The current ratio provides an indication of how liquid a company may be in the coming year. To calculate it, take the current assets and divide that number by the current liabilities. You will find all of these figures on the balance sheet.

An answer of 1.0 or better is generally considered good. However this, like other ratios, can depend on a company’s current stage of growth. A start-up company should have a lower ratio than an established company. If it does not, then you will want to ask yourself why and do further research.

A current ratio can also be affected by how much long-term debt a company has in relation to its short-term debt. Some companies prefer to use short-term debt and reissue it more often. Other companies minimise their use of short-term debt. Most companies use a mix depending on what is available to them, what is cheaper at the moment and how their economists project interest rates for the future. Hence, this ratio also needs to be used to build a bigger picture rather than in isolation.