A Comparative Financial Ratio Analysis of U.S. Farmer Cooperatives Using Nonparametric Statistics

A comparative ratio analysis using nonparametric statistical methods provides no evidence to support the hypothesis that U.S. farmer cooperatives generally are financially weaker than other firms. Although some cooperative groups had lower current ratios than industry standards, most of these groups consisted of marketing associations for which differences may be explained largely by the unique business relationships between the associations and their patrons. Comparisons of debt/equity ratios indicate that, except for regional grain and farm supply associations, cooperatives generally are less leveraged than other firms. The overall financial strength of cooperatives appears better than during the early 1980s.