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CHAPTER TWO
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS AND PLANNING
Introduction
Dear learners, the essence of managing risk is making good decisions. Correct decision making
depends on accurate information and proper analysis. Financial statements are summaries of the
operating, investment, and financing activities that provide information for these decisions. But the
information is not enough by themselves and need to be analyzed. Financial analysis is a tool of
financial management. It consists of the evaluation of the financial condition and operating results
of a business firm, an industry, or even the economy, and the forecasting of its future condition and
performance. This Chapter discusses common financial information and performance measures
frequently used by owners and lenders to evaluate financial health and make risk management
decisions. By conducting regular checkups on financial condition and performance, you are more
likely to treat causes rather than address only symptoms of problems.

2.1. Sources of Financial Information

Financial statements help assess the financial well-being of the overall operation. Information
about the financial results of each enterprise and physical asset is important for management
decisions, but by themselves are inadequate for some decisions because they do not describe the
whole business. An understanding of the overall financial situation requires three key financial
documents: the balance sheet, the income statement and the cash flow statement.
1. The Balance Sheet
The balance sheet shows the financial position of a firm at a particular point of time. It also shows how
the assets of a firm are financed. A completed balance sheet shows information such as the total
value of assets, total indebtedness, equity, available cash and value of liquid assets. This
information can then be analyzed to determine the business' current ratio, its borrowing capacity
and opportunities to attract equity capital.
2. Income Statement
Usually income statements are prepared on an annual basis. An income statement often provides
a better measure of the operation's performance and profitability. It shows the operating results
of a firm, flows of revenue and expenses. It focuses on residual earning available to owners after
all financial and operating costs are deducted, claims of government are satisfied.
3. Cash Flow Statement
Reports the sources and uses of the operation’s cash resources. Such statements not only show the
change in the operation's cash resources throughout the year, but also when the cash was received
or spent. An understanding of the timing of cash receipts and expenditures is critical in managing
the whole operation.

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2.2. Financial Analysis

Financial analysis is the assessment of firm's past, present, and anticipated future financial
condition. It is the base for intelligent decision making and starting point for planning the future
courses of events for the firm. Its objectives are to determine the firm's financial strength and to
identify its weaknesses. The focus of financial analysis is on key figures in the financial statements
and the significant relationships that exist between them.

2.2.1. The Need for Financial Analysis

The following stakeholders are interested in financial statement analysis to make their respective
decision at right time. The following are interested in financial statements analysis
1. Investors: Investors fall into two categories, existing and potential. Some seek a takeover,
leading to majority control and shareholding. This usually occurs when a company is losing
public confidence resulting in low market value. Often considered as hostile takeovers, the
investors tend to restructure the business and control it completely, issue shares or sell it off in
the open market. The other category consists of short and long-term investors, both interested in
increasing their wealth with the minimal effort. This may be through either earning dividends or
trading shares in the stock exchange.
2. Lenders: These may supply funds to the organization on short and/or long-term basis. There
are several financial institutions and individuals willing to lend to progressive companies but
few to support those with lower earnings levels. The loan carries a charge of interest payable
annually or as agreed, on the principle or compounded principle, over the period that the loan
has been issued.
3. The Management: The managers are entrusted with the financial resources contributed by
owners and other suppliers of funds for effective utilization. In their pursuit to make the
company achieve its objectives, the managers should use relevant financial information to
make right decision at the right time.
4. Suppliers: Suppliers of products and services to the company would like their investments -
sales made on credit terms - received with surety. A creditor would be reluctant to trade any
further if s/he is not guaranteed a timely payment against the issued invoice.
5. Employees: Many would consider employees the least affected of all when it comes to
analyzing the company's accounts. Think again. The employees will be first to feel the change
in circumstances as they may be promoted, demoted or fired. They would be very much
interested in finding out if the company exhibits any points in their favor, mainly job security
and facilities.
6. Government bodies: As a rule, Companies House requires each company, private or public,
to submit their financial statements and accounts annually. The list of registered companies and
their most recent accounts are published in the Companies House official publication, which
informs the public of their performance for the year or period ended. In addition, the
government has the responsibility to ensure that the information is not delusive and the rights

