The Financial Reporting Blog

The new revenue recognition standard has been called “historic in its breadth and impact across industries.” The standard itself was introduced back in 2014 with the FASB’s issuance of Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). Since that time, accountants and preparers have grappled with preparing for the new guidance. The focus of this post is not to comprehensively explain the new rules. Instead, we examine one public company’s experience with the transition (Workday) and then highlight a few areas that may be of interest to analysts, finance managers, and interested onlookers – from a valuation perspective.

When it comes to money, “enough” is the hardest word to define. The challenge of defining “enough” extends to corporate managers deciding what cash balance is appropriate. Cash balances can provide a cushion against unanticipated adverse events in the business. When companies need cash is usually the worst time to try to raise capital. Having sufficient cash on hand to weather an unexpected downturn in the business can help shareholders avoid dilutive capital raises at inopportune times. On the other hand, cash is a very low-yielding asset.