uber stock – – Tradingsim

Restricted stock units (RSUs) are a top perk for employees. Many tech companies that are growth stocks offer this stock-based compensation once an employee joins a company. In many cases, they are an alternative to stock options similar to ETFs.

In this TradingSim article, I will explain what a restricted stock unit is. Throughout this article, I will also explain which stocks can be added to rebalance portfolios and help their trading strategies because they are profitable enough to offer employees the best RSUs.

What are restricted stock units?

When a company hires an employee, at first they may receive the units as part of their compensation. RSUs are grants that are part of stock-based compensation that are equal to the value of a corporation’s common stock. When companies issue the grants, they are based on the value of the company’s stock.

How do RSUs work?

Employers distribute restricted stock units to employees after a vesting period. A vested definition means that an employee will own shares. During a vesting period, a certain amount of time an employee has to work at a company before they receive the shares.

For example, a company can give an employee 2,000 RSUs. If 25% of the RSUs vest each year, after one year, 500 shares will vest. In addition, employees can also receive the shares as cash. Once they vest, an employee can receive sell the shares.

If employees want to donate their RSUs to charity, they can help a good cause– and themselves at tax time. One benefit is that employees can get an itemized deduction that’s equal to the stock’s market value. The second benefit is that employees can avoid capital gains taxes by giving RSU shares to charities.

What are double trigger RSUs?

Double trigger RSUs are another kind of restricted stock unit that employers offer. They are offered by new companies before their IPOs(initial public offerings. Double trigger RSUs are not taxed until they are vested and the companies go public with their IPOs.

Garrett Perez, a CPA, notes that many companies have double trigger restrictive RSUs to protect their workers.

“Most companies who do in fact issue RSUs have this requirement [of double-trigger vesting] as it would be extremely punitive on their employees to have them recognize it as income with essentially no market to sell it in. I’ve never seen a pre-IPO company that does not have the double vesting requirement,” said Perez.

What is a restricted stock unit vested schedule?

Some employers offer RSUs on a graduated vesting schedule. In that case, the units may vest 10% after one year, 20% after two years, and so on.

Vested schedules for restricted stock units vary in three ways. For example, say an employee receives 120 RSU’s in January 2020. In cliff vesting, workers receive 100% of their benefits after a certain amount of time. In a three-year vesting schedule, an employee receives all their shares in January 2023.

With a graded vesting schedule, a company gives fewer shares of its stock at an annual rate. If there’s a three-year graded vesting schedule, an employee may receive 30 shares of a stock every January until 2023.

In a cliff/graded vesting hybrid, there is a mixture of the two vesting schedules. A company can issue 40 shares of its stock in January 2020. Then, they may issue 3-4 shares a month until the vesting period is over.

How do RSUs differ from stock options?

Similar to stocks vs. ETFs, RSUs are similar to stock options, but have key differences. In most instances, restricted stock units

don’t expire. They convert into shares after a vesting period. Because of the conversion, they don’t ever have an expiration date.
have the same fair market value during the vesting period.
complete a vesting schedule usually after five years.
are taxed as regular income when they’re vested.

In contrast, stock options

expire 10 years after employees receive them.
tie into the stock price. If a stock price drops below the grant price, the option’s value plummets. When a stock price rises, the stock option’s value jumps as well.
aren’t vested.
are taxed at the time the options are exercised.

What are the advantages of restricted stock units?

In a bear market, restricted stock units can be a safer option for employees. Because stock options are tied to a stock price, a diminished stock price can hurt an employee’s stock options. However, employees take RSUs at a stock’s current market value when they’re vested. At the time the units are vested, they could have a higher value to employees.

What are the disadvantages of RSUs?

Because restricted stock units are different from stock options, they may not reap all the benefits. Since most RSUs vest after five years, many employees may leave their jobs before they enjoy the stock perks. If an employee quits, their former employer forfeits the RSU that remain.

Even if employees stay with a corporation for five years, the value of their RSUs may not be the same after the vesting period. If the stock loses value during an economic downturn, the RSUs may lose value when the employee receives the shares.

How are restricted stock units taxed?

In the year they’re vested, RSUs are taxed as income if an employee keeps the units. If an employee sells the units, capital gains taxes will due at the time of the sale. Restricted stock units aren’t tax-free investment expenses. For example, if an employee vested 20,000 shares of a company’s stock at $20, the value of the RSUs will be $200,000. That amount is treated as taxable income by the IRS.

It’s important to have the RSU vested income set aside to pay taxes because tech companies usually may not pay them themselves. The success of tech companies may ironically mean that they don’t make withdrawals for employees.

Corporations usually withhold state, federal, Social Security, and Medicare taxes on RSU’s. The taxes are usually at a flat rate of 22%.

However, because tech companies are often in high tax brackets, a tech company’s workers often have to pay higher taxes on their RSUs. They would often owe more than what employers would set aside to cover taxes.

Special tax election can collect RSU taxes sooner

If an employee wants to take their taxes out before the restricted stock units vest, they can make a special election. The special Section 83(b) election taxes employees before the RSUs vest. The RSUs are taxed as extra compensation.

If employees keep the restricted stock units for more than a year, the RSUs are taxed at a lower rate as capital gains. However, the units are taxed in the year that employees receive them, even if the stock unit declines in value.

What are the RSU tax withholding methods?

There are four main tax withholding methods for restricted stock units.

In a same-day sale, all of the shares sell on the day they’re vested. The money can be used to pay taxes.
With a cash transfer, money is deposited from an employee’s account to pay taxes.
In the sell-to-cover method, an employee receives shares at the end of the vesting period. An employee’s broker can sell the shares to cover tax expenses. Then, a worker can keep the remaining shares.
With a net share settlement, an employee’s company can retain some of the vested RSUs. The shares are equal to the withholding tax amount. After that, the units that are left can be deposited to a brokerage account.

What is the cost basis for restricted stock units?

The cost basis for RSUs is the fair market original value of an employee’s shares on the day that the units vest and they receive the shares. That value will likely never change throughout the vesting period of the restricted stock units. The cost basis usually stays the same. It isn’t adjusted to calculate an employee’s tax calculations unless the unit amount is $0.

All of the corporations below offer generous RSUs to employees. These companies are the top corporations that offer restricted stock units to employees.

