The other way of looking at it is to turn the ratio upside down, and to consider earnings divided by price.
To turn the ratio around: If you want to displace a unit of petroleum energy, you have to burn four-fifths of a unit in fossil fuels.
If we want the tide to turn and the ratio of men to women to really change then we need to start making women realize that fact.
Bulls would like to see evidence that these deep-pocketed participants are stepping back into the market, and a turn higher in this ratio would be one clue.
Historically, about half of homeowners who get a foreclosure notice are ultimately displaced from their homes, but that ratio may turn out to be higher in coming quarters because the proportion of subprime borrowers, who have weaker financial conditions than prime borrowers, is higher.
Over at the American Enteprise Institute, John Makin and Daniel Hanson suggest not to worry too much about the U.S. debt-to-GDP ratio, then turn around and warn against letting the sequester take effect because, ironically, it would raise the debt-to-GDP ratio by slowing the economy.
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After hitting a near two-year high last week, this ratio has started to turn lower, which could be a major buy signal.
But that, in turn, can risk pushing an athlete's testosterone ratio above limits set by many international antidoping agencies, said Khalid Galant, chief executive of the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport.
At present, this ratio is at 2.37 and beginning to turn higher.
The ratio of analyst estimate upgrades to downgrades has shown a recent turn, UBS notes.
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For Ms. Watt, the professional boost came from the high ratio of models and actors in the club, who often turn to her for headshots and suggest her services to other long-limbed performers.
Taking this a step further, you can determine the number of days it takes to completely turn over inventory by dividing the number of days in a period by the inventory turnover ratio.
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If the company can turn things around, its shares will enjoy substantial upside as the price-to-sales ratio becomes more closely matched with those of its peers.
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