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of the public are protected. Furthermore, it bears the responsibility of prosecuting any offender
of the law, including corporate and consumer law.
7. Competitors: It may seem odd, but existing competitors and new entrants have to consider the
likelihood of their success or failure in trying to conquer the market. Their primary interest lies
in the business ratios of efficiency/productivity and cash, debtor and credit management. For
the industry, it acts as a comparative for better performance of firms and companies of varying
sizes. They also help in establishing a trend of the industry that is normally a guide to new
entrants to study, analyze and perform.
2.2.2. Methods/ Domains of Financial Analysis

[Link]. Ratio Analysis

Probably, the most widely used financial analysis technique is ratio analysis, the analysis of
relationships between two or more line items on the financial statements.
A ratio: Is the mathematical relationship between two quantities in the financial Statement.
Ratio analysis: is essentially concerned with the calculation of relationships which, after proper
identification and interpretation, may provide information about the operations and state of
affairs of a business enterprise. The analysis is used to provide indicators of past performance in
terms of critical success factors of a business. This assistance in decision-making reduces
reliance on guesswork and intuition, and establishes a basis for sound judgment.
[Link].Horizontal (Trend) Analysis
Horizontal Analysis expresses financial data from two or more accounting periods in terms of a
single designated base period; it compares data in each succeeding period with the amount for
the preceding period. For example, current to past or expected future for the same company.

[Link]. Vertical (Static) Analysis

In vertical analysis, all the data in a particular financial statement are presented as a percentage
of a single designated line item in that statement. For example, we might report income
statement items as percentage of net sales, balance sheet items as a percentage of total assets; and
items in the statement of cash flows as a fraction or percentage of the change in cash.

2.2.3. Benchmarks for Evaluation

What is more important in ratio analysis is the through understanding and the interpretation of
the ratio values. To answers the questions as; it is too high or too low? Is good or bad? A
meaningful standard or basis for comparison is needed. We will calculate a number of ratios. But
what shall we do with them? How do you interpret them? How do you decide whether the
Company is healthy or risky? There are three approaches: Compare the ratios to the rule of
thumb, use Cross-sectional analysis or time series analysis. Comparing a company's ratios to
the rule of thumb has the virtue of simplicity but has little to recommend it conceptually. The
appropriate value of ratios for a company depends too much on the analyst's perspectives and on
the Company's specific circumstances for rules of thumb to be very useful. The most positive

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thing to be said in their support is that, over the years, Companies confirming to these rules of
thumb tend to go bankrupt somewhat less frequently than those that do not.
Cross-Sectional Analysis- involves the comparison of different firm's financial ratios at the
same point in time. The typical business is interested in how well it has performed in relation to
its competitors. Often, the firm's performance will be compared to that of the industry leader, and
the firm may uncover major operating deficiencies, if any, which, if changed, will increase
efficiency. Another popular type of comparison is to industry averages; the comparison of a
particular ratio to the standard is made to isolate any deviations from the norm. Too high or too
low values reflect symptoms of a problem. Comparing a Company's ratios to industry ratios
provide a useful feel for how the Company measures up to its Competitors. But, it is still true
that company specific differences can result in entirely justifiable deviations from industry
norms. There is also no guarantee that the industry as a whole knows what it is doing.

Time-Series Analysis – is applied when a financial analyst evaluates performance of a firm over
time. The firm's present or recent ratios are compared with its own past ratios.
Comparing of current to past performance allows the firm to determine whether it is progressing
as planned.
1.2.4. Types of Financial Ratios
There are five basic categories of financial ratios. Each represents important aspects of the firm's
financial conditions. The categories consist of liquidity, activity, leverage, profitability and
market value ratios. Each category is explained by using an example set of financial ratios for
Merob Company.

