What does liquidity refer to in finance?

Liquidity in finance refers to the ability to quickly convert an asset into cash without significantly affecting its market price. This concept is crucial for individuals and businesses as it relates to their ability to meet short-term financial obligations. Assets that are highly liquid can be sold or accessed promptly, such as cash or stocks that can be sold on the stock market.

While savings in a bank represent a form of liquid assets, liquidity specifically emphasizes the ease and speed of conversion to cash, making the second option the most accurate. The other options, while relevant to finance, do not capture the essence of liquidity—future earnings estimates and growth rates pertain more to investment performance rather than immediate cash accessibility.