Quick ratio

Last updated

In finance, the quick ratio, also known as the acid-test ratio, is a liquidity ratio that measures the ability of a company to use near-cash assets (or 'quick' assets) to extinguish or retire current liabilities immediately. It is the ratio between quick assets and current liabilities.

Contents

A normal liquid ratio is considered to be 1:1. A company with a quick ratio of less than 1 cannot currently fully pay back its current liabilities.

The quick ratio is similar to the current ratio, but it provides a more conservative assessment of the liquidity position of a firm as it excludes inventory, [1] which it does not consider as sufficiently liquid.

Formula

Where quick assets can be defined as follows:

Although the quick ratio is a test for the financial viability of a business, it does not give a complete picture of the business's health. For example, if a business has large amounts in accounts receivable due for payment after a long period, while also having larger accounts payable due for immediate payment, the quick ratio may look healthy when the business is actually about to run out of cash. In contrast, if a business has fast payment from customers, but long terms from suppliers, it may have a low quick ratio and yet be very healthy.

Generally, the acid test ratio should be 1:1 or higher for a healthy company. However, this varies widely by industry. [2] In general, the higher the ratio, the greater the company's accounting liquidity. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balance sheet</span> Accounting financial summary

In financial accounting, a balance sheet is a summary of the financial balances of an individual or organization, whether it be a sole proprietorship, a business partnership, a corporation, private limited company or other organization such as government or not-for-profit entity. Assets, liabilities and ownership equity are listed as of a specific date, such as the end of its financial year. A balance sheet is often described as a "snapshot of a company's financial condition". It is the summary of each and every financial statement of an organization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Current asset</span> Assets held for less than a fiscal year

In accounting, a current asset is an asset that can reasonably be expected to be sold, consumed, or exhausted through the normal operations of a business within the current fiscal year, operating cycle, or financial year. In simple terms, current assets are assets that are held for a short period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debits and credits</span> Sides of an account in double-entry bookeeping

Debits and credits in double-entry bookkeeping are entries made in account ledgers to record changes in value resulting from business transactions. A debit entry in an account represents a transfer of value to that account, and a credit entry represents a transfer from the account. Each transaction transfers value from credited accounts to debited accounts. For example, a tenant who writes a rent cheque to a landlord would enter a credit for the bank account on which the cheque is drawn, and a debit in a rent expense account. Similarly, the landlord would enter a credit in the rent income account associated with the tenant and a debit for the bank account where the cheque is deposited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Factoring (finance)</span> Financial transaction and a type of debtor finance

Factoring is a financial transaction and a type of debtor finance in which a business sells its accounts receivable to a third party at a discount. A business will sometimes factor its receivable assets to meet its present and immediate cash needs. Forfaiting is a factoring arrangement used in international trade finance by exporters who wish to sell their receivables to a forfaiter. Factoring is commonly referred to as accounts receivable factoring, invoice factoring, and sometimes accounts receivable financing. Accounts receivable financing is a term more accurately used to describe a form of asset based lending against accounts receivable. The Commercial Finance Association is the leading trade association of the asset-based lending and factoring industries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fractional-reserve banking</span> System of banking

Fractional-reserve banking is the system of banking in all countries worldwide, under which banks that take deposits from the public keep only part of their deposit liabilities in liquid assets as a reserve, typically lending the remainder to borrowers. Bank reserves are held as cash in the bank or as balances in the bank's account at the central bank. Fractional-reserve banking differs from the hypothetical alternative model, full-reserve banking, in which banks would keep all depositor funds on hand as reserves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Financial accounting</span> Field of accounting

Financial accounting is a branch of accounting concerned with the summary, analysis and reporting of financial transactions related to a business. This involves the preparation of financial statements available for public use. Stockholders, suppliers, banks, employees, government agencies, business owners, and other stakeholders are examples of people interested in receiving such information for decision making purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cash flow statement</span> Financial statement

In financial accounting, a cash flow statement, also known as statement of cash flows, is a financial statement that shows how changes in balance sheet accounts and income affect cash and cash equivalents, and breaks the analysis down to operating, investing and financing activities. Essentially, the cash flow statement is concerned with the flow of cash in and out of the business. As an analytical tool, the statement of cash flows is useful in determining the short-term viability of a company, particularly its ability to pay bills. International Accounting Standard 7 is the International Accounting Standard that deals with cash flow statements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cash and cash equivalents</span> Highly liquid, short-term assets

Cash and cash equivalents (CCE) are the most liquid current assets found on a business's balance sheet. Cash equivalents are short-term commitments "with temporarily idle cash and easily convertible into a known cash amount". An investment normally counts as a cash equivalent when it has a short maturity period of 90 days or less, and can be included in the cash and cash equivalents balance from the date of acquisition when it carries an insignificant risk of changes in the asset value. If it has a maturity of more than 90 days, it is not considered a cash equivalent. Equity investments mostly are excluded from cash equivalents, unless they are essentially cash equivalents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deferral</span> Term in accounting

In accounting, a deferral is any account where the income or expense is not recognised until a future date.