Exercise 2.1

Dear Students! Let us use the financial statements of Merob Company, shown below to investigate
and explain ratio analysis.
Merob Company, Income Statements
Variables 2001 2000
Sales 3,074,000 2,567,000
Less Cost of Goods Sold 2,088,000 1,711,000
Gross Profit 986,000 856,000
Less Operating Expenses
Selling Expenses 100,000 108,000
General and Adm. Expenses 468,000 445,000
Total Operating Expenses 568,000 553,000
Operating Profit 418,000 303,000
Less Interest Expenses 93,000 91,000
Net Profit Before Tax 325,000 212,000
Less Profit Tax (at 29%) 94,250 61,480
Net Income After Tax 230,750 150,520
Less Preferred Stock Dividends 10,000 10,000
Earning Available to Common Shareholders 220,750 140,520
EPS 2.90 1.81

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Merob, Balance Sheets

2001 2000
Assets
Current Assets
Cash 363,000 288,000
Marketable Securities 68,000 51,000
Accounts Receivables 503,000 365,000
Inventories 289,000 300,000
Total Current Assets 1,223,000 1,004,000
Gross Fixed Assets (at cost)
Land and Buildings 2,072,000 1,903,000
Machinery and Equipment 1,866,000 1,693,000
Furniture and Fixture 358,000 316,000
Vehicles 275,000 314,000
Others 98,000 96,000
Total Fixed Assets 4,669,000 4,322,000
Less Acc. Depreciation 2,295,000 2,056,000
Net Fixed Assets 2,374,000 2,266,000
Total Assets 3,597,000 3,270,000
Liabilities and Owners' Equity
Current Liabilities
Accounts Payable 382,000 270,000
Notes Payable 79,000 99,000
Accruals 159,000 114,000
Total Current Liabilities 620,000 483,000
Long-Term Debts 1,023,000 967,000
Total Liabilities 1,643,000 1,450,000
Shareholder's Equity
Preferred Stock –Cumulative, 2000 Share issued and Outstanding 200,000 200,000
Common Stock, Shares issued and Outstanding in 2001, 76,262; in 191,000 190,000
2000, 76,244

Paid- in Capita in Excess of Par on Common Stock 428,000 418,000

Retained Earnings 1,135,000 1,012,000
Total Stockholders' Equity 1,954,000 1,820,000
Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity 3,597,000 3,270,000

[Link]. Liquidity Ratios

Liquidity refers to, the ability of a firm to meet its short-term financial obligations when and as
they fall due. Liquidity ratios provide the basis for answering the questions: Does the firm have
sufficient cash and near cash assets to pay its bills on time? Current liabilities represent the firm's
maturing financial obligations. The firm's ability to repay these obligations when due depends
largely on whether it has sufficient cash together with other assets that can be converted into cash
before the current liabilities mature. The firm's current assets are the primary source of funds
needed to repay current and maturing financial obligations. Thus, the current ratio is the logical

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measure of liquidity. Lack of liquidity implies inability to meet its current obligations leading to
lack of credibility among suppliers and creditors.
A. Current Ratio: - Measures a firm’s ability to satisfy or cover the claims of short term
creditors by using only current assets. That is, it measures a firm’s short-term solvency or
liquidity.
The current ratio is calculated by dividing current assets to current liabilities.

Current Ratio =

Therefore, the current ratio for Merob Company is

For 2001 = 1,223,000 = 1.97
620,000
The unit of measurement is either birr or times. So, we could say that Merob has Birr 1.97 in
current assets for every 1 birr in current liabilities, or, we could say that Merob has its current
liabilities covered 1.97 times over. Current assets get converted in to cash through the operating
cycle and provide the funds needed to pay current liabilities. An ideal current ratio is 2:1or more.
This is because even if the value of the firm's current assets is reduced by half, it can still meet its
obligations.
However, between two firms with the same current ratio, the one with the higher proportion of
current assets in the form of cash and account receivables is more liquid than the one with those
in the form of inventories. A very high current ratio than the Standard may indicate: excessive
cash due to poor cash management, excessive accounts receivable due to poor credit
management, excessive inventories due to poor inventory management, or a firm is not making
full use of its current borrowing capacity. A very Low current ratio than the Standard may
indicate: difficulty in paying its short term obligations, under stocking that may cause customer
dissatisfaction.
B. Quick (Acid-test) Ratio: This ratio measures the short term liquidity by removing the least
liquid assets such as:
- Inventories: are excluded because they are not easily and readily convertible into cash and
more over, losses are most likely to occur in the event of selling inventories. Because inventories
are generally the least liquid of the firm's assets, it may be desirable to remove them from the
numerator of the current ratio, thus obtaining a more refined liquidity measure.
- Prepaid Expenses such as; prepaid rent, prepaid insurance, and prepaid advertising, pre paid
supplies are excluded because they are not available to pay off current debts.
Acid-Test Ratio is computed as follows.

