Analysis of Short-term (Operating) Activity Ratios
Activity ratios measure how efficiently a company performs day-to-day tasks, such us the collection of receivables and management of inventory.
Short-term Activity Ratios (Summary)
3M Co., short-term (operating) activity ratios
Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2018-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2017-12-31).
| Short-term activity ratio | Description | The company |
|---|---|---|
| Inventory turnover | An activity ratio calculated as cost of goods sold divided by inventory. | 3M Co. inventory turnover ratio deteriorated from 2019 to 2020 and from 2020 to 2021. |
| Receivables turnover | An activity ratio equal to revenue divided by receivables. | 3M Co. receivables turnover ratio improved from 2019 to 2020 and from 2020 to 2021. |
| Payables turnover | An activity ratio calculated as cost of goods sold divided by payables. | 3M Co. payables turnover ratio decreased from 2019 to 2020 and from 2020 to 2021. |
| Working capital turnover | An activity ratio calculated as revenue divided by working capital. | 3M Co. working capital turnover ratio deteriorated from 2019 to 2020 but then slightly improved from 2020 to 2021. |
| Short-term activity ratio | Description | The company |
|---|---|---|
| Average inventory processing period | An activity ratio equal to the number of days in the period divided by inventory turnover over the period. | 3M Co. number of days of inventory outstanding deteriorated from 2019 to 2020 and from 2020 to 2021. |
| Average receivable collection period | An activity ratio equal to the number of days in the period divided by receivables turnover. | 3M Co. number of days of receivables outstanding improved from 2019 to 2020 and from 2020 to 2021. |
| Operating cycle | Equal to average inventory processing period plus average receivables collection period. | 3M Co. operating cycle deteriorated from 2019 to 2020 but then slightly improved from 2020 to 2021. |
| Average payables payment period | An estimate of the average number of days it takes a company to pay its suppliers; equal to the number of days in the period divided by payables turnover ratio for the period. | 3M Co. number of days of payables outstanding increased from 2019 to 2020 and from 2020 to 2021. |
| Cash conversion cycle | A financial metric that measures the length of time required for a company to convert cash invested in its operations to cash received as a result of its operations; equal to average inventory processing period plus average receivables collection period minus average payables payment period. | 3M Co. cash conversion cycle improved from 2019 to 2020 and from 2020 to 2021. |
Inventory Turnover
3M Co., inventory turnover calculation, comparison to benchmarks
| Dec 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2020 | Dec 31, 2019 | Dec 31, 2018 | Dec 31, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data (US$ in millions) | ||||||
| Cost of sales | 18,795) | 16,605) | 17,136) | 16,682) | 16,001) | |
| Inventories | 4,985) | 4,239) | 4,134) | 4,366) | 4,034) | |
| Short-term Activity Ratio | ||||||
| Inventory turnover1 | 3.77 | 3.92 | 4.15 | 3.82 | 3.97 | |
| Benchmarks | ||||||
| Inventory Turnover, Competitors2 | ||||||
| Boeing Co. | 0.75 | 0.78 | 0.94 | — | — | |
| Caterpillar Inc. | 2.53 | 2.55 | 3.25 | — | — | |
| Cummins Inc. | 4.21 | 4.36 | 5.05 | — | — | |
| Eaton Corp. plc | 4.48 | 5.88 | 5.11 | — | — | |
| General Electric Co. | 3.40 | 3.80 | 4.74 | — | — | |
| Honeywell International Inc. | 4.29 | 4.94 | 5.51 | — | — | |
| Lockheed Martin Corp. | 19.45 | 16.01 | 14.22 | — | — | |
| RTX Corp. | 5.65 | 5.11 | 5.21 | — | — | |
| Inventory Turnover, Sector | ||||||
| Capital Goods | 2.34 | 2.33 | 2.67 | — | — | |
| Inventory Turnover, Industry | ||||||
| Industrials | 3.88 | 3.63 | 3.97 | — | — | |
Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2018-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2017-12-31).
