Financial position of any company is determined through analysis of key indicators and ratios. Main goal of financial analysis is to understand and determine the level of solvency of a counterparty. As a result it is easier to build strategy for interaction with a partner and make correct management decision.
Financial Director or Financial Analyst is responsible for conducting financial analysis. However, it is not always possible to turn to financial consulting specialists or maintain a staff of employees responsible only for checking financial position.
Quite often functions of Risk Manager are distributed among other managers, accountants or other company employees. Without proper knowledge, it is quite difficult to understand which indicators to check and what they indicate. But with the help of a proven express method, it will become much easier to assess financial position of counterparties.
In the July Newsletter, we will tell you what financial indicators are used in the express method, what they are responsible for and how to quickly check financial position of a counterparty using Globas.
Express method
Analysis of financial position is one of the most important stages when checking a counterparty.
The express method was developed by the experts of Information Agency Credinform and has proven its effectiveness in solving various cases.
Express method includes checking of:
- key financial figures;
- liquidity coverage ratio;
- solvency ratio;
- turnover of accounts payable;
- compliance with practical industry values.
Using this express method, you can get answers to the following questions:
- what are company's business results;
- whether company will be able to pay off its short-term liabilities;
- what is the extent of dependence on third-party loans;
- how much time is required to settle accounts with counterparties;
- what is the situation in the industry.
Answers to these questions will provide a comprehensive picture of company's financial health.
Key financial figures
Analysis of key financial figures allows us to evaluate company's performance over a certain period.
Key financial figures are:
• Revenue;
• Net profit (loss);
• Retained profit (uncovered loss);
• Net asset value.
• Net profit (loss);
• Retained profit (uncovered loss);
• Net asset value.
Revenue shows the amount for which company's goods or services were sold. Revenue should increase from year to year. Stagnation or decline in this figure will have a negative impact on profit. The main reason is the irreducible level of administration and commercial costs, as well as inflation.
Net Profit (Loss) line reflects the final result of company's activities for the period. Presence of positive result shows how much money organization has earned and will determine level of business success. The higher the share of profit in the revenue is, the more successful is financial activity. This figure can also be negative. In this case, loss is recorded at the end of the financial period. Net loss is recorded when total expenses exceed company's income. If there is a sufficient amount of equity, the resulting difference is covered and losses are not carried over to the next period.
However, there are often cases when company’s activities generate an insufficient amount of equity and it is not possible to cover the resulting loss. In such cases, the amount of loss is reflected in the next period in the line Retained earnings (uncovered loss).
Retained earnings (uncovered loss) reflects remaining profit at the end of the year, or loss incurred in previous years, not covered by any additional sources. Retained earnings form company's equity; the larger it is, the higher is the level of self-sufficiency and autonomy from third-party loans. Therefore, uncovered loss, on the contrary, reduces amount of equity, since they are directed towards repayment. In such cases, level of dependence on borrowed funds is quite high.
Liquidity coverage ratio
Analysis of liquidity ratios allows you to assess the level of funds for repaying short-term liabilities.
Liquidity coverage ratio reflects ability of an organization to pay off short-term liabilities using current assets. Short-term liabilities are payments that company expects to make in the next 12 months. Compliance or non-compliance of this figure is regulated by a segment from 1 to 2. Therefore, if its value is below the recommended segment, it means that in the event of unforeseen circumstances, when an enterprise will need to pay off all obligations at once, it will not be able to fully pay off its short-term obligations at its own expense.
There may be cases when liquidity coverage ratio corresponds to the recommended values, but in fact its value is fictitious. This may happen due to the high share of accounts receivable in the structure of current assets. Accounts receivable are expected cash flows that are due in the next 1 to 36 months. Therefore, in fact there is no money, but according to the accounting rules, it should be reflected in company's balance sheet.
Solvency ratio
Solvency ratio allows us to assess company's dependence on external loans.
Solvency ratio must be greater than 0.5. This means that more than half of company's activities must be financed from company's own funds, and the lesser part from borrowed funds. Of course, ideally, organization's activities should be supported by its own funds, but untimely decisions on business expansion can lead to stagnation and loss of market share. Therefore, attracting borrowed funds when planned development is required will not negatively affect organization’s activities. However, their share of total assets should be closely monitored.
Accounts payable turnover
Indicator of the speed at which an organization repays its debts to suppliers and contractors. This ratio shows how many days it takes a company to pay off its creditors. Maturity date can be used to determine the financial position. The longer the repayment period is, the less stable is the financial position of organization.
Comparison of company's indicators with practical values in the industry
Comparison of indicators allows us to assess situation in the industry and identify emerging trends. In most cases, financial indicators may take values lower than their recommended values. However, this does not mean that organization is experiencing problems with solvency or financial stability. Company shows results that are typical of the industry trend in which it operates. For example, the industry liquidity coverage ratio is 0.84, with recommended values from 1, and company's ratio is 0.85. When comparing two indicators, we determine that organization operates as the industry allows it. Therefore, the ratio is normal and in line with the practical value of the industry.
By going through each point of the methodology, you can get a clear understanding of financial position of a partner or potential counterparty. Key financial figures will show company's performance. Analysis of liquidity ratios will allow you to assess the level of working capital to pay off short-term liabilities. Solvency ratio will reveal company's dependence on external loans, and comparison of all indicators with the industry ones will show the current trend.
Globas and financial analysis
Information and Analytical System Globas allows you to conduct an in-depth examination of financial position of a counterparty, identify temporary loss of solvency and conduct broad analytics on all forms of accounting statements.
Globas has everything for high-quality financial analysis of a counterparty, including all indicators and ratios described in the express method. In addition, services of automatic assessment are available for quick verification: Analytical financial report and Globas indexes will always tell you about current position of a company.