Cash Ratio

Definition

The cash ratio is a financial metric that measures a company’s liquidity and its ability to meet short-term obligations by using its most liquid assets. It is calculated by dividing the company’s cash and cash equivalents by its current liabilities. A higher cash ratio indicates greater short-term financial stability, as the company can quickly convert its assets into cash to pay off debts.

Phonetic

The phonetics of the keyword “Cash Ratio” can be represented as: /kæʃ ˈreɪʃiˌoʊ/

Key Takeaways

1. Liquidity Indicator: The cash ratio indicates the liquidity position of a company by measuring its ability to pay off current liabilities using only its cash and cash equivalents. A high cash ratio implies that a company can settle its short-term obligations without relying on the sale of other assets or obtaining additional financing.
2. Conservative Measure: The cash ratio is considered the most conservative liquidity ratio because it only takes into account cash and cash equivalents, which are the most liquid assets. This is in contrast to other liquidity ratios, like the current ratio and quick ratio, that include other current assets like accounts receivable and inventory.
3. Benchmark Comparison: Comparing a company’s cash ratio to industry benchmarks or competitors helps determine if the company has a healthy or weak liquidity position relative to its peers. Generally, a cash ratio greater than 1 indicates that a company can cover its current liabilities. However, very high cash ratios might be a sign of inefficient use of cash resources, as it could be invested in more productive assets.

Importance

The cash ratio is a vital financial metric in business and finance as it measures a company’s ability to meet its most immediate, short-term financial obligations using only cash and cash equivalents. By comparing the cash and cash equivalents to current liabilities, the cash ratio offers insights into a business’s liquidity and financial health. A higher cash ratio indicates that the company has a strong capacity to cover its liabilities, reducing the risk of insolvency and increasing its attractiveness to investors and creditors. Additionally, the cash ratio serves as a conservative liquidity indicator, since it excludes less liquid current assets like inventory and receivables, presenting a clearer picture of the organization’s ability to deal with unforeseen financial challenges.

Explanation

The cash ratio serves as an important financial metric for businesses, in order to measure their ability to instantly pay off any short-term liabilities, using only cash and cash equivalents at their disposal. Consequently, the purpose of this ratio is to assess a company’s financial health by evaluating its liquidity position, indicating the likelihood that it can meet its immediate obligations without relying on selling inventory or fulfilling accounts receivable. This allows creditors, investors, and stakeholders to gain insight into the company’s fiscal stability and helps paint a more accurate picture of the organization’s overall financial health. In practice, the cash ratio is commonly used by various stakeholders to evaluate a firm’s solvency, making comparisons between industry peers possible. Creditors, in particular, are interested in the ratio, as it illustrates a company’s ability to service its current debt. A higher cash ratio generally reflects a better liquidity position, implying that the business is well-equipped to handle potential financial downturns or unanticipated short-term expenses. However, maintaining excessive cash levels can be unproductive, as it might denote missed opportunities for investments or growth initiatives. Therefore, businesses must carefully strike a balance between their liquidity requirements and expansion goals, highlighting the significance of monitoring and understanding the cash ratio.

Examples

The cash ratio is a financial metric that measures a company’s ability to pay off its current liabilities using only its cash and cash equivalents. It is calculated by dividing cash and cash equivalents by current liabilities. Here are three real-world examples involving the cash ratio: 1. Apple Inc. (AAPL)As of the end of the Q1 2021, Apple Inc. reported cash and cash equivalents of approximately $90.9 billion, and total current liabilities of around $106.4 billion. Therefore, Apple’s cash ratio can be calculated as follows: Cash Ratio = (Cash and Cash Equivalents) / (Current Liabilities) = $90.9 billion / $106.4 billion = 0.85A cash ratio of 0.85 indicates that Apple has 85 cents in cash and cash equivalents for every $1 of current liabilities. 2. Amazon Inc. (AMZN)At the end of Q4 2020, Amazon Inc. held cash and cash equivalents worth around $42.1 billion, while their total current liabilities stood at around $87.8 billion. Amazon’s cash ratio can be calculated as: Cash Ratio = (Cash and Cash Equivalents) / (Current Liabilities) = $42.1 billion / $87.8 billion = 0.48A cash ratio of 0.48 means that Amazon has 48 cents in cash and cash equivalents for every $1 of current liabilities. 3. The Coca-Cola Company (KO)For the Coca-Cola Company, as of their Q4 2020 financial report, their cash and cash equivalents amounted to about $14.8 billion and their total current liabilities were around $21.7 billion. Thus, their cash ratio is: Cash Ratio = (Cash and Cash Equivalents) / (Current Liabilities) = $14.8 billion / $21.7 billion = 0.68A cash ratio of 0.68 indicates that Coca-Cola has 68 cents in cash and cash equivalents for every $1 of current liabilities. These examples illustrate how the cash ratio is applied in business and finance to assess the liquidity of companies and their ability to pay off short-term obligations using only their most liquid assets, which are cash and cash equivalents.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)

Related Finance Terms

• Liquidity
• Current Assets
• Current Liabilities
• Quick Ratio
• Working Capital

Sources for More Information

• Investopedia
• Corporate Finance Institute
• AccountingTools
• WallStreetPrep