Which financial metric is calculated as current assets minus current liabilities?

The financial metric calculated as current assets minus current liabilities is known as working capital. Working capital is a crucial measure of a company's short-term financial health and operational efficiency. It indicates the amount of funds available to run day-to-day operations and meet short-term obligations.

Having a positive working capital implies that a company has enough assets to cover its liabilities, which is generally a good sign of financial stability. Conversely, negative working capital may signal potential liquidity problems, as it indicates that liabilities exceed assets. This metric is particularly important for businesses in managing cash flow, as it reflects the working liquidity available to a business.

The other options, like equity, net profit, and debt ratio, have distinct definitions and applications unrelated to this specific calculation of current assets and current liabilities. Equity refers to the ownership interest in a company, net profit represents the income remaining after all expenses have been deducted, and the debt ratio is a measure of financial leverage calculated by dividing total liabilities by total assets.