Cash Ratio

Measuring liquidity. Explanation of Cash Ratio.

Calculating Cash Ratio formula

What is the Cash Ratio? Definition

The Cash Ratio method is a formula for measuring the liquidity of a company by calculating the ratio between all cash and cash equivalent assets and all current liabilities.

It excludes both inventory and accounts receivable in comparison to the Current Ratio.

The Cash Ratio model measures only the most liquid of all assets against current liabilities, and is therefore seen as the most conservative of the three liquidity ratios.

Calculation of Cash Ratio

For the Cash Ratio formula, see the picture on the right.

This Cash ratio is also known as the Liquidity Ratio and Cash Asset Ratio.

The formula is an indicator of the extent to which a company can pay its current liabilities. Without relying on the sale of inventory, and without relying on the receipt of accounts receivables.

A thing to remember when you are using the Cash Ratio formula is, that it ignores the timing of both cash received and cash paid out.

Book: Steven M. Bragg - Business Ratios and Formulas : A Comprehensive Guide -

Book: Ciaran Walsh - Key Management Ratios -

Cash Ratio Forum

Recent User Comments

    			 
  			   Lee Watson - US
  	       
  		     Too much Liquidity?
  	  		 "In Strategy+Business, Issue 46, Spring 2007, BAH VP Justin Petit argues that many companies are sitting on mountains of cash and need a decapitalization strategy. Decapitalization categories include: 1. Operating Liquidity (to finance work in progress) 2. Growth Capital (research, expansion,design, development, acquisitions) 3. Share Repurchases 4. Pension Funding 5. Dividends 6. Debt Reduction."
  			   
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