Analytical Tools and Common-Size Analysis5 min
Financial analysis employs various tools to interpret data. Ratio analysis compares values to standardize size differences across companies. Common-size analysis converts financial statements into percentages: vertical analysis expresses items as a percentage of sales (income statement) or total assets (balance sheet), while horizontal analysis tracks percentage changes over time relative to a base year. Regression analysis identifies variable relationships for forecasting, and graphical analysis visualizes trends.

Key Points

  • Vertical common-size income statement uses Revenue as 100 percent.
  • Vertical common-size balance sheet uses Total Assets as 100 percent.
  • Horizontal analysis tracks changes relative to a base year.
  • Regression analysis is used to forecast relationships between variables.
Activity and Liquidity Ratios7 min
Activity ratios measure how efficiently a firm uses its assets. Key metrics include Inventory Turnover (COGS/Average Inventory) and Receivables Turnover (Credit Sales/Average Receivables). These are converted into 'days' metrics to estimate the Cash Conversion Cycle. Liquidity ratios assess short-term solvency. The Current Ratio includes all current assets, while the Quick Ratio excludes inventory, offering a more stringent test of liquidity. The Defensive Interval Ratio measures how long a firm can operate using only liquid assets.

Key Points

  • Inventory Turnover = COGS / Average Inventory.
  • Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) = 365 / Receivables Turnover.
  • Cash Conversion Cycle = Days Inventory + Days Receivables - Days Payables.
  • Quick Ratio excludes inventory from current assets.
Solvency and Profitability Ratios6 min
Solvency ratios evaluate long-term obligations. The Debt-to-Equity and Financial Leverage ratios measure the degree of debt financing. Coverage ratios, such as Interest Coverage (EBIT/Interest), assess the ability to service debt payments. Profitability ratios measure return generation. Margins (Gross, Operating, Net) compare profits to sales. ROA and ROE measure returns relative to the asset base and shareholder equity, respectively. The return on total capital measures return on all invested capital.

Key Points

  • Financial Leverage Ratio = Average Assets / Average Equity.
  • Interest Coverage Ratio = EBIT / Interest Expense.
  • Gross Profit Margin = Gross Profit / Sales.
  • ROE = Net Income / Average Equity.
DuPont Analysis and Forecasting7 min
DuPont Analysis decomposes ROE to identify performance drivers. The 3-step method breaks ROE into Net Profit Margin (profitability), Asset Turnover (efficiency), and Financial Leverage (solvency). The 5-step method further breaks Net Profit Margin into Tax Burden, Interest Burden, and EBIT Margin. The chapter concludes with Segment Reporting (requiring disclosure for segments >10 percent of revenue/assets) and forecasting techniques like sensitivity analysis ('what if'), scenario analysis (specific scenarios), and simulation (distribution of values).

Key Points

  • 3-Step ROE = Net Profit Margin x Asset Turnover x Financial Leverage.
  • Tax Burden = Net Income / EBT.
  • Interest Burden = EBT / EBIT.
  • Business segment reportable if >10 percent of revenues or assets.

Questions

Question 1

In a vertical common-size income statement, each item is expressed as a percentage of which line item?

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Question 2

Which ratio measures the average number of days it takes for a company to collect cash from its customers?

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Question 3

A company has a Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) of 500,000 and an Average Inventory of 100,000. What is the Inventory Turnover Ratio?

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Question 4

Which of the following items is excluded from the numerator when calculating the Quick Ratio (Acid-test ratio)?

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Question 5

How is the Cash Conversion Cycle calculated?

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Question 6

Which solvency ratio is calculated as Average Assets divided by Average Equity?

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Question 7

If a company has an EBIT of 100,000 and Interest Expense of 20,000, what is its Interest Coverage Ratio?

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Question 8

The Gross Profit Margin is calculated as:

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Question 9

In the 3-step DuPont Analysis, Return on Equity (ROE) is decomposed into which three components?

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Question 10

In the 5-step DuPont decomposition, the Tax Burden ratio is defined as:

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Question 11

A business segment must be reported separately if it accounts for more than what percentage of the company's revenues or assets?

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Question 12

Which forecasting method involves examining the variability of financial outcomes based on 'what if' questions?

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Question 13

Horizontal common-size analysis is best described as:

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Question 14

Calculate the Operating Profit Margin given: Sales = 1000, COGS = 400, SG&A = 200, Interest = 50.

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Question 15

What does a high Receivables Turnover Ratio typically indicate?

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Question 16

Return on Assets (ROA) calculated as Net Income divided by Average Assets may be adjusted by adding back which item to the numerator?

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Question 17

If Net Profit Margin is 10 percent, Asset Turnover is 1.5, and Financial Leverage is 2.0, what is the ROE?

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Question 18

Which ratio assesses a firm's ability to pay off its short-term liabilities with its most liquid assets, excluding inventory?

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Question 19

The Interest Burden ratio is calculated as:

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Question 20

Which of the following is considered a 'defensive interval' component in the Defensive Interval Ratio?

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Question 21

Calculate the Debt-to-Capital Ratio if Total Debt is 400 and Total Equity is 600.

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Question 22

Which technique allows for checking financial ratio consistency by comparing a company to its industry peers?

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Question 23

If a company has a Financial Leverage ratio of 1.0, what does this imply?

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Question 24

Which ratio uses 'Average Daily Expenses' in its denominator?

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Question 25

Coefficient of Variation (CV) of sales is a measure of:

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Question 26

Working Capital Turnover Ratio is calculated as:

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Question 27

Which margin is calculated as Net Income divided by Sales?

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Question 28

If a company has a higher Asset Turnover ratio than its competitor, it suggests:

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Question 29

To calculate Return on Common Equity, what must be subtracted from Net Profit in the numerator?

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Question 30

In a Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio, what is added to EBIT in the numerator?

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Question 31

If Tax Burden is 0.6 and Interest Burden is 0.8, what is the ratio of Net Income to EBIT?

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Question 32

Which graph type is identified as useful for visualizing changes in the composition of a total value over time?

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Question 33

A decrease in the Cash Conversion Cycle is generally viewed as:

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Question 34

Which ratio relates the market price per share to the company's book value per share?

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Question 35

Which of the following is an Activity Ratio?

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Question 36

Calculate Basic EPS given: Net Income = 500,000, Preferred Dividends = 50,000, Weighted Average Common Shares = 100,000.

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Question 37

The deviation of the effective tax rate from the statutory tax rate is typically caused by:

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Question 38

In financial modeling, which technique is computer-based and generates a distribution of values?

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Question 39

If a company has Sales of 200, Average Assets of 100, and Net Income of 20, what is the Asset Turnover Ratio?

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Question 40

A low Inventory Turnover Ratio generally implies:

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Question 41

Which ratio relates Cash Flow from Operations (CFO) to Total Debt?

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Question 42

Standard Deviation of Net Income is a measure used to assess:

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Question 43

Calculate the P/E ratio if the stock price is 50 and EPS is 2.5.

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Question 44

Operating ROA is calculated as:

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Question 45

What is the key difference between horizontal analysis and vertical analysis?

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Question 46

When comparing two companies, why is ratio analysis preferred over comparing raw financial statement numbers?

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Question 47

Pretax Margin is calculated as:

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Question 48

If Average Assets = 1000 and Average Equity = 500, what is the Financial Leverage Ratio?

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Question 49

Which ratio would be most relevant for a supplier deciding whether to sell goods on credit to a company?

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Question 50

Return on Total Capital (ROTC) is best described as a measure of:

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