1. Amazon

Amazon’s stock soars during COVID-19

During the coronavirus pandemic, Amazon’s (NASDAQ:AMZN) stock soared 68% a year after hitting its rock-bottom low. Financial experts like Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter said the e-commerce boom during quarantine will boost Amazon in the long term.

“E-commerce is likely one of the biggest beneficiaries. E-commerce is likely to see a permanent shift away from offline stores,” said Pachter.

FBN Securities analyst Shebly Seyrafi believes that Amazon stock will continue to rise even if another quarantine happens in the U.S.

“To us[FBN Securities], AMZN[Amazon] is the ultimate ‘stay-at-home stock,'” wrote Seyrafi in a note to clients.

Amazon raises wages, but cuts RSUs for hourly workers

Amazon’s RSUs usually vest after four years. They vest on a 5-15-40-40 schedule. That means that after year 1, the restricted stock units vest 5%. Then they vest 15% the second year. In the last two years, they vest at 40%.

During 2018, Amazon eliminated RSUs for its hourly workers. In exchange for raising the wage of hourly workers to $15, Amazon ended RSUs as part of employee benefits. As noted in a company blog post, Amazon restricted stock units will vest this year, and in 2021. The corporation replaced the RSUs with direct stock. An Amazon spokesperson explained the changes.

“The significant increase in hourly cash wages more than compensates for the phase-out of incentive pay and RSUs,” said the spokesperson.

“We can confirm that all hourly Operations and Customer Service employees will see an increase in their total compensation as a result of this announcement. In addition, because it’s no longer incentive-based, the compensation will be more immediate and predictable,” added the spokesperson.

Amazon RSUs help employees buy homes

For salaried employees that still receive RSUs, the units make it easier to buy pricey homes in the company’s home base of Seattle. Diana Bowar, a loan officer at 1st Security Bank, offers restricted unit stock loans to Amazon employees to buy million-dollar homes. Bowar noted that the employees receiving RSUs are more likely to stay in Seattle.

“There’s a need in our backyard. And we’ve seen that people who are getting RSU income and have contracts with Amazon, the likelihood that they’re going to stay in that job making that kind of income is good,” said Bowar.

In 2019, bank lenders usually need employees to show two years of RSU income before they consider restricted stock units as income. Don Zender is branch manager of Evergreen Home Loans and Veterans Lending. He noticed that Amazon employers couldn’t use their RSUs as a down payment on houses.

“But if you start at Amazon, you can’t do that. The biggest hurdle has always been the first couple years,” said Zender.

Many lenders like Evergreen are now open to providing loans to employees with Amazon RSUs.

“Some lenders are starting to say, well, RSUs are not really a one-time thing,” said Steve Geri, a financial adviser at Denny Park Investments in South Lake Union. “They’re a continuing form of compensation in many industries.”

Amazon is a top stock offering restricted stock unit

2. Uber

Uber stock strong as it moves beyond ridesharing

Uber(NASDAQ:UBER) stock recently rose 3% after recent reports it was purchasing food delivery service Postmates. The acquisition would be a welcome addition to Uber’s own food delivery division, Uber Eats. Canaccord Genuity Maria Ripps wrote a note to clients that suggested that Postmates would help Postmates raise Uber’s stock more.

“Postmates should continue to benefit from restaurant selection and strong positions in key markets. However, as the fourth-largest player in the US market, we also see it as a potential consolidation target,” wrote Ripps in the recent client note.

Uber benefits from being rideshare leader

The ridesharing giant has benefitted from being a rideshare leader. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi noted that the company has an advantage over competitor Lyft because of its global reach and diversified businesses under the Uber umbrella.

“We[Uber] are structurally set up more efficiently and more optimally than anyone else to move to profitability. This environment is perfect for us,” said Khosrowshahi.

Uber established restricted stock units in beginning

When Uber first went public in 2019, it detailed in its IPO filing how it would distribute its RSUs.

Uber is a top tech stock that offers RSUs

“As we transition to become a publicly-traded company, we expect that the mix of service- and performance-based components of our equity compensation will shift,” said Uber.

To help us achieve our objectives of rewarding our executive officers for their experience and performance and motivating them to achieve our long-term strategic goals following this offering, we anticipate that performance-based vesting conditions applicable to RSUs granted to our executive officers will become more prevalent,” added Uber.

Uber employees see downside to RSUs

While Uber’s IPO has been successful, there was an unexpected tax burden to its employees. When the IPO launched, Uber recorded its shares at $45. The company tied the restricted stock unit settlement to its IPO launch in 2019. Uber was optimistic that the stock would rise and give a bigger payoff to employees.

In a letter to employees in May 2019, Uber hoped that the move would “mitigate the risk that the company could be responsible for paying a significantly higher amount in taxes if the stock price increases meaningfully after the IPO.

However, the opposite happened. Uber stock dropped to $23. Because the stock fell, employees have to pay extra taxes on capital losses. If the stock had gone up, Uber and its employees would have had to pay less tax in the long run. Employees at the time noted how the extra tax bill shocked them at the time.

“Word started dripping out to say, ‘Hey, I actually owe quite a bit of money to the government. There was a bit of panic and a lot of anxiety’,” said the former employee.

Uber’s RSU is cautionary tale for employees

While Uber offers generous benefits to employees like RSUs, at first, they weren’t implemented with the best advantages to employees. Barbara Baksa, director of the National Association of Stock Plan Professionals, noted that Uber thought its RSUs would rise as its stock was supposed to grow.

“If you think that you’re going to IPO and the stock price is going to continue to accelerate and in six months that stock is going to be worth a lot more, then it would definitely be to the employees’ advantage to have the tax withholding done at the IPO because it would reduce their tax liability and start their capital gains earlier,” said Baska.

Parkworth Wealth Management principal Bruce Barton said that Uber and other tech companies have untraditional ways to compensate employees. Restricted stock units are part of a new compensation package.

“We’re talking about large private companies that got very large, very fast and had to adopt this nontypical way to compensate employees. They’re still experimenting,” said Barton.

Uber offers generous RSUs, but employees must be aware of the possible tax responsibilities they may have when they receive them.

3. Apple

Apple stock rises during COVID-19

The tech giant’s stock skyrocketed by 46%, during the nationwide shutdown. Credit Suisse analyst Matthew Cabral raised his price target on Apple stock because the company’s App revenue grew 35% over the last few months.

