Sie sind auf Seite 1von 13

Kirkham Volume 10, Issue 1 (2012)

Journal of New Business Ideas & Trends


2012, 10(1), pp. 1-13.
http://www.jnbit.org

Liquidity Analysis Using Cash Flow Ratios and


Traditional Ratios: The Telecommunications
Sector in Australia
Ross Kirkham
School of Business
Faculty of Arts & Business
University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
Email:rkirkham@usc.edu.au

Abstract
Purpose - The purpose of this study is to examine the value in analysis of the liquidity of
companies using the traditional ratios as compared to the more recently devised cash flow
ratios.
Design/methodology/approach The research involved the comparison between the
traditional ratios and cash flow ratios of twenty five companies in the same industry over
a five year period. The companies were all from the telecommunications sector and the
data was obtained from the FinAnalysis database. The ratios examined were the current
ratio, quick ratio, interest coverage ratio the cash flow ratio, critical needs cash
coverage ratio, and cash interest coverage ratio.
Findings The study revealed that differences existed between the traditional liquidity
ratios and the cash flow ratios. A conclusion based solely on the traditional ratios could
well have lead to an incorrect decision regarding the liquidity of a number of companie. In
ceratin instances that may have been that a company was deemed to be liquid when it
faced cah flow problems or that a company was not liquid when in fact it had sufficient
cash flow resources.
Research limitations/implications The results support the proposition that
analysis based on the traditional liquidity ratios is best compared against the cash flow
ratios before reaching any conclusions regarding the financial liquidity position.
Keywords: Liquidity ratios, cash flow ratios, financial statement analysis.

JNBIT Vol.10, Iss.1 (2012)

Kirkham Volume 10, Issue 1 (2012)

Introduction
The global financial crisis has reignited the concern over the liquidity of businesses
in general, banks in particular and more importantly countries. Of the various methods for
monitoring liquidity of businesses the most common has been the use of financial ratios.
Traditionally the current ratio and the quick (acid test) ratio were used to analyses the short
term liquidity of a business. However, these ratios relied exclusively on the values derived
from the Statement of Financial Position, also known as the Balance Sheet, and were not
always reliable due to the vagaries of accounting measurement of the values of assets and
accrual accounting. In order to overcome the problems associated with accrual accounting
and to provide a more specific focus on the cash position of a business the Australian
accounting profession introduced the Statement of Cash Flows. This resolved the lack of
detail concerning cash flow and also provided for the creation of a new set of ratios which
could be used to analyse the liquidity of a business.
Since the introduction of the Statement of Cash Flows a number of ratios have
been developed and their use can best be described as evolving. Certainly a limited number
of these new cash flow ratios have been included in first year accounting text books.
However, their use and value in terms of the analysis process has received very limited
attention. In deed little has been done to incorporate these into any of the existing models
that are used for predicting business failure. The literature contains minimal research where
such ratios have been included in an effort to broaden the model or address the limitations
that had been associated with the dependence on the values contained in the Statement of
Financial Position.
The telecommunications sector has undergone a number of changes as a result of the
emergence of new technologies the demand to keep pace with these changes has in turn
meant that firms have had to invest heavily in order to remain competitive (Berg, 2004). In
the case of the Australian telecommunications sector there have been a number of
siginificant developments that have emphasised the need for vigilance over the cash flow of
firms. The sector has been involved in major upgrades to infrastructure and increased
competition from both international firms and more recently new technology linked to the
internet (More & McGrath, 1999). The impact of these changes has placed a greater emphasis
on the need for working capital and liquidity. The collapse of OneTel was a prime example
of a firm that failed to pay sufficient attention to its liquidity and in particular its cash flow
(Anderson & Davis,2009). Thus the telecommunications sector provides an ideal area for
examining the relevance of the cash flow ratios against the traditional ratios.
This paper seeks to address the gap in the literature by demonstrating the usefulness
of the cash flow ratios as a means of clarifying the findings of the traditional liquidity ratios.
To that end the paper is concerned with only the short-term liquidity ratios and their place
in the analysis process.

