Working Capital Turnover Ratio: Meaning, Formula, and Example

Posted On: August 25, 2023
Studio: Bookkeeping
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“It takes money to make money” is a cliché in the business world, but it points to a very real issue that businesses – regardless of size – must contend with. Investors and a company’s management need a way to estimate how much capital is needed to produce growth in sales. A capital turnover ratio measures how capital-intensive a business’s existing operations are, and therefore provides insight into future capital requirements. Capital turnover may not capture the quality or sustainability of a company’s sales, which may affect its long-term capitalizing software development costs for saas companies performance.

Working Capital Management

By dissecting these ratios and understanding the underlying factors, stakeholders can make more informed decisions regarding operational strategies and investment opportunities. It’s a nuanced dance of numbers that, when interpreted with acumen, reveals much about a company’s operational prowess and financial health. Where revenue is the total amount of money that a company earns from its sales or services, and capital is the total amount of money that a company has invested in its assets, such as property, plant, equipment, inventory, etc. What are some factors that can affect the capital turnover ratio and how to improve it. Based on these calculations, GreenGrow Inc. has a higher capital turnover ratio (2.91) compared to TechWave Inc. (2.22). This suggests that GreenGrow Inc. is using its capital more efficiently to generate revenue than TechWave Inc.

  • It provides insights into how effectively a company manages its assets and generates sales.
  • Days sales outstanding (DSO) and accounts receivable (AR) turnover are key metrics for assessing a company’s efficiency in managing accounts receivable, each offering distinct insights.
  • A higher financial leverage ratio indicates a higher degree of debt financing, while a lower financial leverage ratio indicates a higher degree of equity financing.
  • This means that business A is able to generate twice as much sales revenue with the same amount of capital as business B, which indicates a higher operational efficiency and competitive advantage.
  • Morgan can help create operational efficiencies and a better customer experience.
  • You can find industry benchmarks from various sources, such as financial databases, industry reports, or trade associations.
  • A high capital turnover ratio often signals a lean business model where each dollar of capital employed works harder to contribute to sales.

Working Capital Turnover Formula

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Factors Affecting Capital Turnover Ratio

A high capital turnover ratio indicates that the company is generating substantial revenue relative to its invested capital. This suggests efficient utilization of resources and effective management. On the other hand, a low ratio may indicate underutilization of capital or inefficiencies in operations. Capital turnover is a useful indicator of the efficiency and productivity of a business. It shows how well the business is utilizing its capital to generate sales and profits. A higher capital turnover ratio means that the business is able to generate more sales with less capital, which can lead to higher returns on investment and lower costs of capital.

Key Takeaways and Recommendations

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By understanding these factors, you can identify the areas where you can improve your capital turnover ratio and your business performance. For example, you can increase your sales growth, optimize your capital structure, or improve your asset utilization to increase your capital turnover ratio and your profitability. This means that for every dollar of capital invested in XYZ Mart, the company generates $2 in sales revenue. A higher capital turnover ratio indicates that the company is utilizing its capital more efficiently to generate sales.

Capital turnover (also called equity turnover) is a measure that calculates how efficiently the company is managing the capital invested by the shareholders in the company to generate revenues. If the ratio is high, it shows that the company efficiently utilizes the amount of capital invested. In this blog, we have discussed the concept of capital turnover, how to calculate the capital turnover ratio, and what it indicates about a company’s performance and efficiency. We have also explored some ways to improve the capital turnover ratio and the benefits and limitations of using this metric.

Boeing’s low capital turnover contributed to its low profitability and return on equity, because it was unable to generate enough sales with its capital, which increased its cost of capital and decreased its operating income. From an operational standpoint, capital turnover reflects how well a company manages its assets to generate revenue. A higher turnover ratio implies that the company is effectively utilizing its assets, such as inventory, equipment, and property, to generate sales.

For example, Walmart is a business that has a high capital turnover, because it has a large sales volume and a low asset base. Walmart’s capital turnover in 2020 was 2.5, which means that it generated $2.5 of sales for every $1 of assets. Walmart’s operating margin in 2020 was 4.1%, which means that it made $0.041 of operating income for every $1 of sales. Walmart’s cost of capital in 2020 was estimated to be 6.5%, which means that it paid $0.065 of interest and dividends for every $1 of assets.

