Leverage Ratio Formula:
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The Leverage Ratio measures a company's financial leverage by comparing its total debt to equity. It indicates how much of the company's operations are financed by debt versus shareholders' equity.
The calculator uses the Leverage Ratio formula:
Where:
Explanation: The ratio shows how much debt a company is using to finance its assets relative to the value of shareholders' equity.
Details: The leverage ratio is crucial for assessing a company's financial health, risk level, and ability to meet its financial obligations. Higher ratios indicate more debt financing and potentially higher risk.
Tips: Enter total debt and equity amounts in USD. Both values must be positive numbers, with equity greater than zero.
Q1: What is a good leverage ratio?
A: Generally, ratios below 2.0 are considered acceptable, but this varies by industry. Lower ratios typically indicate less risk.
Q2: How does leverage ratio differ from debt-to-equity ratio?
A: They are essentially the same calculation, just presented differently. Both measure the relationship between debt and equity financing.
Q3: What if my company has negative equity?
A: The ratio becomes meaningless with negative equity, indicating the company may be insolvent (liabilities exceed assets).
Q4: How often should leverage ratio be calculated?
A: It should be monitored regularly, typically quarterly with financial statements, to track financial health over time.
Q5: Does a high leverage ratio always mean bad?
A: Not necessarily. Some industries (like banking) normally operate with higher leverage. The key is comparing to industry benchmarks.