Mastering Financial Management: A step-by-step guide to strategies, applications and skills(Financial Times Series)

'Mastering Financial Management is sure to prove useful to students and members. The book is closely aligned to the Chartered Institute of Bankers syllabus'. Chartered Banker, September 2009 Financial management is concerned with the strategic management of an organisation?s finances to ensure that financial objectives are achieved. Because money is the common denominator for the measurement and control of most aspects of a business, financial management is at the heart of all decision making, and skills in financial management will be necessary for all those in an executive position.  One basic assumption of profit making organisations is the maximisation of shareholders? wealth, and sound financial management plays a major role in this. It is a very wide subject requiring knowledge of aspects of accounting, taxation, management, finance, capital management, investment appraisal, risk management, pricing, dividend policy, financial mathematics and strategic financial management.                                            This book is targeted at those professionals who have taken over a strategic planning position but who have no knowledge of all aspects of financial management. It is also designed to help those studying for professional qualifications in finance and banking subjects. It provides a step-by-step guide from the basics elements of financial management through to advanced strategic financial management. It also covers the ACCA and ICAEW financial management syllabus.

Table of Contents:
    Foreword Publisher’s acknowledgements   1 Overview of financial management and its relationship with corporate strategy and the markets   A definition of financial management Financial management and corporate strategy The role of the financial markets Summary   2 Financial accounting and ratio analysis   Introduction The origins of accounting and the double-entry system The basic principles of double entry Trial balance Profit and loss account Balance sheet Classification of assets Classification of liabilities Fundamental accounting concepts and principles Ratio analysis Summary   3 Company taxation interface with financial management   Overview Outline of corporation tax Value added tax – VAT PAYE and NI Global tax planning Overseas activities Double–taxation relief Foreign companies trading in the UK Transfer pricing Tax and decision making Tax strategy interface with business strategy and finance Committing to a tax strategy   4 Inflation and the changing value of money over time Overview Inflation, deflation, disinflation, stagflation, hyperinflation Official sources of inflation statistics Time value of money and discounted cash flow Summary   5 Budgeting   Budgetary control and the budget process Budgets and variance analysis Budget methods and types of budgeting and relationship with planning; Types of budgets Choices, priorities and capital rationing Summary   6 Marginal costing and pricing   Overview Fixed costs Variable costs Semi–variable costs or semi–fixed costs Total cost Contribution Break–even point The use of marginal costing in pricing decisions The advantages and disadvantages of marginal costing   7 Absorption costing, standard costing and activity–based costing   Absorption costing The fully integrated standard costing system The principal advantages of standard costing systems Setting standards Activity–based costing (ABC) The use of marginal costing in conjunction with standard costing   8 Pricing and costs   Setting selling prices Social and legal issues in pricing Sales mix Using linear programming techniques to solve problems of sales mix when there are resource constraints Using cost information in pricing Marketing strategies Summary     9 Encouraging performance through goal alignment and congruence   Goal alignment Reward schemes Broader incentives Summary     10 Working capital management   The need for working capital, the working capital ratio and cycle Overtrading Stock turnover and optimal stock levels Debtors Cash control and management What to do with short–term surplus cash Working capital funding strategies  Summary   11 Business finance, long–term versus short–term finance, gearing and capital structure   The uses of long–term and short–term finance Short–term finance Term and long–term finance and funds Gearing and capital structure Export finance Bank relationship strategy   12 The cost of capital   Definition of the cost of capital and discussion Cost of debt Weighted average cost of capital (WACC) Dividend growth model Capital asset pricing model (CAPM) Summary   13 Capital structure   Background The MM view  Traditional view of the cost of capital Pecking Order theory Capital structure, cost of capital and investments Pragmatic summary A theoretical view – the perfect market versus the real world   14 Business valuations   Background Business valuers and the information they require Asset–based valuations Income/earnings–based valuations Cash flow valuations Debt valuation Summary   15 Foreign currency and exchange risk management   The nature of foreign currency risk Reasons for exchange rate movements Currency risk management   Currency derivatives   16 Interest rate risk   Introduction The causes of interest rate fluctuations Types of interest rate Interest rate risk management FRAs (forward rate agreements) Interest rate derivatives   17 Investment decisions   Investment and the capital budgeting process Relevant cash flow Payback period method of evaluation Return on capital employed (ROCE) Accounting rate of return (ARR) Discounted cash flow, net present value and internal rate of return Capital rationing The effect of taxation on investment appraisal and DCF   18 Mergers and acquisitions (M&A)   Background and definitions Considerations on acquisition Defensive tactics Competition Commission Acquisition consideration The market value of shares during a takeover The effect of takeovers on PE ratios, EPS and creating paper value Effect of mergers and takeovers on dividend cover Reverse takeovers Demergers The City Code on Takeovers and Mergers    Documents in a takeover bid Summary of order of events in a takeover Cross–border M&A How will the 2009 recession effect the M&A market?   19 Outsourcing and shared services  Background What is outsourcing? The outsourcing decision Outsourcing groups, associations and information sources Shared services Further reading   20 Financial markets   Types of financial intermediaries Bank prudential supervision The money market The capital market   21 International money and capital markets   Background The Eurocurrency market International capital markets Eurobonds Euronotes Eurocommercial paper (ECP) Using the Eurocurrency market to hedge against foreign exchange risk International Capital Markets Association (ICMA)   22 Strategic financial management   Definition Creating value through finance whilst still supporting overall business strategy The strategic financial management process The strategic financial management interface with corporate strategy Financial management in a recession Conclusion   23 Professionalism and ethics – what happens if it all goes wrong?   Background What is good ethical behaviour? Ethical issues Handling ethical issues Summary   Chapter 24 Sustainability and financial management   Background Sustainability reporting and accounting Financial management and sustainability An example of excellence in sustainable reporting and sustainable business strategies   Appendix 1   Compound interest tables Discounted cash flow tables   Appendix 2 Useful financial formulae   Appendix 3 Mastering Financial Management chapters relevant to professional examination syllabi     Further reading  Index  

About the Author :
Clive Marsh runs HeathMarsh, a research and development, and training organisation. He’s a chartered banker and a Fellow of the Charted Institute of Management. He has a MA in Strategic Financial Management and has worked for a range of organisations including Shell, IBM, Gap Gemini and Nat West.

Review :
 ''A good read. Sure to prove useful to students and members ...''  Chartered Banker, August/September "This is an essential reference guide for entrepreneurs and finance specialists and invaluable study material for students" Accounting Technician, January 2010