Quick/Acid test Ratio =

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For 2001, Quick Ration for Merob Company will be: 1,223,000- 289,000 = 1.51
620,000
Interpretation: Merob has 1birr and 51 cents in quick assets for every birr current liabilities.
As a very high or very low acid test ratio is assign of some problem, a moderately high ratio is
required by the firm.

[Link]. Activity Ratios

Activity ratios are also known as assets management or turnover ratios. Turnover ratios measure
the degree to which assets are efficiently employed in the firm. These ratios indicate how well
the firm manages its assets. They provide the basis for assessing how the firm is efficiently or
intensively using its assets to generate sales. These ratios are called turnover ratios because they
show the speed with which assets are being converted into sales.
Measure of liquidity alone is generally inadequate because differences in the composition of a
firm's current assets affect the "true" liquidity of a firm i.e. Overall liquidity ratios generally do
not give an adequate picture of company’s real liquidity due to differences in the kinds of current
assets and liabilities the company holds. Thus, it is necessary to evaluate the activity ratio. The
major activity ratios are the following.
A. Inventory Turnover Ratio
The inventory turnover ratio measures the effectiveness or efficiency with which a firm is
managing its investments in inventories is reflected in the number of times that its inventories are
turned over (replaced) during the year. It is a rough measure of how many times per year the
inventory level is replaced or turned over.
Inventory Turnover = Cost of Goods Sold
Average Inventories
For the year of Merob Company for 2001= 2,088,000/294,500*= 7.09 times
Interpretation: - Merob's inventory is sold out or turned over 7.09 times per year.
In general, a high inventory turnover ratio is better than a low ratio.
An inventory turnover significantly higher than the industry average indicates: Superior selling
practice, improved profitability as less money is tied-up in inventory.
B. Average Age of Inventory
The number of days inventory is kept before it is sold to customers. It is calculated by dividing
the number of days in the year to the inventory turnover.

Average Age of Inventory =

Therefore, the Average Age of Inventory for Merob Company for the year 2001 is:
365 days = 51 days
7.09

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This tells us that, roughly speaking, inventory remain in stock for 51 days on average before it is
sold. The longer period indicates that, Merob is keeping much inventory in its custody and, the
company is expected to reassess its marketing mechanisms that can boost its sales because, the
lengthening of the holding periods shows a greater risk of obsolescence and high holding costs.

C. Accounts Receivable Turnover Ratio: - Measures the liquidity of firm’s accounts

receivable. That is, it indicates how many times or how rapidly accounts receivable is converted
into cash during a year. The accounts receivable turnover is a comparison of the size of the
company’s sales and its uncollected bills from customers. This ratio tells how successful the
firm is in its collection. If the company is having difficulty in collecting its money, it has large
receivable balance and low ratio.
Receivable Turnover = Net Sales
Average Account Receivables

