Recency Bias
There is a common saying in the investment markets that “In the short run, the markets are a voting machine whereas, in the long run, they are a weighing machine.” This saying is often said in order to emphasize the role of long term investment. People with short term goals often fail to perform well […]
The Lawsuit Between Spotify and Apple Corporation
Spotify, which is one of the largest music streaming websites in the world, has filed an anti-trust lawsuit against Apple Incorporated. Spotify alleges that Apple has been using unfair strategies in order to gain an unassailable competitive advantage. The spat between Spotify and Apple is nothing new. However, now it has embroiled into a full-fledged […]
Why Devaluing the Currency is a Bad Idea?
The European economy is facing a significant downturn. There is a looming financial crisis in Europe which has been caused by excessive borrowing in the past. However, it is unlikely that this borrowing will stop in the near future. This is because the immigrant crisis in Europe is draining its resources making borrowing inevitable. In […]
Functions of a Central Bank in Modern Economies
A central bank is an institution that is mandated by constitutional decree to function along certain principles and entrusted with managing the fiscal side of the country’s economy. The Fed Reserve and Bank of England are examples of central banks. These banks have many functions, some of which are listed below. The central bank manages […]
Bond Market Conventions
While calculating present values of bonds, one may observe that some of the information required to compute the present value is actually missing from the question. However, this is not an error. One needs to understand that the examiner is in a way testing your knowledge of how the bond market works. In the bond […]
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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