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)
United Parcel Service Inc., 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. | United Parcel Service Inc. inventory turnover ratio deteriorated from 2019 to 2020 and from 2020 to 2021. |
| Receivables turnover | An activity ratio equal to revenue divided by receivables. | United Parcel Service Inc. receivables turnover ratio improved from 2019 to 2020 but then slightly deteriorated from 2020 to 2021 not reaching 2019 level. |
| Payables turnover | An activity ratio calculated as cost of goods sold divided by payables. | United Parcel Service Inc. 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. | United Parcel Service Inc. working capital turnover ratio deteriorated from 2019 to 2020 and 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. | |
| Average receivable collection period | An activity ratio equal to the number of days in the period divided by receivables turnover. | |
| Operating cycle | Equal to average inventory processing period plus average receivables collection period. | |
| 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. | |
| 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. |
Inventory Turnover
United Parcel Service Inc., 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) | ||||||
| Revenue | 97,287 | 84,628 | 74,094 | 71,861 | 65,872 | |
| Inventories | 717 | 620 | 511 | 421 | 404 | |
| Short-term Activity Ratio | ||||||
| Inventory turnover1 | 135.69 | 136.50 | 145.00 | 170.69 | 163.05 | |
| Benchmarks | ||||||
| Inventory Turnover, Competitors2 | ||||||
| American Airlines Group Inc. | 16.65 | 10.74 | 24.73 | 29.26 | 31.06 | |
| CSX Corp. | 36.94 | 35.04 | 45.74 | 46.58 | 30.67 | |
| Delta Air Lines Inc. | 13.11 | 14.61 | 15.93 | 18.43 | 13.06 | |
| FedEx Corp. | 143.03 | 121.01 | 126.03 | 124.67 | 117.35 | |
| Union Pacific Corp. | 35.11 | 30.62 | 28.91 | 30.77 | 28.36 | |
| United Airlines Holdings Inc. | 25.06 | 16.48 | 40.35 | 41.93 | 40.84 | |
| Inventory Turnover, Sector | ||||||
| Transportation | 46.33 | 42.02 | 45.82 | 50.37 | 45.33 | |
| Inventory Turnover, Industry | ||||||
| Industrials | 4.29 | 3.85 | 4.68 | 5.28 | 5.67 | |
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 = Revenue ÷ Inventories
= 97,287 ÷ 717 = 135.69
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. | United Parcel Service Inc. inventory turnover ratio deteriorated from 2019 to 2020 and from 2020 to 2021. |
Receivables Turnover
United Parcel Service Inc., 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) | ||||||
| Revenue | 97,287 | 84,628 | 74,094 | 71,861 | 65,872 | |
| Accounts receivable, net | 12,541 | 10,750 | 9,552 | 8,958 | 8,773 | |
| Short-term Activity Ratio | ||||||
| Receivables turnover1 | 7.76 | 7.87 | 7.76 | 8.02 | 7.51 | |
| Benchmarks | ||||||
| Receivables Turnover, Competitors2 | ||||||
| American Airlines Group Inc. | 19.86 | 12.92 | 26.15 | 26.11 | 24.09 | |
| CSX Corp. | 10.91 | 11.60 | 12.11 | 12.13 | 11.76 | |
| Delta Air Lines Inc. | 12.44 | 12.25 | 16.47 | 19.20 | 17.35 | |
| FedEx Corp. | 6.96 | 6.85 | 7.65 | 7.72 | 7.94 | |
| Union Pacific Corp. | 12.66 | 12.98 | 13.61 | 13.01 | 14.23 | |
| United Airlines Holdings Inc. | 14.81 | 11.86 | 31.71 | 30.69 | 28.16 | |
| Receivables Turnover, Sector | ||||||
| Transportation | 9.08 | 8.56 | 11.52 | 11.84 | 11.52 | |
| Receivables Turnover, Industry | ||||||
| Industrials | 8.27 | 7.83 | 8.86 | 8.88 | 7.04 | |
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 = Revenue ÷ Accounts receivable, net
= 97,287 ÷ 12,541 = 7.76
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. | United Parcel Service Inc. receivables turnover ratio improved from 2019 to 2020 but then slightly deteriorated from 2020 to 2021 not reaching 2019 level. |
Payables Turnover
United Parcel Service Inc., 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) | ||||||
| Revenue | 97,287 | 84,628 | 74,094 | 71,861 | 65,872 | |
