The formula "Cash Return to Shareholders = cash flow from operations / shareholders equity" primarily focuses on the cash generated by the company's operations in relation to the equity that shareholders have invested in the company.
From the options provided, the most relevant interpretation of the Cash Return to Shareholders ratio is:
- The cash return to shareholders ratio indicates a return earned by shareholders.
This ratio helps assess how effectively a company is using its equity to generate cash flow from operations. A higher ratio would indicate that the company is providing a better return in terms of cash to its shareholders relative to the equity they have invested.
The other options do not accurately describe the Cash Return to Shareholders ratio:
- "A higher cash return on assets ratio indicates a greater cash return" refers to a different ratio (Cash Return on Assets) and does not directly relate to the definition provided.
- "This ratio determines whether the fixed costs are too high for the production volume" is not applicable to this ratio.
- "This ratio shows how much profit the company makes for every dollar of sales" describes a profit margin ratio, which is unrelated to cash flow from operations or shareholders' equity.
Thus, the most accurate interpretation from your options is that the Cash Return to Shareholders ratio indicates a return earned by shareholders.