📈Financial Accounting II Unit 11 – Financial Statement Analysis: Ratios & Insights

Key Financial Statements Recap

• The balance sheet provides a snapshot of a company's financial position at a specific point in time, including assets, liabilities, and equity
• The income statement summarizes a company's financial performance over a period of time, showing revenues, expenses, and net income or loss
  • Revenues represent the total amount earned from the sale of goods or services
  • Expenses include costs associated with generating revenue (cost of goods sold, operating expenses, interest expense, taxes)
• The statement of cash flows reports the inflows and outflows of cash during a specific period, categorized into operating, investing, and financing activities
  • Operating activities involve the core business operations (cash received from customers, payments to suppliers)
  • Investing activities include the acquisition or disposal of long-term assets (property, plant, and equipment)
  • Financing activities relate to the raising or repayment of capital (issuing stocks, paying dividends, borrowing money)
• The statement of retained earnings shows the changes in a company's retained earnings over a period of time, including net income, dividends paid, and any adjustments
• Notes to the financial statements provide additional information and explanations to help users better understand the company's financial position and performance

Understanding Financial Ratios

• Financial ratios are mathematical comparisons of financial statement items used to assess a company's financial health, performance, and efficiency
• Ratios allow for standardized comparisons between companies of different sizes or across different time periods
• Ratios are typically expressed as percentages or fractions, showing the relationship between two or more financial statement items
• Common categories of financial ratios include liquidity, efficiency, profitability, solvency, and market value ratios
  • Liquidity ratios measure a company's ability to meet short-term obligations
  • Efficiency ratios assess how effectively a company uses its assets and manages its liabilities
  • Profitability ratios evaluate a company's ability to generate profits relative to its revenue, assets, or equity
  • Solvency ratios gauge a company's ability to meet long-term debt obligations and its financial leverage
  • Market value ratios relate a company's stock price to its earnings and book value
• Ratios should be analyzed in the context of the company's industry, competitors, and historical performance to gain meaningful insights

Liquidity and Efficiency Ratios

• Current ratio ($\frac{Current Assets}{Current Liabilities}$) measures a company's ability to pay short-term obligations using its current assets
  • A ratio greater than 1 indicates that the company has sufficient current assets to cover its current liabilities
• Quick ratio ($\frac{Cash + Marketable Securities + Accounts Receivable}{Current Liabilities}$) is a more conservative measure of liquidity, excluding inventories from current assets
• Inventory turnover ($\frac{Cost of Goods Sold}{Average Inventory}$) measures how efficiently a company manages its inventory
  • A higher ratio suggests that the company is effectively selling its inventory and minimizing holding costs
• Receivables turnover ($\frac{Net Credit Sales}{Average Accounts Receivable}$) evaluates how quickly a company collects payments from its customers
• Days sales outstanding ($\frac{365}{Receivables Turnover}$) represents the average number of days it takes for a company to collect payment after a sale
• Asset turnover ($\frac{Net Sales}{Average Total Assets}$) measures how efficiently a company uses its assets to generate sales

Profitability Ratios

• Gross profit margin ($\frac{Gross Profit}{Net Sales}$) measures the percentage of revenue remaining after deducting the cost of goods sold
  • A higher margin indicates that the company is able to sell its products or services at a higher price relative to its costs
• Operating profit margin ($\frac{Operating Income}{Net Sales}$) shows the percentage of revenue remaining after deducting operating expenses
• Net profit margin ($\frac{Net Income}{Net Sales}$) measures the percentage of revenue that remains as net income after accounting for all expenses and taxes
• Return on assets (ROA) ($\frac{Net Income}{Average Total Assets}$) measures how efficiently a company uses its assets to generate profits
• Return on equity (ROE) ($\frac{Net Income}{Average Shareholders' Equity}$) evaluates the return generated on shareholders' invested capital
• Earnings per share (EPS) ($\frac{Net Income - Preferred Dividends}{Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding}$) represents the portion of a company's profit allocated to each outstanding share of common stock

