Marketable Securities: Meaning And Examples

When hearing the phrase marketable securities not all of us think of stocks, bonds, or notes—even though they all classify to be called that. In this article, we’ll highlight many more exciting facts about marketable securities, including those that have the potential to change your business forever; read on to find out everything.

Marketable Securities’ Meaning Simply Explained

Marketable securities are easily and reasonably convertible into cash. They are highly liquid financial products. Marketable securities are liquid since they typically have maturities of less than one year and minimal impact on prices from the rates at which they may be purchased or sold.

Main Takeaways

• Marketable securities are assets that can be swiftly converted into cash.
• These publicly traded stock exchanges and public bond exchanges are where these short-term liquid assets may be purchased or sold.
• These instruments, which can be either debt or equity, often mature in a year or less.
• Common stock, treasury notes, and money market instruments are only a few examples of marketable securities.

Understanding Marketable Securities

In order to be ready for circumstances when they may need to move quickly, like seizing an acquisition opportunity that arises or paying contingent payments, businesses usually keep cash in their reserves.

A firm will, however, invest some of the cash in short-term liquid securities rather than keeping all of it in its bank accounts, where there is no chance of earning income. In this manner, the business may generate returns on its cash rather than letting it stay idle.

The business can readily sell these securities if a sudden need for cash arises. A group of assets classified as marketable securities is an illustration of a short-term investment product. Marketable securities are any unrestricted financial instruments that may be purchased or sold on a public stock market or a public bond exchange.

Marketable securities are therefore divided into two categories: marketable equity securities and marketable debt securities. Marketable assets must also meet other criteria, such as having a robust secondary market that enables speedy buy and sell transactions and a secondary market that gives investors accurate price quotes.

Because marketable assets are extremely liquid and regarded as safe investments, the return on these securities is modest.

Read more about Company Assets On The Balance Sheet.

Marketable Securities Examples

Common stock, commercial paper, banker's acceptances, treasury notes, and other money market instruments are a few examples of marketable securities.

Important Notes And Related Ratios

Analysts assess marketable securities while doing a liquidity ratio study on a business or industry. Liquidity ratios look at a company's capacity to settle its immediate debts when they become due.

To put it another way, this ratio evaluates a company's ability to pay its short-term obligations using its most liquid assets. Several liquidity ratios include cash ratio, quick ratio, and current ratio.

Cash Ratio

MCS / Liabilities = Cash Ratio where:

The Market Value of Cash and Marketable Securities is referred to as MCS.

​The market valuation of marketable securities and cash added together and divided by a company's current liabilities yields the cash ratio.

Creditors prefer the ratio above because it indicates that a company would be able to get rid of all of its short-term debt if it became due today.

However, because retaining excessive amounts of cash or making significant investments in marketable assets is not a very successful strategy, the majority of businesses have low cash ratios.

Current Ratio

Current Assets / Current Liabilities = Current Ratio

The current ratio looks at a company's capacity to settle its immediate liabilities with the help of all of its current assets, which include marketable securities.

It is computed by subtracting current liabilities from current assets.

Quick Ratio

Quick Assets / Current Liabilities = Quick Ratio

In order to determine how financially liquid a firm is, the quick ratio considers fast assets only. Securities that can be turned into cash more quickly than current assets are referred to as quick assets. Consequently, marketable securities are regarded as short-term assets.

Marketable Securities Types

Securities In Equity

The two types of marketable equity instruments are common stock and preferred stock. They are listed on the holding company's balance sheet as equity securities of a publicly traded firm that is owned by another corporation. The holding company will identify the stock as a current asset if it is anticipated that it will be traded or liquidated within a year.

On the other hand, the equity will be recorded as a non-current asset if the corporation anticipates keeping the shares for a period longer than a year. Both current and non-current marketable equity securities are listed at a lower cost or market value.

However, the securities are not regarded as marketable equity securities if a business purchases shares of another company with the intention of acquiring or controlling that company. On its balance sheet, the corporation instead classifies them as a long-term investment.

Debt Securities

Any short-term bond issued by a publicly traded firm owned by another company is regarded as a marketable debt security. A developed secondary market is even more crucial since marketable debt securities are typically held by a firm instead of cash.

On a company's balance sheet, all marketable debt securities are kept at cost as a current asset until a gain or loss is recognized upon the sale of the debt instrument.

Marketable debt securities are kept as short-term assets with a one-year estimated sell-by date. A debt instrument should be listed on the company's balance sheet as a long-term investment if it is anticipated that it will be kept for more than a year.

Marketable securities are essential parts of all companies, especially publicly traded ones. They not only play a vital role in financial reporting and crucial ratios but also provide an easy-to-reach yet locked liquidity for firms.