公司理财英文版第三章.ppt

3.* 3.* Lecture Tip: It is good for students to understand that average is not always best. Further, average levels may vary through time with the economy, and this is particularly relevant for market value measures. Further, comparisons across countries may be difficult due to differences in accounting and reporting standards. A good discussion may be asking the question: “does a market-to-book ratio below one indicate a good investment?” It may be an indication of undervaluation; however, such a ratio may also indicate negative consensus regarding the future viability of the firm. 3.* Improving our operating efficiency or our asset use efficiency will improve our return on equity. If the TAT is low compared to our benchmark, then we can break it down into more detail by looking at inventory turnover and receivables turnover. If those areas are strong, then we can look at fixed asset turnover and cash management. We can also improve our ROE by increasing our leverage – up to a point. Debt affects a lot of other factors, including profit margin, so we have to be a little careful here. We want to make sure we have enough debt to utilize our interest tax credit effectively, but we don’t want to overdo it. The choice of leverage is discussed in more detail in chapter 13. 3.* 3.* 3.* Lecture Tip: Discuss with students that the ratios that are most important to a firm are those that best represent their business. So, whereas inventory turnover may be relevant for a retailer or manufacturer, it is less important for a service firm. The best ratios may be those that are uniquely developed for the business under review. 3.* SIC codes have been used many years to identify industries and allow for comparison with industry average ratios. The SIC codes are limited, however, and have not kept pace with a rapidly changing environment. Consequently, the North American Industry Classification System was introduced in 1997 to alleviate some of the problems with SIC codes.