Which financial activity is reflected directly in a bank reconciliation?

The financial activity that is reflected directly in a bank reconciliation is cash account balances. A bank reconciliation is a process that compares the cash balance on a company’s books to the balance shown on the bank statement. This reconciles discrepancies between the two amounts, such as outstanding checks, deposits in transit, bank fees, and interest earned.

By focusing on cash account balances, the reconciliation helps ensure that the company's reported cash reflects the true cash available in the bank. This is crucial for accurate financial management, as cash is often vital for a company's operations and day-to-day transactions.

Other activities, such as sales revenue, inventory purchases, and depreciation expenses, while important to overall financial reporting, do not directly pertain to examining cash account balances in the context of a bank reconciliation. They are recorded in different financial statements and do not influence the immediate cash position governed by the reconciliation process.