“Despite a slow start, increased screen time amid widespread ‘stay at home’ measures is now translating into a rapid acceleration in App Store revenue,” wrote Cabral in a note to clients.

“We’re[Credit Suisse] encouraged by building App Store momentum, both as evidence of Apple’s ability to increasingly monetize its nearly 1 billion iPhone user base and in support of multiple expansion for the stock as the mix shifts to higher-quality, more recurring revenue,” added Cabral.

Evercore ISI analyst Amit Daryanani also expects Apple stock to rise as customers buy more Apple Watches and other devices.

“We expect wearables and services to sustain double digit growth driven by uptick in [average revenue per user] and better monetization of the install base,” said Daryanani.

Daryanani also expects Apple stock to outperform as the corporation recently announced that it would make its own chips in-house.

“It is encouraging that Apple continues to demonstrate its leading chip design capabilities as in-housing semi design remains key to product margin expansion,” noted Daryanani.

Apple’s restricted stock units expanded to many employees

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) has a generous restricted stock unit package for employees. The RSUs were implemented by CEO Tim Cook in 2018.

The tech company revealed that it will offer $2500 in restricted stock units to some employees. Cook explained the RSU compensation in an email.

“To show our support for our team and our confidence in Apple’s future, we’ll be issuing a grant of $2,500 in restricted stock units to all individual contributors and management up to and including Senior Managers worldwide. Both full-time and part-time employees across all aspects of Apple’s business are eligible,” said Cook.

While many employees received many RSUs, Cook benefitted the most from restricted stock units. When he reached the five-year mark of leading Apple, he gained 700,000 RSUs as part of a whopping $100 million bonus compensation deal.

Apple RSUs can be beneficial to part-time and full-time employees if they stay with the company for the long haul.

4. Verizon

Verizon(NYSE:VZ) offers substantial restricted stock units to employees. The phone company’s early adoption of 5G technology and high-paying dividend make the stock attractive to Goldman Sachs analysts. The analysts rate Verizon as a buy.

“We add Buy-rated VZ to the Conviction List as we see the stock offering investors the most attractive combination of total return and risk owing to its stable wireless business, well-covered dividend (4.6% yield) and strong balance sheet,” noted the analysts.

“We believe Verizon’s financial performance will not be materially impacted by a short-term economic shock. This is because a large majority Verizon’s revenues come from selling wireless connectivity services to consumers and businesses in the US,” added Goldman Sachs.

Verizon’s restricted stock units help employees

Verizon’s” Stock Together” program gives RSUs to its employees. Verizon RSUs have a three-year vesting period. On a graded vesting schedule, workers receive one-third of the units on the anniversaries of the date they started with Verizon. In order to receive the RSUs, an employee has to stay through the entire vesting period. If an employee leaves before the vesting period is over, an employee can get the RSUs depending on the reason they left.

In the Verizon RSU program, the amount awarded to employees depends on certain factors. Verizon gives the restricted stock units after dividing the employee’s fixed dollar amount by Verizon’s stock price at the end of the vesting date.

If an employee’s award amount is $3,000 and Verizon’s stock price on the vesting date is $50, the equation is 3,000/50. In that equation, 3,000/50=60. So, a Verizon employee will receive 60 RSUs at the end of each vesting date.

5. Bank of America

Despite the difficulty banks had during the recession, Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) still had a strong Q1 2020. The bank’s CEO, Brian Moynihan, touted the company’s $22.8 billion revenue.

“Our results reflect the strength of our balance sheet, the diversity of our earnings, and the resilience of our teammates to serve clients around the world. Despite increasing our loan loss reserves, we earned $4 billion this quarter’,” said Moynihan.

Bank of America offers large RSU bonuses to employees

During the bull market of 2019, the Bank of America gave 200 to 500 restricted stock units to part-time and full-time employees. The RSUs are for employees that earn between $100,000-$350,000 a year. In this graded vesting period, employees are given the RSUs over four years at the same annual time. Moynihan wrote in a company email about how he wanted the RSUs to lead to employee retention.

“This stock award…will further align the role these teammates play with our continued performance and our shareholders’ objectives,” wrote Moynihan.

Even though the Bank of America is struggling during the global recession, there is still a strong RSU program for employees.

6. Microsoft

Microsoft (NYSE:MSFT) essentially pioneered the restricted stock unit program for workers. Bill Gates spoke about why he thought RSUs were better options for its employees.

“The fact is that the variation in the value of an option is just too great. I can imagine an employee going home at night and considering two wildly different possibilities with his compensation program. Either he can buy six summer homes or no summer homes. Either he can send his kids to college 50 times, or no times,” said Gates.

“The variation is huge; much greater than most employees have an appetite for. And so as soon as they saw that options could go both ways, we proposed an economic equivalent. So what we do now is give shares, not options,” added Gates.

Microsoft stock struggles after closing physical stores

While Microsoft stock rose 45% after physically closing stores, the company’s stock dipped 2% after permanently closing the stores. Despite the slight decline, Microsoft Corporate Vice President David Porter said the closures signal a more cloud-based system to help customers.

“It is a new day for how Microsoft Store team members will serve all customers,” said Porter. “We are energized about the opportunity to innovate in how we engage with all customers, maximize our talent for greatest impact, and most importantly help our valued customers achieve more,” said Porter.

Microsoft restricted stock unit vesting schedule

Despite the drop in Microsoft stock, the Microsoft RSUs are still significant. The restricted stock units are granted every August . After three months, new RSUs are vested five percent over five years. Employees with older grants have them vested 10% every six months in the five year vesting period.

Microsoft’s restricted unit stock system has long been a benefit to its workers.

7. Starbucks

Analysts bullish on Starbucks after stock rise

Starbucks’ growth potential in the next quarter has garnered the attention of financial experts. The investment firm Ensemble Capital, says the coffee company’s stock is a buy. Ensemble Capital is bullish on Starbucks even though many stores were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ensemble Capital believes Starbucks stock can rebound once the economy re-opens this summer.

“Starbucks, which nearly tagged $100 a share over the summer as investors finally realized that the company could return to solid levels of same store sales growth, backed off earlier in the quarter before another strong quarter of same store sales growth in both the US and China reminded investors just how dominant this company actually is,” wrote Ensemble Capital.