1 2021 Calculation
Inventory turnover = Cost of sales ÷ Inventories
= 18,795 ÷ 4,985 = 3.77
2 Click competitor name to see calculations.
| Short-term activity ratio | Description | The company |
|---|---|---|
| Inventory turnover | An activity ratio calculated as cost of goods sold divided by inventory. | 3M Co. inventory turnover ratio deteriorated from 2019 to 2020 and from 2020 to 2021. |
Receivables Turnover
3M Co., receivables turnover calculation, comparison to benchmarks
| Dec 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2020 | Dec 31, 2019 | Dec 31, 2018 | Dec 31, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data (US$ in millions) | ||||||
| Net sales | 35,355) | 32,184) | 32,136) | 32,765) | 31,657) | |
| Accounts receivable, net of allowances | 4,660) | 4,705) | 4,791) | 5,020) | 4,911) | |
| Short-term Activity Ratio | ||||||
| Receivables turnover1 | 7.59 | 6.84 | 6.71 | 6.53 | 6.45 | |
| Benchmarks | ||||||
| Receivables Turnover, Competitors2 | ||||||
| Boeing Co. | 23.58 | 29.75 | 23.44 | — | — | |
| Caterpillar Inc. | 5.68 | 5.33 | 5.92 | — | — | |
| Cummins Inc. | 6.02 | 5.19 | 6.42 | — | — | |
| Eaton Corp. plc | 5.95 | 6.15 | 6.22 | — | — | |
| General Electric Co. | 4.55 | 4.37 | 5.22 | — | — | |
| Honeywell International Inc. | 5.04 | 4.78 | 4.90 | — | — | |
| Lockheed Martin Corp. | 34.15 | 33.06 | 25.59 | — | — | |
| RTX Corp. | 6.66 | 6.11 | 5.70 | — | — | |
| Receivables Turnover, Sector | ||||||
| Capital Goods | 7.45 | 7.14 | 7.34 | — | — | |
| Receivables Turnover, Industry | ||||||
| Industrials | 7.53 | 7.37 | 7.61 | — | — | |
Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2018-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2017-12-31).
1 2021 Calculation
Receivables turnover = Net sales ÷ Accounts receivable, net of allowances
= 35,355 ÷ 4,660 = 7.59
2 Click competitor name to see calculations.
| Short-term activity ratio | Description | The company |
|---|---|---|
| Receivables turnover | An activity ratio equal to revenue divided by receivables. | 3M Co. receivables turnover ratio improved from 2019 to 2020 and from 2020 to 2021. |
Payables Turnover
3M Co., payables turnover calculation, comparison to benchmarks
| Dec 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2020 | Dec 31, 2019 | Dec 31, 2018 | Dec 31, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data (US$ in millions) | ||||||
| Cost of sales | 18,795) | 16,605) | 17,136) | 16,682) | 16,001) | |
| Accounts payable | 2,994) | 2,561) | 2,228) | 2,266) | 1,945) | |
| Short-term Activity Ratio | ||||||
| Payables turnover1 | 6.28 | 6.48 | 7.69 | 7.36 | 8.23 | |
| Benchmarks | ||||||
| Payables Turnover, Competitors2 | ||||||
| Boeing Co. | 6.40 | 4.94 | 4.63 | — | — | |
| Caterpillar Inc. | 4.36 | 4.75 | 6.15 | — | — | |
| Cummins Inc. | 6.07 | 5.29 | 6.94 | — | — | |
| Eaton Corp. plc | 4.75 | 6.24 | 6.78 | — | — | |
| General Electric Co. | 3.32 | 3.67 | 4.20 | — | — | |
| Honeywell International Inc. | 3.40 | 3.86 | 4.25 | — | — | |
| Lockheed Martin Corp. | 74.34 | 64.48 | 40.16 | — | — | |
| RTX Corp. | 5.93 | 5.56 | 5.28 | — | — | |
| Payables Turnover, Sector | ||||||
| Capital Goods | 5.63 | 5.53 | 5.68 | — | — | |
| Payables Turnover, Industry | ||||||
| Industrials | 7.66 | 7.35 | 7.38 | — | — | |
Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2018-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2017-12-31).
