Some of the most basic financial ratios show how much a business or investment will return compared to how much it will cost. When managers are planning new projects, these financial ratios provide the support they need to receive funding from executives to move forward. Executives like to see a high return on investment, or ROI, based on analysis of costs and projected revenues. After projects are completed, the same type of analysis can show the returns actually delivered, and how the investment lived up to expectations, which is useful for future strategy