One Way Enron Manipulated Its Financial Statements Was to Sell

question 26

Multiple Choice

One way Enron manipulated its financial statements was to sell assets at inflated prices to other firms, while promising to buy back those assets at a later date. The incoming cash was recorded as revenue, but the promise to buy back the assets was not disclosed. Which of the following is one of the ways that such a transaction is deceptive?

• A) The assets should have been listed on the balance sheet as long-term assets.
• B) Cash raised by selling assets should not be recorded as revenue.
• C) The off balance sheet promises to repurchase assets should have been disclosed in management discussion and analysis (MD&A) or notes to the financial statement.
• D) The cash raised should have been recorded as short-term loans.

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Definitions:

Incentive Returns

Rewards or earnings generated from an investment or project, over and above the initial investment, designed to motivate and reward investors.

Benchmark

A standard or point of reference against which things may be compared or assessed, often used in finance to measure the performance of investments.

Hedge Fund

An investment fund that employs diversified strategies to achieve high returns, including leverage, derivatives, and short selling.

Local Currency

The currency that is legally accepted in a particular country or jurisdiction, used for the settlement of financial transactions within its borders.