Current ratio

Definition

The current ratio is a financial metric used to assess a company’s short-term liquidity and its ability to cover immediate financial obligations with its current assets. 

What is a current ratio?

The current ratio, along with other financial ratios, is typically disclosed in a company’s financial statements, providing transparency to stakeholders about its short-term liquidity position.

The current ratio is calculated using the following formula:

Current ratio = total current assets / total current liabilities

A current ratio greater than 1 indicates that a company has more current assets than current liabilities, while a current ratio of less than 1 implies that a company may have difficulty meeting its short-term obligations using its current assets alone. A higher current ratio indicates a healthier level of working capital.

The ‘ideal’ ratio is between 1.5 and 2. The current ratio provides a snapshot of a company’s short-term liquidity, but it doesn’t offer insight into the company’s ability to generate cash in the future.

Example of current ratio

Let’s consider an example for a fictional company, XYZ Inc.:

Current assets:

• XYZ Inc. has R200,000 in cash and cash equivalents.
• Accounts receivable amount to R150,000.
• The inventory is valued at R100,000.
• Prepaid expenses stand at R20,000.

Total current assets = R200,000 + R150,000 + R100,000 + R20,000 = R470,000

Current liabilities:

• Accounts payable total R80,000.
• Short-term loans amount to R50,000.
• Accrued liabilities are R30,000.
• The short-term portion of long-term debt is R40,000.
• Income taxes payable are R10,000.

Total current liabilities = R80,000 + R50,000 + R30,000 + R40,000 + R10,000 = R210,000

Now, using the formula for the current ratio:​

Current ratio = R470,000 / R210,000 ≈ 2.24

In this example, XYZ Inc. has a current ratio of approximately 2.24. This means that for every dollar of current liabilities, the company has R2.24 in current assets.