tl;dr
A financial statement showing how changes in balance sheet accounts and income affect cash and cash equivalents.
It categorizes cash flows into operating, investing, and financing activities, providing insights into cash management and liquidity.
For instance, a manufacturing company's cash flow statement shows $5 million generated from operations, $3 million used in equipment purchases (investing), and $1 million used in debt repayment (financing), resulting in a $1 million net increase in cash position.
Preparing cash flow statements requires understanding cash impact of transactions. Organizations must track cash movements while providing meaningful activity classification.
See how this works in Light's Reporting.