Literature review
The current ratio and the quick ratio rely on the values identified as current assets
and current liabilities in the Statement of Financial Position. The current ratio is simply
determined by dividing the total current assets by the total current liabilities to arrive at a
ratio between the two amounts. The quick ratio provides a more narrow focus and is
concerned with only those items otherwise included in the total current assets such as cash,
marketable securities, and accounts receivable. This reduced amount is divided by the total
current liabilities to provide a ratio between the two amounts. The analysis in very simple
terms relies on the ratio being an indicator of the ability to pay for every dollar that is
JNBIT Vol.10, Iss.1 (2012)

Kirkham Volume 10, Issue 1 (2012)

currently liable. Industry benchmarks are considered to be a valuable guide to the analysis
process however, where these are not available a rule of thumb is generally used. As part of
this resaerch an industry standard on an annual basis will be calculated and included for
analysis purposes.
There are a number of ratios which also assist in the process of evaluating the
liquidity position of a business. The most common are the accounts receivable turnover
ratio, the inventory turnover ratio and the interest coverage (or interest earned) ratio. For
the purpose of this paper the interest coverage ratio is used as a comparative cash flow ratio
exists.
From the Statement of Cash Flows there a number of ratios which may be
juxtaposed to the traditional ratios in order to obtain a comparative perspective. For the
purpose of this paper the focus will be on the ratios that are most comparable with regards
to the short term liquidity analysis and they are specifically, the cash flow ratio, critical
needs cash coverage ratio, and cash interest coverage ratio. These ratios share some
attributes which are similar to the traditional ratios and have thus been given names that
indicate their similarity.The details of the ratios are presented in Table 1.
Table 1: Comparison of Ratios
Traditional Ratios
Formula

Ratio
Current
ratio


Quick
ratio
(Acidtest)
Interest
Coverage

Ratio

Cash Flow Ratios


Formula

Cash Flow
ratio

Critical
needs
cash
coverage
Cash
Interest
Coverage

There exists a well established literature on the nature and interpretation of the
various ratios and as such it is not the intention of this paper to provide an indepth
discussion as to the interpretation of each and every ratio1. Rather the focus of the paper is
on providing a basis by which the traditional ratios may be compared against the ratios
eminating from the statement of cash flows.

Research method
The method used in this study is based upon the approaches employed in prior
research (Bell, 2001; Rahmatian & Cockerill, 2004). The research involved the comparison
between the ratios of companies in the same industry over a five year period. The data for
the five year period were obtained from the FinAnalysis database. There were thrity seven
(37) firms in the data set, however eleven (12) were excluded as they did not have data for all
the years being examined, the number of firms in the study are therefore 25. The names of
the remaining twenty five firms in the final data set are provided in Table 2.

Most accounting text books provide a valuable source for interpretation of traditional and some cash flow
ratios see for example Hogett et al (2011) and Horgren et al. (2011). There are also text books which
specifically address financial ratios see for example Gibson (2009) and Laing (1996).
JNBIT Vol.10, Iss.1 (2012)

Kirkham Volume 10, Issue 1 (2012)

Table 2: List of Telecommunication Companies


Abbreviation

Name

AMM

Amcom Telecommunications Limited

BGL

Bigair Group Limited

BRO

Broad Investments Limited

EFT

Eftel Limited

ENG

Engin Limited

FRE

Freshtel Holdings Limited

HTA

Hutchison Telecommunications (Australia) Limited

IIN

iiNET Limited

IPX

Intrapower Limited

MAQ

Macquarie Telecom Group Limited

MNF

My Net Fone Limited

MNZ

Mnet Group Limited

MTU

M2 Telecommunications Group Limited

NBS

Nexbis Limited

NWT

Newsat Limited

QUE

Queste Communications Limited

REF

Reverse Corp Limited

SDL-NZ

Solution Dynamics Limited

SGT

Singapore Telecommunications Limited

TEL-NZ

Telecom Corporation of New Zealand Limited

TLS

Telstra Corporation Limited

TPC

Tel. Pacific Limited

TPM

TPG Telecom Limited

TTK-NZ

TeamTalk Limited

VOC

Vocus Communications Limited

Results
The ratios are presented on a company by company basis given that there are five
years worth of ratios. The comparative analysis is concerned with identifying trends and
indications of differences between the traditional ratios and the cash flow ratios.
AMM - Amcom Telecommunications Limited
Current Ratio
Cash Flow Ratio
Quick Ratio
Critical needs coverage
Interest Cover
Cash interest coverage