1 2021 Calculation
Payables turnover = Cost of sales ÷ Accounts payable
= 18,795 ÷ 2,994 = 6.28
2 Click competitor name to see calculations.
| Short-term activity ratio | Description | The company |
|---|---|---|
| Payables turnover | An activity ratio calculated as cost of goods sold divided by payables. | 3M Co. payables turnover ratio decreased from 2019 to 2020 and from 2020 to 2021. |
Working Capital Turnover
3M Co., working capital turnover calculation, comparison to benchmarks
| Dec 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2020 | Dec 31, 2019 | Dec 31, 2018 | Dec 31, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data (US$ in millions) | ||||||
| Current assets | 15,403) | 14,982) | 12,971) | 13,709) | 14,277) | |
| Less: Current liabilities | 9,035) | 7,948) | 9,222) | 7,244) | 7,687) | |
| Working capital | 6,368) | 7,034) | 3,749) | 6,465) | 6,590) | |
| Net sales | 35,355) | 32,184) | 32,136) | 32,765) | 31,657) | |
| Short-term Activity Ratio | ||||||
| Working capital turnover1 | 5.55 | 4.58 | 8.57 | 5.07 | 4.80 | |
| Benchmarks | ||||||
| Working Capital Turnover, Competitors2 | ||||||
| Boeing Co. | 2.34 | 1.69 | 15.57 | — | — | |
| Caterpillar Inc. | 3.54 | 2.84 | 4.04 | — | — | |
| Cummins Inc. | 4.60 | 3.56 | 7.54 | — | — | |
| Eaton Corp. plc | 65.65 | 5.42 | 5.95 | — | — | |
| General Electric Co. | 4.94 | 2.26 | 7.03 | — | — | |
| Honeywell International Inc. | 5.86 | 3.64 | 5.92 | — | — | |
| Lockheed Martin Corp. | 11.52 | 12.01 | 19.15 | — | — | |
| RTX Corp. | 9.75 | 7.52 | 26.47 | — | — | |
| Working Capital Turnover, Sector | ||||||
| Capital Goods | 4.98 | 3.26 | 8.86 | — | — | |
| Working Capital Turnover, Industry | ||||||
| Industrials | 6.77 | 4.43 | 9.88 | — | — | |
Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2018-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2017-12-31).
1 2021 Calculation
Working capital turnover = Net sales ÷ Working capital
= 35,355 ÷ 6,368 = 5.55
2 Click competitor name to see calculations.
| Short-term activity ratio | Description | The company |
|---|---|---|
| Working capital turnover | An activity ratio calculated as revenue divided by working capital. | 3M Co. working capital turnover ratio deteriorated from 2019 to 2020 but then slightly improved from 2020 to 2021. |
Average Inventory Processing Period
3M Co., average inventory processing period calculation, comparison to benchmarks
| Dec 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2020 | Dec 31, 2019 | Dec 31, 2018 | Dec 31, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data | ||||||
| Inventory turnover | 3.77 | 3.92 | 4.15 | 3.82 | 3.97 | |
| Short-term Activity Ratio (no. days) | ||||||
| Average inventory processing period1 | 97 | 93 | 88 | 96 | 92 | |
| Benchmarks (no. days) | ||||||
| Average Inventory Processing Period, Competitors2 | ||||||
| Boeing Co. | 486 | 467 | 388 | — | — | |
| Caterpillar Inc. | 144 | 143 | 112 | — | — | |
| Cummins Inc. | 87 | 84 | 72 | — | — | |
| Eaton Corp. plc | 82 | 62 | 71 | — | — | |
| General Electric Co. | 107 | 96 | 77 | — | — | |
| Honeywell International Inc. | 85 | 74 | 66 | — | — | |
| Lockheed Martin Corp. | 19 | 23 | 26 | — | — | |
| RTX Corp. | 65 | 71 | 70 | — | — | |
| Average Inventory Processing Period, Sector | ||||||
| Capital Goods | 156 | 157 | 136 | — | — | |
| Average Inventory Processing Period, Industry | ||||||
| Industrials | 94 | 100 | 92 | — | — | |
Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2018-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2017-12-31).