RSU’s from Starbucks pay off quickly

Starbucks’ RSU’s are very generous. The coffee giant’s Bean Stock program gives restricted stock units to employees. CEO Howard Schultz increased the benefit in 2016. He touted the plan in a statement.

“Every day, I strive to build the kind of company that my father never had a chance to work for, one that not only cares for its people but gives them opportunities to be their best selves,” wrote Schultz in his statement.

The RSU’s vest over a two-year period. In the graded schedule, 50% of the units vest a year after an employee starts working for the coffee company. After the second anniversary of a worker’s tenure, the other 50% of the restricted stock units vest.

If an employee leaves before all the units vest, all the vested RSUs are for the employees to keep. When there are unvested restricted stock units, they are forfeited once a worker leaves the corporation.

Starbucks’ RSUs pay off for employees in a shorter period of time than other corporations. Schultz has created a restricted stock unit system that greatly helps its employees.

8. IBM

The tech company IBM( NYSE: IBM) saw its stock rise as it bought the tech company Red Hat. Red Hat’s sales increased 18% from a year earlier after the acquisition. Victoria Greene, an analyst with G Squared Private Wealth, rates IBM stock a buy. She praises the company’s focus on cloud-based technology.

“IBM’s AI is leaps and bounds ahead of competitors since they have invested heavily in it for 10 years,” said Greene.

IBM’s restricted stock units benefit employees and CEO

Because of IBM’s strong stock, the corporation’s employees receive restricted stock units over a four-year vesting schedule. The RSUs vest at 25% each year on a graded schedule. The tech company’s CEO, Arvind Krishna, gets a similar deal to his employees. IBM detailed its RSU vesting period.

“RSUs will vest 25% on June 8, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, provided Krishna is an active IBM employee on these dates ( unless certain requirements are met to be eligible for continued vesting. PSUs will be adjusted based on performance and will be paid out in February 2023,” noted IBM in its SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) filings.

IBM’s graded vesting period enables employees and its CEO to reap many benefits from its compensation package.

9. Facebook

Facebook stock tumbles on ad boycott

A free speech debate is affecting Facebook stock. Facebook stock fell slightly after many companies are refusing to place ads on the social media company’s site to protest a Facebook policy. Facebook won’t take down controversial posts that are considered hate speech or misleading political ads by the companies.

The corporation pledged that it was trying to weed out misinformation on the site.

“We invest billions of dollars each year to keep our community safe and continuously work with outside experts to review and update our policies. We know we have more work to do,” said a Facebook spokesperson.

Despite the controversy, Rohit Kulkarni, executive director at MKM Partners says that the ad boycott of companies like Proctor & Gamble won’t greatly affect Facebook stock.

“Procter & Gamble is the largest advertiser in the world, but we think it accounts for less than 0.50% of FB’s revenues,” said Kulkarni.

Kulkarni agrees with Wall Street’s projections for 7% Q3 2020 growth.

“We believe near-term[Wall] Street estimates are reasonable and that there is upside potential given ad market recovery,” said Kulkarni.

Facebook RSUs helpful to workers

Despite the negative publicity, Facebook’s restricted stock units are beneficial to its employees. In Facebook’s RSU vesting period, the units vest on a quarterly schedule. In the graded vesting period, the employees vest 6.25% every three months. After vesting 25% a year, the RSU’s are fully vested after four years.

10. Intel

After the news that the aforementioned Apple was dropping Intel as a chip maker for its devices, Intel stock dropped. Despite the severance of their relationship, Intel took the partnership ending well.

“Apple is a customer across several areas of business, and we will continue to support them. Intel remains focused on delivering the most advanced PC experiences and a wide range of technology choices that redefine computing,” said Intel in a statement.

Despite the decline, some financial analysts want investors to buy the dip. Goldman Sachs rates Intel as a buy. The analysts say that more use of devices during the nationwide quarantine helped Intel.

“Despite the headwinds related to Covid-19, we are maintaining our estimates as we believe there are multiple near-term positive developments (i.e., potential strength/resilience in the high-end client CPU[ computer processing unit] and server CPU markets given a growing number of people working/studying from home) that could largely offset the headwinds (i.e., weaker consumption and enterprise spending),” wrote the analysts in a note.

Intel RSUs help employees even when they retire

The chipmaker’s restricted stock unit program is generous to employees. Intel RSUs distribute on a graded vested schedule. The restricted stock units vest at 25% over four years.

If retirees have unvested RSUs at the time of their retirement, they receive one extra year of vesting. That occurs for every five years of employment with Intel.

Intel’s restricted stock units are beneficial to workers even at the ends of their careers.

Restricted stock units a pivotal part of employee compensation

Corporations offer RSUs as a way to reward and retain employees. While it may not seem relevant to investors, they are connected. If a stock performs well, they can offer more benefits to employees and investors. With TradingSim charts and analysis, investors can find the best stocks that pay the best restricted stock units to its employees.

A quick ratio of a company can determine a lot of assets about a corporation. Similar to the Treynor Ratio, a quick ratio formula can help determine a corporation’s financial strength- or lack of strength. In this era of COVID-19 and an economic downturn, a quick ratio of a company can help investors determine if a corporation has enough liquidity to weather a financial storm. With the quick ratio formula, investors can help plan their investment strategies.

This TradingSim article will help investors calculate the quick ratios of 10 of the top corporations. In this article, I will also compare them to see which one has the most liquidity to pay off short-term debts. Investors can use this information to possibly rebalance their portfolios.

What is the quick ratio formula?

A quick ratio formula measures a company’s short-term liquidity. A quick ratio definition means that the ratio incorporates a corporation’s ability to use its cash-ready assets to pay off debt. The short-term liquidity measure is also known as the acid test. The term quick ratio comes from a company’s ability to quickly convert assets into cash.

When calculating the quick ratio of a company, the formula is as follows:

[Current assets-inventory-prepaid expenses]/current liabilities=quick ratio

When including a corporation’s marketable securities, they include common stock, certificates of deposit, or government bonds. Accounts receivable is money a customer owes a company that can be collected in 90 days.

How to calculate a quick ratio

When determining liquidity, there are specific steps to calculate the quick ratio of a company.

