Referring to CFAI reading 24, practice problem 7: When calculating asset turnover ratio (sales/average total assets) without investments in associates, why do we deduct average investment in associates from average total assets? So the ratio with investment in associates =7,049/3,844 = 1.83. To find the ratio excluding the investment in associates, average investment in associates (204/188)/2=196 is deducted from average total assets. So the adjusted ratio =7,049/(3,844-196) =1.93
The investments in associates is an asset of the company, the question tells you to exclude it, so you would subtract it out.