Now that we have finished the final accounts (income statement and statement of financial position), we need to understand the information that it shows us.
We need a tool that will help us to assess the figures and evaluate the position of the business. These tools are called ratios.
Ratios help us to:
• compare one set of figures against another set, e.g. one year to the next • compare the businesses figures with similar companies, e.g. comparing one company’s figures with the figures from a similar company.
A ratio is a simple mathematical tool that helps us look at the relationship between numbers. For example, if there are three girls and one boy in a group, the ratio is 3:1 – for every three girls there is one boy.
All figures for the various ratios should be taken from the final accounts (income statement and statement of financial position).
1. Profitability Ratios
A profitability ratio measures the profitability of a business. It’s a way of measuring the business’s performance.
Example Calculate profitability ratios for Minizone. €