2007
0.6
0.59
0.54
0.57
34.99
30.93

2008
1.04
1.29
0.96
1.19
13.53
17.06

2009
1.06
0.96
1
0.88
11.43
12.69

2010
1.27
0.95
1.21
0.88
32.7
15.77

2011
3.45
1.17
3.38
1.10
23.81
20.34

Comment Whilst the traditional ratios and the cash flow ratios were intially
very close the differences become apparent in 2011. Note that the cash flow ratios show a
weaker short term liquidity position.
JNBIT Vol.10, Iss.1 (2012)

Kirkham Volume 10, Issue 1 (2012)

BGL - Bigair Group Limited


Current Ratio
Cash Flow Ratio
Quick Ratio
Critical needs coverage
Interest Cover
Cash interest coverage

2007
1.24
0.17
1.22
0.17
12.79
66.03

2008
1.17
0.04
1.16
0.04
28.26

2009
1.74
1.37
1.74
1.37
14.73

2010
1.4
1.47
1.4
1.47

2011
0.91
1.12
0.91
1.12
39.73
531.24

Comment In this company the cash flow ratios show a better liquidity position
than is indicated by the traditional ratios.

BRO - Broad Investments Limited


Current Ratio
Cash Flow Ratio
Quick Ratio
Critical needs coverage
Interest Cover
Cash interest coverage

2007
4.21
1.32
4.21
1.27
216.56
34.94

2008
0.86
0.03
0.6
0.03
23.23
47.78

2009
1.07
0.05
0.65
0.05
411.9
38.27

2010
1.65
0.33
1.65
0.32
8.56
14.63

2011
1.16
0.27
1.16
0.27
7.79
19,339

Comment In this company the cash flow ratios show a weaker liquidity position
than is indicated by the traditional ratios.

EFT - Eftel Limited


Current Ratio
Cash Flow Ratio
Quick Ratio
Critical needs coverage
Interest Cover
Cash interest coverage

2007
0.59
0.18
0.59
0.17
98.5
17.88

2008
0.49
0.15
0.49
0.15
10.66
11.85

2009
0.48
0.04
0.48
0.04
8.14
2.49

2010
0.42
0.05
0.42
0.05
2.61
1.12

2011
0.54
0.04
0.54
0.04

24.31

Comment In this company the cash flow ratios show a weaker liquidity position
than is indicated by the traditional ratios. Noteably the trend indicates that the cash flow
position was deteriorating.

JNBIT Vol.10, Iss.1 (2012)

Kirkham Volume 10, Issue 1 (2012)

ENG - Engin Limited


Current Ratio
Cash Flow Ratio
Quick Ratio
Critical needs coverage
Interest Cover
Cash interest coverage

2007
1.94
1.42
1.84
1.39
26.56
57.66

2008
1.61
2.62
1.48
2.32
28.76
19.22

2009
1.35
0.29
1.31
0.29
43.27
13.71

2010
1.64
0.18
1.58
0.18
18.88
23.81

2011

Comment In this company the cash flow ratios show a weaker liquidity position
than is indicated by the traditional ratios. Althought the trend is clearly that the liquidity
was improving.
FRE - Freshtel Holdings Limited
Current Ratio
Cash Flow Ratio
Quick Ratio
Critical needs coverage
Interest Cover
Cash interest coverage

2007
11.31
3.95
11.19
3.92
10.93
562.00

2008
5.7
3.09
5.59
3.07
11.41
707.88

2009
3
5.50
3
5.47
43.74
1,422.99

2010
2.37
7.28
2.36
6.67
421.86
84.51

2011
0.65
1.83
0.63
1.71
85.74
37.93

Comment In this company the cash flow ratios show a weaker liquidity position
than is indicated by the traditional ratios. Noteably the trend indicates that the cash flow
position was however improving.
HTA - Hutchison Telecommunications (Australia) Limited
Current Ratio
Cash Flow Ratio
Quick Ratio
Critical needs coverage
Interest Cover
Cash interest coverage

2007
0.6
0.05
0.46
0.04
0.8
0.98

2008
0.32
0.24
0.29
0.23
0.72
5.48

2009
0.23
1.47
0.23
1.46
3.04
1,102.39

2010
0.04
0.00
0.04
0.00
1.87
3.42

2011
0.03
0.01
0.03
0.01
16.56
14.18

Comment In this company the cash flow ratios show a weaker liquidity position
than is indicated by the traditional ratios. Noteably the trend indicates that the cash flow
position was however improving.

