Working Capital: $2M Assets, $1.5M Liabilities, $400K Inventory
A business with $2M in assets and $1.5M in liabilities has $500K working capital, but the quick ratio drops to 0.87 after excluding $400K of inventory.
How to use this tool
- Enter your total current assets.
- Enter your total current liabilities.
- Enter the inventory portion of current assets (for the quick ratio).
- Read net working capital, current ratio, quick ratio, and a liquidity verdict.
A quick ratio below 1.0 signals that without liquidating inventory the business cannot cover all current liabilities — a common situation for inventory-heavy retailers near the end of a growth phase.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a good current ratio?
- A current ratio between about 1.5 and 3.0 is often considered healthy, signalling enough liquid assets to cover near-term obligations without excessive idle capital. Below 1.0 is a warning sign; far above 3.0 may mean assets are not being used productively.
- How is the quick ratio different from the current ratio?
- The quick or acid-test ratio removes inventory from current assets before dividing by current liabilities. Because inventory can be slow or costly to sell, the quick ratio is a stricter test of whether you can meet obligations with your most liquid assets.
- Can working capital be negative and still be fine?
- Yes for some business models. Companies that collect from customers before paying suppliers — certain retailers and subscription businesses — can run with negative working capital efficiently. Judge it against your industry and cash-conversion cycle.