Ratios are indicators used to evaluate a firm's performance and financial strength. They are particularly useful when compared its competitors or industry norms.
For help understanding ratios and how to use them see the following sites:
For more information on ratios, see our Ratios & Industry Averages guide
Each source below provides different average industry ratios based on different numbers of companies.
It's helpful to know your the NAICS & SIC codes for your industry before going into some of the sources below.
The financial section of First Research has ratios for most industries.