Overtrading
Overtrading is a term in financial statement analysis. Overtrading often occurs when companies expand their own operations too quickly (aggressively).[1] Overtraded companies enter a negative cycle, where an increase in interest expenses negatively impacts net profit, which leads to lesser working capital, and that leads to increased borrowings, which in turn leads to more interest expenses and the cycle continues. Overtraded companies eventually face liquidity problems and/or run out of working capital.
Conditions
- Rapid growth in business development and sales.
- Lesser net profit.
- The business running a business with limited knowledge.
- Cash flow problem or short of working capital.
- Bad cash budget or unrealistic.
- Having large amount of unpaid vendors.
- High amount of financial interest expenditure.
- High gearing ratio.
- Keen market competition.
- Overstock or slow movement of inventory.
References
- ^ Finance Wales: "A practical guide to cash-flow management", page 28. CIMA, 2004 http://www.highpeak.gov.uk/business/econdev/General/Cash_flow_management_17_08_04.pdf Retrieved on 2010-11-10
