LIFO Effects. Under conditions of fluctuating inventory costs, the LIFO inventory method will have a smoothing effect on income. Moreover, the LIFO method results, in times of cost increases, in an unrealistically low reported inventory figure. This, in turn, will lower the current ratio of a company and at the same time tend to increase its inventory turnover ratio. The LIFO method also affords management an opportunity to manipulate profits by allowing inventory to be depleted in poor years, thus drawing on the low cost base pool. FIFO Effects. The use of FIFO in the valuation of inventories will generally result in a higher inventory on the balance sheet and a lower cost of goods sold than under LIFO resulting. This would result in a higher net income. Average Cost Effects. The average cost method smoothes out cost fluctuations by using a weighted average cost in the valuation of inventories and cost of goods sold. The resulting net income will be close to an average of the net income under LIFO and FIFO.