Ratio Analysis Essay

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

Financial statements paint a picture of financial health of an organization. Important aspects of the financial statement of a health care organization are ratios. Analysis of ratios show how two numbers relate or compare to one another. Ratios are a way for organizations to make comparison. These comparisons not only encompass what is happening presently but can also be used to make comparisons about numbers and ratios over time. Ratios are a way for organizations to compare themselves with competitors and the industry. (Finkler, Kovner, and Jones, 2007). There are four major ratios that financial statements analyze 1) liquidity 2) activity 3) leverage and 4) profitability. The financial statement for Mayo Health System

There is a essential use and limitations of financial ratio analysis, One must keep in mind the following issues when using financial ratios: One of the most important reasons for using financial ratio analysis is comparability and for this, a reference point is required. Usually, financial ratios are compared to historical ratios of the business itself, competitor’s financial ratios or the overall ratios of the industry in question. Performance may be adjudged as against organizational goals or forecasts. A number of ratios must be analyzed together to get a true and reliable picture of the financial performance of the business. Relying on each ratio

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.

$10,644,800 / $2,271,400 = 4.69 Times Return on Common Stockholders’ Equity (2002) $647,645 / $1,928,960 = 33.58% Return

Accounting information is used by management in various ways to make the business decisions. Accounting information is used to compute financial ratios and comparing the financial data of one period with other. Various Ratios are used by the managers and accountants for controlling the functioning of the organization. These ratios are also known as accounting or financial ratios, these ratios play very important role in the organization. Following are the ratios of Verizon wireless for last three years:-

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.

9. Debt service coverage = (Net Income + Interest + Depreciation) in Statement of Operations/ Interest + Principal Payments ($10 million assumed for this assignment)

Understanding financial ratios are critical to understanding if a business is making sound financial decisions as well as helpful in identifying trends over time that can help measure the financial state of a company. Financial ratios also allow a company to run trend analysis which enables the company to see how they have been performing over time as well as allowing for short-term financial plans in order to course correct if necessary. Some of the most common financial ratios are earnings per share, liquidity ratios, debt ratios, return on assets, and return on equity ratios.

Financial ratios can be used for a quick comparison to other companies in the industry and to the same company over time. They allow you to ignore the numbers and focus on their relationships.

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.

The calculation of ratios is the calculation technique for analyzing a company’s financial performance that divides or standardize one accounting measure by another economically relevant measure. Financial ratios can be used as a tool to demonstrate financial statement users for making valid comparisons of firm operating performance, over time for the same firm and between comparable companies. External investors are mostly interested in gaining insights about a firm’s profitability, asset management, liquidity, and solvency.

Firms and Companies include ‘Ratios’ in their external report to which it can be referred as ‘highlights’. Only with the help of ratios the financial statements are meaningful. It is therefore, not surprising that ratio analysis feature are prominently in the literature on financial management. According to Mcleary (1992) ratio means “an expression of a relationship between any two figures or groups of figures in the financial statements of an undertaking”.

Ratio analysis is generally used by the company to provide some information on how the company has performed during that year, so that the parties involved including shareholders, lenders, investors, government and other users could make some analysis before making any further decision towards that particular company. As mentioned by Gibson (1982a cited in British Accounting Review, 2002 pg. 290) where he believes that the use of ratio analysis is such an effective tool to evaluate the company’s finance, and to predict its future financial state. Ratios are simply divided in several categories; these are the profitability, liquidity, efficiency and gearing.

Seeing that financial ratios depend on the financial data of companies which are influenced by their accounting practices and procedures, information can be distorted and render the comparison of ratios less useable. Also ratios indicate on overall result for a period (financial year) but do not explain how this was achieved in detail and what factors favorable or unfavorable contributed to its