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Business: Company & Industry Research: Financial Ratios

Ratios

Financial ratios are an essential source of information for analyzing company financial data. By comparing the ratios to previous years and to other businesses in the same industry, it is possible to make judgments about a firm's basic financial health and to determine operating trends.

The following are some of the ratios commonly used in analysis.

For more information on the items under the Source column, please see the tab entitled Annual Reports and SEC Filings.

RATIO DEFINITION SOURCE

 1. Current Ratio

 Total current assets divided by total current liabilities.  Balance Sheet

 2. Quick Ratio
 (Acid- Test Ratio)

 The sum of cash and accounts receivable divided by total current liabilities.  Balance Sheet

 3. Price/Earnings Ratio

 Average common stock price divided by net income per share  Stock price listings, Balance Sheet & Statement of Consolidated Earnings

 4. Sales to Inventory
 (Inventory Turnover)

 Annual net sales divided by inventory.  Statement of Consolidated Earnings & Balance Sheet

 5. Total Liabilities to Net Worth
 (Debt-to-Equity Ratio)

 Total liabilities divided by net worth.  Balance Sheet & Statement of Consolidated Earnings

 6. Return on Sales
 (Operating Profit Margin)

 Net profit after taxes divided by annual net sales.  Statement of Consolidated Earnings

 7. Return on Net Worth
 (Return on Equity)

 Net profit after taxes divided by net worth.  Balance Sheet & Statement of Consolidated Earnings

Key Resources For Locating Financial Ratios

Databases:

Books and eBooks:

TED Talks-Chris McKnett-The Investment Logic for Sustainability