Fixed asset turnover ratio (FAT) is a key performance indicator tool that measures a company's ability to effectively use its fixed assets—such as its equipment, land, and buildings—to generate sales. This ratio is most often expressed as a percentage in which the numerator is net sales (or total revenues), and the denominator is the average balance of fixed assets. The ideal ratio that a company would like to have is one in which net sales offset the original cost of the fixed assets used to generate that income.

The Fixed Asset Turnover Ratio is a measure of how efficiently a company is using its fixed assets to generate sales. It is calculated by dividing total net sales by the average balance in fixed assets and is expressed as a percentage. The higher the ratio, the more efficiently the company is using its fixed assets to generate sales.

The Fixed Asset Turnover Ratio is important to investors as it reveals how well a company is maximising its returns from its fixed assets. A company with a higher ratio is considered to be using its fixed assets more effectively compared to one with a lower ratio. On the other hand, an excessively high FAT ratio could be a sign of inadequate investment in fixed assets, which could lead to a loss in potential profitability.

Furthermore, it is important to note that the FAT does not necessarily show how profitable the company is or how much cash it can generate from its operations. It is only a measure of how well the company is allocating its fixed assets, and so it should be used in conjunction with other measures such as return on assets and return on equity to draw a more accurate picture of a company’s financial health.

In conclusion, the Fixed Asset Turnover Ratio is a useful tool for assessing a company’s ability to use fixed assets to generate sales, and so is an important indicator of how efficient the company is at allocating its resources. However, it is important to consider this ratio in relation to other performance measures in order to get a comprehensive understanding of a company’s financial performance.