The Debt to Equity ratio (also called the “debt-equity ratio”, “risk ratio” or “gearing”), is a leverage ratio that calculates the weight of total debt and financial liabilities against the total shareholder’s equityStockholders EquityStockholders Equity (also known as Shareholders Equity) is an account on a company's balance sheet that consists of share capital plus retained earnings. It also represents the residual value of assets minus liabilities. By rearranging the original accounting equation, we get Stockholders Equity = Assets – Liabilities. Unlike the debt-assets ratio which uses total assets as a denominator, the debt to equity ratio uses total equity. This ratio highlights how a company’s capital structure is tilted either toward debt or equity financing.
Debt to Equity ratio formula
Short formula:
Debt to Equity Ratio = Total Debt / Shareholders’ Equity
Long formula:
Debt to Equity Ratio = (short term debt + long term debt + fixed payment obligations) / Sharehoders’ Equity
Debt to Equity ratio in practice
If, as per the balance sheetBalance SheetThe balance sheet is one of the three fundamental financial statements. These statements are key to both financial modeling and accounting. The balance sheet displays the company’s total assets, and how these assets are financed, through either debt or equity. The balance sheet: Assets = Liabilities + Equity, the total debt of a business is worth $50 million and the total equity is worth $120 million, then debt-to-equity is 0.42. This means that for every dollar in equity, the firm has 42 cents in leverage. A ratio of 1 would imply that creditors and investors are on equal footing in the company’s assets.
A higher debt-equity ratio indicates a levered firm, which is quite preferable for a company that is stable with significant cash flow generation, but not preferable when a company that is in decline. Conversely, a lower ratio indicates a firm less levered and closer to being fully equity financed. The appropriate debt to equity ratio varies by industry.
The appropriate debt to equity ratio varies by industry. Learn all about this step by step in our FREE corporate finance course!
What is total debt?
A company’s total debt is the sum of short-term debt, long-term debt, and other fixed payment obligations (such as a capital lease) of a business that are incurred while under normal operating cycles. Creating a debt scheduleDebt ScheduleA debt schedule lays out all of the debt a business has in a schedule based on its maturity and interest rate. In financial modeling, interest expense flows into the income statement, closing debt balance flows onto the balance sheet, principal repayments flow through the cash flow statement, completing the scheudle helps split out liabilities by specific pieces.
Not all current and non-current liabilities are considered debt. Below are some examples of things that are and are not considered debt.
Considered debt:
Drawn line-of-credit
Notes payable (maturity within a year)
Current portion of Long-Term DebtCurrent Portion of Long Term DebtThe current portion of long term debt is the portion of long-term debt due that is due within a year’s time. Long-term debt has a maturity of more than 1 year. The current portion of long-term debt differs from current debt which is debt that is to be totally repaid within one year.
Notes payable (maturity more than a year)
Bonds payable
Long-Term DebtLong Term DebtLong Term Debt (LTD) is any amount of outstanding debt a company holds that has a maturity of 12 months or longer. It is classified as a non-current liability on the company’s balance sheet. The time to maturity for LTD can range anywhere from 12 months to 30+ years and the types of debt can include bonds, mortgages
Capital lease obligations
Not considered debt:
Accounts payableAccounts PayableAccounts payable is a liability incurred when an organization receives goods or services from its suppliers on credit. Accounts payables are expected to be to be paid off within a year’s time, or within one operating cycle (whichever is longer). AP is considered one of the most liquid forms of current liabilities
Accrued expenses
Deferred revenuesDeferred RevenueDeferred revenue is generated when a company receives payment for goods and/or services that it has not yet earned. In accrual accounting, revenue is only recognized when it is earned. If a customer pays for good/services in advance, the company does not record any revenue on its income statement and instead records a
Dividends payable
Benefits of a high debt to equity ratio
A high debt-equity ratio can be good when a firm can easily service its debt obligations (through cash flow) and is using the leverage to increase equity returns.
In the example below, we see how using more debt (increasing the debt-equity ratio) increases the company’s return on equity (ROE)Return on Equity (ROE)Return on Equity (ROE) is a measure of a company’s profitability that takes a company’s annual return (net income) divided by the value of its total shareholders' equity (i.e. 12%). ROE combines the income statement and the balance sheet as the net income or profit is compared to the shareholders’ equity.. By using debt instead of equity, the equity account is smaller and therefore return on equity is higher.
Another benefit is that typically the cost of debt is lower than the cost of equity, and therefore increasing the D/E ratio (up to a certain point) can lower a firm’s weighted average cost of capital (WACC)WACCWACC is a firm’s Weighted Average Cost of Capital and represents its blended cost of capital including equity and debt. The WACC formula is = (E/V x Re) + ((D/V x Rd) x (1-T)). This guide will provide an overview of what it is, why its used, how to calculate it, and also provides a downloadable WACC calculator.
The opposite of the above example applies if a company has a D/E ratio that’s too high. In this case, any losses will be compounded down and the company may not be able to service its debt.
If the debt to equity ratio gets too high, the cost of borrowing will skyrocket, as will the cost of equity, and the company’s WACCWACCWACC is a firm’s Weighted Average Cost of Capital and represents its blended cost of capital including equity and debt. The WACC formula is = (E/V x Re) + ((D/V x Rd) x (1-T)). This guide will provide an overview of what it is, why its used, how to calculate it, and also provides a downloadable WACC calculator will get extremely high, driving down its share price.
Debt to equity ratio calculator
Below is a simple example of an Excel calculator to download and see how the number work on your own.
Download the Free Template
Enter your name and email in the form below and download the free template now!
More resources
CFI is the official provider of the Financial Modeling and Valuation Analyst (FMVA) designationFMVA™ CertificationThe Financial Modeling & Valueation Analyst (FMVA)™ accreditation is a global standard for financial analysts that covers finance, accounting, financial modeling, valuation, budgeting, forecasting, presentations, and strategy. designed to transform anyone into a world-class financial analyst.
To keep learning and developing your knowledge of financial analysis we highly recommend these additional resources:
Analysis of financial statementsAnalysis of Financial StatementsHow to perform Analysis of Financial Statements. This guide will teach you to perform financial statement analysis of the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement including margins, ratios, growth, liquiditiy, leverage, rates of return and profitability. See examples and step-by-step instruction
Price Earnings ratioPrice Earnings RatioThe Price Earnings Ratio (P/E Ratio) is the relationship between a company’s stock price and earnings per share. It gives investors a better sense of the value of a company. The P/E shows the expectations of the market and is the price you must pay per unit of current (or future) earnings. Learn the formula, examples
EV/EBITDA ratioEV/EBITDAEV/EBITDA is used in valuation to compare the value of similar businesses by evaluating their Enterprise Value (EV) to EBITDA multiple relative to an average. In this guide, we will break down the EV/EBTIDA multiple into its various components, and walk you through how to calculate it step by step
Financial modeling guideFree Financial Modeling GuideThis financial modeling guide covers Excel tips and best practices on assumptions, drivers, forecasting, linking the three statements, DCF analysis, Excel modeling and much more. Designed to be the best free modeling guide for analysts by using examples and step by step instructions. Investment banking, FP&A, research
Financial Analyst Training
Get world-class financial training with CFI’s online certified financial analyst training programFMVA™ CertificationThe Financial Modeling & Valueation Analyst (FMVA)™ accreditation is a global standard for financial analysts that covers finance, accounting, financial modeling, valuation, budgeting, forecasting, presentations, and strategy.!
Gain the confidence you need to move up the ladder in a high powered corporate finance career path.
