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Data Sets

Farm Balance Sheet

Definition of Financial Ratios

Ratio: Computation method: Significance:
Liquidity:
Farm business debt service coverage Net cash income + interest
Interest + principal payments
Measures the farm business's ability to repay both interest and principal
Debt servicing Interest + principal payments
Gross cash farm income
Measures the share of the farm business's gross income needed to service debt
Times interest Net farm income
before interest and taxes
Interest payments
Measures the farm business's ability to service debt out of net income earned
Efficiency:
Gross ratio Cash operating expenses
Gross cash farm income
Measures the proportion ofgross cash farm income absorbed by cash operating expenses
Interest to gross cash income Interest
Gross cash farm income
Measures the share of gross cash farm income committed to interest payments
Asset turnover Gross cash farm income
Farm business assets
Measures the gross farm income
generated per dollar of farm business assets
Net cash farm income to debt (debt burden ratio) Net cash farm income
Farm business debt
Measures the burden placed on net cash farm income to retire outstanding debt
Solvency:
Debt to assets Farm business debt
Farm business assets
Measures debt pledged against farm business assets, indicating overall financial risk
Debt to equity Debt
Equity
Measures the relative proportion of funds invested by creditors (debt) and owners (equity)
Profitability:
Rates of return on assets--
Current income Returns to farm assets
from current income
Farm business assets
Measures how efficiently the farm business uses its assets; the per dollar return on farm assets (from current income only)
Real capital gains Real capital gains
on farm business assets
Farm business assets
The per dollar return on farm assets from real capital gains
Rates of return on equity--
Current income Returns to farm assets
from current income - interest
Farm business equity
Measures the returns to equity capital employed in farm business from current income less interest
Real capital gains Real capital gains
on farm business assets
Farm business equity
The per dollar return on farm equity from real capital gains
Operating profit margin Returns to farm assets
Gross cash farm income
Measures profits earned per dollar of gross cash income

Asset, debt, and equity values are an average for December 31 of the current and previous years

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For more information, contact: Roger Strickland

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Updated date: March 22, 2006