| Accounts payable | 7,523 | 6,455 | 5,555 | 5,188 | 3,872 | |
| Short-term Activity Ratio | ||||||
| Payables turnover1 | 12.93 | 13.11 | 13.34 | 13.85 | 17.01 | |
| Benchmarks | ||||||
| Payables Turnover, Competitors2 | ||||||
| American Airlines Group Inc. | 16.86 | 14.50 | 22.20 | 25.12 | 25.00 | |
| CSX Corp. | 13.00 | 13.08 | 11.44 | 12.91 | 13.47 | |
| Delta Air Lines Inc. | 3.40 | 3.77 | 6.10 | 6.53 | 4.72 | |
| FedEx Corp. | 21.86 | 21.17 | 23.00 | 21.99 | 21.92 | |
| Union Pacific Corp. | 28.99 | 31.92 | 28.98 | 26.18 | 20.97 | |
| United Airlines Holdings Inc. | 9.62 | 9.63 | 16.00 | 17.48 | 17.18 | |
| Payables Turnover, Sector | ||||||
| Transportation | 13.14 | 13.55 | 15.56 | 16.24 | 15.97 | |
| Payables Turnover, Industry | ||||||
| Industrials | 7.94 | 7.51 | 8.07 | 8.38 | 8.47 | |
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 = Revenue ÷ Accounts payable
= 97,287 ÷ 7,523 = 12.93
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. | United Parcel Service Inc. payables turnover ratio decreased from 2019 to 2020 and from 2020 to 2021. |
Working Capital Turnover
United Parcel Service Inc., 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 | 24,934 | 20,216 | 17,103 | 16,210 | 15,548 | |
| Less: Current liabilities | 17,569 | 17,016 | 15,413 | 14,087 | 12,708 | |
| Working capital | 7,365 | 3,200 | 1,690 | 2,123 | 2,840 | |
| Revenue | 97,287 | 84,628 | 74,094 | 71,861 | 65,872 | |
| Short-term Activity Ratio | ||||||
| Working capital turnover1 | 13.21 | 26.45 | 43.84 | 33.85 | 23.19 | |
| Benchmarks | ||||||
| Working Capital Turnover, Competitors2 | ||||||
| American Airlines Group Inc. | — | — | — | — | — | |
| CSX Corp. | 7.64 | 4.37 | 10.59 | 18.85 | 543.24 | |
| Delta Air Lines Inc. | — | 11.57 | — | — | — | |
| FedEx Corp. | 12.13 | 11.46 | 17.11 | 17.62 | 12.81 | |
| Union Pacific Corp. | — | 476.41 | — | — | 317.01 | |
| United Airlines Holdings Inc. | 6.98 | 7.40 | — | — | — | |
| Working Capital Turnover, Sector | ||||||
| Transportation | 28.39 | 23.90 | — | — | — | |
| Working Capital Turnover, Industry | ||||||
| Industrials | 7.75 | 4.98 | 36.24 | 60.50 | 18.23 | |
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 = Revenue ÷ Working capital
= 97,287 ÷ 7,365 = 13.21
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. | United Parcel Service Inc. working capital turnover ratio deteriorated from 2019 to 2020 and from 2020 to 2021. |
Average Inventory Processing Period
United Parcel Service Inc., 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 | 135.69 | 136.50 | 145.00 | 170.69 | 163.05 | |
| Short-term Activity Ratio (no. days) | ||||||
| Average inventory processing period1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | |
| Benchmarks (no. days) | ||||||
| Average Inventory Processing Period, Competitors2 | ||||||
| American Airlines Group Inc. | 22 | 34 | 15 | 12 | 12 | |
| CSX Corp. | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 12 | |
| Delta Air Lines Inc. | 28 | 25 | 23 | 20 | 28 | |
| FedEx Corp. | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
| Union Pacific Corp. | 10 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | |
| United Airlines Holdings Inc. | 15 | 22 | 9 | 9 | 9 | |
| Average Inventory Processing Period, Sector | ||||||
| Transportation | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 8 | |
| Average Inventory Processing Period, Industry | ||||||
| Industrials | 85 | 95 | 78 | 69 | 64 | |
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 ÷ 135.69 = 3
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. |
Average Receivable Collection Period
United Parcel Service Inc., 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 | 7.76 | 7.87 | 7.76 | 8.02 | 7.51 | |
| Short-term Activity Ratio (no. days) | ||||||
| Average receivable collection period1 | 47 | 46 | 47 | 45 | 49 | |
| Benchmarks (no. days) | ||||||
| Average Receivable Collection Period, Competitors2 | ||||||