JNBIT Vol.10, Iss.1 (2012)

Kirkham Volume 10, Issue 1 (2012)

IIN - iiNET Limited


Current Ratio
Cash Flow Ratio
Quick Ratio
Critical needs coverage
Interest Cover
Cash interest coverage

2007
1.04
0.52
1.03
0.48
16.77
7.99

2008
0.5
0.76
0.49
0.74
366.06
43.51

2009
0.57
0.60
0.56
0.58
18.36
25.82

2010
0.48
0.65
0.47
0.64
18.63
31.35

2011
0.56
0.91
0.52
0.84
9.35
13.49

Comment In this company the cash flow ratios show a stronger liquidity
position than is indicated by the traditional ratios. Noteably the trend indicates that the
cash flow position was improving in contrast to the traditional ratios which reflect an
decrease over the period.

IPX - Intrapower Limited


2007
Current Ratio
Cash Flow Ratio
Quick Ratio
Critical needs coverage
Interest Cover
Cash interest coverage

2008
1.02
0.24
1.01
0.21
4.99
2.68

2009
1.17
0.45
1.15
0.36
4.74
3.95

2010
1.3
0.63
1.28
0.53
1.66
4.68

2011
0.93
0.40
0.91
0.34
0.5
3.26

Comment In this company the cash flow ratios show a weaker liquidity position
than is indicated by the traditional ratios. Noteably the trend for both the traditional
ratios and the cash flow ratios indicate a decline over the period.

MAQ - Macquarie Telecom Group Limited


Current Ratio
Cash Flow Ratio
Quick Ratio
Critical needs coverage
Interest Cover
Cash interest coverage

2007
1.26
0.31
0.9
0.30
44.1
15.08

2008
1.24
0.42
1.24
0.41
5.39
24.26

2009
1.49
0.65
1.49
0.65
11.63
69.53

2010
1.93
0.72
1.93
0.71
6.9
155.79

2011
1.75
0.97
1.75
0.97
7.17
2,555.39

Comment In this company the cash flow ratios show a weaker liquidity position
than is indicated by the traditional ratios. However the interest coverage is noteably
stronger in the cash interest covergae ratio over the period.

JNBIT Vol.10, Iss.1 (2012)

Kirkham Volume 10, Issue 1 (2012)

MNF - My Net Fone Limited


Current Ratio
Cash Flow Ratio
Quick Ratio
Critical needs coverage
Interest Cover
Cash interest coverage

2007
0.73
0.84
0.73
0.84
74.89
141.87

2008
0.4
0.26
0.4
0.26
59.78
72.95

2009
0.49
0.11
0.49
0.11
6.39
26.39

2010
0.69
0.25
0.69
0.25
26.41
44.76

2011
0.86
0.34
0.86
0.33
11.02
62.84

Comment In this company the cash flow ratios show a weaker liquidity position
than is indicated by the traditional ratios. However the interest coverage provides a
different perspective with a reverse situation between the cash interest covergae ratio and
the interst covergae ratio over the period.
MNZ - Mnet Group Limited
Current Ratio
Cash Flow Ratio
Quick Ratio
Critical needs coverage
Interest Cover
Cash interest coverage

2007
4.47
0.00
4.47
0.00

2008
1.49
0.08
1.49
0.08
20.75
1.25

2009
1.45
0.26
1.45
0.26
14.54
33.71

2010
1.2
0.37
1.2
0.37
31.24
84.12

2011
1.8
0.53
1.8
0.52
35.58
93.82

Comment In this company the cash flow ratios show a weaker liquidity position
than is indicated by the traditional ratios. Noteably the trend for both the traditional
ratios and the cash flow ratios indicate a decline over the period.

