The most likely quick assets are cash, marketable securities, and accounts receivable. Quick assets are not considered to include non-trade receivables, such as employee loans, since it may be difficult to convert them into cash within a reasonable period of time. Analysts most often use quick assets to assess a company’s ability to satisfy its immediate bills and obligations that are due within a one-year period. This ratio allows investment professionals to determine whether a company can meet its financial obligations if its revenues or cash collections happen to slow down. Quick assets include any assets that can be converted into cash very quickly. Inventory can be quite difficult to convert into cash in the short term, and so is generally not available for paying off current liabilities.
In contrast, the ratio of less than 1 indicates the Company may face liquidity concerns in the near term. Thus, the quick ratio is considered an acid test in finance, where it tests the Company’s ability to convert its assets into cash and pay off its current liabilities. The total value of Nike, Inc.’s quick assets is $17,939,000 as of May 31, 2021.
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- The main assets that fall under the quick assets category include cash, cash equivalents, accounts receivable, and marketable securities.
- Non-liquid assets are important to know because they can affect a company’s ability to pay its short-term liabilities.
- Unlike other types of assets, quick assets represent economic resources that can be turned into cash in a relatively short period of time without a significant loss of value.
- A company that has a low cash balance in its quick assets may satisfy its need for liquidity by tapping into its available lines of credit.
A low quick ratio may signal financial distress and inability to meet short-term obligations. This may result in quick assets do not include creditors demanding early repayment, setting higher interest rates, or reducing credit lines. This is primarily because quick assets are used in the computation of the quick ratio.
The first one uses only cash and equivalents, short-term investments, and accounts receivable in the numerator. While the second formula subtracts inventories and prepaid expenses from current assets. A company’s quick ratio indicates its short-term liquidity and ability to fulfill its short-term obligations using only its most liquid assets. Quick assets are those assets that can be converted into cash within a short period of time.
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Quick assets refer to assets owned by a company with a commercial or exchange value that can easily be converted into cash or that are already in a cash form. Quick assets are therefore considered to be the most highly liquid assets held by a company. They include cash and equivalents, marketable securities, and accounts receivable. Companies use quick assets to calculate certain financial ratios that are used in decision making, primarily the quick ratio. Quick assets are any assets that can be converted into cash on short notice. These assets are a subset of the current assets classification, for they do not include inventory (which can take an excess amount of time to convert into cash).
Quick assets are most commonly calculated by adding cash and equivalents, accounts receivable, and marketable securities, such as in the formula below. A company with a low cash balance in its quick assets can boost its liquidity by making use of its credit lines. In accounting, assets are a company’s resources that have value and can serve a future benefit. They’re recorded on the balance sheet as either current or non-current assets. Quick assets are more liquid than current assets since they do not include inventory and prepaid expenses. Quick assets are used in computing for the quick ratio, which measures a company’s ability to settle its short-term obligations using its most liquid and “quickly” convertible assets.
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Quick assets exclude inventories, because it may take more time for a company to convert them into cash. If a company reports an acid test ratio of 1, this indicates that its quick assets equal its existing liabilities. A ratio higher than 1 indicates that the company’s quick assets are more than sufficient to cover liabilities.
A vast amount of such assets than required in the short term may imply the Company is not using its resources effectively. Small QAs or smaller than the liabilities arising in the short term means that the Company may require additional cash to meet its demand. The 1.85 quick ratio of Nike, Inc. reveals that the company has more than enough quick assets to cover its current liabilities. These types of assets are either already in the form of cash or can easily be converted into cash within 90 days.
This figure is calculated by adding cash and equivalents, short-term investments, and accounts receivable. Both the quick ratio and acid test ratio are liquidity ratios that show if a company can pay its short-term obligations. You’re looking for the total cash form that the company has on hand plus any short-term investments (inventory). You then subtract any inventory from your current assets to get your company’s “quick” assets.
Example of Quick Assets: The Quick Ratio
The quick ratio is calculated by dividing quick assets by current liabilities. Once the total value of a company’s quick assets has been determined, the quick ratio can then be calculated. Current assets include all assets expected to be converted into cash or consumed within one year, while quick assets are a subset of current assets consisting only of the most liquid assets.
As you compile your list of quick assets, keep in mind that it’s anything you can use to quickly convert to cash and use for day-to-day operations. The quick ratio is a valuable tool for investors because it can give them an idea of a company’s liquidity. Many companies rely on quick assets to help them get through strained financial periods.
Despite their differences, both quick assets and current assets are important metrics that investors and creditors evaluate before they decide to have dealings with a company or business. It is a more conservative measure than the current ratio since it excludes inventory and prepaid expenses, which can take longer to convert into cash. This means that the company’s quick assets reached a total of $17,939,000 as of May 31, 2021.
Just remember to keep in mind that the quick ratio is just one tool in your financial analysis toolbox. This is important because it gives you an idea of how liquid the company is. A company with a high quick ratio is typically considered to be more liquid than a company with a low quick ratio. A company with a quick ratio of less than 1 may have difficulty paying off its liabilities. A company with a quick ratio of more than 1 should have no problem doing so.
The quick ratio is an important measure because the credit rating and reputation of a company can suffer if it is not able to meet its financial obligations. Another requirement for an item to be classified as a quick asset is that while converting it to cash, there should be minimal or no loss in value. In other words, a company shouldn’t incur a high cost when liquidating the asset. Now that you know how to calculate the quick ratio, you can start using it to analyze companies.