Ratio and Financial Statements Analysis
Kimberly Y. Gruber
University of Maryland University College
Dr. Sunando Sengupta
07/25/2013
Turnitin Score: 23%

Executive Summary
The purpose of this paper is to examine ratio and financial statement analysis. Such analysis is a useful tool for managers and stakeholders to evaluate a company’s financial health in order to identify opportunities for growth and areas of weakness so as to institute corrective measures. Financial statements are used in order to predict trends of cash flow within the business as well as predict the potential of a business and if they are capable of financial growth. Ratio analysis examines the probability of a company’s profit or a company’s loss. This
In order to overcome the problems associated with accrual accounting and to provide a more precise focus on the cash position of a business the statement of cash flows method was created. This method provided for the creation of a new set of ratios which could be used to analyze the liquidity of a business despite the cash flow detail that was sometimes absent in business that used accrual accounting. Since the introduction of the statement of cash flows a number of ratios have been developed and their use continues to evolve.
Some examples of financial ratios that are used are: the liquidity ratio (i.e., current assets/current liabilities and current assets – inventory/current liabilities) which is a measure of a business’s potential to cover its expenses; efficiency ratio (i.e., inventory turnover = cost of goods sold/inventory; days sales in inventory = 365 days/inventory turnover) which is a measure of the efficacy of a business and the usage of their current assets; and leverage ratio (i.e., total debt ratio = total debt/total assets; debt to ratio=total debt/total equity) which is a method to measure the level of debt in a business and evaluate its potential to meet long term financial goals. There are other methods in use as well such as profitability ratio and market value Indicator.
Advantages and Strengths to Ratio and Financial