Working Capital meaning, calculation, Example and comparison with Current Ratio

working capital

What Do You Mean By Working Capital

It is the difference between a company’s current assets (cash, account receivables/unpaid bills from customers, raw material and finished goods inventories) and current liabilities that is referred to as working capital (NWC) (accounts payable and loans).

“Net working capital” refers to the substantial difference between a company’s current assets and liabilities (NWC).

  • NWC gauges a company’s liquidity and short-term financial soundness.
  • The asset-to-liability ratio of a firm must be greater than one to be considered positive working capital.
  • A company that has a surplus of working capital may continue its existing operations while also making investments in the company’s long-term growth.
  • High working capital isn’t always a positive thing for a business. Having too much inventory or not spending the additional money might suggest that the business is not doing anything productive.

How Do You Calculate The Working Capital Ratio

The working capital ratio is simply calculated by dividing total current assets by total current liabilities. As a result, it’s also known as the current ratio. It is a measure of liquidity, or the ability of a company to meet its payment obligations as they become due.

Working Capital Ratio Example

Take the ABC Corporation as an example. There was just $10,0000 in working capital when ABC first got off the ground, with most of its assets valued at $50,000 and most of its liabilities valued at $40,000. In order to reduce its current commitments and improve its working capital, ABC decided to keep more Cash on hand and postpone payments to suppliers. These changes have increased the existing assets of ABC to $70,000 while also increasing the company’s current liabilities to $30,000. Its working capital is thus $40,0000.

Working Capital Ratio Vs Current Ratio

Existing assets divided by current liabilities is known as the current ratio. Working capital is a monetary amount, not a percentage, quotient, or percentage ratio. What’s left over after all of your costs have been paid is working capital, which is the money you have on hand to meet your present commitments.

Working Capital Ratio = Current Assets Current Liabilities

But Current Ratio is :

Current Ratio = Current Assets / Current Liabilities

Assume that the balance sheet of a firm displays current assets of $60,0000 and current liabilities of $40,000 to show the difference between the current ratio and working capital of $40,000. As of right now, the firm’s current leverage ratio is 1.5 to 1 (or 1.5:1, or just 1.5), as determined by subtracting $60,0000 from $40,0000 and adding the two amounts together. Between $40,0000 and $60,0000, the company still has $20,0000 in operating capital.

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