FM Final
FM Final
After preparation of the financial statements, one may be interested in knowing the position of an enterprise from different points of view. This can be done by analyzing the financial statement with the help of different tools of analysis such as ratio analysis, funds flow analysis, cash flow analysis, comparative statement analysis, etc. Here I have done financial analysis by ratios. In this process, a meaningful relationship is established between two or more accounting figures for comparison.
Financial ratios are widely used for modeling purposes both by practitioners and researchers. The firm involves many interested parties, like the owners, management, personnel, customers, suppliers, competitors, regulatory agencies, and academics, each having their views in applying financial statement analysis in their evaluations. Practitioners use financial ratios, for instance, to forecast the future success of companies, while the researchers' main interest has been to develop models exploiting these ratios. Many distinct areas of research involving financial ratios can be discerned. Historically one can observe several major themes in the financial analysis literature. There is overlapping in the observable themes, and they do not necessarily coincide with what theoretically might be the best founded areas.
about profitability and financial position of a business. It includes two statements, i.e., profit & loss a/c or income statement and balance sheet or position statement.
The income statement presents the summary of the income earned and the expenses incurred during a financial year. Position statement presents the financial position of the business at the end of the year.
Before understanding the meaning of analysis of financial statements, it is necessary to understand the meaning of analysis and financial statements.
Analysis means establishing a meaningful relationship between various items of the two financial statements with each other in such a way that a conclusion is drawn. By financial statements, we mean two statements- (1) profit & loss a/c (2) balance sheet. These are prepared at the end of a given period of time. They are indicators of profitability and financial soundness of the business concern.
Thus, analysis of financial statements means establishing meaningful relationship between various items of the two financial statements, i.e., income statement and position statement
COMPANY PROFILE
Type
Founded
1960s
Headquarters
Mumbai, India
Key people
Industry
Produc ts
Revenue
Employees
$24 billion
1 0 0 , 0 00+
Subsidiaries
Several.
Website
http://www.adityabirla.com/
Life insurance joint venture, Birla sun life insurance company ltd, is Indias
worlds third largest producer of insulators. Emerging player in high growth IT services and BPO sector
Group companies
:: :: :: ::
Grasim Industries Ltd. Hindalco Industries Ltd. Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd. UltraTech Cement Ltd.
Indian companies
:: :: :: :: :: :: ::
PSI Data Systems Aditya Birla Minacs Worldwide Limited Essel Mining & Industries Ltd Idea Cellular Ltd. Aditya Birla Insulators Aditya Birla Retail Limited Aditya Birla Chemicals (India) Limited
Joint ventures
:: :: :: ::
Birla Sun Life Insurance Company Birla Sun Life Asset Management Company Birla Sun Life Distribution Company Limited Tanfac Industries Limited
it y C o m m it m en P as si o n
Viscose Filament Yarn Indian Rayon Garments Madura Garments Carbon Black Hi-Tech Carbon Agri solutions Indo Gulf Fertilizers Textiles Jaya Shree Textiles
Insulators Aditya Birla Insulators
Subsidiaries
L i f e I n s u r a n c e Birla Sun Life Insurance Company Limited (JV with Sun Life
Business Process Outsourcing Aditya Birla Minacs Worldwide Limited Software services PSI Data Systems Limited F i n a n c i a l s e r v i c e s Birla Global Finance Company Limited, Birla Insurance Advisory and Broking Services Limited, Birla Sun Life Distribution Company Limited, Apollo Sindhoori Capital Investments Limited, Aditya Birla Capital Advisors Private Limited
Joint ventures
BOARD OF DIRECTORS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman Mrs. Rajashree Birla Mr. H. J. Vaidya Mr. B. L. Shah Mr. P. Murari Mr. B. R. Gupta Ms. Tarjani Vakil Mr. S. C. Bhargava Mr. G. P. Gupta Mr. Rakesh Jain Mr. Vikram Rao Mr. K. K. Maheshwari Mr. Adesh Gupta Dr. Bharat K. Singh
The late Prime Minister Lal bhadur shastri laid the foundation stone of
th
September
1956 under the company act of 1956 and the company was getting the commencement certificate on 13 feb.1958.
th
13 April 1963 and on the same day company took its trial production.
th
Shree moraji vidya one of the leading industrialist of Gujarat with a view manufacture viscose filament yarn(VFY)IN collaboration with von-kohorn international of USA started this organization.