The accounts receivable turnover for Merob Company for the year 2001 is computed as under.
Accounts receivable turnover ratio = 3,074,000 = 7.08
434,000*
Average Accounts Receivable is the accounts receivable of the year 2000 plus that of the year
2001 and dividing the result by two.
So, 434 = 503,000 + 365,000/ 2 = 434,000*
Interpretation: Merob Company collected its outstanding credit accounts and re-loaned the
money 7.08 times during the year.
Reasonably high accounts receivable turnover is preferable.
 A ratio substantially lower than the industry average may suggest that a Company has:
 More liberal credit policy (i.e. longer time credit period), poor credit selection, and
inadequate collection effort or policy.
 A ratio substantially higher than the industry average may suggest that a firm has;
 More restrictive credit policy (i.e. short term credit period), more liberal cash discount offers
(i.e. larger discount and sale increase), more restrictive credit selection.
D. Average Collection Period: Shows how long it takes for account receivables to be cleared
(collected). The average collection period represents the number of days for which credit sales
are locked in with debtors (accounts receivables).
Assuming 365 days in a year, average collection period is calculated as follows.

Average Collection period =

The average Collection period for Merob Company for the year 2001 will be:
365 days/7.08 =51 days or
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Average collection period = Average accounts receivables* 365 days/Sales

434,000* 365 days/3,074,000* = 51 days
The higher average collection period is an indication of reluctant collection policy where much
of the firm’s cash is tied up in the form of accounts receivables, whereas, the lower the average
collection period than the standard is also an indication of very aggressive collection policy
which could result in the reduction of sales revenue.
E. Average Payment Period
The average Payment Period/ Average Age of accounts Payable shows, the time it takes to pay to
its suppliers.

The Average Payment Period = Accounts Payable

Average purchase per day

Purchase is estimated as a given percentage of cost of goods sold. Assume purchases were 70%
of the cost of goods sold in 2001.

So, Average Payment Period = 382,000 = 95 days

2,088,000 x .70/365
This shows that, on average, the firm pays its suppliers in 95 days. The longer these days, the
more the credit financing the firm obtains from its suppliers.
F. Fixed Asset Turnover
Measures the efficiency with which the firm has been using its fixed assets to generate revenue.
The Fixed Assets Turnover for Merob Company for the year 2001 is calculated as follows.

Fixed assert turnover = Net sales

Average Net Fixed Asset

Fixed Assets Turnover = 3,074,000 = 1.29

2,374,000*
This means that, Merob Company has generated birr 1.29 in net sales for every birr invested in
fixed assets. Other things being equal, a ratio substantially below the industry average shows;
underutilization of available fixed assets (i.e. presence of idle capacity) relative to the industry,
possibility to expand activity level without requiring additional capital investment, over
investment in fixed assets, low sales or both. Helps the financial manager to reject funds
requested by production managers for new capital investments.
Other things being equal, a ratio higher than the industry average requires the firm to make
additional capital investment to operate a higher level of activity. It also shows firm's efficiency
in managing and utilizing fixed assets.

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G. Total Asset Turnover- Measures a firm’s efficiency in management its total assets to
generate sales.
Total Assets Turnover = Net sales
Net total assets
The Total Assets Turnover for Merob Company for the year 2001 is as follows.
3,074,000 = 0.85
3,597,000
Interpretation: - Merob Company generates birr 0.85 (85 cents) in net sales for every birr
invested in total assets. A high ratio suggests greater efficiency in using assets to produce sales
where as, a low ratio suggests that Merob is not generating a sufficient volume of sales for the
size of its investment in assets.
Caution- with respect to the use of this ratio, caution is needed as the calculations use historical
cost of fixed assets. Because, of inflation and historically based book values of assets, firms with
newer assets will tend to have lower turnovers than those firms with older assets having lower
book values. The difference in these turnovers results from more costly assets than from
differing operating efficiencies. Therefore, the financial manager should be cautious when using
these ratios for cross-sectional comparisons.
[Link]. Leverage Ratios
Leverage ratios are also called solvency ratio. Solvency is a firm’s ability to pay long term debt
as they come due. Leverage shows the degree of ineptness of firm.
There are two types of debt measurement tools. These are:
A. Financial Leverage Ratio: These ratios examine balance sheet ratios and determine the
extent to which borrowed funds have been used to finance the firm. It is the relationship of
borrowed funds and owner capital.
B. Coverage Ratio: These ratios measure the risk of debt and calculated by income statement
ratios designed to determine the number of times fixed charges are covered by operating
profits. Hence, they are computed from information available in the income statement. It
measures the relationship between what is normally available from operations of the firm’s
and the claims of outsiders. The claims include loan principal and interest, lease payment and
preferred stock dividends.
A.1, Debt Ratio: Shows the percentage of assets financed through debt. It is calculated as:

