Asset turnover is defined as what?

• A. The ratio of total assets to sales
• B. Sales divided by average total assets
• C. Net income divided by total assets
• D. Equity divided by total assets

Answer: (B)

Asset turnover shows how efficiently a company uses its assets to generate sales. It is calculated as sales (revenue) for the period divided by the average total assets during that period. Using average assets, rather than just ending assets, smooths out changes in asset levels over time and gives a more accurate sense of how well assets are producing revenue. The higher the ratio, the more sales are produced per dollar of assets, indicating stronger asset efficiency.

The remaining ideas don’t fit this concept: dividing total assets by sales would give an inverse measure of asset use, not turnover. Net income divided by total assets is return on assets, which focuses on profitability rather than how much sales come from assets. Equity divided by total assets is a leverage ratio, reflecting financial structure rather than asset productivity.