Once a sick company and virtually on the verge of closure was taken over by shree Aditya Vikram Birla in 1966,who believed consolidation,expantion and diversification, because of his believed and sincerity toward work the company has not only turned around but has also made up strong market position today. By 1975 the jayshree textiles has merged with Indian rayon. The Indian rayon industries ltd. Is public ltd.
VISION
To be preferred choice of customer in premium segment of viscose
filament yarn global market and benchmarked chlor alkali producer while remaining committed to the interests of all stack holders.
MISSION
To produce viscose filament yarn to meet the expectations of customers premium segment. To achieve minimum cost of production through innovation, development & involvement of employees and vendors. To maintain clean, safe and pollution free environment.
COMPANY POLICY
Company is committed to be the preferred choice of customers while taking care of interests of all stakeholders. They are also committing to abide by applicable legal and other requirements and ensure continual
improvements in all spheres of activities. They also adopt world class manufacturing practices and maintain a high morale of employees.
SAFETY POLICY
Company is committed to ensure safety, health and clean
environment for our employees. The necessary organizational set up such as safety department and committee to promote the awareness shall be maintained. Training programme and seminars and seminars to promote safety activities will be conducted regularly. Regular safety audits will be
carried out with the help of internal and external agencies and remedial measures implemented. Company gives a due weight age to health and safety while selecting plant, equipment, machinery and placement of personal safety performance of the factory will be a part of their annual report.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Company believes that preservation of environment is essential for the
survival of our business, employees, society and surroundings. They achieve it with the involvement of our workforce, vendors, customers and neighbourhood. Through:
Compliance with relevant laws and regulations. Efficient use of available resources. Adoption of eco friendly technologies. Education and sustained efforts of continual improvements. Safe, clean and healthy work practice. Commitment to prevent air and water pollution by adopting appropriate technology and practices.
PRODUCTS OF INDIAN RAYON Name Product Viscose Yarn Carbon disulphide Sodium sulphate Sulphuric acid Caustic acid lye filament Apparel, home furnishing, slipovers, Pulp, caustic soda, industrial uses Rubberchemicals, acid, carbon di sulphide, zinc agrochemicals, Charcoal pesticides, pharma, viscose Glass industries, paper, textile, dyes, By product Gum Fertilizers, Paper, soaps intermediates, viscose, viscose, Sulphur fibre, Salt, coal dyes, chemicals alumina, of the End users of final product Raw material
& detergents, drugs, demineralization dyes & intermediates and other Liquid chlorine Hydraulic acid chemicals Organic & inorganic chemicals,
paper, HCL, PVC, CPW etc. DM water plant, pickling of steel, phosphoric acid, synthetic rutile, ossein, DCP, calcium chloride
RATIO ANALYSIS
. Ratio Analysis enables the business owner/manager to spot trends in a business and to compare its performance and condition with the average
performance of similar businesses in the same industry. To do this compare your ratios with the average of businesses similar to yours and compare your own ratios for several successive years, watching especially for any unfavorable trends that may be starting. Ratio analysis may provide the all-important early warning indications that allow you to solve your business problems before your business is destroyed by them.
The Balance Sheet and the Statement of Income are essential, but they are only the starting point for successful financial management. Apply Ratio Analysis to Financial Statements to analyze the success, failure, and progress of your business.
statement
In our money-oriented economy, Finance may be defined as provision of money at the time it is needed. To everyone responsible for provision of funds, it is problem of securing importance to so adjust his resources as to provide for a regular outflow of expenditure in face of an irregular inflow of income.
balance sheet
In companies, these are the two statements that have been prescribed and their contents have been also been laid down by law in most countries including India.
There has been increasing emphasis on (a) Giving information to the shareholder in such a manner as to enable them to grasp it easily.
