Financial Ratios Have Proven To Be A Useful Tool For Effective

The success of a business depends on its ability to remain profitable over the long term, while being able to pay all its financial obligations and earning above average returns for its shareholders. This is made possible if the business is able to maximize on available opportunities and very efficiently and effectively use the resources it has to create maximum value for all involved stakeholders. One way the performance of a company can be measured on critical areas such as profitability, its ability to stay solvent, the amount of debt exposure and the effectiveness in resource utilization, is performing financial analysis where a set of ratios provides a snapshot of company performance and future

Financial ratio analysis is a valuable tool that allows one to assess the success, potential failure or future prospects of the company (Bazley 2012). The ratios are helpful in spotting useful trends that can indicate the warning signs of

Current ratio is type of liquidity ratio. It is a financial tool used to measure a company’s ability to pay off its short-term debts with its short-term assets. A company’s current ratio is expressed by dividing its current assets by its current liabilities. A higher current ratio means the company is more capable of paying off its debts. If the current ratio is under one, this suggests the company is unable to pay off its obligations if they were due at that point (Investopedia, 2013). Companies that have trouble collecting money for its receivables or have long inventory turnovers can run into liquidity problems because they are unable to lessen their obligations.

The solvency ratio is the ability for a company to repay debts shown in a percentage. The ratio shows if a business can meet goals of a long term loan by calculating the current and long term liabilities divided by net profit after taxes plus depreciation. In years one through four the

Financial ratios are great indicators to find a firm’s performance and financial situation. Most of the ratios are able to be calculated through the use of financial statements provided by the firm itself. They show the relationship between two or more financial variables that can be used to analyze trends and to compare the firm’s financials with other companies to further come up with market values or discount rates, etc.

It is easy to forget that pouring money into a problem will not fix it unless revenue flows continue or are increased and expenses are controlled. Some of the easiest computations can be made with information retrieved from balance sheets and income statements provided by accountants. Ratios such as the current ratio, long-term solvency ratio, contribution ratio, programs and expense ratio, general and management expense ratio, fund-raising and expense ratio, and revenue and expense ratio can provide a picture of where a company stands now compared to where it was in past years and what may need to be done in the future.

Liquidity is a financial term used to determine the ability of a company to pay off its short-term debts, which will be due within the next year or in an operating cycle. In another word, liquidity is a very important indicator to evaluate a company’s financial health. Liquidity ratio shows a comparison between the most liquid assets and short-term obligations of a company. A higher liquidity expresses that the company has not only a better ability to pay off its short-term debts but also a greater amount of cash for an unexpected needs. In another word, when a company has a low liquidity, the company may face a risk to pay its short-term debt and struggle to fund its long-term operation. The current ratio is one of the most common and useful terms used to measure the liquidity of a company. It suggests the capability of a company to pay back its liabilities with its assets. The current ratio is computed by dividing current assets by current liabilities. According to a financial

This paper examines financial ratio analysis by defining, the three groups of stakeholders that use financial ratios, the five different kinds of ratios used and their applications, the analytical tools used in analysis, and finally financial ratio analysis limitations and benefits.

For any organization, effective planning and financial management is required for the sustainability of its mission and business. Moreover, management tools, such as ratio analysis are used to provide key indicators of the organization’s performance as well as comprehension of the financial trends and results over time. Financial ratios are thus used by different stakeholders in meeting their objectives, for instance managers to point out the strengths and weaknesses to allow for informed strategies and initiatives. Conversely, funders analyze financial ratios to compare organizational results to allow them to make informed decisions on mission impact and management effectiveness. Ratios are thus meaningful when compared to industry averages and historical data.

Financial ratio analysis is a critical management tool that provides information on the organizational performance over a period of time. The management applies the ratios to check on the effectiveness of the strategies they employed. On the other hand, the owners and shareholders use the financial ratios to determine the effectiveness of the management in running the business. In addition the ratios can be applied to compare the company’s performance with its competitors. The financial ratios include current ratio, operating profit margin, return on assets, return on equity and debt to equity ratio.

Liquidity ratios measure the ability of a firm to meet its short-term obligations. A company that is not able

Before beginning an analysis of a company it is necessary to have a complete set of financial statements, preferably for the pas few years so that historical trends can be obtained. Ratios are a way for anyone to get an idea of the financial performance of a company by using the information contained in the financial statements. Ratios are grouped into four basic categories, liquidity, activity, profitability, and financial leverage. This document will use a variety of these ratios to analyze the firm, Sample Company, as of December 31,2000.

Ratios describe the various relationships among accounts in the balance sheet and income statement. Financial ratios are important and helpful gauges of how an organization is functioning. An organization’s financial health, potential revenue, and even possible bankruptcy can be garnered from financial ratios. Information derived from financial statements is used to calculate most ratios and make projections. “Ratios help investors and lenders determine the risk associated with lending or investing funds in an organization” (GE Financial Healthcare Services, 2003, para 1). According to Finkler and Ward (2006), “the key to interpretation of ratios is benchmarks. Without a basis for comparison, it is

Referenceshttp://www.jnj.com/home.htmBenchmarking your business with financial ratio analysis. Retrieved October 14, 2007 fromhttp://www.contractingbusiness.com/25/Issue/Article/False/46149/IssueBrealey, R., Myers, S. & Marcus, A. (2003). Fundamentals of Corporate Finance

Financial ratios are derived ratio numbers from the financial statements of a company. Depending on the task, financial ratios can serve to various purposes in accounting, legal, M&A uses, etc. For investors, financial ratios are very powerful in two ways: indentifying the company’s unique competitiveness and evaluating its stock price level. The first part helps investor find a truly valuable company and the second part helps investor buy the stock at a bargain price.