Working capital, also known as "WC", is a financial metric which represents operating liquidity available to a business. Along with fixed assets such as plant and equipment, working capital is considered a part of operating capital. It is calculated as current assets minus current liabilities. If current assets are less than current liabilities, an entity has a working capital deficiency, also called a working capital deficit. Net working capital is working capital minus cash (which is a current asset) and minus interest bearing liabilities (i.e. short term debt). It is a derivation of working capital, that is commonly used in valuation techniques such as DCFs (Discounted cash flows).

Working Capital = Current Assets − Current Liabilities

A company can be endowed with assets and profitability but short of liquidity if its assets cannot readily be converted into cash. Positive working capital is required to ensure that a firm is able to continue its operations and that it has sufficient funds to satisfy both maturing short-term debt and upcoming operational expenses. The management of working capital involves managing inventories, accounts receivable and payable and cash.