lower of cost or market

Lower of Cost or Market

At the end of an accounting period, a convention used to mark the current value of remaining inventory. Under this convention, the inventory is recorded as either the historical cost (what the company originally paid) or the fair market value (what the inventory is now worth), whichever is lower. A company does this in order to minimize its tax liability.

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lower of cost or market

A method for determining an asset's value such that either the original cost or the current replacement cost, whichever is lowest, is used for financial reporting purposes. For example, an inventory item originally purchased for $50 that has a current market value of $30 would appear on the firm's balance sheet at $30. The use of lower of cost or market is considered a conservative method of valuing assets.

Wall Street Words: An A to Z Guide to Investment Terms for Today's Investor by David L. Scott. Copyright © 2003 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. All rights reserved.