Run a balance sheet. Corporations can run a standard balance sheet that takes into account liability and asset information. When companies run a balance sheet, a standard balance sheet can be better than a summary balance sheet. A standard balance sheet provides more details than a summary balance sheet.
Calculate assets. A quick ratio of a company can calculate liquid assets. When calculating assets, a corporation can include cash, accounts receivable, and funds that haven’t been deposited. Corporations don’t include inventory and prepaid expenses in calculating assets. They can’t quickly be converted to cash.
After running a balance sheet and calculating assets, companies can calculate current liabilities. Short-term debt that’s paid off within a year is part of a current liability. When a company calculates liabilities, the liabilities can include payroll and accounts payable. The liabilities can also include credit card debt and payable sales tax.
Complete the quick ratio of a company. Once a corporation has calculated its assets and liabilities, that quotient will determine the ratio.

What is a good quick ratio?

In determining a good quick ratio of a company, there are some numbers that are important. A total of one is usually a good number. That quotient means that for every $1 of liability, there is $1 of assets. A ratio below one typically means that a corporation may not have enough cash to pay off short-term liabilities.

A ratio of 15 means that for every $1 of liabilities, a company has $15 of assets. While a high ratio can be good, one that is too high can be detrimental. If a ratio is too high, that means the company may not be efficiently using its cash reserve.

What does a quick ratio of a company tell investors?

Corporations on Dow Jones can determine a quick ratio of a company

When investors look at the quick ratio of a company, a quick ratio interpretation can give investors a lot of information. A low ratio can lead to a negative quick ratio interpretation. A lower ratio tells investors that a corporation doesn’t have enough liquidity to withstand a bear market. A high ratio tells investors that a company has enough cash on hand to cover near-term debt-especially in an economic downturn.

What is the difference between quick ratio vs. current ratio?

While a quick ratio of a company is one way to determine the liquidity of a company, there are other ways as well. A current ratio also measures a corporation’s short-term liquidity. However, a quick ratio is more stringent than a current ratio because it has fewer items to configure its calculations.

A current ratio is calculated as follows:

Current assets/current liabilities

In contrast to a quick ratio’s shortened criteria, a current ratio calculates more factors. While a current ratio’s formula is shorter, it includes all the current assets of a corporation. For example, a current ratio includes inventory and prepaid expenses. Those factors are excluded from a quick ratio of a company.

Another difference in current ratio vs. quick ratio is that a current ratio measures liquidity over a longer period of time. A quick ratio of a company measures assets that are converted to cash in three months.

While there are slight differences between current and quick ratios, there are similarities. Both ratios calculate the liquidity of a company. In addition, a current ratio of one and above is a good sign for a company. A current ratio below one is a sign a company can’t pay its debt.

Is a quick ratio the best measurement of a stock’s liquidity?

A company’s liquidity can help sustain it even during a difficult economic period. Despite having a poorly performing Q1 2020 and quick ratio of 0.37, upscale retailer Nordstrom’s still has strong liquidity. Even though it isn’t a value stock , Nordstrom reported it has enough liquidity to survive a worse-than-expected earnings report.

Nordstrom’s CEO, Erik Nordstrom, noted that Nordstrom still has enough liquidity to carry it through Q2 2020.

“We’re entering the second quarter in a position of strength, adding to our confidence that we have sufficient liquidity to successfully execute our strategy in 2020 and over the longer term,” said Nordstrom.

While the quick ratio of a company is not the ultimate arbiter of a stock’s financial health, it is a strong measurement to determine a company’s liquidity.

Comparison of quick ratios: Amazon vs. Walmart

Both Amazon and Walmart are the biggest retailers in the world. I will compare both corporations’ quick ratios to see which corporation can better cover short-term liabilities.

Amazon resilient in bear market

Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) is the most valuable company in the world. The online e-commerce behemoth has been a recession-proof stock during the current recession. Chantico CEO and asset allocation expert Gina Sanchez noted that Amazon has benefited from the recent quarantine.

Amazon’s quick ratio can be related to stock performance

“Amazon is the big winner in all of this because everyone [putting] off going to the grocery store has ordered directly from Amazon, has ordered anything they need from any store as most retail has been shut down from Amazon. I think Amazon has the longest, broadest story that would come out of this with the trends still intact,” said Sanchez.

Amazon is also performing so well that during a recession, the corporation hired 125,000 temporary workers since the nationwide shutdown. Amazon CFO Brian Olsavsky noted that demand for workers will grow during the summer.

“Demand has been strong and the biggest questions we have in Q2 are more about ability to service that demand,” said Olsavsky.

Amazon’s strong sales and hiring surge prove that the corporation and its stock are robust in this economic downturn.

What is Amazon’s quick ratio?

As of March 2020, Amazon’s current assets are $67.13 billion. Amazon’s current liabilities total $79.71 billion. So, the quick ratio formula is:

67.13/79.71=0.84.

Amazon’s quick ratio is 0.84. While I mentioned earlier that a quick ratio below 1 is a negative sign for a corporation, obviously Amazon is financially sound. Amazon may have other reasons why it may be more difficult for the company to meet its short-term obligations.

The quick ratio of a company may be lower than one because of high inventory turnover or increased inventory, especially in the retail industry. Inventory isn’t accounted for in a quick ratio formula.

Walmart performs well during COVID-19

Walmart(NYSE:WMT) is another stock that has performed well during the coronavirus crisis. In Walmart’s Q1 2021 earnings report, CEO Doug McMillon noted that increased sales of groceries and cleaning materials helped the corporation reach $134.62 billion while people were quarantined.

“We experienced unprecedented demand in categories like paper goods, surface cleaners, and grocery staples. For many of these items, we were selling in two or three hours what we normally sell in two or three days,” said McMillon.

Analysts rate Walmart a buy

Because of Walmart’s strong sales, financial analysts rate Walmart stock a buy. Garrett Nelson is a senior equity analyst at the CFRA research firm. Nelson rated Walmart as a strong pick for investors in a note to clients.

“Walmart remains one of our top picks, as we see it as a ‘pandemic winner’ that is likely to pick up share from the distress taking place across retail, particularly small businesses, department stores, and others levered to shopping malls,” wrote Nelson.

Neil Saunders, managing director at GlobalData Retail, also noted that Walmart is a buy-even more so than Amazon.

“That Walmart has outperformed Amazon, at least in growth terms, underlines both the deficiencies of Amazon in grocery – which generated the bulk of sales this quarter – and Walmart’s growing power in the segment,” said Neil Saunders, managing director at GlobalData Retail.

What is Walmart’s quick ratio?