| American Airlines Group Inc. | 18 | 28 | 14 | 14 | 15 | |
| CSX Corp. | 33 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 31 | |
| Delta Air Lines Inc. | 29 | 30 | 22 | 19 | 21 | |
| FedEx Corp. | 52 | 53 | 48 | 47 | 46 | |
| Union Pacific Corp. | 29 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 26 | |
| United Airlines Holdings Inc. | 25 | 31 | 12 | 12 | 13 | |
| Average Receivable Collection Period, Sector | ||||||
| Transportation | 40 | 43 | 32 | 31 | 32 | |
| Average Receivable Collection Period, Industry | ||||||
| Industrials | 44 | 47 | 41 | 41 | 52 | |
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 ÷ 7.76 = 47
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. |
Operating Cycle
United Parcel Service Inc., 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 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | |
| Average receivable collection period | 47 | 46 | 47 | 45 | 49 | |
| Short-term Activity Ratio | ||||||
| Operating cycle1 | 50 | 49 | 50 | 47 | 51 | |
| Benchmarks | ||||||
| Operating Cycle, Competitors2 | ||||||
| American Airlines Group Inc. | 40 | 62 | 29 | 26 | 27 | |
| CSX Corp. | 43 | 41 | 38 | 38 | 43 | |
| Delta Air Lines Inc. | 57 | 55 | 45 | 39 | 49 | |
| FedEx Corp. | 55 | 56 | 51 | 50 | 49 | |
| Union Pacific Corp. | 39 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 39 | |
| United Airlines Holdings Inc. | 40 | 53 | 21 | 21 | 22 | |
| Operating Cycle, Sector | ||||||
| Transportation | 48 | 52 | 40 | 38 | 40 | |
| Operating Cycle, Industry | ||||||
| Industrials | 129 | 142 | 119 | 110 | 116 | |
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
= 3 + 47 = 50
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. |
Average Payables Payment Period
United Parcel Service Inc., 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 | 12.93 | 13.11 | 13.34 | 13.85 | 17.01 | |
| Short-term Activity Ratio (no. days) | ||||||
| Average payables payment period1 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 21 | |
| Benchmarks (no. days) | ||||||
| Average Payables Payment Period, Competitors2 | ||||||
| American Airlines Group Inc. | 22 | 25 | 16 | 15 | 15 | |
| CSX Corp. | 28 | 28 | 32 | 28 | 27 | |
| Delta Air Lines Inc. | 108 | 97 | 60 | 56 | 77 | |
| FedEx Corp. | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | |
| Union Pacific Corp. | 13 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 17 | |
| United Airlines Holdings Inc. | 38 | 38 | 23 | 21 | 21 | |
| Average Payables Payment Period, Sector | ||||||
| Transportation | 28 | 27 | 23 | 22 | 23 | |
| Average Payables Payment Period, Industry | ||||||
| Industrials | 46 | 49 | 45 | 44 | 43 | |
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 ÷ 12.93 = 28
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. |
Cash Conversion Cycle
United Parcel Service Inc., 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 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | |
| Average receivable collection period | 47 | 46 | 47 | 45 | 49 | |
| Average payables payment period | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 21 | |
| Short-term Activity Ratio | ||||||
| Cash conversion cycle1 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 21 | 30 | |
| Benchmarks | ||||||
| Cash Conversion Cycle, Competitors2 | ||||||
| American Airlines Group Inc. | 18 | 37 | 13 | 11 | 12 | |
| CSX Corp. | 15 | 13 | 6 | 10 | 16 | |
| Delta Air Lines Inc. | -51 | -42 | -15 | -17 | -28 | |
| FedEx Corp. | 38 | 39 | 35 | 33 | 32 | |
| Union Pacific Corp. | 26 | 29 | 27 | 26 | 22 | |
| United Airlines Holdings Inc. | 2 | 15 | -2 | 0 | 1 | |
| Cash Conversion Cycle, Sector | ||||||
| Transportation | 20 | 25 | 17 | 16 | 17 | |
| Cash Conversion Cycle, Industry | ||||||
| Industrials | 83 | 93 | 74 | 66 | 73 | |
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
= 3 + 47 – 28 = 22
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. |