BALANCE SHEET ITEMS AS THE PRESENT VALUE OF FUTURE CASH FLOWS |
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| Authors: | Diran Bodenhorn |
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| Affiliation: | The author is Professor of Economics at Cleveland State University. He is indebted to many people, including Edward Bell, Richard Epaves, Michel Glautier, Erich Obersteiner, Allan Taub, and an unusually helpful and perceptive anonymous reviewer, for helpful comments and discussions. The author accepts full responsibility for any remaining errors. |
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| Abstract: | This paper develops balance sheets assuming that assets are future service potentials, or future cash flows. All balance sheet items are the present (discounted) values of future cash flows. All future flows, whether receipts or payments, including transactions with shareholders, are accounted for on the balance sheet. Balance sheets are constructed on the basis of (1) full knowledge of the future, and (2) knowledge only of past flows, assuming that investment projects have zero net present value. Capital gains (losses) are recorded when events demonstrate that projects have positive (negative) net present value. |
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