What is Cash in Hand ?

After stock buybacks, research costs and dividends, its available cash fell to around $26 billion. While Microsoft's cash was falling, Apple increased its cash on hand to almost $20 billion.

money to pay the whole cost of goods or services immediately, rather than payment by another method such as credit

In the past, Microsoft could purchase competitors outright without issue to remain at the top of the computer industry. Apple's increased cash on hand leveled the playing field, making it a head-to-head competitor of giant Microsoft. The amount in your petty cash generally is not significant enough to have any bearing on your company's financial health.

For some businesses, petty cash is just some cash in a box that you grab bills out of when someone needs something, and it does not enter into consideration when producing financial statements. While it is true that financial statements typically do not require you to list your petty cash, the amount of money in your petty cash is part of your cash on hand.

You must know your cash on hand to produce a cash flow statement. According to Small Business Trends, this is the most important financial statement for new businesses. Lenders use your cash flow statement to determine the financial worth of your company. If your cash inflows are insufficient, your cash on hand drops, possibly leaving you unable to pay your liabilities.