Abstract:
The main purpose of this paper is to look for descriptive patterns in the Cash Flow Statement as a function of life cycle stages. Considering the 4 traditional stages (introduction, growth, maturity and decline), we test hypotheses related with signs, correlations and the weight of each of the three components of the Statement. Pre-established patterns are only appreciated with clarity if we specify sub-levels within each of the stages and as these become narrower. This is a consequence of the difficulty to accurately classify a firm in one of the life cycle stages.