What Is a Good Liquidity Ratio, and Does Your Business Have One? (2024)

FAQs

What Is a Good Liquidity Ratio, and Does Your Business Have One? ›

Creditors and investors like to see higher liquidity ratios, such as 2 or 3. The higher the ratio is, the more likely a company is able to pay its short-term bills. A ratio of less than 1 means the company faces a negative working capital and can be experiencing a liquidity crisis.

Liquidity ratios are used to measure the immediate health of a business in terms of how well a company could potentially meet its debt obligations. A company with a liquidity ratio of 1 — but preferably above 1 — is in good standing and able to meet current liabilities.

Low current ratio: A ratio lower than 1.0 can result in a business having trouble paying short-term obligations. As such, it may make the business look like a bigger risk for lenders and investors.

Liquidity for companies typically refers to a company's ability to use its current assets to meet its current or short-term liabilities. A company is also measured by the amount of cash it generates above and beyond its liabilities.

A company's liquidity indicates its ability to pay debt obligations, or current liabilities, without having to raise external capital or take out loans. High liquidity means that a company can easily meet its short-term debts while low liquidity implies the opposite and that a company could imminently face bankruptcy.

Creditors and investors like to see higher liquidity ratios, such as 2 or 3. The higher the ratio is, the more likely a company is able to pay its short-term bills. A ratio of less than 1 means the company faces a negative working capital and can be experiencing a liquidity crisis.

A good liquidity ratio is anything greater than 1. It indicates that the company is in good financial health and is less likely to face financial hardships. The higher ratio, the higher is the safety margin that the business possesses to meet its current liabilities.

Generally, 1:1 is treated as an ideal ratio.

Statutory Liquidity Ratio or SLR is a minimum percentage of deposits that a commercial bank has to maintain in the form of liquid cash, gold or other securities. It is basically the reserve requirement that banks are expected to keep before offering credit to customers.

How to Calculate the LCR. The LCR is calculated by dividing a bank's high-quality liquid assets by its total net cash flows, over a 30-day stress period. The high-quality liquid assets include only those with a high potential to be converted easily and quickly into cash.

How do I comment on liquidity ratios? ›

Liquidity ratios are a measure of the ability of a company to pay off its short-term liabilities. Liquidity ratios determine how quickly a company can convert the assets and use them for meeting the dues that arise. The higher the ratio, the easier is the ability to clear the debts and avoid defaulting on payments.

For the emergency stash, most financial experts set an ambitious goal at the equivalent of six months of income. A regular savings account is "liquid." That is, your money is safe and you can access it at any time without a penalty and with no risk of a loss of your principal.

The current ratio is a liquidity ratio that measures a company's ability to pay short-term obligations. It is calculated as a company's Total Current Assets divides by its Total Current Liabilities. Coca-Cola Co's current ratio for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2024 was 1.04.

Cash is the most liquid asset, followed by cash equivalents, which are things like money market accounts, certificates of deposit (CDs), or time deposits. Marketable securities, such as stocks and bonds listed on exchanges, are often very liquid and can be sold quickly via a broker.

On the other hand, companies with liquidity ratios that are too high might be leaving workable assets on the sideline; cash on hand could be employed to expand operations, improve equipment, etc. Take the time to review the corporate governance for each firm you analyze.

Liquidity ratios have some disadvantages that limit their reliability and accuracy. For instance, they are based on historical data, which may not capture future changes or trends. Also, accounting policies and practices can affect the amount of inventory reported on the balance sheet and the quick ratio.

A higher ratio indicates the company has enough liquid assets to cover its short-term debts. In comparison, a low ratio suggests that the company may not have enough cash or other liquid assets to cover its immediate liabilities. In general, a Current Ratio of 1:1 or greater is considered healthy.

Maintaining an adequate level of liquidity depends on the bank's ability to efficiently meet both expected and unexpected cash flows and collateral needs without adversely affecting either daily operations or the financial condition of the bank.

In short, a “good” liquidity ratio is anything higher than 1. Having said that, a liquidity ratio of 1 is unlikely to prove that your business is worthy of investment. Generally speaking, creditors and investors will look for an accounting liquidity ratio of around 2 or 3.

How much do you need? Everybody has a different opinion. Most financial experts suggest you need a cash stash equal to six months of expenses: If you need $5,000 to survive every month, save $30,000.