What is the Debt to Asset Ratio? The debt to asset ratio is a financial metric used to help understand the degree to which a company’s operations are funded by debt. It is one of many leverage ratios that may be used to understand a company’s capital structure. The debt to asset ratio is calculated…
What is the IPO Process? The Initial Public Offering IPO Process is where a previously unlisted company sells new or existing securities and offers them to the public for the first time. Prior to an IPO, a company is considered to be private – with a smaller number of shareholders, limited to accredited investors (like angel investors/venture capitalists and…
What is an Intercreditor Agreement? An Intercreditor Agreement documents the rights and obligations of two or more creditors when working with a shared borrower; these include priority of claims on loans and collateral. By coordinating their mutual (and competing) interests in advance, the Agreement governs their relationship with each other and the borrower, providing legal…
What is Financial Leverage? Financial leverage is the use of borrowed money (debt) to finance the purchase of assets with the expectation that the income or capital gain from the new asset will exceed the cost of borrowing. In most cases, the provider of the debt will put a limit on how much risk it is…
What is Interest Coverage Ratio (ICR)? The Interest Coverage Ratio (ICR) is a financial ratio that is used to determine how well a company can pay the interest on its outstanding debts. The ICR is commonly used by lenders, creditors, and investors to determine the riskiness of lending capital to a company. The interest coverage…
What is Loan Structure? Loan structure refers to the different characteristics that a lender can choose from when extending credit to a borrower. Loan structure is also often referred to as credit structure. Lenders always want to offer their borrower credit that is appropriate based upon the nature of the credit request as well as…
What are Financial vs Non-Financial Covenants? Comparing financial vs non-financial covenants in a loan agreement helps us to better understand how agreements are formulated and the way they are executed across various industries. Covenants are a type of promise that exists in contract law and are a part of many borrowing agreements throughout corporate and…
What is the Long-Term Capital Investment Cycle? The long-term capital investment cycle occurs when the large capital assets of a company go through the entire duration of their lifespan. Capital investments are usually a sizable investment in dollar value, as well as sometimes even in physical size. The long-term capital investment cycle contains many smaller…
What is an Earned Premium? An earned premium represents premiums earned on the portion of an insurance contract that has expired. The premiums associated with the active portion of an insurance contract are considered unearned, as the insurance company is still taking on a risk in order to generate the premiums. Understanding Earned Premium When…
What is a One-time Charge? A one-time charge, or non-recurring item, is a line item that is reported on the financial statements of a firm on an irregular basis. It is unrelated to a firm’s normal business operations and arises from unexpected events like lawsuits, layoffs, asset sales, etc. It is important to recognize and…