(b) Giving much more information e.g. funds flow statement, again with a view to facilitating easy understanding and to place a year results in perspective through comparison with post year results. (c) The directors report being quite comprehensive to cover the factors that have been operating and are likely to operate in the near future as regards to the various functions of production, marketing, finance, labour, government policies, environment in general. Financial statements are being made use of increasingly by parties like Bank, Governments, Institutions, and Financial Analysis etc. The statement should be sufficiently informative so as to serve as wide a curia as possible.
The financial statement is prepared by accounts based on the activities that take place in production and non-production wings in a factory. The accounts convert activities in monetary terms to the help know the position.
SOURCES OF FUNDS
S ha re ho lders Funds: Share Capital Share Warrants Reserves & Surplus
Schedule
1 2
3 4
APPLICATION OF FUNDS
Fixed Assets: Gross Block Less: Depreciation Net Block Capital Work-in-Progress Accumulated
1675.79
Interest Accrued Investments Inventories Sundry Debtors Cash & Bank Balances Loans & Advances
7 8 9 10 11 424.78 73.92 498.70 1127.57 3938.88 526.33 415.44 20.32 664.18 1626.27
TYPES OF RATIOS
1. Liquidity ratios 2. Turnover Ratios 3. Leverage Ratios 4. Profitability Ratios
1. Liquidity ratios:Liquidity refers of the ability of a firm to meet its obligation in the short run, usually one year or when they become duration for payment. A proper balance between liquidly and profitability is required for efficient Financial Management. Liquidity ratios are based on the relationship between current assets the sources for meeting short-term obligation and current liabilities.
A. Curren t Ratio.
A. Current Ratio.
The current Ratio is the ratio of current liabilities it is calculated as: -
The current assets include cash and Bank Balance, Marketable securities, Bills, Receivable, Inventories, Loans and advances, Advances Payment and prepaid expenses. The current liabilities include creditors, bills payable bank overdraft short-term loans, outstanding expense & income tax payable, unclaimed divided and proposed dividend. Te current ratio measures the ability of the firm to meet its current liabilities. The current assets get converted into cash into the operational cycle of the firm and provide the fund needed to pay current liabilities. The higher the ratio, to ward off.
Calculation of current ratio with diagram Particulars 2006-07 Current Assets Current Liabilities Current Ratio 3.26 3.15 3.0 2.9 498.70 453.38 700.37 773.48 1626.27 1426.32 2112.05 2257.21 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10
Diagram
3 . 3 3 . 2 3.1 3
3.26
3.15
3.0 2.9
2 . 9
2.8 2. 7
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
B.QUICK RATIO
The Quick Ratio is sometimes called the "acid-test" ratio and is one of the best measures of liquidity. It is figured as shown below:
QUICK RATIO =
The Quick Ratio is a much more exacting measure than the Current Ratio. By excluding inventories, it concentrates on the really liquid assets, with value that is fairly certain. It helps answer the question: "If all sales revenues should disappear, could my business meet its current obligations with the readily convertible `quick' funds on hand?" An acid-test of 1:1 is considered satisfactory unless the majority of your "quick assets" are in accounts receivable, and the pattern of accounts receivable collection lags behind the schedule for paying current liabilities.
Particulars 2006-07 Liquid assets 1099.94 951.06 1335.45 1509.61 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10
liquid liabilities Current ratio 2.21 2.10 1.91 1.95 498.70 453.38 700.37 773.48
Diagram
2.25 2.2 2.15 2.1 2.05 2 1.95 1.9 1.85 1.8 1.75 2006-07 2009-10 2007-08 2008-09 1 . 1.95 2.1 2.21
The following are the most important definitions of Working capital: 1) Working capital is the difference between the inflow and outflow of funds. In other words it is the net cash inflow. 2) Working capital represents the total of all current assets. In other words it is the Gross working capital, it is also known as Circulating capital or Current capital for current assets is rotating in their nature. 3) Working capital is defined as the excess of current assets over current liabilities and provisions . In other words it is the Net Current Assets or Net Working Capital It is calculated as, Woking capital turnover ratio = Sales / Working capital
Particulars 2006-07 Sales Working capital 1127.57 3672.94 1411.68 1483.73 2786.39 2007-08 3577.9 2008-09 4137.52 2009-10 5001.04
Diagram
4 3.5 3 2.5 2 . 4 7 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 2006-07 2009-10 2007-08 2008-09 0.97 2 . 3.37
Turnover Ratios are also referred to as Activity ratio or Assets Management ratios. This ratio establishes relationship between the level of activity represented by sales or cost of goods sold and levels of various assets. A. INVENTORY OVER RATIO TURN
This Ratio is computed by dividing net sales by inventory T h u s , Net sales Inventory Turnover ratio = --------------Averag e Invento ry The numerator of this ratio is the net sales for the year and the denominator is the Inventory balance at the end of the year. This ratio is deemed to reflect the efficient the management of inventories and vice versa.