For example, during a recession, the capital turnover ratio may decline because the sales may decrease while the capital may remain constant or increase. Conversely, during an expansion, the capital turnover ratio may increase because the sales may increase while the capital may remain constant or decrease. Moreover, the company may change its strategy to adapt to the changing market conditions or to achieve its goals. Therefore, the capital turnover ratio should be used with awareness of the external and internal factors that may affect it over time. Capital turnover can vary significantly across different industries and sectors. Some industries, such as retail and consumer goods, tend to have higher capital turnover ratios than others, such as utilities and manufacturing, because they have lower capital intensity and higher inventory turnover.

Capital Turnover and Technological Advancements

It can help identify opportunities for improvement or optimization. Monitoring capital turnover can help a business identify the sources of its capital efficiency or inefficiency and take appropriate actions to improve its performance. For example, a business that has a low capital turnover ratio may consider reducing its capital expenditures, increasing its sales volume, diversifying its product mix, or improving its pricing strategy. A business that has a high capital turnover ratio may consider expanding its market share, investing in new technologies, or enhancing its customer loyalty.

Boeing’s cost of capital in 2020 was estimated to be 8.5%, which means that it paid $0.085 of interest and dividends for what happens when a capital expenditure is treated as a revenue expenditure every $1 of assets. Boeing’s profitability in 2020 was -18.4%, which means that it lost $0.184 of net income for every $1 of sales. Boeing’s return on equity in 2020 was -70.1%, which means that it lost $0.701 of net income for every $1 of equity.

  • Last November, In-N-Out announced it would expand to Colorado—once it finishes building a new regional headquarters and a patty-making facility there, likely by 2020.
  • Moreover, a company may have a high capital turnover ratio by taking on more debt and leverage, which may increase its financial risk and volatility.
  • Remember, these are just a few tips and best practices to improve the capital turnover ratio.
  • A consistent or improving capital turnover ratio over time indicates that the company is maintaining or enhancing its operating efficiency and profitability.
  • The factors that affect the capital turnover ratio and how to improve it.
  • If the goal is to measure the cash flow management of the company, the working capital turnover ratio might be more suitable.

Industry benchmarks are the average or median capital turnover ratios of your industry peers. You can find industry benchmarks from various sources, such as financial databases, industry reports, or trade associations. Comparing your capital turnover ratio with industry benchmarks can help you assess your relative performance and identify your strengths and weaknesses. For example, if your industry benchmark is 1.5, your capital turnover ratio of 2 indicates that you are more efficient than your industry peers in using your capital to generate sales. However, if your industry benchmark is 3, your capital turnover ratio of 2 indicates that you are less efficient than your industry peers and have room for improvement. The capital turnover ratio is the ratio of sales to total capital employed.

If your business shows misalignment between these metrics, you can identify specific areas to strengthen your collection practices. Days sales outstanding (DSO) and accounts receivable (AR) turnover are key metrics for assessing a company’s efficiency in managing accounts receivable, each offering distinct insights. The limitations and caveats of the capital turnover ratio and how to avoid common pitfalls. Understanding the Calculation of Capital Turnover is a crucial aspect when it comes to analyzing and forecasting capital.

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Capital turnover should be analyzed in conjunction with other financial ratios, such as profit margin, return on equity, and asset turnover, to get a comprehensive picture of the financial performance and position of a business. For example, a high capital turnover ratio may not necessarily imply a high profitability, if the business has a low profit margin. Similarly, a low capital turnover ratio may not necessarily imply a low profitability, if the business has a high profit margin. Therefore, it is important to compare the capital turnover ratio with the industry average and the historical trend, as well as with other relevant ratios, to draw meaningful conclusions and insights. Capital turnover, also known as asset turnover, is a ratio that compares a company’s net sales to its average total assets. It indicates how efficiently a company is utilizing its assets to generate revenue.

Similarly, a cyclical industry that is sensitive to economic fluctuations may have a lower capital turnover ratio than a stable industry that is less affected by external factors. Capital turnover ratio is a key indicator of a company’s operational performance. It helps determine how efficiently a company utilizes its capital investments to generate sales. A higher capital turnover ratio indicates that the company is effectively utilizing its assets to generate revenue, while a lower ratio may suggest inefficiencies in asset utilization. The capital turnover ratio may change over time due to changes in the business cycle, the market conditions, or the company’s strategy.