Financial Ratios

  • used to obtain a quick indication of a businesses financial performance

  • uses figures from soci and sofp

  • used to see how u r doing now and to compare between years and competitors

Measuring Profitability

  • profitability ratios asses a busineses ability to generate profit

gross profit margin

  • a high percentage means u have good sales in comparison to the cost of making them

  • gross profit = sales - cost of goods sold (opening inventory + purchases - closing inventory)

gross profit margin = (gross profit / revenue) x 100

(if ur gross profit margin is 35% every £1 of sales means u are making 35p gross profit)

sales - cost of goods sold = gross profit

gross profit - expenses = net profit

  • this info is in the SoCI

  • helps decide whether to increase prices , decrease cost of goods sold or increase sales

net profit margin

  • how ur operating costds effect profit margins

  • a high margin means you are profitable and have expenses under control

  • a love margins means u need to cut back

net profit margin = (net profit / revenue) x 100

mark up

  • profit as a percentage of cost of goods sold it shows what percentage of cost pf goods sold is added to reach the selling price

mark up = gross profit / cost of sales x 100

return on capital employed

  • shows the percentage return the business is getting from the caoital being used to generate them

ROCE = net profit 4 intrest and tax / capital employed x 100

mostly used by investors

the higher the better usualy 20% or more

Measuring Liquidity

current ratio

  • shows amount of current assets in relation to current liabilities

  • expressed as x:1

for example if the current ratio is 2:1 for every £2 a business has in assets they have £1 in current liabilities

this is good ratio as u have plenty to assets to cover liabilities

current ratios = current assets / current liabilities

liquid capital ratio / acid test

  • together and better method of measuring liquidity

  • is curretn ratio but with out inventory bc inventory is the most difficult current assets to turn into cash quickly

liquid capital ratio = current assets - inventory / current liabilities

Measuring Efficiency

how effectivly money is used in a business assessing how well managment r controling stock and finances

trade receivable days

  • tells us on average how long it takes debtors to pay

  • can effect cash flow

  • expressed in days

  • if there’s no credit sales use overall sales

trade receivables / credit sales x 365

trade payable days

  • shows how long it takes in the business to pay their invoices to creditors (eg suppliers)

trade payables / credit purchases x 365

inventory turn over

  • refers to how quickly stock sells / how long its kept before its sold

average inventory / cost of sales x 365

(average inventory = opening + closing inventory / 2 )

limitations to ratios

  • calculated on past data and may no accuratly reflect the business performance

  • may be based on manipulated data causing innaccuracies

  • dont consider qualitive factors

  • they identify problems not cause

  • differnce in accounting methods make comparing firms difficult