As of April 2020, Walmart’s current assets excluding inventory is $22.1 billion. Walmart’s current liabilities are $82.65 billion. The equation would then be:

22.1/82.65=0.27

In comparison between Amazon and Walmart, 0.84 is greater than 0,27. Amazon’s quick ratio is higher than Walmart’s ratio.

Walmart inventory make company’s liquidity lower than Amazon’s quick ratio

Walmart has a lower quick ratio because of its increased inventory. Because Walmart has more physical inventory than Amazon, which isn’t included in quick ratios, Amazon ranks higher.

In addition to inventory, Walmart’s quick ratio is lower than Amazon’s quick ratio because of debt. Even though Amazon has expenditures of $4 billion, Walmart’s expenditures are topping $900 million for Q1 2021. Because Walmart has more inventory and increasing expenses, its quick ratio is lower than Amazon’s quick ratio.

Walmart’s expenses increased because of its extra bonuses to workers and increased spending on sanitizing store locations. Brent Biggs, Walmart’s chief financial officer, noted that added expenses could add to Walmart’s liability.

“[W]e’ve already announced a second round of special bonuses in the U.S. which that will financially hit in the second quarter,” said Biggs.

The increased expenses and physical inventory give Amazon’s quick ratio an edge over Walmart.

Comparison of quick ratios: Apple vs. Google

Apple and Google are rivals in the smartphone market with Apple’s iPhones battling Google’s Android system. Both corporations have become giants in tech with their innovation. But which company has the best quick ratio?

Apple has positive Q2 2020 earnings report

In Apple’s(NASDAQ:AAPL) Q2 2020 earnings report, Apple had an increase in revenue. The company’s iPhone sales declined because of the coronavirus slowing down production in China. Chief financial officer, Luca Maestri, noted that Apple Watches and other wearable devices still had strong sales.

“Today Apple reports $58.3 billion in revenue, an all-time record for services and a quarterly record for Wearables, Home and Accessories. It was also a quarterly revenue record for Apple Retail, powered by phenomenal growth in our online store. Amid the most challenging global environment in which we’ve ever operated our business, we are proud to say that Apple grew during the quarter,” said Maestri.

Apple stock can rise with high quick ratio

Maestri also noted that Apple would continue its growth and commit and contribute more to the U.S. economy.

“We are confident in our future and continue to make significant investments in all areas of our business to enrich our customers’ lives and support our long-term plans — including our five-year commitment to contribute $350 billion to the United States economy,” added Maestri.

Analysts pick Apple stock as a buy

Even though Apple’s sales increased in the U.S., Apple has struggled to maintain a foothold in India. Despite that, JP Morgan Chase Samik Chatterje rates Apple stock as a buy. He believes that if Apple iPhone SE sales increase in India, Apple’s price target could rise from $350 to $365.

“Apple has struggled to date to build a material presence in India on account of premium price positioning as well as other drivers,” he wrote, We estimate if Apple were able to capture roughly half of the 30 million to 35 million opportunity, it would translate into a 215 million steady annual replacement run-rate for iPhones globally and a $7 billion revenue or $0.70 cents of EPS upside,” noted Chatterje.

Evercore ISI analyst Amit Daryanani is another financial analyst that’s bullish on Apple stock. He believes that Apple is a stock that will continue to outperform.

“Apple continues to offer the best risk/reward in large-cap tech and long-term investors should use any weakness to add to positions,” said Daryanani.

Daryanani also noted that Apple could also have a $2 trillion market value in the future.

“This implies EPS growth of 14% over next several years driven by combination of operational tailwinds and buyback support,” said Daryanani.

What is Apple’s quick ratio?

As of March 31, Apple’s assets minus inventory total $140.42 billion. The company’s liabilities equal $96.09 billion. The quick ratio formula is:

140.42/96.09=1.46.

Therefore, Apple’s quick ratio is 1.46. That’s well above the standard for a quick ratio of a company.

Google Q1 2020 earnings report shows minimal fallout from ad revenue drop

Google’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) Q1 2020 earnings report was $41.16 billion, a strong showing despite a drop in ad revenue over the last few months. As a result of the economic slowdown, many corporations are not spending as much to advertise on Google as they did pre-pandemic.

YouTube drives Google revenue growth

Despite the decline in ad revenue in March, the decline wasn’t as deep as expected. YouTube has been a bright spot with its surge in revenue. The video-sharing site’s Q1 2020 revenue jumped by 36% to $15 billion. Google’s parent Alphabet chief financial officer Ruth Porat, spoke about YouTube, one of Google’s most valuable acquisitions.

“[For YouTube], the biggest part of ad revenue is Brand and we’re really excited about that and the upside there… One of the things we’re extremely focused on is ensuring that we’re providing advertisers with the tools they need to really present their brand the way they want, how they want and really to protect and measure that,” said Porat.

Analysts bullish on Google stock

Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Nowak says Google stock is a buy because the corporation is branching out into gathering health care data and moving into education.

“We are particularly positive on its emerging e-commerce products (shopping listings, virtual show rooms, deep linking, etc), focus on [small and medium-sized businesses], and efforts to drive digital transformation in the healthcare and education industries. Google’s Waymo autonomous vehicles business is also the market leader in AV technology,” said Nowak.

What is Google’s quick ratio?

In this equation to determine Google’s quick ratio, I’ll look at the current assets excluding inventory and liabilities. Google’s assets as of March are $146.13 billion. Google parent Alphabet’s liabilities total $40.19 billion. Therefore, the quick ratio formula is:

146.13/40.19=3.64

Google’s quick ratio is 3.64. That quotient is much higher than Apple’s 1.46. Google is more likely than Apple to be able to pay off short-term liabilities.

Quick ratio comparison: Twitter vs. Facebook

Trump war on social media affects Twitter stock

President Donald Trump has affected Twitter’s(NASDAQ:TWTR) stock. The social media site has been under fire from the president for fact-checking several of his latest controversial tweets and flagging some other messages. Twitter explained why it felt the need to flag a recent tweet of Trump’s for “glorifying violence.”

“We’ve taken action in the interest of preventing others from being inspired to commit violent acts, but have kept the Tweet on Twitter because it is important that the public still be able to see the Tweet given its relevance to ongoing matters of public importance,” noted Twitter.

Trump has threatened to sign an executive order to give the Federal Communications Commission more power to regulate Twitter.

