debt ratio
Debt ratio
Copyright © 2012, Campbell R. Harvey. All Rights Reserved.
Debt Ratio
A measure of a company's total debt to its total assets. A ratio less than one means that a company has more assets than debt, while a ratio of more than one means the opposite. A debt ratio is a measure of how risky it would be for a bank to extend a loan to a company, with a higher ratio indicating great risk.
Farlex Financial Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All Rights Reserved
debt ratio
The proportion of a firm's total assets that are being financed with borrowed funds. The debt ratio is calculated by dividing total long-term and short-term liabilities by total assets. Assets and liabilities are found on a company's balance sheet. For example, a firm with assets of $1,000,000 and $150,000 in short-term debts and $300,000 in long-term debts has a debt ratio of $450,000/$1,000,000 or 45%. A low debt ratio indicates conservative financing with an opportunity to borrow in the future at no significant risk. Compare bond ratio.
Wall Street Words: An A to Z Guide to Investment Terms for Today's Investor by David L. Scott. Copyright © 2003 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. All rights reserved.