Debits and Credits – Building Blocks of Double Entry Accounting System
Debits and credits are the building blocks of the double entry accounting system. Many accounting students find the usage of these words confusing. Many try to understand them by trying to draw an analogy with something they already know like plus and minus. However, debits and credits are distinctly different from plus and minus. Sometimes […]
Gordon Growth Model: Pros and Cons
The Gordon growth model is a well known and widely known model for valuing equity securities. However, as with every model, there are some pros and cons that need to be understood before this model is applied. Understanding of these pros and cons will help differentiating between situations wherein it would be prudent to apply […]
The Harshad Mehta Scam in India (1992)
Harshad Mehta was the son of a peon. He was born in abject poverty and when he migrated to Mumbai, he had a mere Rs 40 i.e. less than $1 in his pocket. However, over the years Harshad Mehta rose meteorically to become one of the most influential and powerful brokers on the Bombay Stock […]
Exchange Traded Derivatives
Now since we have a basic idea regarding what derivatives really are and the function that they perform, it time to get into a little more detail. At this point, it is essential to introduce the concept of exchange traded derivatives and over the counter derivatives. We have briefly brushed on them in the previous […]
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 […]
Working Capital to Sales Ratio = Working Capital / Sales
Stating the working capital as an absolute figure makes little sense. Consider two companies, both having the same working capital of USD 100. While one company uses this working capital to generate sales of USD 500, the other uses the same amount as working capital to generate USD 1000 in sales. Which one do you think will be more profitable? Which one do you think is more efficient?
When companies use the same working capital to generate more sales, it means that they are using the same funds over and over again. This is why this ratio is also called “Working Capital Turnover Ratio” as it measures the number of times working capital has been turned over. The higher the sales, the more the profits and therefore the more appropriate use of working capital has been made.
The working capital to sales ratio uses the working capital and sales figures from the previous year’s financial statements. Hence, there is obviously an assumption that working capital and sales have been accurately stated. Companies may over stock or under stock because of expectations of shortage of raw materials. These influences are however short term. Thus while reading this number the analyst must compare it with the past numbers to see if this is usual state of affairs for the company or whether this is an exception.
These investors may be true because the stock market takes any news of cash shortage very seriously and the stock plummets in the market. But the price in the stock may be short term.
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