While Twitter stock initially fell 4% last week after Trump’s threat, financial analysts say that Twitter stock won’t stay down for long. Baird Capital analyst Colin Sebastian wrote in a note to clients that Trump’s criticism won’t always adversely affect Twitter stock.

“It is difficult for us to see how the dispute over content moderation would meaningfully impact the vast majority of social media usage. Consequently, we would not expect any material impact on revenue, as advertisers will follow traffic and eyeballs,” wrote Sebastian.

Twitter has better-than-expected Q1 2020 earnings report

Twitter had a positive past earnings report in Q1 2020. However, Twitter had a downturn in its ad revenue.

“Revenue was $808 million in Q1, up 3% year over year, reflecting a strong start to the quarter that was impacted by widespread economic disruption related to COVID-19 in March. Reduced expenses partially offset the revenue shortfall, resulting in an operating loss of $7 million,” said Twitter.

Twitter also suffers from advertising decline

In addition to Google, Twitter also had a decline in ad revenue because of the COVID-19 crisis slowing down business. The company noted the at economic downturn hurt advertising revenue numbers.

“As an indication of the rapid change in advertising behavior, from March 11 (when many events around the world began to be canceled and we made working from home mandatory for nearly all our employees globally) until March 31, our total advertising revenue declined approximately 27% year over year,” noted Ned Segal, Twitter’s chief financial officer.

What is Twitter’s quick ratio?

As of March 2020, Twitter’s current assets minus inventory total 8467.579. Twitter’s liabilities equal 710.02. In the quick ratio formula,

8467.579/710.02=11.93

Therefore, Twitter’s quick ratio is 11.93.

Facebook stock caught in Trump tirade

Just as Twitter stock dropped slightly after challenging Trump, Facebook(NASDAQ:FB) stock dipped after the company also caught in Trump’s war on social media.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg noted that he disapproved of Trump’s attempts to control social media companies.

“I’ll have to understand what [the President] actually would intend to do, but in general I think a government choosing to censor a platform because they’re worried about censorship doesn’t exactly strike me as the right reflex there,” said Zuckerberg.

In contrast to Twitter, Facebook isn’t flagging Trump’s posts and refuses to fact-check posts on their site.

“I just believe strongly that Facebook shouldn’t be the arbiter of truth of everything that people say online. Private companies probably shouldn’t be, especially these platform companies, shouldn’t be in the position of doing that,” said Zuckerberg.

Analysts bullish on Facebook because of foray into online shopping

Before the controversy around Facebook, analysts rated Facebook as a buy. Many of them believe that the controversy will have a short-term effect on Facebook stock. Financial analysts believe that since Facebook announced an e-commerce division of the site, Facebook Shops. Deutsche Bank analysts wrote in a note to clients that Shops could be a multibillion revenue stream for Facebook.

“We think Facebook Shop in a simplistic bull case could drive up to as much as a $30 [billion] revenue opportunity, across a combination of take-rate driven transactional and advertising revenue,” wrote the analysts.

Facebook stock can be independent of a quick ratio

AB Bernstein analysts also rated Facebook stock a buy because of the new Shops venture. They believe that Facebook can be a vital part of e-commerce like Amazon.

“We have long viewed FB as the ‘rent’ to the digital economy and a core component of the online retail ecosystem,” the analysts wrote.

What is Facebook’s quick ratio?

As of March 2020, Facebook’s current assets excluding inventory are $69.349 billion. The social media’s company’s liabilities total $15.69 billion. To calculate the quick ratio formula, the equation would be as follows:

Facebook’s quick ratio formula is: 69.349-/15.69=4.60

Therefore, Twitter’s quick ratio of 11.93 is much greater than Facebook’s 4.60. Twitter has a greater ability to pay off short-term debt than Facebook.

Comparison of quick ratios: Uber vs. Lyft

Uber (NASDAQ:UBER) and Lyft (NASDAQ:LYFT) are competing ride-sharing services that have been struggling as people are staying home during the quarantine. Despite the troubles the companies are experiencing, they have different quick ratios.

Uber touts liquidity in Q1 2020 earnings report

Uber’s Q1 2020 earnings report was positive despite COVID-19’s effect on the company’s ridership numbers, creating $2.9 billion in losses. The corporation made $3.5 billion in revenue, a 14% increase. Uber’s chief financial officer, Nelson Chai, noted that the company has enough liquidity to weather the current economic volatility.

“Our ample liquidity provides us with substantial flexibility to navigate the current crisis, but we are being proactive and taking actions to emerge stronger and more focused as a company,” said Chai.

Uber also said that while ridership fell, the company had success with its food delivery service Uber Eats. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi noted that Uber stock should rise once the economy re-opens.

“Along with the surge in food delivery, we are encouraged by the early signs we are seeing in markets that are beginning to open back up,” said Khosrowshahi.

Some analysts bullish on Uber after cost cuts

Financial analysts rate Uber stock after its positive earnings report. As Uber cut its workforce, the company has cut costs. Ironically, Uber’s decision to eliminate 6,000 jobs lifted the stock up and is a good sign to CFRA analyst Angelo Zino. Zino wrote in a note to clients that Uber’s ride-sharing division can be more profitable with fewer overhead costs.

“We[CFRA] applaud [the cost savings] as it will allow the Rides segment to be profitable at a much lower run rate. We anticipate a tempered recovery in the ridesharing market without a vaccine for Covid-19, with the segment unlikely seeing previous peak volume over the next 2 years,” wrote Zino.

“That said, we see UBER being profitable on an adjusted EBITDA basis by the second half of ‘21. We believe the moves (includes office reductions) will allow UBER’s cost structure to become more variable,” added Zino.

Bank of America Securities analyst Justin Post is also bullish on Uber stock after the cost-cutting measures.

“We think these changes underscore a more focused and mature Uber and will likely result in an accelerated path to break-even if end markets recover,” wrote Post.

Other analysts see slow recovery for rideshare stocks

Even though Uber and Lyft have survived the economic slowdown, there are other financial analysts who think the ridesharing services still face an uphill climb. Wedbush analyst Dan Ives noted that Uber and Lyft need more time to recover after the economy re-opens.

“It’s still a slow thaw, and with multiple macro levers over the course of the year, and likely an even longer return to normal environment, including business travel, there’s still a long road ahead for rideshare,” said Ives.