Debt ratio = Total Liability

Total Assets
The debt ratio for Merob Company for the year 2001 is as follows:
= 1,643 = 0.457 or 45.7 %
3,597

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This indicates that the firm has financed 45.7 % of its assets with debt. Higher ratio shows more
of a firm’s assets are provided by creditors relative to owners indicating that, the firm may face
some difficulty in raising additional debt as creditors may require a higher rate of return (interest
rate) for taking high-risk. Creditors prefer moderate or low debt ratio, because low debt ratio
provides creditors more protection in case a firm experiences financial problems.
A.2. Debt -Equity Ratio: express the relationship between the amount of a firm’s total assets
financed by creditors (debt) and owners (equity). Thus, this ratio reflects the relative claims of
creditors and shareholders’ against the asset of the firm.

Debt -equity ratio = Total Liability

Stockholders' Equity

The Debt- Equity Ratio for Merob Company for the year 2001 is indicated as follows.
Debt- Equity ratio = 1,643,000 = 0.84 or 84 %
1,954,000

Interpretation: lenders’ contribution is 0.84 times of stock holders’ contributions.

B. 1. Times Interest Earned Ratio: Measures the ability of a firm to pay interest on a timely
basis.
Times Interest Earned Ratio =Earning Before Interest and Tax
Interest Expense

The times interest earned ratio for Merob Company for the year 2001 is:
418,000 = 4.5 times
93,000
This ratio shows the fact that earnings of Merob Company can decline 4.5 times without causing
financial losses to the Company, and creating an inability to meet the interest cost.
[Link] Ratio: The problem with the times interest eared ratio is that, it is based on
earning before interest and tax, which is not really a measure of cash available to pay interest.
One major reason is that, depreciation, a non cash expense has been deducted from earning
before Interest and Tax (EBIT). Since interest is a cash outflow, one way to define the cash
coverage ratio is as follows:

Cash Coverage Ratio= EBIT + Depreciation

Interest

(Depreciation for 2000 and 2001 is 223,000 and 239,000 respectively).

So, Cash coverage ratio for Merob Company for the year 2001 is
418,000 + 239,000 = 7.07 times
93, 000

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This ratio indicates the extent to which earnings may fall with out causing any problem to the
firm regarding the payment of the interest charges.

[Link]. Profitability Ratios:

Profitability is the ability of a business to earn profit over a period of time. Profitability ratios are
used to measure management effectiveness. Besides management of the company, creditors and
owners are also interested in the profitability of the company. Creditors want to get interest and
repayment of principal regularly. Owners want to get a required rate of return on their
investment. These ratios include:
A. Gross Profit Margin
B. Operating Profit Margin
C. Net Profit Margin
D. Return on Investment
E. Return on Equity
F. Earning Per Share
A. Gross Profit Margin: This ratio computes the margin earned by the firm after incurring
manufacturing or purchasing costs. It indicates management effectiveness in pricing policy,
generating sales and controlling production costs. It is calculated as:

Gross Profit Margin = Gross Profit

Net Sales
The gross profit margin for Merob Company for the year 2001 is:
Gross Profit Margin = 986,000 = 32.08 %
3,074,000
Interpretation: Merob company profit is 32 cents for each birr of sales.
A high gross profit margin ratio is a sign of good management. A gross profit margin ratio may
increase by: Higher sales price, CGS remaining constant, lower CGS, sales prices remains
constant. Whereas, a low gross profit margin may reflect higher CGS due to the firm’s inability
to purchase raw materials at favorable terms, inefficient utilization of plant and machinery, or
over investment in plant and machinery, resulting higher cost of production.
B. Operating Profit Margin: This ratio is calculated by dividing the net operating profits by net
sales. The net operating profit is obtained by deducting depreciation from the gross operating
profit. The operating profit is calculated as:

Operating Profit Margin = Operating Profit

Net Sales
The operating profit margin of Merob Company for the year 2001 is:
418,000 = 13.60
3,074,000

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Interpretation: Merob Company generates around 14 cents operating profit for each of birr sales.
C. Net Profit Margin: This ratio is one of the very important ratios and measures the
profitableness of sales. It is calculated by dividing the net profit to sales. The net profit is
obtained by subtracting operating expenses and income taxes from the gross profit. Generally,
non operating incomes and expenses are excluded for calculating this ratio. This ratio measures
the ability of the firm to turn each birr of sales in to net profit. A high net profit margin is a
welcome feature to a firm and it enables the firm to accelerate its profits at a faster rate than a
firm with a low profit margin. It is calculated as:

Net Profit Margin = Net Income

Net Sales
The net profit margin for Merob Company for the year 2001 is:
230,750 = 7.5 %
3,074,000
This means that Merob Company has acquired 7.5 cents profit from each birr of sales.

D. Return on Investment (ROI): The return on investment also referred to as Return on Assets
measures the overall effectiveness of management in generating profit with its available assets,
i.e. how profitably the firm has used its assets. Income is earned by using the assets of a business
productively. The more efficient the production, the more profitable is the business.
The return on assets is calculated as:
Return on Assets (ROA) = Net Income
Total Assets

The return on assets for Merob Company for the year 2001 is:
230,750 = 6.4 %
3,597,000
Interpretation: Merob Company generates little more than 6 cents for every birr invested in assets.
E. Return on Equity: The shareholders of a company may Comprise Equity share and
preferred share holders. Preferred shareholders are the shareholders who have a priority in
receiving dividends (and in return of capital at the time of widening up of the Company). The
rate of dividend divided on the preferred shares is fixed. But the ordinary or common share
holders are the residual claimants of the profits and ultimate beneficiaries of the Company. The
rate of dividends on these shares is not fixed. When the company earns profit it may distribute all
or part of the profits as dividends to the equity shareholders or retain them in the business it self.
But the profit after taxes and after preference shares dividend payments presents the return as
equity of the shareholders.

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The Return on equity is calculated as:

ROE = Net Income

Stockholders Equity
The Return on equity of Merob Company for the year 2001 is:
230,750 = 11.8%
1,954,000
Interpretation: Merob generates around12 cents for every birr in shareholders equity.
F. Earning per Share (EPS): EPS is another measure of profitability of a firm from the point of
view of the ordinary shareholders. It reveals the profit available to each ordinary share. It is
calculated by dividing the profits available to ordinary shareholders (i.e. profit after tax minus
preference dividend) by the number of outstanding equity shares.
The earning per share is calculated as:

EPS = Earning Available for Common Stockholders

Number of Shares of Common Stock Outstanding

Therefore, the earning per share of Merob Company for the year 2001 is:
EPS = 220,750 = birr 2.90 per share
76,262 shares
Interpretation: Merob Company earns birr 2.90 for each common shares outstanding.
Market Value Ratio:
Market value or valuation ratios are the most significant measures of a firm's performance, since
they measures the performance of the firm's common stocks in the capital market. This is known
as the market value of equity and reflects the risk and return associated with the firm's stocks.
These measures are based, in part, on information that is not necessarily contained in financial
statements – the market price per share of the stock. Obviously, these measures can only be
calculated directly for publicly traded companies.

The following are the important valuation ratios:

A. Price- Earnings (P/E) Ratio: The price earning ratio is an indicator of the firm's growth
prospects, risk characteristics, shareholders orientation corporate reputation, and the firm's level
of liquidity.
The P/E ratio can be calculated as:

P/E Ratio = Market Price per Share

Earning per Share

The price per share could be the price of the share on a particular day or the average price for a
certain period.
College of BECO & Department of ACFN By: Abatneh M.(MSc) Page
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Assume that Merob Company's common stock at the end of 2001 was selling at birr 32.25, using
its EPS of birr 2.90, the P/E ratio at the end of 2001 is:
= 32.25/ 2.90 = 11.10
This figure indicates that, investors were paying birr 11.10 for each 1.00 of earnings.