MTU - M2 Telecommunications Group Limited


Current Ratio
Cash Flow Ratio
Quick Ratio
Critical needs coverage
Interest Cover
Cash interest coverage

2007
0.9
0.28
0.9
0.28
15.86
302.20

2008
1.06
0.26
1.05
0.26
94.66
28.97

2009
0.84
0.11
0.81
0.11
23.86
16.51

2010
1.18
0.20
1.18
0.19
13.17
9.55

2011
0.88
0.47
0.87
0.46
52.34
24.67

Comment In this company the cash flow ratios show a weaker liquidity position
than is indicated by the traditional ratios. Noteably the trend in the cash flow ratios
indicates an improvement over the period.

JNBIT Vol.10, Iss.1 (2012)

Kirkham Volume 10, Issue 1 (2012)

NBS - Nexbis Limited


Current Ratio
Cash Flow Ratio
Quick Ratio
Critical needs coverage
Interest Cover
Cash interest coverage

2007
2.44
0.30
2.44
0.30
32.59
156.71

2008
1.39
2.05
1.39
1.91
101.98
34.55

2009
9.81
2.25
9.81
1.98
393.7
21.45

2010
0.82
1.72
0.82
1.47
1,238.35
13.87

2011
5.15
7.73
5.15
4.00
56.77
5.06

Comment In this company the cash flow ratios show a weaker liquidity position
than is indicated by the traditional ratios. Noteably the trend for both the traditional
ratios and the cash flow ratios indicate a decline over the period.

NWT - Newsat Limited


Current Ratio
Cash Flow Ratio
Quick Ratio
Critical needs coverage
Interest Cover
Cash interest coverage

2007
0.67
0.56
0.59
0.45
2.61
2.06

2008
0.73
0.67
0.64
0.65
117.52
26.65

2009
0.76
0.00
0.69
0.00
8.61
0.09

2010
1.06
0.21
0.97
0.21
0.68
2,151.00

2011
1.12
0.07
1.07
0.07
3.91
50.39

Comment In this company the cash flow ratios show a weaker liquidity position
than is indicated by the traditional ratios. Noteably the trend for both the traditional
ratios and the cash flow ratios indicate an improvement over the period.

QUE - Queste Communications Limited


Current Ratio
Cash Flow Ratio
Quick Ratio
Critical needs coverage
Interest Cover
Cash interest coverage

2007
10.54
1.57
10.28
1.57
62.37
751.10

2008
31.68
0.72
31.45
0.71
12.74
12.36

2009
10.32
0.42
9.61
0.42
24.64
176.29

2010
27.78
0.50
26.35
0.49
0.56
24.17

2011
14.83
1.54
13.22
1.52
41.26
162.90

Comment In this company the cash flow ratios show a weaker liquidity position
than is indicated by the traditional ratios. Noteably the trend in the cash flow ratios
indicates a decline over the period.

JNBIT Vol.10, Iss.1 (2012)

Kirkham Volume 10, Issue 1 (2012)

REF - Reverse Corp Limited


Current Ratio
Cash Flow Ratio
Quick Ratio
Critical needs coverage
Interest Cover
Cash interest coverage

2007
1.78
2.34
1.77
2.32
140.16
417.64

2008
1.55
2.89
1.54
2.84
99.83
266.77

2009
0.75
1.56
0.75
1.52
280.51
111.16

2010
1.1
2.02
1.1
1.92
40.31
52.97

2011
1.78
0.96
1.77
0.96
140.16

Comment In this company the cash flow ratios show a stronger liquidity
position than is indicated by the traditional ratios. Noteably the trend in the cash flow
ratios indicates a decline over the period.
SDL-NZ - Solution Dynamics Limited
Current Ratio
Cash Flow Ratio
Quick Ratio
Critical needs coverage
Interest Cover
Cash interest coverage

2007
0.61
0.14
0.58
0.12
2.09
2.63

2008
0.55
0.30
0.51
0.27
0.03
4.08

2009
0.72
0.06
0.67
0.05
0.48
0.26

2010
0.67
0.17
0.62
0.16
0.1
3.75

2011
0.79
0.24
0.76
0.23
2.29
5.69

Comment In this company the cash flow ratios show a weaker liquidity position
than is indicated by the traditional ratios. Noteably the trend for both the traditional
ratios and the cash flow ratios indicate a decline over the period. Further, the interest
coverage provides a different perspective with the cash interest covergae ratio indicating a
better situation than the interst covergae ratio over the period.

