Bootstrapping: Meaning and its Advantages
Modern startup enterprises seem to be focused on the media hype. The focus of the entrepreneurs is to raise enough funds so that they become newsworthy. Once the name of the startup starts appearing in the news, it is considered to be worthy by everyone including other investors, employees, and even customers. Hence, many startup […]
Valuation of Sports Franchise: Replacement Cost Approach
In the previous few articles, we have already come across the income-based approaches that are used in order to value a sports franchise. We have also had a closer look at some of the shortcomings of the income-based approach. We are also aware that the income-based approach is not the only possible way to value […]
Assumptions Used In Equity Valuation
Equity valuation is about guessing what the value of an organization is expected to be a decade from now or an even bigger time horizon. Obviously, the financial future, just like future in general is difficult to predict. However, in equity valuation, one cannot proceed further until some assumptions are made about the future. Every […]
Causes of Shrinkage in the Retail Sector
In the previous article, we have already understood the concept of shrinkage. We now know how shrinkage is calculated and are also aware of the financial impact that it has on retailers. It is a known fact that shrinkage cannot be reduced to zero. It has to be brought under control. Retailers have been streamlining […]
Accounts Payable Turnover Ratio
Just like accounts receivable turnover ratio show the financing that the firm is providing to its buyers interest free, the accounts payable turnover ratio show the financing that the firm is able to receive from its vendors and suppliers free of cost. Since there are no interest charges involved and this is purely trade credit, […]
Ratio, as the name suggests, is nothing more than one number divided by the other. However, they become useful when they are put in some sort of context. This means that when an analysts looks at the number resulting out of a ratio calculation he/she must have a reasonable basis to compare it with. Only when the analyst looks at the number and compares it what the ideal state of affairs should be like, do the numbers become powerful tool of management and financial analysis.
Dividing numbers and obtaining ratios is therefore not the main skill. In fact this part can be automated and done by the computer. Companies wouldn’t want to pay analysts for doing simple division, would they?. The real skill lies in being able to interpret these numbers. Here are some common techniques used in the interpretation of these numbers.
Horizontal analysis is an industry jargon for comparison of the same ratio over time. Once a ratio is calculated, it is compared with what the value was in the previous quarter, the previous years, or many years in case the analyst is trying to make a trend. This provides more information of two grounds. They are:
Cross sectional ratio analysis is the industry jargon used to denote comparison of ratios with other companies. The other companies may or may not belong to the same industry. Cross sectional analysis helps an analyst understand how well a company is performing relative to its peers. In a way this removes the effect of business cycles. There are many variations of cross sectional analysis. They are as follows:
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