Purpose

To enable students in utilising financial ratios for the purpose of evaluating a firms financial performance and financial position as well as in recognising firms facing financial distress and using ratios to make decisions for improvement.

Requirement : Financial Statement Analysis

The owners of Foodhall Co., have hired you to help them diagnose and solve problems that the company has had in maintaining adequate liquidity. As a first step, you perform a liquidity analysis. You then do an analysis of the companys short-term activity ratios. Your calculations and appropriate industry norms are listed.

Ratio Foodhall Industry norm

Current ratio 4.5 4.0

Quick ratio 2.0 3.1

Inventory turnover 6.0 10.4

Average collection period 73 days 52 days

Average payment period 31 days 40 days

Required:

a.What recommendations relative to the amount and the handling of inventory could you make to the new owners?(3)

b.What recommendations relative to the amount and the handling of accounts receivable could you make to the new owners? (3)

c.What recommendations relative to the amount and the handling of accounts payable could you make to the new owners?(3)

d.What results, overall, would you hope your recommendations would achieve? Why might your recommendations not be effective?(3)

e.Highlight the usefulness as well as the drawbacks of conducting ratio analysis. (2)