What is a cash flow ratio? (2024)

FAQs

What is a cash flow ratio? ›

A cash flow ratio is a measure of the number of times a company can pay off current debts with cash generated within the same period. A high number, greater than one, indicates that a company has generated more cash in a period than what is needed to pay off its current liabilities.

A ratio of greater than one indicates that you're not at risk of default. Because this ratio shows sufficient cash flow to pay off debt plus interest, it should be as high as possible. How it's calculated: Net operating cash flow divided by total debt.

There is no ideal figure, but a cash ratio is considered good if it is between 0.5 and 1. For example, a company with $200,000 in cash and cash equivalents, and $150,000 in liabilities, will have a 1.33 cash ratio.

A ratio of 1 or higher is generally considered to be a good indicator of a company's financial health. However, it is also important to consider the industry and size of the company when interpreting the cash flow adequacy ratio.

Conversely, a ratio lower than 1.0 shows that the business is generating less money than it needs to cover its liabilities and that refinancing or restructuring its operations could be an option to increase cash flow. In some cases, other versions of the ratio may be used for other debt types.

When it comes to cash-flow management, one general rule of thumb suggests enough to cover three to six months' worth of operating expenses. However, true cash management success could require understanding when it might be beneficial to invest some cash elsewhere as well.

Following the 10% rule is another way to calculate the rate of average cash flow. Divide the yearly net cash flow by the amount of money that was invested in the property. If the result is over 10%. Then this is a sign of positive and a good amount of average cash flow".

Interpretation of the Cash Ratio

Although there is no ideal figure, a ratio of not lower than 0.5 to 1 is usually preferred. The cash ratio figure provides the most conservative insight into a company's liquidity since only cash and cash equivalents are taken into consideration.

Well, while there's no one-size-fits-all ratio that your business should be aiming for – mainly because there are significant variations between industries – a higher cash flow margin is usually better. A cash flow margin ratio of 60% is very good, indicating that Company A has a high level of profitability.

Cash Flow to Assets Analysis:

It relates a company's ability to generate cash compared to its asset size. A ratio of 0.30 (30%) is quite good, Cory's Tequila Co. shouldn't run into any problems generating cash. When the ratio declines below 10% then there may be some cause for concern.

What is a good free cash flow ratio? ›

A “good” free cash flow conversion rate would typically be consistently around or above 100%, as it indicates efficient working capital management. If the FCF conversion rate of a company is in excess of 100%, that implies operational efficiency.

A good price-to-cash-flow ratio is any number below 10. Lower ratios show that a stock is undervalued when compared to its cash flows, meaning there is a better value in the stock.

Free Cash Flow = Net income + Depreciation/Amortization – Change in Working Capital – Capital Expenditure. Operating Cash Flow = Operating Income + Depreciation – Taxes + Change in Working Capital. Cash Flow Forecast = Beginning Cash + Projected Inflows – Projected Outflows = Ending Cash.

The operating cash flow ratio represents a company's ability to pay its debts with its existing cash flows. It is determined by dividing operating cash flow by current liabilities. A ratio greater than 1.0 indicates that a company is in a strong position to pay its debts without incurring additional liabilities.

In most industries, the example above would be a prime example of a good cash flow coverage ratio. Generally, businesses aim for a minimum of 1.5 to comfortably pay debt with operating cash flows.

Higher Cash Ratios indicate less credit and liquidity risk, but if a company's ratio is too high, it could indicate mismanagement or misallocated capital. As with the other Liquidity Ratios, context is king for understanding the Cash Ratio.

A good price-to-cash-flow ratio is any number below 10. Lower ratios show that a stock is undervalued when compared to its cash flows, meaning there is a better value in the stock.

In most industries, the example above would be a prime example of a good cash flow coverage ratio. Generally, businesses aim for a minimum of 1.5 to comfortably pay debt with operating cash flows.

For financially strong companies in these industries, a good dividend payout ratio may approach 75% (or higher in some cases) of their earnings. However, companies in fast-growing sectors or those with more volatile cash flows and weaker balance sheets need to retain more of their earnings.