What are fixed assets?
Fixed assets are non-current, physical long term assets that are held for use in the production or supply of goods and services, for rental to others, or for administrative purposes and that are expected to provide economic benefit for more than one year. They are not inventories nor are they intangibles such as goodwill. Examples are land, buildings, machinery, equipment, furniture and fittings.
What is capital employed?
Capital employed is defined as total shareholders' equity plus long term debt. It is the total amount invested in the company by the shareholders or borrowed from creditors for use in the business.
Why do we need to calculate fixed assets as a percentage of capital employed?
Knowing what percentage of the total capital is held in the form of long term assets helps management to determine how much money should be reinvested back into the business versus distributed to shareholders. It can also be useful when comparing companies within similar industry sectors or for benchmarking purposes.
How to calculate fixed assets as a percentage of capital employed?
Calculating fixed assets as a percentage of capital employed is very easy. Just take the total fixed asset value and divide it by the capital employed figure. For example, ABC Ltd had fixed assets worth RM500,000 at the end of its financial year while its capital employed was RM2,000,000. This means that fixed assets represent 2% of capital employed.
How to use fixed assets as a percentage of capital employed information?
If the percentage is high then it suggests that the business is making good use of its capital by investing in physical assets rather than higher yielding, but more risky investments such as research and development or intangibles. However, it is important to remember that this percentage can change quite quickly depending on the business cycle.