ADMS 3530 Midterm: 6th 3530 midterm notes
Document Summary
Financial management can be broken down into (1) the investment, or capital budgeting, decision and (2) the financing decision. The firm has to decide (1) how much to invest and which real assets to invest in and (2) how to raise the necessary cash. Real assets include all assets used in the production or sale of the firms" products or services. Real assets can be tangible (plant and equipment, for example) or intangible (patents or trademarks, for example). Financial assets are securities (such as shares) sold by the firm to raise money, and represent claims on the firm"s real assets and the cash generated by those assets. Businesses may be organized as sole proprietorships, partnerships, or corporations. A corporation is legally distinct from its owners. Therefore, the shareholders who own a corporation enjoy limited liability for its obligations. Ownership and management of corporations are usually separate, which means that the firm"s operations need not be disrupted by changes in ownership.