Real World Case 12-6

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Real World Case 12-6 Corporations frequently invest in securities issued by other corporations. Some investments are acquired to secure a favorable business relationship with another company. On the other hand, others are intended only to earn an investment return from the dividends or interest the securities pay or from increases in the market prices of the securities—the same motivations that might cause you to invest in stocks, bonds, or other securities. This diversity in investment objectives means no single accounting method is adequate to report every investment. Merck & Co., Inc., invests in securities of other companies. Access Merck’s 2010 10-K using EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Required: 1. What is the amount and classification of any investment securities reported on the balance sheet? In which current and noncurrent asset categories are investments reported by Merck? What criteria are used to determine the classifications? The 2008 balance sheet reports the following two current and one noncurrent asset categories ($ in millions): 2009 2008 CURRENT ASSETS: Cash and cash equivalents $ 9,311.4 $ 4,368.3 Short-term investments $293.1 $1,118.1 NONCURRENT ASSETS: Investments $432.3 $6,491.3 In the summary of significant accounting policies (Note 2), Merck describes its policy regarding investments classified as "cash equivalents." It is consistent with the way most companies classify "cash equivalents." CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS -- Cash equivalents are comprised of certain highly liquid investments with original maturities of less than three months. Trading securities, held-to-maturity securities and available-for-sale securities are either current or noncurrent depending on when they are expected to mature or to be sold. However, it's not

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