This statement need not be always true. A low level of inventory may cause a higher inventory turnover ratio. It might be argued that the inventory turnover ratio may be Cost of goods sold Inventory Turnover ratio = ------------------------------------------ Average Inventory
Diagram
1 7. 6
17.41
14.9
2006-07 2009-10
2007-08
2008-09
The debtor s turnover ratio is determined by dividing the net credit sales by average debtors outstanding during the year. Therefore Debtors turnover ratio = Net credit sales Aver age debto rs NOTE;- Here there is no specification about net credit purchase and average debtors So, assume that (net credit sales = net sales) (Average debtors = debtors)
The main function of this ratio is to measure how rapidly debts are collected. A high ratio is indicative of shorter time lag between credit sales and cash collection/ A low ratio indicates that debts are not being collected rapidly.
Diagram
C.CREDITORS TURN OVER RATIO Creditors turnover ratio is a rate between net purchase and average amount of creditor Outstanding during the year. Creditors turnover ratio = Net credit purchases Average of creditors Average creditors = Average of creditors outstanding at the Beginning and at the end of the year.
A low turnover ratio reflects liberal terms granted by suppliers, while a high turnover ratio shown that accounts are settled rapidly.
The creditors turnover ratio is an important tool as a firm can reduce its requirement of current assets by relying on suppliers creditors. The intent to which trade creditors are willing to wait for payment can be approximated by the creditors turnover ratio. NOTE;- Here, there is no specification about net credit purchase and average of creditors, So, let assume that, (net credit purchase = Net Purchase) (Average of creditors = creditors)
Particulars 2006-07 Net Purchase Creditors Creditors T.O. ratio 9.21 13.74 11.46 10.11 2447.75 265.88 3190.45 232.19 3781.72 330.01 4690.67 463.94 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10
16 14 12
Diagram
13 .7 4
11 .4 6
10.11
2008-09
3. LEVERAGE or CAPITAL STRUCTURE RATIO These ratios refer to the use of debt finance long term solvency of the firm can be examined by using leverage or capital ratios. The leverage ratio or capital structure ratio can be defined as the financial ratios which throw light on the long term solvency of a firm reflected in its ability to assure the long term creditors with regards to. 1. Periodic payment of interest during the period of loan. 2. Repayment of Principe on maturity or in predetermined
A. DEBT-EQUITY RATIO
This ratio reflects the relative claims of creditors and share holders against the assets of the firm, debt equity ratios establishment relationship between borrowed funds and owner capital to measure the long term financial solvency of the firm. The ratio indicates the relative proportions of debt and equity in financing the assets of the firm. It is calculated as follows Debt equity ratio = Debt / Equity The debts side consist of all liabilities (that include short term and long term liabilities) of the firm. The equity side consists of new worth (plus) preference capital. The lower the debt equity ratio the higher in the degree of protection enjoyed by the creditors. The debt equity ratio defined by the controller of capital issue, debt is defined as long term debt plus preference capital which is redeemable before 12 years and equity is defined as paid up equity capital plus preference capital which is redeemable after 12 years. The general norm for this ratio is 2:1. on case of capital intensive industries as norms of 4:1 is used for fertilizer and cement industry and a norms of 6:1 is used for shipping units. Calculation of debt-equity ratio with diagram
Particulars
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
1.2
Diagram
1.14 1 0.96 0 . 7 8
0.8
0.7
B. DEBT ASSET RATIO The debit asset ratio establishes a relationship between borrowed funds and the assets of firm. It is calculated as: Debt Debt Asset Ratio = -------------------
