Key Business Ratios
A Bellevue University Library Guide
What is Key Business Ratios?
Key Business Ratios provides 14 key business ratios for companies and industries, including solvency ratios, efficiency ratios, and profitability ratios.
How to access Key Business Ratios
Mouse over Find on the library homepage then click on Databases. Now click on the letter K under "Browse by title." If off-campus, you will be prompted for your BRUIN Connect login. Once you are logged into one database, you are logged into all of them until you close your browser.
How to use Key Business Ratios
On the homepage click on either Reports or Ratios to get started.
Using Reports
There are three choices in this area: Industry, Company, and My Financials. The page will automatically open to Industry.
Reports: Industry
- To select an industry, use the SIC drop-down menu or enter a NAICS code.
- SIC codes are not in alphabetical order by industry, but rather in numerical order by SIC classification.
- This will change the Line of Business selections to the correct industry subcategories.
- You may also start by selecting a Line of Business, an alphabetical listing of SIC descriptions; the corresponding SIC code will be displayed. Unless you know the SIC code, this might be easier.. Either way, this will update the choices in the other drop-down menu.
- Alternately, enter a NAICS code in the box provided. As you type, it will auto-populate and the SIC and Line of Business will update.
- If desired, you may also select an asset range and a region from the drop-down menus.
- Select the type of data you want: Ratios, Variance, or Norms, by clicking on the tab at the top of the page.
- The data can be displayed as either a Table or a Chart by clicking on your choice, just under the drop-down menus.
Ratios tab - .Types of data:
- This is organized by Industry Quartile and year for the last five years. This includes various Solvency, Efficiency, and Profitability ratios. Hover over the black book icon next to each for a description..
- In the columns, upper, median, and lower quartile values are shown for each year.
- The sample # at the top of the category represents the number of companies included in each calculation.
Variance tab - Types of data:
- The variance tab compares the industry median value vs. the prior two median values for the last five years.
- The types of Median Variance data include various Solvency, Efficiency, and Profitability ratios. Hover over the black book icon next to each for a description.
Norms tab - Types of data
- Displays up to five years of industry financial data averages, including Cash, Accounts Receivables, Accounts Payable, Liabilities and Assets, Net Worth, Working Capital, etc.
Reports - Company
- Click on Company in the left column under Reports to view private and public company financial and ratio data...
- To bring up a list of companies, on the form provided, fill in one or more of the search fields. Note that the Company Type is set to private by default; if searching for public companies be sure to change this. Now click on Search to bring up a list of companies that meet your criteria. Click on Select next to a company to view its report...
- To find a specific company, enter the exact company name in the Company search box. If it is a public company, don't forget to change the company type. Click Select.to bring up the report.
- Various choices will appear at the top of the page; click on one to view: Balance Sheet, Income Statement, Cash Flow, and Ratios.
Reports - My Financial
- This allows users to input and save their own summary financials and then use that data to do comparative ratio analysis to an industry. You must start by entering an email address in order to save your template. Press Go.
- Enter financial data and Save. These ratios can be compared to a selected industry on the Industry Variance tab
- Your saved templates can be accessed in My Profile.
- For more details of using this feature, consult the Quick Reference Guide (see Help and Support below).
Using Ratios
There are two choices in this area: Industry and Company.
Ratios - Industry
- Provides a customizable report of various ratio types by industry. You will see the same choices as for the Reports - Industry (see above). Select either a SIC code, enter a NAICS code, or select a Line of Business. Other criteria include Asset Range and Year.
- The tabs at the top of the page allow for the selection of a group of ratios to display (Solvency, Efficiency, or Profitability). When you click on one of these, relevant choices will appear in the lower level of tabs.
Ratios - Company
- Provides a report on companies based on your SIC, NAICS, Line of Business, and Year selections, as in other areas of the database. Once a selection is made in any of these areas, the page will refresh filling in the relevant choices. For example, when you choose an industry by SIC number, all the related lines of business will fill in and vice versa.
- Use the Solvency, Efficiency, and Profitability tabs at the top of the page to display the ratios associated with each.
Help and Support
Key Business Ratios provides three types of help guides: Click on Help in the top right portion of the page. You can choose from the Online Help Guide, Quick Reference Guide, or Ratio Guide. The Ratio Guide describes the various types of ratios. The Online Help Guide provides screenshots with the basic functions of KBR explained The Quick Reference Guide has more detailed instructions and is also illustrated with screenshots.
Printing, Exporting. and Saving
All reports from KBR can be printed or exported onto a spreadsheet or a PDF document. or click on printable format. After the report is displayed in one of these formats, it can be saved using the File and Save As function.
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