Current Ratio Explained With Formula and Examples

Generally, the assumption is made that the higher the current ratio, the better the creditors’ position due to the higher probability that debts will be paid when due. By contrast, in the case of Company Y, 75% of the current assets are made up of these two liquid resources. The current ratio is one of the oldest ratios used in liquidity analysis. Another practical measure of a company’s liquidity is the quick ratio, otherwise known as the “acid-test” ratio. If all current liabilities of Apple had been immediately due at the end of 2021, the company could have paid all of its bills without leveraging long-term assets.

Let’s look at some examples of companies with high and low current ratios. You can find these numbers on a company’s balance sheet under total current assets and total current liabilities. Some finance sites also give you the ratio in a list with other common furniture and fixtures in accounting financials, such as valuation, profitability and capitalization. You can calculate the current ratio by dividing a company’s total current assets by its total current liabilities.

It encompasses items such as accounts payable, short-term loans, and any other debts requiring repayment in the near future. For example, a company’s current ratio may appear to be good, when in fact it has fallen over time, indicating a deteriorating financial condition. But a too-high current ratio may indicate that a company is not investing effectively, leaving too much unused cash on its balance sheet. I have compiled below the total current assets and total current liabilities of Thomas Cook. You may note that this ratio of Thomas Cook tends to move up in the September Quarter. Secondly, we must identify the current liabilities, which encompass the company’s debts and obligations due within a year, such as accounts payable and short-term loans.

Current Ratio vs. Other Liquidity Ratios

Instead, there is a clear pattern of seasonality in current ratio equations. However, the end result of the calculation could mean different things based on the result. Let us understand how to interpret the data from a current ration calculator through the discussion below.

In simplest terms, it measures the amount of cash available relative to its liabilities. The first way to express the current ratio is to express it as a proportion (i.e., current liabilities to current assets). This ratio was designed to assist decision-makers when determining a firm’s ability to pay its current liabilities from its current assets.

One limitation of the current ratio emerges when using it to compare different companies with one another. Businesses differ substantially among industries; comparing the current ratios of companies across different industries may not lead to productive insight. To see how current ratio can change over time, and why a temporarily lower current ratio might not bother investors or analysts, let’s look at the balance sheet for Apple Inc. In this example, the trend for Company B is negative, meaning the current ratio is decreasing over time. An analyst or investor seeing these numbers would need to investigate further to see what is causing the negative trend.

However, if you look at company B now, it has all cash in its current assets. Therefore, even though its ratio is 1.45x, strictly from the short-term debt repayment perspective, it is best placed as it can immediately pay off its short-term debt. Therefore, applicable to all measures of liquidity, solvency, and default risk, further financial due diligence is necessary to understand the real financial health of our hypothetical company.

1. Apple technically did not have enough current assets on hand to pay all of its short-term bills.
2. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service.
3. For instance, imagine Company XYZ, which has a large receivable that is unlikely to be collected or excess inventory that may be obsolete.
4. Current ratios over 1.00 indicate that a company’s current assets are greater than its current liabilities, meaning it could more easily pay of short-term debts.
5. Understanding the Current Ratio empowers investors and analysts to make informed decisions, enabling them to navigate the intricate world of finance with confidence.

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The current ratio also sheds light on the overall debt burden of the company. If a company is weighted down with a current debt, its cash flow will suffer. A higher current ratio is always more favorable than a lower current ratio because it shows the company can more easily make current debt payments. In this case, current liabilities are expressed as 1 and current assets are expressed as whatever proportionate figure they come to.

Just a test of quantity, not quality:

A ratio under 1.00 indicates that the company’s debts due in a year or less are greater than its cash or other short-term assets expected to be converted to cash within a year or less. In general, the higher the current ratio, the more capable a company is of paying its obligations because it has a larger proportion of short-term asset value relative to the value of its short-term liabilities. If a company has $500,000 in current assets and $250,000 in current liabilities, its Current Ratio is 2 ($500,000 / $250,000), indicating that it has twice the assets to cover its immediate obligations. For example, if a company has $100,000 in current assets and $150,000 in current liabilities, then its current ratio is 0.6. Similarly, companies that generate cash quickly, such as well-run retailers, may operate safely with lower current ratios. They may borrow from suppliers (increasing accounts payable) and actually receive payment from their customers before the money is due to those suppliers.

The current ratio expressed as a percentage is arrived at by showing the current assets of a company as a percentage of its current liabilities. However, if the current ratio of a company is below 1, it shows that it has more current liabilities than current assets (i.e., negative working capital). If the current ratio of a business is 1 or more, it means it has more current assets than current liabilities (i.e., positive working capital). However, an examination of the composition of current assets reveals that the total cash and debtors of Company X account for merely one-third of the total current assets.

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These typically have a maturity period of one year or less, are bought and sold on a public stock exchange, and can usually be sold within three months on the market. Our mission is to empower readers with the most factual and reliable financial information possible to help them make informed decisions for their individual needs. We follow strict ethical journalism practices, which includes presenting unbiased information and citing reliable, attributed resources. So, a ratio of 2.65 means that Sample Limited has more than enough cash to meet its immediate obligations. Get instant access to video lessons taught by experienced investment bankers. Learn financial statement modeling, DCF, M&A, LBO, Comps and Excel shortcuts.

Liquidity comparison of two or more companies with same current ratio

On the flip side, if the current ratio falls below 1, it could be a red flag. This indicates that the company might not have enough short-term assets to settle its debts as they come due. This could lead to liquidity problems, which might require the company to borrow more or sell assets at unfavorable terms just to keep the lights on. The current ratio can be a useful measure of a company’s short-term solvency when it is placed in the context of what has been historically normal for the company and its peer group. It also offers more insight when calculated repeatedly over several periods. For example, a normal cycle for the company’s collections and payment processes may lead to a high current ratio as payments are received, but a low current ratio as those collections ebb.

A strong Current Ratio can instill confidence in potential investors, but it should be evaluated alongside other financial metrics and the company’s specific circumstances. You can find them on your company’s balance sheet, alongside all of your other liabilities. These are future expenses that have been paid in advance that haven’t yet been used up or expired. Generally, prepaid expenses that will be used up within one year are initially reported on the balance sheet as a current asset. As the amount expires, the current asset is reduced and the amount of the reduction is reported as an expense on the income statement.

A ratio above 1 indicates the company can meet its short-term obligations, while below 1 suggests potential liquidity issues. It aids in evaluating a firm’s financial health and ability to cover immediate debts. Current ratio is a number which simply tells us the quantity of current assets a business holds in relation to the quantity of current liabilities it is obliged to pay in near future. Since it reveals nothing in respect of the assets’ quality, it is often inventory costing methods and inventory valuation methods regarded as crued ratio. With both values in hand, one can proceed to calculate the current ratio by dividing the total current assets by the total current liabilities. Since the current ratio compares a company’s current assets to its current liabilities, the required inputs can be found on the balance sheet.