1 2021 Calculation
Average inventory processing period = 365 ÷ Inventory turnover
= 365 ÷ 3.77 = 97
2 Click competitor name to see calculations.
| Short-term activity ratio | Description | The company |
|---|---|---|
| Average inventory processing period | An activity ratio equal to the number of days in the period divided by inventory turnover over the period. | 3M Co. number of days of inventory outstanding deteriorated from 2019 to 2020 and from 2020 to 2021. |
Average Receivable Collection Period
3M Co., average receivable collection period calculation, comparison to benchmarks
| Dec 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2020 | Dec 31, 2019 | Dec 31, 2018 | Dec 31, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data | ||||||
| Receivables turnover | 7.59 | 6.84 | 6.71 | 6.53 | 6.45 | |
| Short-term Activity Ratio (no. days) | ||||||
| Average receivable collection period1 | 48 | 53 | 54 | 56 | 57 | |
| Benchmarks (no. days) | ||||||
| Average Receivable Collection Period, Competitors2 | ||||||
| Boeing Co. | 15 | 12 | 16 | — | — | |
| Caterpillar Inc. | 64 | 68 | 62 | — | — | |
| Cummins Inc. | 61 | 70 | 57 | — | — | |
| Eaton Corp. plc | 61 | 59 | 59 | — | — | |
| General Electric Co. | 80 | 83 | 70 | — | — | |
| Honeywell International Inc. | 72 | 76 | 75 | — | — | |
| Lockheed Martin Corp. | 11 | 11 | 14 | — | — | |
| RTX Corp. | 55 | 60 | 64 | — | — | |
| Average Receivable Collection Period, Sector | ||||||
| Capital Goods | 49 | 51 | 50 | — | — | |
| Average Receivable Collection Period, Industry | ||||||
| Industrials | 48 | 49 | 48 | — | — | |
Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2018-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2017-12-31).
1 2021 Calculation
Average receivable collection period = 365 ÷ Receivables turnover
= 365 ÷ 7.59 = 48
2 Click competitor name to see calculations.
| Short-term activity ratio | Description | The company |
|---|---|---|
| Average receivable collection period | An activity ratio equal to the number of days in the period divided by receivables turnover. | 3M Co. number of days of receivables outstanding improved from 2019 to 2020 and from 2020 to 2021. |
Operating Cycle
3M Co., operating cycle calculation, comparison to benchmarks
No. days
| Dec 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2020 | Dec 31, 2019 | Dec 31, 2018 | Dec 31, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data | ||||||
| Average inventory processing period | 97 | 93 | 88 | 96 | 92 | |
| Average receivable collection period | 48 | 53 | 54 | 56 | 57 | |
| Short-term Activity Ratio | ||||||
| Operating cycle1 | 145 | 146 | 142 | 152 | 149 | |
| Benchmarks | ||||||
| Operating Cycle, Competitors2 | ||||||
| Boeing Co. | 501 | 479 | 404 | — | — | |
| Caterpillar Inc. | 208 | 211 | 174 | — | — | |
| Cummins Inc. | 148 | 154 | 129 | — | — | |
| Eaton Corp. plc | 143 | 121 | 130 | — | — | |
| General Electric Co. | 187 | 179 | 147 | — | — | |
| Honeywell International Inc. | 157 | 150 | 141 | — | — | |
| Lockheed Martin Corp. | 30 | 34 | 40 | — | — | |
| RTX Corp. | 120 | 131 | 134 | — | — | |
| Operating Cycle, Sector | ||||||
| Capital Goods | 205 | 208 | 186 | — | — | |
| Operating Cycle, Industry | ||||||
| Industrials | 142 | 149 | 140 | — | — | |
Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2018-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2017-12-31).