SGT - Singapore Telecommunications Limited


Current Ratio
Cash Flow Ratio
Quick Ratio
Critical needs coverage
Interest Cover
Cash interest coverage

2007
1.16
1.25
1.14
1.12
13.63
12.68

2008
0.7
0.95
0.68
0.89
14.22
15.73

2009
0.74
1.01
0.71
0.95
14.09
16.25

2010
0.75
0.78
0.7
0.74
15.53
17.49

2011
0.77
0.71
0.73
0.68
14.16
17.26

Comment In this company the cash flow ratios show a slightly stronger
liquidity position than is indicated by the traditional ratios. Noteably the ratios are closely
approximated over the period.

JNBIT Vol.10, Iss.1 (2012)

10

Kirkham Volume 10, Issue 1 (2012)

TEL-NZ - Telecom Corporation of New Zealand Limited


Current Ratio
Cash Flow Ratio
Quick Ratio
Critical needs coverage
Interest Cover
Cash interest coverage

2007
1.94
1.04
1.89
0.88
5.14
7.19

2008
0.81
0.74
0.79
0.66
7.41
7.55

2009
0.8
1.05
0.74
0.90
4.23
7.45

2010
0.79
1.24
0.75
1.09
4.07
9.68

2011
0.67
0.75
0.64
0.68
4.12
8.24

Comment In this company the cash flow ratios show a slightly stronger
liquidity position than is indicated by the traditional ratios. Noteably the ratios are closely
approximated over the period.
TLS - Telstra Corporation Limited
Current Ratio
Cash Flow Ratio
Quick Ratio
Critical needs coverage
Interest Cover
Cash interest coverage

2007
0.57
0.90
0.53
0.81
5.32
8.86

2008
0.68
1.09
0.64
0.95
5.73
8.96

2009
0.8
1.16
0.77
1.03
7.29
11.01

2010
0.83
1.12
0.79
1.00
6.75
10.59

2011
0.87
0.94
0.84
0.82
5.02
7.55

Comment In this company the cash flow ratios show a slightly stronger
liquidity position than is indicated by the traditional ratios. Noteably the ratios are closely
approximated over the period.

TPC - Tel. Pacific Limited


2007
Current Ratio
Cash Flow Ratio
Quick Ratio
Critical needs coverage
Interest Cover
Cash interest coverage

2008
1.14
0.29
1.13
0.29
3.19

2009
1.17
0.10
1.15
0.10
3.46

2010
1.04
0.10
1.03
0.10
2.71
12,443.60

2011
0.93
0.20
0.88
0.20
8.04
14,364.39

Comment In this company the cash flow ratios show a weaker liquidity position
than is indicated by the traditional ratios. Noteably the trend for both the traditional
ratios and the cash flow ratios indicate a decline over the period. Further, the interest
coverage provides a different perspective with the cash interest covergae ratio indicating a
better situation than the interst covergae ratio initially and then taking a steep decline in
2011.

JNBIT Vol.10, Iss.1 (2012)

11

Kirkham Volume 10, Issue 1 (2012)

TPM - TPG Telecom Limited


Current Ratio
Cash Flow Ratio
Quick Ratio
Critical needs coverage
Interest Cover
Cash interest coverage

2007
1.75
0.28
1.72
0.26
3.67
6.51

2008
0.78
0.12
0.77
0.11
5.99
5.02

2009
0.51
1.02
0.51
0.94
3.94
14.94

2010
0.25
0.75
0.25
0.70
6.89
12.54

2011
0.27
0.79
0.27
0.70
5.14
7.54

Comment In this company the cash flow ratios show a slightly stronger
liquidity position than is indicated by the traditional ratios. Noteably the ratios are closely
approximated over the period.
TTK-NZ - TeamTalk Limited
Current Ratio
Cash Flow Ratio
Quick Ratio
Critical needs coverage
Interest Cover
Cash interest coverage

