Cash equivalents are short term, highly liquid investments that are easily convertible into cash and which are subject to an insignificant risk of change in value. In other words, cash equivalents are held for the purpose of meeting short term cash commitments rather than for investment or any other purpose. An investment held for short-term maturity, say three months can be regarded as cash equivalent. Some examples of cash equivalents are treasury bills, commercial papers, etc. On the other hand, cash flows are inflows and outflows of cash and cash equivalents. A cash inflow results in increase in the total cash balance and a cash outflow results in decrease in the total cash balance.