Can a company be profitable but not liquid?

Asked by: Brant Brakus  |  Last update: October 5, 2025
Score: 4.3/5 (70 votes)

Answer and Explanation: Yes, a company can be profitable but not liquid because of the accrual basis of accounting. In the case of accrued income, prepaid expense, credit sales, etc., there can be a shortage of liquidity. If a company made credit sales then debtors would increase which will make the cash flow negative.

Can a business be profitable but not liquid?

In summary, it is absolutely possible for a company can be profitable but not liquid. This situation can arise due to several factors, such as significant investments in long-term assets, high levels of short-term debt, or a high level of inventory that cannot be sold quickly.

Can a profitable company have a liquidity problem?

A profitable company can still face a liquidity problem. Profitability and liquidity are two separate aspects of a company's financial health. Profitability measures a company's ability to generate profits from its operations.

What happens if a company is not liquid?

A company may generate billions of dollars in revenue, but if it can't generate liquid cash, it will struggle. An individual might own multiple properties or prized artwork, but in a financial emergency, they'll depend on liquid assets to stay afloat.

Can a business be solvent but not liquid?

Similarly, a business can be solvent but not liquid. It happens when the business is short on working capital due to inadequate current assets (liquid assets).

Cash Flow Analysis | How Businesses Can Be Profitable But Illiquid

28 related questions found

Can you be profitable but not solvent?

The standard for profitability requires that income derived from the company's business activities exceeds the company's expenses. While a company can be solvent and not profitable, it cannot be profitable without solvency.

Does a solvent always have to be liquid?

A solvent is usually a liquid but can also be a solid, a gas, or a supercritical fluid. Water is a solvent for polar molecules, and the most common solvent used by living things; all the ions and proteins in a cell are dissolved in water within the cell.

What is the difference between profitability and liquidity?

While profitability shows that a company can make money from its operations, liquidity ensures it can pay bills and access enough cash when needed. Strong liquidity and profitability together contribute to long-term viability. Companies need profits to sustain operations and grow.

What determines if a company is liquid?

The current ratio (also known as working capital ratio) measures the liquidity of a company and is calculated by dividing its current assets by its current liabilities. The term current refers to short-term assets or liabilities that are consumed (assets) and paid off (liabilities) is less than one year.

What happens if there is no liquidity?

In a liquidity crisis, liquidity problems at individual institutions lead to an acute increase in demand and a decrease in the supply of liquidity, and the resulting lack of available liquidity can lead to widespread defaults and even bankruptcies.

How can a company be profitable and still fail financially?

How can a profitable company go broke?
  1. Over trading is one of the top reasons why companies go broke even when profitable.
  2. Failing to collect amounts due from customers.
  3. A failure to meet liabilities as they fall due, which includes bank finance and loans.
  4. Banks calling in loans where covenants are breached.

What is the conflict between profitability and liquidity?

The management of the liquidity risk presents important at least from two points of view: primarily an inadequate level of liquidity may lead to the need to attract additional sources of with higher costs reducing profitability of the bank that will lead ultimately insolvency; and secondly an excessive liquidity may ...

How to define profitability?

It is the extent to which a company earns a profit. There are two parts to a company's profitability: revenue and expenses. As such, a company is profitable if its revenue exceeds its expenses.

How can a company have a profit but not have cash?

This means you may have a large portion of your cash, or profit, tied up in inventory. Rather than showing up as cash, you may now own your inventory outright, which will become more revenue and profit when you sell it, but in its current form you can't use it as you would cash – to pay bills or fund employee payroll.

What happens if a business has poor liquidity?

Poor liquidity, on the other hand, means a business is at higher risk of failing if suddenly faced with unexpected debt, for example, a costly machine repair or a large VAT bill. If the business is unable to convert enough assets to cash quickly to cover the debt it can push it into insolvency.

Why does a company need to be liquid?

A strong liquidity position not only helps a company weather economic downturns but also enables it to take advantage of strategic opportunities, such as investments or acquisitions, without risking its financial stability.

What is a good current ratio for a business?

The current ratio measures a company's capacity to pay its short-term liabilities due in one year. The current ratio weighs a company's current assets against its current liabilities. A good current ratio is typically considered to be anywhere between 1.5 and 3.

Is a 401k a liquid asset?

Are Retirement Accounts like IRAs and 401(k)s Liquid Assets? Retirement accounts, such as individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and 401(k)s are not really liquid until you've reached age 59 ½. Withdraw funds from your account before then, and you may face taxes and a 10% early withdrawal penalty.

What does it mean if a company is not liquid?

Key Takeaways

Liquid assets are easy to turn into cash with little loss in value, making them ideal for covering unexpected expenses. Non-liquid assets are harder to convert into cash and often lose significant value if there are few buyers when you need to sell.

Does liquidity impact on profitability?

The research results confirm the strong, positive impact of liquidity, company efficiency, and company growth rate on profitability. In addition, the research results also demonstrate a significant negative impact between financial leverage and profitability.

Which is more important liquidity solvency or profitability?

As a financial analyst or investor, it's important to pay more attention to a company's solvency ratio. While a company may improve its liquidity ratio when it increases profitability, a low solvency ratio may have long-term effects on it and its ability to pay back investors.

What leads to higher liquidity and higher profitability?

Working capital affects both the liquidity as well as the profitability of a business. As the amount of working capital increases the liquidity of the business increases. However, since current assets offer low returns with the increase in working capital the profitability of the business falls.

Do all solutions have to be liquid?

Solutions can be solid, liquid, or gas. Not all solutions are liquid.

What does "sold as a solvent" mean?

Solvent means that there are still assets left over after all the debts have been paid. These assets are then distributed to the heirs as outlined in your Will or if there is no Will, in accordance with state law. An insolvent estate on the other hand, is one where the debts exceed the value of the assets.

What is the difference between solvent and liquid?

A solvent is usually a liquid. The dispersed step of a solution is known as the solute. The solvent is the solution's medium step, which disperses the solute particles. In a solution, the amount of solute is less than the amount of solvent.