2007
1.07
1.65
1.01
1.25
4.26
7.11

2008
0.77
0.96
0.69
0.76
3.49
5.47

2009
0.61
1.04
0.54
0.84
3.69
5.53

2010
0.56
0.93
0.49
0.83
5.07
9.41

2011
0.54
0.87
0.46
0.77
6.1
8.83

Comment In this company the cash flow ratios show a slightly stronger
liquidity position than is indicated by the traditional ratios. Noteably the ratios are closely
approximated over the period.
VOC - Vocus Communications Limited
Current Ratio
Cash Flow Ratio
Quick Ratio
Critical needs coverage
Interest Cover
Cash interest coverage

2007
42.63
0.88
42.63
0.88
1.34

2008
32.29
0.58
32.29
0.58
0.47

2009
57.98
0.22
57.98
0.22
0.39

2010
1.08
0.38
1.08
0.37
16.27
17.20

2011
0.92
0.76
0.92
0.74
405.23
39.50

Comment In this company the cash flow ratios show a stronger liquidity
position than is indicated by the traditional ratios.

Discussion
This study provides evidence of the importance of using the cash flow ratios as a
means of testing the validity of the conclusions that can be made from analysis of traditional
liquidity ratios alone. There were examples of companies that had seemingly good
traditional ratios and yet the cash flow ratios projected a different perspective. In contrast
JNBIT Vol.10, Iss.1 (2012)

12

Kirkham Volume 10, Issue 1 (2012)

there were also companies that had seemingly poor traditional ratios and the cash flow
ratios provided a better perspective.
The analysis highlights the usefulness of the cash flow ratios in conducting an
investigation of the financial statements of companies. The ratios used in this study
represent but a few of the cash flow ratios that exist and were selected for the purpose of
making the comparison between the traitional ratios more explicit. Further research may
benefit from the provision of a greater number of cash flow ratios as compared to a wider
variety of traditional ratios.
The implications of this study are that in essence the determination of cash flow
ratios provides a more wholistic approach to the analysis of the liquidity position of
companies and in doing so becomes a means for making better decisions based on the data.
For the purpose of the evaluation of financial data the cash flow ratios provide a valuable
means by which to justify or question the relevance of the outcomes of traditional ratios.

Reference List
Anderson, J. & Davis, K. (2009).Employee Entitlements and Secured Creditors: Assessing the Effects
of the Maximum Priority Proposal, Australian Journal of Management, vol. 34, no. 1, 51-71.
Berg, C. (2004).The Revolution in Telecommunications, Review-Institute of Public Affairs, vol. 56.
No. 4 , 18-19.
Carslaw, C. & Mills, J. (1991). Developing Ratios for Effective Cash Flow Statement Analysis, Journal
of Accountancy, vol.172, no. 5, pp. 63-70.
Figlewicz, R. & Zeller, T. (1991). An Analysis of Performance, Liquidity, Coverage, and Capital Ratios
from the Statement of Cash Flows, Akron Business and Economic Review, vol. 22, no. 1, pp.
64-91.
Giacomino, D. & Mieke, D. (1993). Cash Flows: Another Approach to Ratio Analysis, Journal of
Accountancy, vol.175, no. 3, pp. 55-58.
Gibson, C. (2009). Financial Reporting & Analysis: Using Financial Accounting Information, 11th
Edn., South-Western, Cengage Learning: Mason, OH.
Gombola, M. & Ketz, J. (1983). A Note on Cash Flow and Classification Patterns of Financial ratios,
Accounting Review, vol.58, no. 1, pp. 105-114.
Laing, G. (1996). Butterworths Accounting Companions: Financial Statement Analysis,
Butterworths: Sydney.
Mills, J. & Yamamura, J. (1998). The Power of Cash Flow Ratios, Journal of Accountancy, vol. 186,
no. 4, 53-61.
More, E. & McGrath, M. (1999). Working cooperatively in an age of deregulation Strategic alliances in
Australia's telecommunications sector, Journal of Management Development, vol.18, no.3,
227-254.
Sylvestre, J. (1994). Effective Methods for Cash Flow Analysis, Healthcare Financial Management,
vol. 48, no. 7, pp. 62-69.
Zeller, T. & Stanko, B. (1994). Operating Cash Flow Ratios Measure a Retail Firms ability to pay,
Journal of Applied Business Research, vol. 10, no. 4, 51-??.
JNBIT Vol.10, Iss.1 (2012)

13

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen