TRANSPOSITION ERROR Definition

Bookmark and Share

TRANSPOSITION ERROR is the unintentional exchange of two elements of an ordered list with all others staying the same. A transposition is therefore a permutation of two elements. For example, the swapping of 2 and 5 to take the list 123456 to 153426 is a transposition. In this example, if the newly ordered list of 153426 was unintentional, it would be commonly called a transposition error. In accounting, an error in copying a number from one place to another is a transposition error.

Learn new Accounting Terms

QUICK RATIO (or Acid Test Ratio) is a more rigorous test than the Current Ratio of short-run solvency, the current ability of a firm to pay its current debts as they come due. This ratio considers only cash, marketable securities (cash equivalents) and accounts receivable because they are considered to be the most liquid forms of current assets. A Quick Ratio less than 1.0 implies "dependency" on inventory and other current assets to liquidate short-term debt. Formula: (Cash + Cash Equivalents + Accounts Receivable) / Total Liabilities

SUSTAINABLE GROWTH RATE (SGR) shows how fast a company can grow using internally generated assets without issuing additional debt or equity. SGR provides a useful benchmark for judging a companys appropriate rate of growth. A company with a low sustainable growth rate but lots of opportunities for expansion will have to fund that growth via outside sources, which could lower profits and perhaps strain the companys finances. Growth can be a major dilemma because with growth comes a spontaneously generated need for increased working capital. VentureLine calculates a Sustainable Growth Rate from the data entered into the Income Statement and Balance Sheet. The Sustainable Growth Rate is the rate at which the firm may grow the Stockholders Equity Account (Net Worth) using only increases in Retained Earnings (Net Profits contribution to retained earnings) to fund the growth. Growth beyond this amount will force the firm to obtain additional financing from external sources to finance growth. Formula: SGR =  (Asset Turnover) x (After Tax Revenue on Sales) x (Assets / Debt) x (Debt / Equity) x (Fraction of Earnings Retained)

Suggest a Term

Enter Search Term

Enter a term, then click the entry you would like to view.