In business use, may also be known as "capital allocation."
2. The claiming of land or intellectual property by a company or organization, or otherwise marking ownership of previously unclaimed or contested property.
By getting a clear picture of how a company appropriates its funds, an investor may have a better idea of how it manages cash. This is important in figuring out whether a company uses cash in order to build shareholder value, or whether its frivolous use of cash may lead to destruction of shareholder value.
Investment dictionary. Academic. 2012.