What is Uber’s quick ratio?

As of March, Uber’s current assets are $11.11 billion. Uber’s liabilities are $6.63 billion. The quick ratio formula is:

11.11/6.63=1.68

So, Uber’s quick ratio is 1.68.

Lyft perseveres despite COVID-19

Even though Lyft stock was adversely affected by the nationwide lockdown, the company still reported good news. Lyft reported Q1 2020 sales of $955.712 million. That figure beat experts’ expectations of $897.860 million.

Lyft stock also jumped after reporting that ridership increased by 26% in May. CEO Logan Green noted that Lyft was able to withstand economic headwinds.

“While the COVID-19 pandemic poses a formidable challenge to our business, we are prepared to weather this crisis. We are responding to the pandemic with an aggressive cost reduction plan that will give us an even leaner expense structure and allow us to emerge stronger,” said Green.

Similar to Uber, Lyft’s chief financial officer Brian Roberts also noted that the corporation was reducing costs.

“In these uncertain times, we are building on that progress by taking decisive action to reduce costs and further improve our operating efficiency. We expect to remove approximately $300 million from our annual expense run-rate by the fourth quarter of 2020 relative to our original expectations for 2020,” said Roberts.

Analysts split on whether Lyft is a buy

Financial analysts are divided on whether Lyft is a buy. Piper Sandler’s Alex Potter downgraded his rating of Lyft. He believes that riders will be hesitant to enter Lyft cars because of COVID-19 fears.

“Sequential gains are encouraging, but since ride-hailing involves sharing indoor air with strangers, we expect riders may remain wary for some time,” said Potter.

While Potter is bearish on Lyft stock, Needham’s Brad Erickson is bullish on Lyft stock. He rates the ridesharing company’s stock as a buy.

“We are unwavering in our view that the secular story of ride-hailing adoption is intact if and as we move through COVID,” noted Erickson.

What is Lyft’s quick ratio?

As of March, Lyft’s current assets totaled $3.144754 billion. Liabilities equaled $2551.14 billion. In the quick ratio formula,

3.144754/2551.14= 1.23

Lyft’s quick ratio of 1.23 is less than Uber’s 1.68. Uber has a greater ability to pay its short-term liabilities than Lyft.

Quick ratio comparison: Tesla vs. GM

Tesla was founded just a few years ago, but is already challenging the established automobile company General Motors (GM). I will examine which corporation has a higher quick ratio.

Tesla makes a profit despite COVID-19 challenges

Like all automobile corporations, Tesla’s( NASDAQ:TSLA) production ground to a halt after coronavirus caused a nationwide shutdown. Despite the shutdown, Tesla turned a profit in a better-than-expected Q1 2020 earnings report with revenue of $5.99 billion. CEO Elon Musk spoke about the results.

“So, Q1 ended up being a strong quarter despite many challenges in the final few weeks. This is the first time we have achieved positive GAAP( generally accepted accounting principles) net income in a seasonally weak first quarter,” said Musk.

Musk also spoke about how Tesla has $8 million available in cash despite a reduction in demand for Tesla during the economic slowdown.

Analysts divided on whether Tesla is a buy

Tesla’s positive Q1 2020 earnings report makes Tesla a buy to Wedbush’s Dan Ives. He wrote in a note to clients that he believes Tesla stock can continue to perform well now that the company’s factories are re-opened.

“Tesla appears to be turning the corner from both a demand and production perspective heading into the month of June,” wrote Ives.

Ives also believes that the international demand for Tesla’s Model 3 will help the company’s stock.

“While second-quarter delivery numbers remain in flux due to a host of logistical issues as well as overall lockdown conditions now starting to ease across the U.S. and Europe, it appears underlying demand for Model 3 in China is strong with a solid May and June likely in the cards and clear momentum heading into the second half,” added Ives.

While Ives is bullish on Tesla stock. Bank of America analysts are bearish on Tesla stock. The analysts believe that even though Tesla is re-opened, production restarts will still be difficult to implement.

Analysts also noted Tesla’s re-opening “will likely prove toughest with production restarts/ramps that continue to be pushed out, which may disproportionately hit (Tesla) by derailing its ongoing capacity/production expansion across its plants (Model Y in Fremont, Model 3 in Shanghai, Giga (Berlin)”.

What is Tesla’s quick ratio?

As of March, Tesla current assets excluding inventory are $14.893 billion. The company’s liabilities equal $ 11.986 billion. The quick ratio formula would be:

10.40/11.986=0.87.

Tesla’s quick ratio is 0.87.

GM touts liquidity despite economic slowdown

GM had a better-than-expected earnings report despite COVID-19 slowing down production. Chief financial officer Dhivya Suryadevara touted the corporation’s liquidity in its latest financial results.

“Our liquidity continues to be very strong at $33.4 billion at the end of first quarter. Even in an extreme scenario with zero production, our current levels of liquidity will take us into Q4 of 2020. In addition, the capital markets continue to be open as a way to access additional layers of liquidity to take us beyond that time frame,” said Suryadevara.

Deutsche Bank bullish on GM stock

Because of GM’s positive earnings report, Deutsche Bank upgraded its rating of GM stock to a buy in May.

“GM’s strong 1Q performance and forward-looking outlook, in our view demonstrate the benefit from its proactive actions to transform the business, right size its costs and boost profitability. They should leave GM best positioned to weather challenging 2Q conditions, and yield considerable improvement in profit and free cash flow in 2H and into 2021.”

GM’s stock rose 6% after the Q1 2020 earnings report. The company had its stock slide 40% throughout the year. However, GM is showing resilience as it re-opens its factories as the economy re-opens.

What is GM’s quick ratio?

As of March, GM’s current assets equaled $86.90 billion. GM’s liabilities totaled $91.29 billion. Therefore, the quick ratio formula is:

86.90/91.29=0.95.

GM’s quick ratio is 0.95.

GM’s 0.95 is greater than Tesla’s 0.87. GM has more liquidity and can more easily pay off short-term debt better than Tesla.

How can traders use quick ratio interpretations to pick stocks?

While a quick ratio of a company is just one way to measure a corporation’s success, it is a vital metric. A quick ratio interpretation can help investors choose the best stocks that can pay off short-term debt. TradingSim charts and blog posts can also help investors find the best stocks with the most liquidity to easily pay off debt and give investors better results.

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