-------Asse t Debt includes all liabilities. Short term as well as long term and the assets include the total of all the assets (the balance sheet total)
Particulars Debt
2006-07
2007-08 3005.91
2008-09 2943.73
2009-10 4679.45
6130.46 0.96
6967.47 0.42
4121.66 1.14
1 . 2 1 0.8 0 . 6 0 . 4
Diagram
1.14
0.96
0 . 4 4
0.42
This ratio is also known as Time interested Earned ratio This ratio measures the debt servicing of capacity of a firm in so far as fixed interest on long term loan is concerned. Interest coverage ratio determined by dividing the operating profits or earnings before interest and taxes by fixed interest charges on loans. It is calcul ated as Earning Before Interest &Taxes (EB IT) Interestest coverage Ratio = ---------------------------D e bt In te re st
The EBIT is used in the numerator of this ratio because the ability of a firm to pay interest is not affected by tax payment as interest on debt fund in a tax deductible expenses. The ratio apparently measure the margin of safety the firm enjoys with the respect to its interest burden.
A high interest coverage ratio implies that the firm can easily meet its interest burden even if E BI T de cli ne . A low interest coverage ratio results in financial embarrassment when EBIT declines. This ratio is not appropriate measures of interest coverage because the source of interest payment is cash flow before interest and taxes, not EBIT.
Particulars EBIT
2006-07
2007-08 432.63
2008-09 454.93
2009-10 328.26
387.60 62.78
189.83
197.72
274.43
6.17
2.28
2.3
1.20
Diagram
4. PROFITABILITY RATIO
A class of financial metrics that are used to assess a business's ability to generate earnings as compared to its expenses and other relevant costs incurred during a specific period of time. For most of these ratios, having a higher value relative to a competitor's ratio or the same ratio from a previous period is indicative that the company is doing well. Some examples of profitability ratios are profit margin, return on assets and return on equity. It is important to note that a little bit of background knowledge is necessary in order to make relevant comparisons when analyzing these ratios.
A. OPERATING MARGIN
A ratio used to measure a company's pricing strategy and operating efficiency. Operating margin is a measurement of what proportion of a company's revenue is left over after paying for variable costs of production such as wages, raw materials, etc. A healthy operating margin is required for a company to be able to pay for its fixed costs, such as interest on debt. It Is Also known as "operating profit margin." Calculated as:
Operating margin gives analysts an idea of how much a company makes (before interest and taxes) on each dollar of sales. When looking at operating margin to determine the quality of a company, it is best to look at the change in operating margin over time and to compare the company's yearly or quarterly figures to those of its competitors. If a company's margin is increasing, it is earning more per dollar of sales. The higher the margin, the better. For example, if a company has an operating margin of 12%, this means that it makes $0.12 (before interest and taxes) for every dollar of sales. Often, nonrecurring cash flows, such as cash paid out in a lawsuit settlement, are excluded from the operating margin calculation because they don't represent a company's true operating performance.
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
Diagram
18 16 15.63 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 2006-07 10 2007-08 2008-09 200911.07 15.07 14.32
The gross profit margin ration shows the margin left after meeting manufacturing cost. The ratio also measures.
The efficiency of production as well as pricing. The Gross profit to sales is a sign of good management s as it implies that the cost of production of the firm is relatively low. A high ratio may also imply of a higher sales rise without a corresponding increase in the cost of goods sold.
