Debt-to-Equity Ratio

Total liabilities divided by shareholders' equity.

What is Debt-to-Equity Ratio?

A leverage gauge. Higher ratios mean more fixed obligations and more fragility in a downturn. Normal levels vary hugely by industry - utilities carry far more debt than software firms.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio: a worked example

$3B debt against $2B equity is a 1.5 debt-to-equity ratio.

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