
A higher asset turnover ratio implies that the company is more efficient at using its assets. A low asset turnover ratio, on the other hand, reflects the bad management of assets by the company. As a result, it may also indicate production or management problems.
How to calculate the asset turnover ratio?
Part 1 Part 1 of 2: Calculating the Total Asset Turnover
- Gather information. In order to calculate your total asset turnover, you will need to gather some information.
- Determine the amount of net sales. To determine your net sales, you will need to subtract your total allowances and discounts for the year.
- Determine the amount of average total assets. ...
- Calculate the total asset turnover. ...
How do you calculate asset turnover ratio?
What is Asset Turnover Ratio?
- Formula. To calculate asset turnover ratio, you need to find out the total revenue (the total sales, or you can take the average of the sales figure at the beginning ...
- Interpretation. ...
- Example. ...
- Nestle Example. ...
- Colgate vs. ...
How to analyze and improve asset turnover ratio?
- optimize the amount of assets by selling part of unused non-current assets (if the increase in workload is not planned)
- reduce the amount of inventories (if their volume is excessive)
- improve the receivable turnover, etc.
What is the formula for net operating asset turnover?
- Locate the value of the company's assets on the balance sheet as of the start of the year.
- Locate the ending balance or value of the company's assets at the end of the year.
- Add the beginning asset value to the ending value and divide the sum by two, which will provide an average value of the assets for the year.

What does asset turnover indicate?
Definition: Asset turnover ratio is the ratio between the value of a company's sales or revenues and the value of its assets. It is an indicator of the efficiency with which a company is deploying its assets to produce the revenue. Thus, asset turnover ratio can be a determinant of a company's performance.
What does an asset turnover of 1.5 mean?
If asset turnover ratio > 1 For example, let's say the company belongs to a retail industry where its total assets are kept low. As a result, most companies' average ratio is always over 2. In that case, if this company has an asset turnover of 1.5, then this company isn't doing well.
Is a higher asset turnover better?
The higher the asset turnover ratio, the better the company is performing, since higher ratios imply that the company is generating more revenue per dollar of assets. The asset turnover ratio tends to be higher for companies in certain sectors than in others.
What is a good asset turnover?
In the retail sector, an asset turnover ratio of 2.5 or more could be considered good, while a company in the utilities sector is more likely to aim for an asset turnover ratio that's between 0.25 and 0.5.
What does a low asset turnover compared to the industry imply?
As mentioned before, a high asset turnover ratio means a company is performing efficiently, as the ratio means they are generating more revenue per dollar of assets. A low asset turnover ratio indicates the opposite -- that a company is not using its resources productively and may be experiencing internal struggles.
What is a good asset turnover ratio in healthcare?
This ratio measures the hospital's ability to meet its current liabilities with its current assets (assets expected to be realized in cash during the fiscal year). A ratio of 1.0 or higher indicates that all current liabilities could be adequately covered by the hospital's existing current assets.
Why do banks have low asset turnover?
One reason for having a low total asset turnover ratio is bad acquisitions. Acquisitions are attractive if they help a company maintain or increase its returns. However, if a company makes purchases and they end up generating weak asset returns, the company will tend to have a low total asset turnover ratio.
Why is asset turnover ratio higher?
Generally, a higher ratio is favored because there is an implication that the company is efficient in generating sales or revenues. A lower ratio illustrates that a company is not using the assets efficiently and has internal problems.
How to calculate asset turnover ratio?
To calculate the asset turnover ratio, divide net sales or revenue by the average total assets. For example, suppose company ABC had total revenue of $10 billion at the end of its fiscal year. Its total assets were $3 billion at the beginning of the fiscal year and $5 billion at the end. The average total assets are: $8 billion ($3 billion + $5 billion) ÷ 2 or $4 billion. Its asset turnover ratio for the fiscal year is 2.5 (that is, $10 billion ÷ $4 billion).
Why is a higher ratio better?