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
16 14 12 13.91 12.09 1 1
6.56
The Net Profit Margin Ration determines the between Net profit and sales of business firm. This relationship is also known as net margin. This ratio shows the earning left for shareholder (both equity and preference) as percentage of Net sales. Net Margin Ratio measures the overall efficiency of production, Administration selling, Financing, pricing and Tase Management. Thus, Net profit Margin Ratio: Net Profit/Net Sales
A high Net profit Margin indicates adequate return to the owners as well as enable a firm to withstand adverse economic conditions when selling price is decanting, cost of production is rising and demand for product is falling. A low Net Profit Margin has opposite implications. A firm with low net profit margin can earn a high rate of return on investment it has a higher inventory turnover. Jointly considering gross and net profit margin provides a valuable understanding of the cost and profit structure of the firm and enables the analyst to identity the source of business efficiency of inefficiency.
Diagram
6 . 2 9
5.87
The portion of a company's profit allocated to each outstanding share of common stock. Earnings per share serve as an indicator of a company's profitability. Calculated as:
When calculating, it is more accurate to use a weighted average number of shares outstanding over the reporting term, because the number of shares outstanding can change over time. However, data sources sometimes simplify the calculation by using the number of shares outstanding at the end of the period. Diluted EPS expands on basic EPS by including the shares of convertibles or warrants outstanding in the outstanding shares number. Earnings per share are generally considered to be the single most important variable in determining a share's price. It is also a major component used to calculate the price-to- earnings valuation ratio.
An important aspect of EPS that's often ignored is the capital that is required to generate the earnings (net income) in the calculation. Two companies could generate the same EPS number, but one could do so with less equity (investment) - that company would be more efficient at using its capital to generate income and, all other things being equal, would be a "better" company. Investors also need to be aware of earnings manipulation that will affect the quality of the earnings number. It is important not to rely on any one financial measure, but to use it in conjunction with statement analysis and other measures.
Particulars EPS
2006-07 24.5
2007-08 25.6
2008-09 26.1
2009-10 14.5
Diagram
30 25.6 25 24.5 26.1
PE ratio is closely related to the earnings yield/earnings price ratio. It is actually the reciprocal of the latter. This ratio is computed dividing the market price of the shares by the EPS. Thus, PE ratio = Market Price of Share E P S The PE ratio reflects the price currently being paid by the market for each rupee of currently reported EPS. In other words, the P/E ratio measures investors expectations and the market appraisal of the performance of a firm. In estimating the earnings, therefore, only normally sustainable earnings associated with the assets are taken into account. That is, the earnings are adjusted for income from, say, discontinued operations and extraordinary items as well as many other items not expected to occur. This ratio is popularly used by security analysts to assess a firms performance as expected by the investors.
Particulars Ratios
2006-07 30.6
2007-08 41.8
2008-09 53.6
2009-10 30.8
Diagram
60 5 3 . 6 50 4 1 . 8 40 30.6 30 30.8
OBJECTIVES
Analysis of financial statements is an attempt to assess the efficiency and performance of an enterprise. For that there are some objectives which are described as under.
The overall objective of a business is to earn a satisfactory return on the funds invested in it. Financial analysis helps in ascertaining whether adequate profits are being earned on the capital invested in the business or not. It also helps in knowing the capacity to pay the interest and dividend.
The purpose of financial statements analysis is to help the management to make a comparative study of the profitability of various firms engaged in similar business. Such comparison also helps the management to study the position of their firm in respect of sales expenses, profitability and using capital.etc.
3. EFFICIENCY OF MANAGEMENT
The purpose of financial statement analysis is to know that the financial policies adopted by the management are efficient or not. Analysis also helps the
management in preparing budgets by forecasting next years profit on the basis of past earnings. It also helps the management to find out shortcomings of the business so that remedial measures can be taken to remove these shortcomings.
4. FINANCIAL STRENGTH
The purpose of financial analysis is to assess the financial potential of business. Analysis also helps in taking decisions; (a) Whether funds required for the purchase of new machinery and equipments are provided from internal resources of business or not. (b) How much funds have been raised from external sources.
IMPORTANCE
Ratio analysis is an important technique of financial analysis. It is a means for judging the financial health of a business enterprise. It determines and interprets the liquidity,solvency,profitability,etc. of a business enterprise.
It becomes simple to understand various figures in the financial statements through the use of different ratios. Financial ratios simplify, sumarise, and systemise the accounting figures presented in financial statements.
