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Accounting Principles II: Investments
Complete Study Guide
Introduction to Investments
Companies may have cash balances that exceed their current operating needs. If the extra cash is not needed for a short period of time, the company may invest the excess cash to generate interest or dividend revenue. A company may also have a strategic purpose for accumulating cash, such as acquiring stock in another corporation. The investment of cash in each of these circumstances results in an investment being reported on the balance sheet. Investments are usually reported on a separate line from cash and may appear as short‐term or long‐term assets depending on the type of investment and management's plan for keeping the investment. In choosing an investment, a company has many choices, including certificates of deposit, U.S. Treasury bills, bonds and notes, mutual funds, bonds of other companies, and stock of other companies. The types of accounting entries made are different for investments in bonds and stocks.
Accounting for Debt Securities
A debt security is an investment in bonds issued by the government or a corporation. At the time of purchasing a bond, the acquisition costs are recorded in an asset account, such as “Debt Investments.” Acquisition costs include the market price paid for the bond and any investment fees or broker's commissions. For example, if Computers Galore purchases five of the 10%, ten‐year $1,000 bonds issued by VEI on July 1 for $5,500 and pays broker's fees of $50, the entry to record the purchases would include both the purchase price and broker's fees in the cost of the investment.
The bonds pay interest every December 31 and June 30. When the semiannual interest is received on December 31, the entry to record it increases (debits) cash and increases (credits) interest revenue for $250 ($5,000 × 10% × 6 / 12 ). The bonds may be held to maturity or sold. If they are held to maturity, the bonds are classified as a long‐term investment and the difference between the maturity value and the cost of the bonds is amortized to the income statement over the life of the bonds. If the bonds are held for sale (not held for maturity), their value changes as the market changes. At the time of the sale, a gain or loss is recorded for the difference between the book value and the proceeds received from the sale. For example, if one of the bonds was sold for $1,050 on June 1, the entry would include a loss of $60, the
As dividends are received, dividend income is recorded. If PWC Corporation pays a $ per share cash dividend, the entry to record the receipt of the dividend increases (debits) cash and increases (credits) dividend revenue. Equity investments accounted for by using the cost method are classified as either trading securities or available‐for‐sale securities, and the value of the investment is adjusted to market value. When an equity investment accounted for under the cost method is sold, a gain or loss is recognized for the difference between its acquisition cost and the proceeds received from the sale. Assume 36 of the PWC Corporation shares purchased were sold for $30 per share and a fee of $25 was paid. The entry to record the sale would increase (debit) cash for the proceeds received of $1,055 (36 ×
$30 = $1,080 – $25 fee), decrease (credit) equity investments by $1,020.60 ($2,041 ÷ 72 = $28.35 × 36 shares) and record a gain on the sale for the $34.40 difference. The equity method of accounting for stock investments is used when the investor is able to significantly influence the operating and financial policies or decisions of the company it has invested in. Given this influence, the investor adjusts the value of its equity investment for dividends received from, and the earnings (or losses) of, the corporation whose stock has been purchased. The dividends received are accounted for as a reduction of the investment value because dividends are a partial return of the investor's investment. Assume The Sisters, Inc. acquired 30% of the stock of 2005 GROUP for $72,000 on Jan. 1. During the year, 2005 GROUP paid dividends totaling $30,000 and had net income of $150,000. Under the equity method, the $9,000 in dividends ($30, × 30%) received by The Sisters, Inc. would decrease the Investment in 2005 GROUP account rather than be reported as dividend revenue. The same account would increase $45,000 for The Sisters, Inc. 30% share of net income ($150,000 × 30%) as they treat their share of net income as revenue. At the end of the year, the balance in the Investment in 2005 GROUP account would be $108,000.
Consolidated financial statements A company that owns greater than 50% of another entity is called the parent company. The company whose stock is owned is called the subsidiary company. A parent company uses the equity method to account for its investment in its subsidiary. When financial statements are prepared, the assets and liabilities (balance sheet), revenues and expenses (income statement), and cash flows (cash flow statement) of both the parent company and subsidiary company are combined and shown in the same statements. These statements are called consolidated balance sheets, consolidated income statements, and consolidated cash flow statements—together they are called consolidated financial statements—and represent the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows of the parent company and any other companies it controls.
Balance Sheet: Classification, Valuation
Debt investments and equity investments recorded using the cost method are classified as trading securities, available‐for‐sale securities, or, in the case of debt investments, held‐to‐maturity securities. The classification is based on the intent of the company as to the length of time it will hold each investment. A debt investment classified as held ‐ to ‐ maturity means the business has the intent and ability to hold the bond until it matures. The balance sheet classification of these investments as short‐term (current) or long‐term is based on their maturity dates. Debt and equity investments classified as trading securities are those which were bought for the purpose of selling them within a short time of their purchase. These investments are considered short‐term assets and are revalued at each balance sheet date to their current fair market value. Any gains or losses due to changes in fair market value during the period are reported as gains or losses on the income statement because, by definition, a trading security will be sold in the near future at its market value. In recording the gains and losses on trading securities, a valuation account is used to hold the adjustment for the gains and losses so when each investment is sold, the actual gain or loss can be determined. The valuation account is used to adjust the value in the trading securities account reported on the balance sheet. For example if the Brothers Quartet, Inc. has the following investments classified as trading securities, an adjustment for $9,000 is necessary to record the trading securities at their fair market value. The entry to record the valuation adjustment is:
The entry to record the valuation adjustment is:
In the balance sheet the market value of short‐term available‐for‐sale securities is classified as short‐term investments, also known as marketable securities, and the unrealized gain (loss) account balance of $15,000 is considered a stockholders' equity account and is part of comprehensive income. When the balance is a net loss, it is subtracted from stockholders' equity. A partial balance sheet for Brothers Quartet, showing the current assets and the stockholders' equity sections, follows:
