Cash conversion cycle is a metric that shows how quickly a company can convert its investments in inventory and other resources into cash flows from sales. It takes into account how much time a company may need to sell its inventory, collect receivables, and how long it has to pay its bills without incurring penalties.
A negative figure suggests a company is able to receive payments for product sales before having to pay suppliers. A trend of decreasing or steady Cash conversion cycle values over multiple periods is a good sign, while rising values usually lead to more investigation and analysis based on other factors. Keep in mind that the Cash conversion cycle only applies to select sectors dependent on inventory management and related operations.