Though not a true measure of profitability, the P/E ratio is commonly used to assess the owners'
appraisal of shares value. The P/E ratio represents the amount investors are willing to pay for
each birr of the firm's earnings. The level of P/E ratio indicates the degree of confidence (or
Certainty) that investors have in the firm's future performance. The higher the P/E ratio, the
greater the investor confidence on the firm's future. It is a means of standardizing stock prices to
facilitate comparison among companies with different earnings.
B. Market Value to Book Value (Market-to-Book) Ratios
The market value to book value ratio is a measure of the firm's contributing to wealth creation in
the society. It is calculated as:

Market-Book Ratio = Market Value pre Share

Book Value per Share

The book value per share can be calculated as:

Book value per share = Total Stockholders Equity

No. of Common Shares Outstanding

Book Value per Share for 2001 = 1,954,000 = 25.62

76,262
Therefore, the Market-Book Ratio for Merob Company for the year 2001 is:
32.25 = 1.26
25.62
The market –to-book value ratio is a relative measure of how the growth option for a company is
being valued via-a vis- its physical assets. The greater the expected growth and value placed on
such, the greater this ratio.

[Link] of Ratio Analysis

While ratio analysis can provide useful information concerning a company’s operations and
financial condition, it does have limitations that necessitate care and judgments. Some potential
problems are listed below:
1. Many large firms operate different divisions in different industries, and for such companies it
is difficult to develop a meaningful set of industry averages. Therefore, ratio analysis is more
useful for small, narrowly focused firms than for large, multi divisional ones.

College of BECO & Department of ACFN By: Abatneh M.(MSc) Page

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2. Most firms want to be better than average, so merely attaining average performance is not
necessarily good as a target for high-level performance, it is best to focus on the industry
leader’ ratios. Benchmarking helps in this regard.
3. Inflation may have badly distorted firm’s balance sheets - recorded values are often
substantially different from “true” values. Further, because inflation affects both depreciation
charges and inventory costs, profits are also affected. Thus, a ratio analysis for one firm over
time, or a comparative analysis of firms of different ages, must be interpreted with judgment.
4. Seasonal factors can also distort a ratio analysis. For example, the inventory turnover ratio for
a food processor will be radically different if the balance sheet figure used for inventory is the
one just before versus just after the close of the coming season.
5. Firms can employ “window dressing” techniques to make their financial statements look
stronger.
6. Different accounting practices can distort comparisons. As noted earlier, inventory valuation
and depreciation methods can affect financial statements and thus distort comparisons among
firms. Also, if one firm leases a substantial amount of its productive equipment, then its assets
may appear on the balance sheet. At the same time, the ability associated with the lease
obligation may not be shown as a debt. Therefore, leasing can artificially improve both the
turnover and the debt ratios.
7. It is difficult to generalize about whether a particular ratio is “good” or “bad”. For example, a
high current ratio may indicate a strong liquidity position, which is good or excessive cash,
which is bad (because excess cash in the bank is a non-earning asset).
Similarly, a high fixed asset turnover ratio may denote either that a firm uses its assets
efficiently or that it is undercapitalized and cannot afford to buy enough assets.
8. A firm may have some ratios that look “good” and other that look “bad”, making it difficult to
tell whether the company is, on balance, strong or weak. However, statistical procedures can
be used to analyze the net effects of a set of ratios. Many banks and other lending
organizations use discriminate analysis, a statistical technique, to analyze firm’s financial
ratios, and then classify the firms according to their probability of getting into financial
trouble.
9. Effective use of financial ratios requires that the financial statements upon which they are
based are accurate. Due to fraud, financial statements are not always accurate; hence
information based on reported data can be misleading. Ratio analysis is useful, but analysts
should be aware of these problems and make adjustments as necessary.

College of BECO & Department of ACFN By: Abatneh M.(MSc) Page

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