NOTE 3 – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)
Concentration of Credit Risk and Uncertainties (continued)
The Company is operating in a rapidly changing environment so the extent to which COVID-19 impacts its business, operations and financial results from this point forward will depend on numerous evolving factors that the Company cannot accurately predict. Those factors include the following: the duration and scope of the pandemic; governmental, business and individuals’ actions to be taken in response to the pandemic.
A portion of the Company’s cash is maintained with state-owned banks within the PRC. Balances at state-owned banks within the PRC are covered by insurance up to RMB 500,000 (approximately $69,000) per bank. Any balance over RMB 500,000 per bank in PRC will not be covered. At April 30, 2024, cash balances held in the PRC were approximately RMB 203,153,000 (approximately $28,056,000), of which, approximately RMB 202,133,000 (approximately $27,915,000) was not covered by such limited insurance. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts and believes it is not exposed to any significant risks on its cash in bank accounts.
We believe that there is no significant credit risk associated with cash in Hong Kong, which were held by reputable financial institutions in the jurisdiction where Peak is located. The Hong Kong Deposit Protection Board pays compensation up to a limit of Hong Kong Dollar (“HKD”) 500,000 (approximately $64,000) if the bank with which an individual/a company hold its eligible deposit fails. At April 30, 2024, cash balance of approximately HKD 611,000 (approximately $78,000) was maintained at financial institutions in Hong Kong, of which, approximately HKD 111,000 (approximately $14,000) was not insured by the Hong Kong Deposit Protection Board.
Currently, the Company’s operations are carried out in China. Accordingly, the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations may be influenced by the political, economic and legal environment in China, and by the general state of China’s economy. The Company’s operations in China are subject to specific considerations and significant risks not typically associated with companies in North America. The Company’s results may be adversely affected by changes in governmental policies with respect to laws and regulations, anti-inflationary measures, currency conversion and remittance abroad, and rates and methods of taxation, among other things.
Financial instruments which potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist principally of trade accounts receivable. A portion of the Company’s sales are credit sales to customers whose ability to pay are dependent upon the prevailing industry economics; however, concentration of credit risk with respect to trade accounts receivable is limited due to short-term payment terms. The Company also performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers to help further reduce credit risk.
Short-term Investments
Short-term investments are investments in wealth management products with underlying bonds offered by a private entity. The investments can be redeemed upon notice and their carrying values approximate their fair values. The income (loss) from sale of any investments and fair value change are recognized in the statement of operations.
The Company had short-term investments of $0 and $26,797,081 as of April 30, 2024 and October 31, 2023, respectively. Income from short term investments for the six months ended April 30, 2024 and 2023 amounted to $269,958 and $429,645, respectively, which was included in interest income on the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
Accounts receivable are presented net of an allowance for doubtful accounts. The Company maintains allowance for doubtful accounts for estimated losses. The Company reviews its accounts receivable on a periodic basis and makes general and specific allowances when there is doubt as to the collectability of individual balances. In evaluating the collectability of individual receivable balances, the Company considers many factors, including the age of the balance, customer’s historical payment history, its current credit-worthiness and current economic trends. Accounts are written off after exhaustive efforts at collection. Management believes that accounts receivable is fully collectable. Therefore, no material allowance for doubtful accounts is deemed to be required on its accounts receivable at April 30, 2024 and October 31, 2023.