Profit from R&D spending

Article Excerpt

Research spending is a great hidden asset. Companies (like CAE on last page) mostly write off their research costs as they spend that money, and this depresses the current year’s earnings. Standard accounting practice treats research spending as a regular expense, like rent or the electric bill. But successful research—the kind that leads directly to profit-boosting product or service improvements—is more like an investment with tax-deferral benefits. The company writes off the outlays in the current year, and is only liable for taxes on the benefits as they appear in future years. Information on corporate research spending is freely available, yet many investors pay little attention to it. Investors recognize that research can lead to new or improved products or services. But the payoff for these improvements, if any, will come from long-term sales and profit growth—and dividends. dividends…