LEDGER Definition

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LEDGER is a book of accounts in which data from transactions recorded in journals are posted and thereby classified and summarized. The ledger is typically divided up into (traditionally physical separate books): a. Purchases/Creditors Ledger is the subsidiary ledger in which creditors accounts are recorded; also known as the bought ledger. Each creditors account is credited with purchases and debited with cash paid, discounts received and returns outward. The detail in the creditors ledger is summarized in the creditors ledger control account kept in the general ledger; b. Sales/Debtors Ledger is the subsidiary ledger in which debtors accounts are recorded; also known as the sold ledger. Each debtors account is debited with sales and credited with cash received, discounts allowed and returns inward. The detail in the debtors ledger is summarized in the debtors ledger control account kept in the general ledger; c. General/Impersonal Ledger is a book of final entry summarizing all of a companys financial transactions, through offsetting debit and credit accounts, e.g. liability, reserve, capital, income and expense accounts; and d. Private Ledger is confidential and records items such as capital, loans, mortgages, directors salaries and awards, etc.

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FIXED ASSET TURNOVER measures managements ability to generate revenues from investments in fixed assets. FAT considers only the firms investment in property, plant and equipment and is extremely important in high asset firms such as manufactures and telecommunications companies. Generally, the higher this ratio:

  • the smaller the investment required to generate sales, thus the more profitable the firm.
  • indicates the firm has less money tied up in fixed assets for each dollar of sales revenue.

A declining ratio may indicate that the firm has over-invested in plant, equipment, or other fixed assets. Formula: Net Revenues / Fixed Assets

EQUITY SHARE CAPITAL is capital raised by an entity through the sale of common shares.

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