Solvency and Leverage Ratios

• Debt-to-equity ratio ($\frac{Total Liabilities}{Total Shareholders' Equity}$) measures the proportion of debt and equity used to finance a company's assets
  • A higher ratio indicates that the company relies more on debt financing, which can be riskier
• Debt-to-assets ratio ($\frac{Total Liabilities}{Total Assets}$) shows the percentage of a company's assets that are financed by debt
• Interest coverage ratio ($\frac{Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (EBIT)}{Interest Expense}$) measures a company's ability to make interest payments on its debt
  • A higher ratio suggests that the company has a better ability to meet its interest obligations
• Times interest earned (TIE) is another name for the interest coverage ratio
• Equity multiplier ($\frac{Total Assets}{Total Shareholders' Equity}$) indicates the degree of financial leverage used by a company
• Debt service coverage ratio ($\frac{Net Operating Income}{Total Debt Service}$) evaluates a company's ability to meet its debt obligations, including principal repayments and interest

Market Value Ratios

• Price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio ($\frac{Market Price per Share}{Earnings per Share}$) compares a company's stock price to its earnings per share
  • A higher P/E ratio may indicate that investors expect higher growth in the future
• Price-to-book (P/B) ratio ($\frac{Market Price per Share}{Book Value per Share}$) compares a company's stock price to its book value per share
  • A ratio below 1 may suggest that the stock is undervalued
• Dividend yield ($\frac{Annual Dividends per Share}{Market Price per Share}$) measures the annual return an investor receives in the form of dividends
• Earnings yield ($\frac{Earnings per Share}{Market Price per Share}$) is the inverse of the P/E ratio and represents the earnings generated per dollar invested in the stock
• Price-to-sales (P/S) ratio ($\frac{Market Price per Share}{Revenue per Share}$) compares a company's stock price to its revenue per share
  • This ratio is useful for valuing companies with negative earnings or in sectors where sales are a key driver of growth

Interpreting Ratio Results

• Ratio analysis should be conducted in the context of the company's industry, as different industries have different norms and benchmarks
• Comparing a company's ratios to its competitors or industry averages can provide insights into its relative performance
• Analyzing trends in a company's ratios over time can help identify improvements or deteriorations in its financial health
  • Consistent improvement in ratios may indicate effective management and a strengthening financial position
  • Deteriorating ratios may signal potential problems or areas that require attention
• Ratios should be interpreted holistically, considering the relationships between different ratios and the company's overall financial picture
• Unusual or extreme ratio values may warrant further investigation to understand the underlying causes and potential implications
• Qualitative factors, such as management quality, industry trends, and economic conditions, should also be considered when interpreting ratio results

Practical Applications and Case Studies

• Ratio analysis is widely used by investors, creditors, and management to assess a company's financial health and make informed decisions
• Investors use ratios to evaluate a company's growth potential, profitability, and risk before making investment decisions
  • For example, investors may compare a company's P/E ratio to its peers to assess its relative valuation
• Creditors, such as banks and bondholders, use ratios to assess a company's creditworthiness and ability to repay its debts
  • The debt-to-equity ratio and interest coverage ratio are particularly relevant for creditors
• Management uses ratio analysis to monitor the company's performance, identify areas for improvement, and make strategic decisions
  • For instance, management may track the company's gross profit margin over time to assess pricing strategies and cost control efforts
• Case Study 1: Company A has a higher ROE than its competitors, driven by a higher net profit margin and asset turnover. This suggests that Company A is more efficient in generating profits and using its assets effectively.
• Case Study 2: Company B has a low current ratio and quick ratio, indicating potential liquidity issues. Further investigation reveals that the company has a high level of short-term debt and has been struggling to collect receivables promptly.
• Case Study 3: Company C has a declining gross profit margin and operating profit margin over the past three years. Management identifies rising raw material costs and inefficiencies in the production process as the main contributors to the decline.