Ratio analysis can be
defined as a quantitative analysis of data obtained from the financial statements
of a company. It assists in evaluating financial and operating performance, particularly
in the context of efficiency, solvency, liquidity and profitability. It also
provides a brief idea regarding the financial health of the company by
comparing its performance over time. This, in turn, helps in assessing whether the company is improving or not.
Never the less, the ratios
can be categorized into six groups: liquidity ratios measuring the capability
of the company in clearing off its short term debt obligations, then solvency
ratios, comparing the company’s total amount of debts with its assets. Next profitability
ratios which provide a clear and comprehensible picture regarding the
generation of profits from the operations of the company. Also, efficiency
ratios evaluate the proper usage of assets and liabilities of the company,
while coverage ratios measure the ability of the company to pay its obligations
and the interest payments. And finally, the market prospect ratios which determine
the trend of stocks and calculate the earnings from the investments.
To carry on the ratio
analysis successfully, the financial statements of the company need to be studied
thoroughly. In the case of liquidity ratios, the current ratio needs to be calculated
from the balance sheet. To do this, current assets need to be divided by
current liabilities, where both these elements can be found from the
highlighted numbers. Similarly, the quick ratio and the net working capital can
also be calculated using simple formulas. For instance, in case of quick ratio,
the total inventory needs to be deducted from the current assets and then on
dividing the resulting value by current liabilities will give the value for
quick ratio. The networking capital can also be calculated by deducting the
current liabilities from the current assets.
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