5 key Financial Ratios and How to use them

This indicator cannot be any lower than a certain threshold set by the football authorities. Liquidity ratios compare the line items in the balance sheet, and measure the ability of a business to pay its bills in a timely manner. Chief among these ratios are the current ratio and quick ratio, which compare certain current assets to current liabilities.

• These are concerned with the return on investment for shareholders, and with the relationship between return and the value of an investment in company’s shares.
• There are six categories of financial ratios that business managers normally use in their analysis.
• Lending institutions often set requirements for financial health as part of covenants in loan documents.
• The debt-to-equity ratio measures a company’s debt liability compared to shareholders’ equity.

Within these six categories are multiple financial ratios that help a business manager and outside investors analyze the financial health of the firm. Financial ratio analysis uses the data gathered from these ratios to make decisions about improving a firm’s profitability, solvency, and liquidity. If these benchmarks are not met, an entire loan may be callable or a company may be faced with an adjusted higher rate of interest to compensation for this risk. An example of a benchmark set by a lender is often the debt service coverage ratio which measures a company’s cash flow against it’s debt balances.

Liquidity Ratios

The net profit margin measures a company’s net profits as a percentage of its total revenue. There are many different types of financial ratios that can be used in financial ratio analysis. Some of the most common include liquidity ratios, profitability ratios, efficiency ratios, leverage ratios, and investment valuation ratios. Financial ratios quantify many aspects of a business and are an integral part of the financial statement analysis. Financial ratios are categorized according to the financial aspect of the business which the ratio measures.

Leverage ratios measure how much debt a company has relative to its assets or equity. Common leverage ratios include the debt-to-asset ratio and debt-to-equity ratio. The debt-to-asset ratio measures how much debt a company has relative to its total assets. Leverage and coverage ratios are used to estimate the comparative amounts of debt, equity, and assets of a business, as well as its ability to pay off its debts. The most common of these ratios are the debt to equity ratio and the times interest earned ratio. However, this analysis does not address whether a borrower can also pay back the principal on a loan.

Be mindful of seasonality and how temporarily fluctuations in account balances may impact month-over-month ratio calculations. Then, a company analyzes how the ratio has changed over time (whether it is improving, the rate at which it is changing, and whether the company wanted the ratio to change over time). The fundamental basis of ratio analysis is to compare multiple figures and derive a calculated value.

A high receivables turnover ratio shows that a company quickly generates cash from accounts receivables. The interest coverage ratio shows if a company’s revenue after operating expenses can cover interest liabilities. Businesses use financial ratios to determine liquidity, debt concentration, growth, profitability, and market value.

Who Uses Financial Ratio Analysis?

Ratio analysis is usually rooted heavily with financial metrics, though ratio analysis can be performed with non-financial data. First, ratio analysis can be performed to track changes to a company over time to better understand the trajectory of operations. Second, ratio analysis can be performed to compare results with other similar companies to see how the company is doing compared to competitors. Third, ratio analysis can be performed to strive for specific internally-set or externally-set benchmarks.

They are one tool that makes financial analysis possible across a firm’s history, an industry, or a business sector. The book value per share measures the value per share for common equity owners based on the balance sheet value of assets less liabilities and preference shares. The receivables turnover ratio helps companies measure how quickly they turn customers’ invoices into cash.

Market Prospect Ratios

The P/E ratio measures a company’s stock price relative to its earnings per share (EPS). The P/BV ratio measures a company’s stock price relative to its book value per share (BVPS). In addition, financial ratio analysis can help investors and analysts identify potential opportunities for a company. For example, if a company has a low debt-to-equity ratio, this could indicate that the company has a strong financial position and could be a good investment. By analyzing financial ratios, investors and analysts can gain insight into a company’s potential for growth and profitability. Liquidity ratios measure a company’s capacity to meet its short-term obligations and are a vital indicator of its financial health.

This ensures that the underlying general ledger accounts always relate to the same line items in the financial statements. These ratios are usually used by external stakeholders such as investors or market analysts but can also be used by internal management to monitor value per company share. For companies in the manufacturing and production industries with high inventory levels, inventory turnover is an important ratio that measures how often inventory is used and replaced for operations. Various abbreviations may be used in financial statements, especially financial statements summarized on the Internet. Sales reported by a firm are usually net sales, which deduct returns, allowances, and early payment discounts from the charge on an invoice. Net income is always the amount after taxes, depreciation, amortization, and interest, unless otherwise stated.

What is Ratio Analysis?

In most cases, it is also important to understand the variables driving ratios as management has the flexibility to, at times, alter its strategy to make it’s stock and company ratios more attractive. Generally, ratios are typically not used in isolation but rather in combination with other ratios. Having a good idea of the ratios in each of the four previously mentioned categories will give you a comprehensive view of the company from different angles and help you spot potential red flags.

Though some benchmarks are set externally (discussed below), ratio analysis is often not a required aspect of budgeting or planning. The former may trend upwards in the future, while the latter may trend downwards until each aligns with its intrinsic value. Market prospects analysis is generally only undertaken for publicly traded companies. It is generally used to determine the likely prospects of different investment options. Companies that are primarily involved in providing services with labour do not generally report “Sales” based on hours.

The cash ratio measures a business’s ability to use cash and cash equivalent to pay off short-term liabilities. Financial ratios compare the results in different line items of the financial statements. The analysis of these ratios is designed to draw conclusions regarding the financial performance, liquidity, leverage, and asset usage of a business.

Financial planning and analysis professionals calculate financial ratios for the following reasons for internal reasons. Small businesses can set up their spreadsheet to automatically calculate each of these financial ratios. Using the companies from the above example, suppose ABC has a P/E ratio of 100, while DEF has a P/E ratio of 10. An average investor concludes that investors are willing to pay $100 per $1 of earnings ABC generates and only $10 per $1 of earnings DEF generates. The current ratio is also known as the working capital ratio and the quick ratio is also known as the acid test ratio.

Financial ratios may be used by managers within a firm, by current and potential shareholders (owners) of a firm, and by a firm’s creditors. Liquidity ratios measure a company’s ability to pay off its short-term debts as they become due, using the company’s current or quick assets. Liquidity ratios include the current ratio, quick ratio, and working capital ratio. For one, it allows investors and analysts to quickly identify potential risks and areas of improvement for a company.

For example, a company may have a high debt-to-equity ratio, but if the company is in a capital-intensive industry, then this ratio may be considered normal. Additionally, it is important to consider the quality of the assets and liabilities when interpreting financial ratios. Financial ratio analysis provides an overview of the company’s financial performance. It helps investors and analysts make more informed decisions about whether or not to invest in the company, and also helps them evaluate the company’s performance over time. In addition, it can be used to identify potential areas of improvement or areas of risk. The dividend yield ratio measures the value of a company’s dividend per share compared to the market share price.

Interpretation of Financial Ratio Analysis

Furthermore, some ratios may be more important than others depending on the type of business or sector. Therefore, it is important to consider the industry or sector when interpreting financial ratios. Financial ratios help senior management and external stakeholders measure a company’s performance. It is important that companies can readily convert account receivables to cash. Slow paying customers reduce a business’s ability to generate cash from their accounts receivable. This ratio shows how many days it takes a company to pay off suppliers and vendors.