What Is The Difference Between A Financial Statistic, Financial Metric, Financial Multiple, and Financial Ratio?

What Is The Difference Between A Financial Statistic, Financial Metric, Financial Multiple, and Financial Ratio?

People keep using these terms interchangeably and I want a definitive, concrete, fist-to-the-wall, pigeon-hole answer!

Best
THELABULL

4 Comments
 

I can answer your question son -- when we talk about "ratios" we tend to look at profitability, specifically margins such as gross profit margin, ebitda margin, etc -- these are RATIOS calculated by dividing GP, EBITDA by sales

With "multiples" we are looking at the numerator containing a "value" metric and the denominator containing a financial statistic -- in this case value might be equity value, enterprise value and a financial statistic might be EBITDA, EBIT, sales, etc...

Therefore, to clarify (1) Ratios -- tends to refer to profitability, ie margins OR ROE,ROA,ROIC, etc. (2) Statistics -- metrics like EBITDA, EBIT, etc used in the denominator for calculating multiples (3) multiples -- numerator has a value metric (ie equity value, Enterprise Value) and denomintoar has statistic (4) Metric -- a metric measures something, such as the profit of a company (ie gross profit) and therefore it might be used

LOL -- I hope somebody can confirm or deny this answer or revise it and improve it -- best to you all and happy new years

the la bull

LA Bull
 
Best Response
The Los Angeles Bull

I can answer your question son -- when we talk about "ratios" we tend to look at profitability, specifically margins such as gross profit margin, ebitda margin, etc -- these are RATIOS calculated by dividing GP, EBITDA by sales

With "multiples" we are looking at the numerator containing a "value" metric and the denominator containing a financial statistic -- in this case value might be equity value, enterprise value and a financial statistic might be EBITDA, EBIT, sales, etc...

Therefore, to clarify
(1) Ratios -- tends to refer to profitability, ie margins OR ROE,ROA,ROIC, etc.
(2) Statistics -- metrics like EBITDA, EBIT, etc used in the denominator for calculating multiples
(3) multiples -- numerator has a value metric (ie equity value, Enterprise Value) and denomintoar has statistic
(4) Metric -- a metric measures something, such as the profit of a company (ie gross profit) and therefore it might be used

LOL -- I hope somebody can confirm or deny this answer or revise it and improve it -- best to you all and happy new years

the la bull

You really are special.

Quoting this to avoid the edit later on

"After you work on Wall Street it’s a choice, would you rather work at McDonalds or on the sell-side? I would choose McDonalds over the sell-side.” - David Tepper
 

Ab voluptas maiores est praesentium voluptatum magni soluta. Qui doloribus vero nulla doloremque autem consectetur.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”