What does it mean when current ratio is less than 1?

Asked by: Emelia VonRueden  |  Last update: December 2, 2025
Score: 4.7/5 (61 votes)

A company with a current ratio of less than 1 means it has insufficient capital to pay off its short-term debt because it has a larger proportion of liabilities relative to the value of its current assets.

What happens when the current ratio is less than 1?

If a company has a current ratio of less than one, it has fewer current assets than current liabilities. Creditors would consider the company a financial risk because it might not be able to easily pay down its short-term obligations.

Is a current ratio below 1 good?

A current ratio below 1 means that the company doesn't have enough liquid assets to cover its short-term liabilities. A ratio of 1:1 indicates that current assets are equal to current liabilities and that the business is just able to cover all of its short-term obligations.

What does a current ratio of 0.5 mean?

A current ratio lower than one indicates risk and makes it hard for a company to meet its short-term obligations. Anything less than one means that a company has more current liabilities than its current assets. For example, a ratio of 0.5 means a company has twice its current liabilities than its current assets.

What does a current ratio of 2.0 mean?

Current liabilities = 15 + 15 = 30 million. Current ratio = 60 million / 30 million = 2.0x. The business currently has a current ratio of 2, meaning it can easily settle each dollar on loan or accounts payable twice.

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35 related questions found

Is 2.5 a good current ratio?

The current ratio for Company ABC is 2.5, which means that it has 2.5 times its liabilities in assets and can currently meet its financial obligations Any current ratio over 2 is considered 'good' by most accounts.

Is 1.9 current ratio good?

A good current ratio for a company is considered between 1.5-2.0 and higher, which indicates a comfortable financial position.

Is a current ratio of 3 good?

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 current ratio of 0.75 good?

A ratio of 0.75-1.0 is adequate in some industries. Current ratio – A ratio under 1.0 indicates potential problems meeting short-term obligations. Ratios of 1.5-3.0 are common benchmarks for sufficient liquidity.

Is 0.6 a good current ratio?

A high ratio (greater than 2.0) indicates excessive current assets in the form of inventory, and underemployed capital. A low ratio (less than 1.0) indicates difficulty to meet short-term financial obligations, and the inability to take advantage of opportunities requiring quick cash.

How to mitigate current ratio less than 1?

One of the easiest ways to improve your current ratio is to pay off short-term debt. Short-term liabilities (loans or supplier payments) directly impact the ratio because they're included in the denominator. When you reduce the obligations it makes an instant difference to your liquidity. Refinancing can also help.

What is a good return on assets?

Return on assets (ROA) is a key gauge of a company's profitability. The ROA ratio measures a company's net income relative to its total assets. A good ROA depends on the company and industry, but 5% or higher is generally considered good.

What is a healthy debt to equity ratio?

Generally, a good debt ratio for a business is around 1 to 1.5. However, the debt-to-equity ratio can vary significantly based on the business's growth stage and industry sector. For example, newer and expanding companies often utilise debt to drive growth.

Why is a current ratio below 1 bad?

Below 1.0: A current ratio below 1.0 indicates a business has more current liabilities than current assets, suggesting potential liquidity problems. This might raise concerns about the business's ability to meet its short-term obligations, possibly leading to financial distress if the situation persists.

How do you interpret a rate ratio less than 1?

A risk ratio or rate ratio of less than 1.0 indicates a negative association between the exposure and outcome in the exposed group compared to the unexposed group. In this case, the exposure provides a protective effect.

What happens if current ratio is too low?

Low current ratio: A ratio lower than 1.0 can result in a business having trouble paying short-term obligations. As such, it may make the business look like a bigger risk for lenders and investors.

What if the current ratio is less than 1?

In many cases, a company with a current ratio of less than 1.00 does not have the capital on hand to meet its short-term obligations if they were all due at once, while a current ratio greater than 1.00 indicates that the company has the financial resources to remain solvent in the short term.

Why is Apple's current ratio low?

Apple has a current ratio of 0.87. It indicates that the company may have difficulty meeting its current obligations. Low values, however, do not indicate a critical problem.

How to interpret current ratio?

Interpretation of the Current Ratio

A ratio greater than 1 signifies that the company has more assets than liabilities, suggesting a strong liquidity position. On the other hand, a ratio less than 1 indicates that a company may struggle to meet its short-term obligations, potentially facing liquidity issues.

What is an unhealthy current ratio?

Current ratio measures the extent to which current assets if sold would pay off current liabilities. A ratio greater than 1.60 is considered good. A ratio less than 1.10 is considered poor.

Is 1.2 a good current ratio?

To put it generally, investors and business owners would tend to consider a ratio between 1.2-to-1 and 2-to-1 to be the sign of a financially healthy company. This would indicate that they have the ability to meet short-term liabilities.

What is a good current ratio range?

A healthy current ratio is normally between 1.5 and 2, but this can vary depending on the industry in which your company operates. A current ratio indicates whether a corporation has enough cash flow to cover its immediate debts and liabilities, if necessary.

Is 2.0 a good current ratio?

The higher the ratio is, the more capable you are of paying off your debts. If your current ratio is low, it means you will have a difficult time paying your immediate debts and liabilities. Generally, a current ratio of 2 or higher is considered good, and anything lower than 2 is a cause for concern.

Is a current ratio of 1.5 good?

According to a Business Insider article, a good current ratio is anything between 1.5 to 3. If this is the case, the company has more than enough cash to meet its liabilities while using its capital effectively. But this will vary according to the type of company you're talking about.

Is 1.7 a good current ratio?

Most businesses work to maintain a current ratio between 1.70 and 2.0.