Chapter 17

Audit ing the Investing and Financing Cycle

|Learning Check |

17-1. Investing activities represent the purchase and sale of land, buildings, equipment, and other assets not generally held for resale. In addition, investing activities include the purchase and sale of financial instruments not intended for trading purposes (discussed in chapter 18). Financing activities include transactions and events whereby cash is obtained from or repaid to creditors (debt financing) or owners (equity financing). Financing activities would include, for example, acquiring debt, capital leases, issuing bonds, or issuing preferred or common stock. Financing activities would also include payments to retire debt, reacquiring stock (treasury stock), and the payment of dividends.

17-2. When auditing the investing and financing cycles auditors typically address the following issues: • What assets are necessary to support the operations of the entity, and what are management’s long-range plans for growing the entity’s asset base? Answering this question assists the auditor in developing expectations of long-term assets needed to support operations. • What assets were acquired, or disposed of, during the period? Answering this question confirms the auditor’s expectations regarding assets needed to operate effectively. It also assists the auditor in developing expectations of regarding financing activities. • How were newly acquired assets financed? Answering this question completes the audit of the investing and financing cycles. These cycles are often audited together due to the strong connection between asset acquisition and the financing of those assets.

17-3. Investing activities are critical to a company in the hotel industry as facilities are the primary productive asset. The location and quality of hotel