Ratio Analysis for the Hospitality Industry- a Cross Sector Compa

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

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

The paper illustrates that financial ratio analysis is an important tool for firm’s to evaluate their financial health in order to identify areas of weakness so as to institute corrective measures.

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.

Ratio analysis is a technique of analysis and interpretation of financial statements. However ratio analysis is not an end in itself. It is only a mean of better understanding of financial strengths and weaknesses of a firm. Calculation of mere ratio does not serve any purpose, unless several appropriate ratios are analyzed and interpreted. There are number of ratios which can be calculated from the information given in the financial, statements, but the analyst has to select the appropriate data and calculate only a few appropriate ratios from the same keeping in mind the objective of analysis.

Ratios divide different financial statements into one another, they determine trends and changes in financial statement quantities and are used to standardize balance sheet and income statement numbers. (Melicher, R. W., & Norton, E. A. (2013).

Ratio analysis is a useful tool for analyzing financial statements. Calculating ratios will aid in understanding the company’s strategy and in understanding its strengths and weaknesses relative to other companies and over time. They can sometimes be useful in identifying earnings management and in understanding the effect of accounting choices on the firm’s reported profitability and growth. Finally, the ratios help in obtaining a better understanding of a firm’s current profitability, growth, and risk which can improve forecasts of future profitability and growth and estimates of the cost of capital.

Financial Ratios: What They MeanIn assessing the significance of various financial data, managers often engage in ratio analysis, the process of determining and evaluating financial ratios. A financial ratio is a relationship that indicates something about a company's activities, such as the ratio between the company's current assets and current liabilities or between its accounts receivable and its annual sales. The basic source for these ratios is the company's financial statements that contain figures on assets, liabilities, profits, and losses. Ratios are only meaningful when compared with other information.

Financial ratios are "just a convenient way to summarize large quantities of financial data and to compare firms' performance" (Brealey & Myer & Marcus, 2003, p. 450). Financial ratios are very useful tools in order to determine the health of a company, help managers to make decision, and help to compare companies that belong to the same industry in order to know about their performance.

Financial ratios have proven to be a useful tool for effective financial management and planning. Primarily known for improving the understanding of financial results and trends over time, financial ratios are a unique way to provide a quantitative analysis to communicate overall organizational performance. This tool is useful for managers to focus in on the company’s strengths and weaknesses from which strategies and operations can be formed. Investors are also commonly known to use ratios to measure results against other companies to make appropriate judgments regarding management effectiveness and mission impact. For ratios to be deemed meaningful and useful, they require reliable and accurate calculated information. This is simple

As professionals, we must constantly analyze our position. When we look at the company, we must evaluate the performance and make those comparisons of historical figures in-house and with the industry competitors. This analysis must not be taken lightly with easily attainable numbers such as sales, profits or total assets. As the adage goes, we need to “read between the lines” of the performance data looking past, the seeming inconsequential figures and develop them into figures that are accessible and comprehensible. Comparative analysis assist us to identify and quantify the strengths and weaknesses, take a decisive look at the financial position, understand the risk and develop a course of action if required. As with most things, ratio

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.

Financial statement and ratio analysis is also used to drill down within the larger financial performance of the company as a whole to evaluate various divisions and product or service lines. These analyses are critically important as they are often used to enhance the firm’s credibility in the larger marketplace; assist in determining its own creditworthiness; and comparing its performance to that of potential competitors.

Financial ratios are useful indicators of a firm’s performance and financial situation. Most ratios can be calculated from information provided by the financial statements. Financial ratios can be used to analyze trends and to compare the firm’s financials to those of other firms. In some cases, ratio analysis can predict future bankruptcy.

Ratio analysis is the fundamental indicator of company’s performances for so many years; it is also can be seen as the very first step to measure a company’s performance along with its financial position. Moreover, ratio analysis has been researched and developed for many years, Bliss had presented the first coherent system of ratios, and he also stated that ratios are “indicator of the status of fundamental relationship within the business” Horrigan (1968). However there are some arguments on whether the ratio analysis is useful or not since to conduct these analyses will be costly to the company, also there are several limitations on how these ratios work. Therefore, the usefulness and the limitation of ratio analysis will be discussed further in this essay, with the use of easyJet’s annual report as examples.