Generally, a higher ratio is favored because there is an implication that the company is efficient in generating sales or revenues. A lower ratio illustrates that a company is not using the assets efficiently and has internal problems. Asset turnover ratios vary throughout different sectors, so only the ratios of companies that are in the same sector should be compared. The ratio is calculated on an annual basis.
What does a lower ratio mean?
A lower ratio illustrates that a company is not using the assets efficiently and has internal problems. Asset turnover ratios vary throughout different sectors, so only the ratios of companies that are in the same sector should be compared. The ratio is calculated on an annual basis. In certain sectors, the asset turnover ratio tends ...
What is asset turnover ratio?
In simple terms, the asset turnover ratio means how much revenue you earn on the basis of the total assets you have. And this revenue figure would equate the sales figure in your Income Statement. The higher the number better would be the asset efficiency of the organization. It’s being seen that in the retail industry, this ratio is usually higher, i.e., more than 2.
What happens if a company has an asset turnover of 1.5?
In that case, if this company has an asset turnover of 1.5, then this company isn’t doing well. And the owner has to think about restructuring the company so that the company would be able to generate better revenues.
Why is the average ratio always over 2?
Because that means the company is able to generate enough revenue for itself. But this is subject to an exception. For example, let’s say the company belongs to a retail industry where the company keeps its total assets low. As a result, the average ratio is always over 2 for most of the companies.
How many sets of data are needed for asset turnover?
The first step involves extracting the relevant data for Asset Turnover. For Asset Turnover, you require two sets of Data – 1) Sales 2) Assets.
Can you compare asset turnover ratios?
But, let’s say Company A and Company B are from different industries. Then we won’t be able to compare their asset turnover ratio against each other. Rather, in that case, we need to find out the average asset turnover ratio of the respective industries, and then we can compare the ratio of each company.
Is the ratio of company A more than the ratio of company B?
Let’s say both companies, A and B are from the same industry. In that case, we can do a comparative analysis. It’s clearly seen that the ratio of Company A is more than the ratio of Company B . As it is assumed that they both belong to the same industry, we can conclude that Company A is able to utilize its assets better to generate revenue than Company B.
Has asset turnover decreased over the past 15 years?
Also, you may note from this chart; the Asset Turnovers has shown a decreasing trend over the past 15 years.
Why is asset turnover ratio higher?
A higher ratio is favorable, as it indicates a more efficient use of assets. Conversely, a lower ratio indicates the company is not using its assets as efficiently. This might be due to excess production capacity, poor collection methods, or poor inventory management. The benchmark asset turnover ratio can vary greatly depending on the industry.
What is benchmark asset turnover ratio?
The benchmark asset turnover ratio can vary greatly depending on the industry. Industries with low profit margins tend to generate a higher ratio and capital-intensive industries tend to report a lower ratio.
What are the types of assets?
Types of Assets Common types of assets include current, non-current, physical, intangible, operating, and non-operating. Correctly identifying and. of a company. A company with a high asset turnover ratio operates more efficiently as compared to competitors with a lower ratio.
Why is a higher ratio favorable?
A higher ratio is generally favorable, as it indicates an efficient use of assets.
What does a lower ratio mean?
A lower ratio indicates poor efficiency, which may be due to poor utilization of fixed assets, poor collection methods, or poor inventory management.
Can you compare ratios across industries?
Ratio comparisons across markedly different industries do not provide a good insight into how well a company is doing. For example, it would be incorrect to compare the ratios of Company A to that of Company C, as they operate in different industries.
Is it appropriate to compare the asset turnover ratio of companies operating in the same industry?
It is only appropriate to compare the asset turnover ratio of companies operating in the same industry. We can see that Company B operates more efficiently than Company A. This may indicate that Company A is experiencing poor sales or that its fixed assets are not being utilized to their full capacity.
What is inventory turnover?
Inventory Turnover Inventory turnover, or the inventory turnover ratio, is the number of times a business sells and replaces its stock of goods during a given period. It considers the cost of goods sold, relative to its average inventory for a year or in any a set period of time.
How to determine whether a company is efficient at generating revenue on such assets?
