity method, the investor company adjusts the investment account balance for its share of the investee's reported income, losses, and dividends.

Examples and Journal Entries

The article provides examples and journal entries to illustrate the application of accounting methods for short-term investments. It covers scenarios such as the purchase of trading securities, recording dividends, adjusting the book value of trading securities to fair market value, and recording gains on the sale of trading securities.

Please note that the information provided here is a summary of the concepts mentioned in the article you provided. For more detailed information and examples, you may refer to the original article or consult accounting textbooks or resources.

Let me know if there's anything specific you would like to know or if you have any further questions!

Short-Term Investments | Financial Accounting (2024)
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