Direct materials are the supplies you use to manufacture your inventory: wood for cabinets, steel for girders or wool for coats. Accountants distinguish direct materials from indirect materials, which ...

Beginning inventory refers to the total value of the inventory an organization holds at the start of an accounting period. Beginning inventory does not appear in the balance sheet as organizations ...

Adam Hayes, Ph.D., CFA, is a financial writer with 15+ years Wall Street experience as a derivatives trader. Besides his extensive derivative trading expertise, Adam is an expert in economics and ...

Claire Boyte-White is the lead writer for NapkinFinance.com, co-author of I Am Net Worthy, and an Investopedia contributor. Claire's expertise lies in corporate finance & accounting, mutual funds, ...