There is no exact ratio or range to determine whether or not a company is efficient at generating revenue on such assets. This can only be discovered if a comparison is made between a company’s most recent ratio and previous periods or ratios of other similar businesses or industry standards.
Why is a high ratio important?
A high ratio, on the other hand, is preferred for most businesses. It indicates that there is greater efficiency in regards to managing fixed assets; therefore, it gives higher returns on asset investments.
What is fixed asset?
Fixed assets are tangible long-term or non-current assets used in the course of business to aid in generating revenue. These include real properties, such as land and buildings, machinery and equipment, furniture and fixtures, and vehicles. They are subject to periodic depreciation, impairments.
What Does Asset Turnover Mean?
Asset turnover is a way of expressing how well, or efficiently, the company is managing its resources to generate sales. In short, it reveals how much sales revenue the business is generating from every dollar's worth of assets it has on its books. Those assets could be anything from machinery, vehicles and real estate to accounts receivable and cash in the bank. Every business needs to know how hard its assets are working so it can make decisions about how to use them. If you have low asset turnover, for example, it might indicate that you have excess production capacity or you aren't managing your inventory properly to maximize sales.
Why is my asset turnover ratio going down?
If you see your asset turnover ratio going down from period-to-period when your sales revenue is the same, it could be a sign that you have too much capacity in your assets that is not being used. In other words, you've over-invested, purchasing more vehicles, buildings or machinery than you can use. Again, context is important, and if you've made a series of asset purchases in anticipation of future growth, then your ratio may take an artificial nosedive. It's important not to panic, as your ratio should soon come back up as revenues start to output from your sales engine.
What Is the Asset Turnover Ratio Formula?
To calculate the asset turnover ratio for any given period, divide your Net Sales Revenue by your Average Total Assets for the same period:
How Do You Interpret Asset Turnover Ratio?
This is a ratio where the higher the number, the better. A high number means that your fixed assets are working optimally to generate cash for your business. A low asset turnover ratio, on the other hand, shows that something is wrong. You are not using your assets as efficiently as you could, and you may need to look at your production processes to figure out where the problem is. Generally, a low asset turnover ratio shows that you have excess production capacity that you're just not filling, so your assets are underused. It may also signify lax collection practices or that you're not managing your inventory efficiently, among other problems.
What Is a Good Asset Turnover Ratio?
As with other ratios, whether the number you get is a good or bad number depends on the industry in which your company operates. Some industries are more asset-intensive than others, so their asset turnover ratio will be lower. A management consultancy, for instance, runs primarily on the expertise of its consultants. It doesn't need many fixed assets to perform services for clients and to generate revenue. Compare that to a haulage or mining company where assets are the backbone of the business, and it's easy to see how different industries will have a very different asset turnover ratio benchmark.
How Do You Use the Asset Turnover Ratio to Spot Trends?
Like all accounting ratios, the asset turnover ratio gives a snapshot of the company's efficiency at a fixed point in time. The real measure of how well you're doing is whether the ratio is going up or down over several accounting periods; ideally, you'll want the ratio to increase, not deteriorate.
What happens if your sales are slow?
A period of slow sales could result in a low asset turnover ratio even if your assets are properly utilized. Boosting those sales is often the easiest way to improve your number. Could you run a marketing campaign, hold a promotion or tweak your pricing strategy to improve the sales of your finished goods?
What is the Total Asset Turnover Ratio?
The total asset turnover ratio compares the sales of a company to its asset base. The ratio measures the ability of an organization to efficiently produce sales, and is typically used by third parties to evaluate the operations of a business. Ideally, a company with a high total asset turnover ratio can operate with fewer assets than a less efficient competitor, and so requires less debt and equity to operate. The result should be a comparatively greater return to its shareholders.
Which is better, return on assets or total asset turnover?
In general, the return on assets measure is better than the total asset turnover ratio, since it places the emphasis on profits, rather than sales.
Why is it important to plot a ratio on a trend line?
It is best to plot the ratio on a trend line, to spot significant changes over time. Also, compare it to the same ratio for competitors, which can indicate which other companies are being more efficient in wringing more sales from their assets.
