The current ratio provides a better measure of overall liquidity only when a firm’s inventory cannot easily be converted into cash. If inventory is liquid, the quick ratio is a preferred measure of overall liquidity. Explain. (2024)

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Solution

The above mentioned statement is true. There are two different ways to measure the liquidity of a firm first through current ratio of the firm and second through quick ratio of the firm. The second one is considered the more refine form of measuring the liquidity of the firm.

The current ratio explains the relationship between current assets and current liabilities. If current assets are quite capable to pay the current liability the liquidity of the concerned firm will be considered good. But here generally one question arises there are certain assets which cannot be converted into cash quickly such as stock and prepaid expenses.

As far as the matter of prepaid expenses is concerned it’s ok but what about the stock if we measure the liquidity on the basis of conversion of current assets in cash there are many firms where conversion of stock is not possible into cash frequently say e.g., heavy machinery manufacturing companies, locomotive companies, etc. This is because, the heavy stocks like machinery, heavy tools etc. cannot be easily sold off. In this case it is always advisable to follow the current ratio for measuring the liquidity of a firm.

But on the other hand, in case of those firms where the stock can be easily realised or sold off consideration of stock should be avoided and to measure the liquidity of that firm Quick ratio should be calculated. e.g., the inventories of a service sector company are very liquid as there are no stocks kept for sale, so in that case liquid ratio must be followed for measuring the liquidity of the firm.

We can understand from the above mentioned statement in the light of another example where stock contribute the major portion in current assets in that case to find out the liquidity of that firm stock cannot be avoided to measure the liquidity of the firm. On the other hand where stock contributes a reasonably less amount it can be avoided and liquidity of that firm can be measured with the help of quick ratio. On the other hand where there is a lot of fluctuation in the price of stock it is always advisable to compute quick ratio and avoid the stock figure because it will reduce the authenticity of liquidity measure.


The current ratio provides a better measure of overall liquidity only when a firm’s inventory cannot easily be converted into cash. If inventory is liquid, the quick ratio is a preferred measure of overall liquidity. Explain. (1)

The current ratio provides a better measure of overall liquidity only when a firm’s inventory cannot easily be converted into cash. If inventory is liquid, the quick ratio is a preferred measure of overall liquidity. Explain. (2)

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The current ratio provides a better measure of overall liquidity only when a firm’s inventory cannot easily be converted into cash. If inventory is liquid, the quick ratio is a preferred measure of overall liquidity. Explain. (3)

The current ratio provides a better measure of overall liquidity only when a firm’s inventory cannot easily be converted into cash. If inventory is liquid, the quick ratio is a preferred measure of overall liquidity. Explain. (4)

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The current ratio provides a better measure of overall liquidity only when a firm’s inventory cannot easily be converted into cash. If inventory is liquid, the quick ratio is a preferred measure of overall liquidity. Explain. (2024)

FAQs

Why is the quick ratio a better measure of liquidity than the current ratio? ›

Why Is the Quick Ratio Better than the Current Ratio? Some may consider the quick ratio better than the current ratio because it is more conservative. The quick ratio demonstrates the immediate amount of money a company has to pay its current bills.

Which quick ratio provides better measure of liquidity only when a firm's inventory Cannot be easily converted into cash ›

The current ratio provides a better measure of overall liquidity only when a firm's inventory cannot easily be converted into cash. If inventory is liquid, the quick ratio is a preferred measure of overall liquidity.

Why is the current ratio used to measure a firm's liquidity? ›

The current ratio is a liquidity ratio that measures a company's ability to pay short-term obligations or those due within one year. It tells investors and analysts how a company can maximize the current assets on its balance sheet to satisfy its current debt and other payables.

What does a quick ratio tell you? ›

The quick ratio measures a company's ability to convert liquid assets into cash to pay for short-term expenses and weather emergencies like these. The quick ratio measures a company's ability to quickly convert liquid assets into cash to pay for its short-term financial obligations.

Why is the quick ratio a more appropriate measure of liquidity than? ›

Why is the quick ratio a more appropriate measure of liquidity than the current ratio for a large-airplane manufacturer? It recognizes the contribution of all assets so that analysts can see how "quickly" a firm can satisfy its short-term obligations. It recognizes that parts can be quickly converted to cash.

Does a higher current ratio mean better liquidity? ›

The current liabilities refer to the business' financial obligations that are payable within a year. Obviously, a higher current ratio is better for the business. A good current ratio is between 1.2 to 2, which means that the business has 2 times more current assets than liabilities to covers its debts.

What are the benefits of the current ratio? ›

The primary advantage for a company of using the current ratio is that it can help them measure their financial health. If the current ratio is less than one, it means that the firm needs to shore up its current assets to cover the immediate debt obligations or else it may face liquidity problems.

Is the current ratio a good measure? ›

The higher the ratio is, the more capable you are of paying off your debts. If your current ratio is low, it means you will have a difficult time paying your immediate debts and liabilities. In general, a current ratio of 2 or higher is considered good, and anything lower than 2 is a cause for concern.

What is the difference between quick ratio and cash ratio? ›

The cash ratio looks at only the cash on hand divided by CL, while the quick ratio adds in cash equivalents (like money market holdings) as well as marketable securities and accounts receivable. The current ratio includes all current assets.

What does a current ratio tell you? ›

The current ratio is a comparison of a company's current assets to current liabilities that can be used to find its liquidity, usually as a comparison between companies in the same industry. Potential creditors use the current ratio to measure a company's ability to pay off short-term debt.

Is quick ratio good or bad? ›

Generally speaking, a good quick ratio is anything above 1 or 1:1. A ratio of 1:1 would mean the company has the same amount of liquid assets as current liabilities.

What is the ideal current ratio? ›

A current ratio of 2:1 is considered ideal in many cases. This means that the current assets can cover the current liabilities two times over.

Why the quick ratio may be a better indicator of liquidity than the current ratio? ›

Also called the acid test ratio, a quick ratio is a conservative measure of your firm's liquidity because it uses a fraction of your current assets. Unlike current ratio, quick ratio calculations only use quick assets or short-term investments that can be liquidated to cash in 90 days or less.

Why is the quick ratio considered by some to be a better measure of liquidity than the current ratio quizlet? ›

The quick ratio more accurately reflects a firm's profitability. The current ratio does not include accounts receivable. It measures how "quickly" cash flows through the firm. A typical way in which a common-size income statement is constructed is by dividing all expense items in an income statement by net income.

Which measure is the best indicator of liquidity? ›

The two most common metrics used to measure liquidity are the current ratio and the quick ratio. A company's bottom line profit margin is the best single indicator of its financial health and long-term viability.

What is the most accurate liquidity ratio? ›

Current Ratio = Current Assets / Current Liabilities

The current ratio is the simplest liquidity ratio to calculate and interpret. Anyone can easily find the current assets and current liabilities line items on a company's balance sheet.

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