Does Industry Affect the Cash Flow Statement Presentation Format?

Abstract

The statement of cash flows of a business can be presented by using either the direct method (DM) or the indirect method (IM). In United States, only a small portion of businesses use the DM. Compared to the IM, the DM has been shown to provide incremental information in predicting future cash flows. Furthermore, the DM can also improve the ability to compare the individual component of cash receipts and cash payments among similar companies over a period of time. This study finds that firms choosing the DM tend to be in high tech industries.