1 2021 Calculation
Operating cycle = Average inventory processing period + Average receivable collection period
= 97 + 48 = 145
2 Click competitor name to see calculations.
| Short-term activity ratio | Description | The company |
|---|---|---|
| Operating cycle | Equal to average inventory processing period plus average receivables collection period. | 3M Co. operating cycle deteriorated from 2019 to 2020 but then slightly improved from 2020 to 2021. |
Average Payables Payment Period
3M Co., average payables payment period calculation, comparison to benchmarks
| Dec 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2020 | Dec 31, 2019 | Dec 31, 2018 | Dec 31, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data | ||||||
| Payables turnover | 6.28 | 6.48 | 7.69 | 7.36 | 8.23 | |
| Short-term Activity Ratio (no. days) | ||||||
| Average payables payment period1 | 58 | 56 | 47 | 50 | 44 | |
| Benchmarks (no. days) | ||||||
| Average Payables Payment Period, Competitors2 | ||||||
| Boeing Co. | 57 | 74 | 79 | — | — | |
| Caterpillar Inc. | 84 | 77 | 59 | — | — | |
| Cummins Inc. | 60 | 69 | 53 | — | — | |
| Eaton Corp. plc | 77 | 58 | 54 | — | — | |
| General Electric Co. | 110 | 100 | 87 | — | — | |
| Honeywell International Inc. | 107 | 95 | 86 | — | — | |
| Lockheed Martin Corp. | 5 | 6 | 9 | — | — | |
| RTX Corp. | 62 | 66 | 69 | — | — | |
| Average Payables Payment Period, Sector | ||||||
| Capital Goods | 65 | 66 | 64 | — | — | |
| Average Payables Payment Period, Industry | ||||||
| Industrials | 48 | 50 | 49 | — | — | |
Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2018-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2017-12-31).
1 2021 Calculation
Average payables payment period = 365 ÷ Payables turnover
= 365 ÷ 6.28 = 58
2 Click competitor name to see calculations.
| Short-term activity ratio | Description | The company |
|---|---|---|
| Average payables payment period | An estimate of the average number of days it takes a company to pay its suppliers; equal to the number of days in the period divided by payables turnover ratio for the period. | 3M Co. number of days of payables outstanding increased from 2019 to 2020 and from 2020 to 2021. |
Cash Conversion Cycle
3M Co., cash conversion cycle calculation, comparison to benchmarks
No. days
| Dec 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2020 | Dec 31, 2019 | Dec 31, 2018 | Dec 31, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data | ||||||
| Average inventory processing period | 97 | 93 | 88 | 96 | 92 | |
| Average receivable collection period | 48 | 53 | 54 | 56 | 57 | |
| Average payables payment period | 58 | 56 | 47 | 50 | 44 | |
| Short-term Activity Ratio | ||||||
| Cash conversion cycle1 | 87 | 90 | 95 | 102 | 105 | |
| Benchmarks | ||||||
| Cash Conversion Cycle, Competitors2 | ||||||
| Boeing Co. | 444 | 405 | 325 | — | — | |
| Caterpillar Inc. | 124 | 134 | 115 | — | — | |
| Cummins Inc. | 88 | 85 | 76 | — | — | |
| Eaton Corp. plc | 66 | 63 | 76 | — | — | |
| General Electric Co. | 77 | 79 | 60 | — | — | |
| Honeywell International Inc. | 50 | 55 | 55 | — | — | |
| Lockheed Martin Corp. | 25 | 28 | 31 | — | — | |
| RTX Corp. | 58 | 65 | 65 | — | — | |
| Cash Conversion Cycle, Sector | ||||||
| Capital Goods | 140 | 142 | 122 | — | — | |
| Cash Conversion Cycle, Industry | ||||||
| Industrials | 94 | 99 | 91 | — | — | |
Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2018-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2017-12-31).
1 2021 Calculation
Cash conversion cycle = Average inventory processing period + Average receivable collection period – Average payables payment period
= 97 + 48 – 58 = 87
2 Click competitor name to see calculations.
| Short-term activity ratio | Description | The company |
|---|---|---|
| Cash conversion cycle | A financial metric that measures the length of time required for a company to convert cash invested in its operations to cash received as a result of its operations; equal to average inventory processing period plus average receivables collection period minus average payables payment period. | 3M Co. cash conversion cycle improved from 2019 to 2020 and from 2020 to 2021. |