Cash vs. Accrual Basis of Accounting
Cash Basis of Accounting Cash Basis of Accounting uses receipts and payments of cash to record incomes and expenses. Therefore, under the cash basis of accounting, if a corporation makes salary payments of January, 3 months later in April, it will be considered as expenses in the month of April, since that is when the […]
Challenges Faced by the Chinese Pension System
In the previous article, we have already studied about the peculiarities of the Chinese pension system. We are now aware that the Chinese pension system is quite different from the pension system operating in western countries. The fact that the Chinese system is different does not make it better than the western system. The Chinese […]
Profit Maximization vs. Wealth Maximization
When the management of companies is encouraged to change their paradigm from traditional finance to strategic finance, they notice a lot of changes. One of the most prominent changes that are observed is with regards to the concept of wealth maximization. There are many managers who have the opinion that wealth management is a fad […]
Tax the Rich Policy: A Critical Analysis
There are few issues which strike through the heart of communists in China and capitalists in America similarly. One such issue is the issue of taxes, particularly the taxes that are levied on people of the extremely high income category. The popular opinion is that the rich somehow collude with the politicians to create a […]
Tulip Mania of the 17th Century
Asset bubbles have always been a testimony to the bizarre things that humans can accomplish when they abandon their own rational thinking and a herd mentality sets in. However, the case in point of the first asset bubble in recorded history i.e. the tulip mania brings this to light. The sheer absurdity of the situation […]
The cash ratio is limited in its usefulness to investors and financial analysts. It is the least popular of the liquidity ratios and is used only when the company under question is under absolute duress. Only in desperate circumstances do situations arise where the company is not able to meet its short term obligations by liquidating its inventory and receivables and this is when the cash ratio comes handy.
Cash Ratio = (Cash + Cash Equivalents + Marketable Securities) / Current Liabilities
The cash ratio indicates the amount of cash that the company has on hand to meet its current liabilities. A cash ratio of 0.2 would mean that for every rupee the company owes creditors in the next 12 months it has 0.2 in cash. 0.2 is considered to be the ideal cash ratio.
The cash ratio is the most stringent of all liquidity ratios. Hence there are no assumptions made. The cash and cash equivalent figures stated on the balance sheet are facts and so are the current liabilities stated on the balance sheet. Hence there is no assumption about future events that need to occur as per the company’s plan.
The nearest the cash ratio gets to an assumption is that it believes that marketable securities and cash equivalents can be quickly liquidated. Under normal circumstances this is always the case. The only case where liquidation of these securities would be an issue would be the complete failure of the economic system.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Cash Flow to Debt Ratio – Meaning, Formula, Assumptions and Interpretation
February 12, 2025