Working capital (WC) is a financial metric which represents operating liquidity available to a business, organisation, or other entity, including governmental entities. Along with fixed assets such as plant and equipment, working capital is considered a part of operating capital. Gross working capital is equal to current assets. Working capital is calculated as current assets minus current liabilities. If current assets are less than current liabilities, an entity has a working capital deficiency, also called a working capital deficit and negative working capital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matching principle</span> Accounting method

In accrual accounting, the matching principle dictates that an expense should be reported in the same period as the corresponding revenue is earned. The revenue recognition principle states that revenues should be recorded in the period in which they are earned, regardless of when the cash is transferred. By recognising costs in the period they are incurred, a business can determine how much was spent to generate revenue, thereby reducing discrepancies between when costs are incurred and when revenue is realised. In contrast, cash basis accounting requires recognising an expense when the cash is paid, irrespective of when the expense was incurred.

Solvency, in finance or business, is the degree to which the current assets of an individual or entity exceed the current liabilities of that individual or entity. Solvency can also be described as the ability of a corporation to meet its long-term fixed expenses and to accomplish long-term expansion and growth. This is best measured using the net liquid balance (NLB) formula. In this formula, solvency is calculated by adding cash and cash equivalents to short-term investments, then subtracting notes payable. There exist cryptographic schemes for both proofs of liabilities and assets, especially in the blockchain space.

Liquidity ratio may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Accounting for leases in the United States</span> US accounting standard

Accounting for leases in the United States is regulated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) by the Financial Accounting Standards Number 13, now known as Accounting Standards Codification Topic 840. These standards were effective as of January 1, 1977. The FASB completed in February 2016 a revision of the lease accounting standard, referred to as ASC 842.

The current ratio is an liquidity ratio that measures whether a firm has enough resources to meet its short-term obligations. It is the ratio of a firm's current assets to its current liabilities, Current Assets/Current Liabilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Accounting liquidity</span> The measure of a debtors ability to pay their debts as/when they mature

In accounting, liquidity is a measure of the ability of a debtor to pay their debts as and when they fall due. It is usually expressed as a ratio or a percentage of current liabilities. Liquidity is the ability to pay short-term obligations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Financial statement analysis</span>

Financial statement analysis is the process of reviewing and analyzing a company's financial statements to make better economic decisions to earn income in future. These statements include the income statement, balance sheet, statement of cash flows, notes to accounts and a statement of changes in equity. Financial statement analysis is a method or process involving specific techniques for evaluating risks, performance, valuation, financial health, and future prospects of an organization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asset</span> Economic resource, from which future economic benefits are expected

In financial accounting, an asset is any resource owned or controlled by a business or an economic entity. It is anything that can be used to produce positive economic value. Assets represent value of ownership that can be converted into cash . The balance sheet of a firm records the monetary value of the assets owned by that firm. It covers money and other valuables belonging to an individual or to a business. Total assets can also be called the balance sheet total.

Net operating assets (NOA) are a business's operating assets minus its operating liabilities. NOA is calculated by reformatting the balance sheet so that operating activities are separated from financing activities. This is done so that the operating performance of the business can be isolated and valued independently of the financing performance. Management is usually not responsible for creating value through financing activities unless the company is in the finance industry, therefore reformatting the balance sheet allows investors to value just the operating activities and hence get a more accurate valuation of the company. One school of thought is that there is no such security as an operating liability. All liabilities are a form of invested capital, and are discretionary, so the concept of net operating assets has no basis because operating assets are not discretionary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Financial ratio</span> Numerical value to determine the financial condition of a company

A financial ratio or accounting ratio states the relative magnitude of two selected numerical values taken from an enterprise's financial statements. Often used in accounting, there are many standard ratios used to try to evaluate the overall financial condition of a corporation or other organization. Financial ratios may be used by managers within a firm, by current and potential shareholders (owners) of a firm, and by a firm's creditors. Financial analysts use financial ratios to compare the strengths and weaknesses in various companies. If shares in a company are publicly listed, the market price of the shares is used in certain financial ratios.

References

  1. Drake, P. P., Financial ratio analysis, p. 4, published on 15 December 2012
  2. Tracy, John A. (2004). How to Read a Financial Report: Wringing Vital Signs Out of the Numbers. John Wiley and Sons. p. 173. ISBN   0-471-64693-8.
  3. Gallagher, Timothy (2003). Financial Management . Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall. pp.  94–95. ISBN   0-13-067488-5.