KANSAS CITY, Mo., Dec. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- If the Trump administration were to cut taxes for corporations or approve a repatriation tax holiday, a new survey reveals that 46 percent would return the cash to
the United States. These findings were released today from C2FO, the world's market for working capital®, which surveyed 274 finance and treasury professionals at the AFP 2017 Treasury & Finance Conference in
October 2017
.
When asked where exactly the addition of new cash would be invested, aside from paying down debt or typical buy-backs/investor derivatives, respondents put technology updates (62 percent) and short-term, low-risk investments (59 percent) at the top of their lists. The remaining respondents said research and development (46 percent) and trade finance programs for suppliers (14 percent).
"Historically, companies have leveraged repatriated cash to buy back stocks, pay shareholder dividends, and even support acquisition activities, however we are beginning to witness a reprioritization in their investment. In the age of digital transformation, cash spend has shifted towards high yield, low-risk growth strategies including digital innovation," said Sean Van Gundy, managing director of working capital advisory for C2FO.
Fintech Can Improve Performance Metrics
Financial technology is becoming an attractive investment due to its potential to improve performance. An overwhelming majority (95 percent) of financial professionals surveyed agree that financial technology can improve their performance metrics.
When asked which metrics were the most important in measuring success, the majority (63 percent) selected working capital position, 25 percent chose EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) and the remaining 12 percent were evenly split between DSO (Days Sales Outstanding) and DPO (Days Payable Outstanding).
"It's encouraging to see that companies agree that fintech is mission critical to their long-term financial performance," added Van Gundy. "Based on the survey results, with finance and treasury professionals focusing on working capital position versus singular metrics like DPO, it's more important than ever to prioritize investment in trade finance technology that increases supply chain visibility for better risk management and working capital optimization."