With the help of raito analysis, comparision of profitability and financial soundness can be made between one industry and another. Similarly comparision of current year figures can also be made with those of previous years with the help of ratio analysis and if some weak points are located, remidial masures are taken to correct them.
If accounting ratios are calculated for a number of years, they will reveal the trend of costs, sales, profits and other important facts. Such trends are useful for planning.
Financial ratios, based on a desired level of activities, can be set as standards for judging actual performance of a business. For example, if owners of a business aim at earning profit @ 25% on the capital which is the prevailing rate of return in the industry then this rate of 25% becomes the standard. The rate of profit of each year is compared with this standard and the actual performance of the business can be judged easily.
ADVANTAGES
Ratio analysis is an important and age-old technique of financial analysis. The following are some of the advantages of ratio analysis:
1. Simplifies financial statements: It simplifies the comprehension of financial statements. Ratios tell the whole story of changes in the financial condition of the business. 2. Facilitates inter-firm comparison: It provides data for inter-firm comparison. Ratios highlight the factors associated with successful and unsuccessful firm. They also reveal strong firms and weak firms,
overvalued and undervalued firms. 3. Helps in planning: It helps in planning and forecasting. Ratios can assist management, in its basic functions of forecasting. Planning, coordination, control and communications. 4. Makes inter-firm comparison possible: Ratios analysis also makes possible comparison of the performance of different divisions of the firm. The ratios are helpful in deciding about their efficiency or
otherwise in the past and likely performance in the future. 5. Help in investment decisions: It helps in investment decisions in the case of investors and lending decisions in the case of bankers etc.
LIMITATIONS
The ratios analysis is one of the most powerful tools of financial management. Though ratios are simple to calculate and easy to understand, they suffer from serious limitations.
1.
Limitations of financial statements: Ratios are based only on the information which has been recorded in the financial statements. Financial statements themselves are subject to several limitations. Thus ratios derived, there from, are also subject to those limitations. For example, non-financial changes though important for the business are not relevant by the financial statements.
2.
Comparative study required: Ratios are useful in judging the efficiency of the business only when they are compared with past results of the business. However, such a comparison only provide glimpse of the past performance and forecasts for future may not prove correct since several other factors like market conditions, management policies, etc. may affect the future operations.
3. Problems of price level changes: A change in price level can affect the validity of ratios calculated for different time periods. In such a case the ratio analysis may not clearly indicate the trend in solvency and profitability of the company. The financial statements, therefore, be adjusted keeping in view the price level changes if a meaningful comparison is to be made through accounting ratios. 4. Limited use of single ratios: A single ratio, usually, does not
convey much of a sense. To make a better interpretation, a number of ratios have to be calculated which is likely to confuse the analyst than help him in making any good decision.
CONCLUSIO N
Ratios make the related information comparable. A single figure by itself has no meaning, but when expressed in terms of a related figure, it yields significant interferences. Thus, ratios are relative figures reflecting the relationship between related variables. Their use as tools of financial analysis involves their comparison as single ratios, like absolute figures, are not of much use. Ratio analysis has a major significance in analysing the financial
performance of a company over a period of time. Decisions affecting product prices, per unit costs, volume or efficiency have an impact on the profit margin or turnover ratios of a company. Financial ratios are essentially concerned with the identification of
significant accounting data relationships, which give the decision-maker insights into the financial performance of a company. The analysis of financial statements is a process of evaluating the
relationship between component parts of financial statements to obtain a better understanding of the firms position and performance.
The first task of financial analyst is to select the information relevant to the decision under consideration from the total information contained in the financial statements. The second step is to arrange the information in a way to highlight significant relationships. The final step is interpretation and drawing of inferences and conclusions. In brief, financial analysis is the process of selection, relation and evaluation. Ratio analysis in view of its several limitations should be considered only as a tool for analysis rather than as an end in itself. The reliability and significance attached to ratios will largely hinge upon the quality of data on which they are based. They are as good or as bad as the data itself. Nevertheless, they are an important tool of financial analysis.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Web Sites:
Books Referred:
Annual Reports