Why is ratio important?
The ratio is only useful in the more capital-intensive industries, usually involving the production of goods. A services industry typically has a far smaller asset base, which makes the ratio less relevant. A company may have chosen to outsource its production facilities, in which case it has a much lower asset base than its competitors.
How can a company increase inventory turnover?
Costs and Sales. Companies can increase the inventory turnover ratio by driving input costs lower and sales higher. Cost management lowers the cost of goods sold, which drives profitability and cash flow higher. Reducing supplier lead times could also increase turnover ratios.
How to calculate inventory turnover ratio?
The inventory turnover ratio is equal to the cost of goods sold divided by the average inventory. The cost of goods sold is equal to the beginning inventory plus purchases during a period minus the period-ending inventory. An accounting period could be a month, quarter or year. The average inventory is equal to the beginning inventory plus the ending inventory divided by two. Managing production levels, driving costs lower and sales higher, and removing obsolete inventory items are some of the ways to increase the inventory turnover ratio.
Why is it easier to lower purchase prices?
Lowering purchase prices might be easier during a weak economy because suppliers might be willing to use surplus capacity at lower prices. Driving sales growth also could increase the inventory turnover ratio because the company will have lower levels of inventory at hand to start and end a period.
What is financial ratio?
Financial ratios measure a company's financial health and its cost efficiencies, profitability and ability to grow sales. Inventory is a balance sheet item that tracks goods available for sale.
Does manufacturing have a higher turnover?
According to the AccountingTools website, certain manufacturing processes result in a higher inventory turnover ratio. For example, in just-in-time manufacturing, companies buy items as they are required, which means there is never too much inventory on hand.

Calculating The Asset Turnover Ratio
Asset Turnover Ratio Example
- Suppose company ABC had total revenue of $10 billion at the end of its fiscal year. Its total assets were $3 billion at the beginning of the fiscal year and $5 billion at the end. Assuming the company had no returns for the year, its net sales for the year was $10 billion. The company's average total assets for the year was $4 billion (($3 billion + $5 billion) / 2 ). ABC Company's Asset Turnover R…
Interpreting The Asset Turnover Ratio
- The asset turnover ratio is most useful when compared across similar companies. Due to the varying nature of different industries, it is most valuable when compared across companies within the same sector. The asset turnover ratio can also be analyzed by tracking the ratio for a single company over time. As the company grows, the asset turnover ratio measures how efficiently th…
The Bottom Line
- The asset turnover ratio helps investors understand how effectively companies are using their assets to generate sales. Investors use this ratio to compare similar companies in the same sector or group to determine who's getting the most out of their assets. The asset turnover ratio is calculated by dividing net sales or revenue by the average tota...
Formula
Interpretation
Example
Nestle Example
Colgate vs. P&G – Battle of Asset Turnover Ratios
Limitations
- As everything has its good and bad sides, the asset turnover ratio has two things that make this ratio limited in scope. Of course, it helps us understand the asset utility in the organization, but this ratio has two shortcomings that we should mention. 1. It includes all idle assets: As in the calculation, we take the total assets at the end of th...
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in The Final Analysis
Practical Example
Comparisons of Ratios
Interpretation of The Asset Turnover Ratio
Key Takeaways
- The asset turnover ratio measures is an efficiency ratio that measures how profitably a company uses its assets to produce sales.
- Comparing the ratios of companies in different industries is not appropriate, as industries vary in capital intensiveness.
- A higher ratio is generally favorable, as it indicates an efficient use of assets.
- The asset turnover ratio measures is an efficiency ratio that measures how profitably a company uses its assets to produce sales.
- Comparing the ratios of companies in different industries is not appropriate, as industries vary in capital intensiveness.
- A higher ratio is generally favorable, as it indicates an efficient use of assets.
- A lower ratio indicates poor efficiency, which may be due to poor utilization of fixed assets, poor collection methods, or poor inventory management.
Video Explanation of Asset Turnover Ratio
Additional Resources