The effects of accruals on the time series properties of annual earnings and the predictability of future cash flows are likely to be more readily observable for working capital accruals. For the majority of firms the cycle from outlay of cash for purchases to receipt of cash from sales (which we call the "operating cash cycle") is much shorter than the cycle from outlay of cash for long-term investments to receipt of cash inflows from the investments (the "investment cycle"). Working capital accruals (primarily accounts receivable, accounts payable and inventory) tend to shift operating cash flows across adjacent years so.
