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An Overview Of Ratio Analysis 

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whiz Consluting
An Overview Of Ratio Analysis 

The ratio analysis is a process of analysing the financial information contained in the financial statements. Ratio analysis is a practice that helps external analysts in determining the critical financial aspects of a business. The vital financial aspects include liquidity, solvency and profitability. The external analysts use the past and current financial statements to gain valuable information about a company. This enables them to create the right business strategies and make the right moves at the right time. Financial statements ratio analysis allows the stakeholders to understand the income statements and balance sheet numbers of a company. The final results are then used to compare the performance with the competitors in the market. 


The practice of ratio analysis is a quantitative method that offers valuable insights into a business. It allows a broader picture of a company’s financial health. Ratios are comparison points for businesses. The comparative data provided by the ratios demonstrate how a business performs over time. In addition, businesses can formulate or alter strategies to improve performances. Generally, ratios are combined with other ratios to obtain a comprehensive view of the company. This allows businesses to view different angles and spot the areas of a business. 


The financial statements ratio analysis helps an organisation spot the red flags and improve. However, the process of ratio analysis can be used for other purposes. Let us take a look at the different uses of ratio analysis: 


  • Operational efficiency analysis- Certain ratios can be used to learn more about the efficiency of a business. Those ratios can determine which companies are performing better than their competitors. It helps to measure the income generation potential by considering various business aspects. The percentages to manage operational efficiency are fixed asset turnover, inventory turnover ratio and accounts receivable ratio. 

 

  • Forecasting and planning- The ratios facilitate the comparison of the historical performances with the current ones. Analysing the business performances helps the managers and analysts make better forecasts. In addition, it helps promote critical decision-making by investors and other external stakeholders. 

 

  • Understanding profitability- With the help of profitability ratios, companies can get insights into their business’s actual profitability. For instance, net profit margin and gross profit determine a company’s ability to transform sales into profits. 

 

  • Recognise risks- With the help of ratios such as operating and financial leverage, businesses can understand the risks associated with the organisation. It helps to determine a business’s profitability sensibility while considering the outstanding debts and fixed cost deployment. 

Financial statements ratio analysis enables managers and investors to analyse and make comparisons. Financial ratios can be used to compare with other ratios within different periods. In addition to this, ratios in management accounting can be used to compare the same ratios in other industries or for other similar firms or the business sector. 

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