Is net income of a year is doubtful for company

Question

Is the net income of a year money the company made that given year or is this a number whose importance is quite doubtful?

Answer 1

The net income of a year is not money which accumulates in the safe. Thus, it is not “money” the company earned. Conversely, it is one of the possible numbers (along with the flexibility which accountancy gives) a company might have illustrated. Fernández (2004a and 2004b) states that, usually, cash flow is more helpful than net income: reported net income can be presented in some ways (this is just an opinion) whereas equity cash flow or free cash flow is a truth: a unique number. There is a financial maxim that, although this is not completely true, might be convenient to keep in mind: “net income is only an opinion, whereas cash flow is a fact.”