Debt ratios by institutional sectors - international comparisons 2021Q4 (2024)

FAQs

How do you compare debt ratios? ›

A company's debt ratio can be calculated by dividing total debt by total assets. A debt ratio of greater than 1.0 or 100% means a company has more debt than assets while a debt ratio of less than 100% indicates that a company has more assets than debt.

Generally, a good debt ratio is around 1 to 1.5. However, the ideal debt ratio will vary depending on the industry, as some industries use more debt financing than others. Capital-intensive industries like the financial and manufacturing industries often have higher ratios that can be greater than 2.

Interpreting the Debt Ratio

If the ratio is over 1, a company has more debt than assets. If the ratio is below 1, the company has more assets than debt. Broadly speaking, ratios of 60% (0.6) or more are considered high, while ratios of 40% (0.4) or less are considered low.

In general, many investors look for a company to have a debt ratio between 0.3 and 0.6. From a pure risk perspective, debt ratios of 0.4 or lower are considered better, while a debt ratio of 0.6 or higher makes it more difficult to borrow money.

The debt-to-asset ratio, the debt-to-equity ratio, and the times-interest-earned ratio are three important debt management ratios for your business. They tell you how much of your company's operations are based on debt, rather than equity.

Debt ratios differ widely across industries. Some sectors, like utilities and real estate, often have higher ratios because businesses in these areas typically need substantial financing. Comparatively, technology companies may operate with lower ratios due to less reliance on borrowed funds.

It's calculated by dividing your monthly debts by your gross monthly income. Generally, it's a good idea to keep your DTI ratio below 43%, though 35% or less is considered “good.”

A debt-to-income ratio under 30% is excellent and a ratio of 30% to 35% is acceptable. A ratio higher than 40% could make creditors reject your application for an auto loan, student loan or mortgage.

The bad debt to sales ratio represents the fraction of uncollectible accounts receivables in a year compared to total sales. For example, if a company's revenue is $100,000 and it's unable to collect $3,000, the bad debt to sales ratio is (3,000/100,000=0.03).

What is a good long-term debt ratio? A long-term debt ratio of 0.5 or less is considered a good definition to indicate the safety and security of a business.

What does a debt ratio of 80% mean? ›

What if the debt ratio was much higher, like 0.8, or 80%? A debt ratio this high would throw up a red flag to the bank. At this level, the company would appear to have most of their assets funded by debt and would be a high risk for the bank.

The correct answer is option d. It measures the percentage of a company's assets financed by debt. The debt ratio for a firm is computed by dividing the total debt by the total assets. Thus, it gives an idea about the percentage or proportion of total assets funded by the debt.

The lower the debt ratio is, the better position they're in to handle the debt load. Not only does this mean a lower level of financial risk, it could also mean that the company is more financially stable. A comfortable debt ratio is below 0.50 or 50% but again, it all depends on what the industry average is.

For lenders and investors, a high ratio means a riskier investment because the business might not be able to make enough money to repay its debts. If a debt to equity ratio is lower – closer to zero – this often means the business hasn't relied on borrowing to finance operations.

The industries that typically have the highest D/E ratios include utilities and financial services. Wholesalers and service industries are among those with the lowest.

By calculating the ratio between your income and your debts, you get your “debt ratio.” This is something the banks are very interested in. A debt ratio below 30% is excellent. Above 40% is critical. Lenders could deny you a loan.

Debt Ratio = 0.50, or 50%

A company that has a debt ratio at this level has a perfect balance in its debt and equity funding and would also be considered a low risk for a potential financing source.

A debt ratio of 0.45 means that a firm has $0.45 of equity for every dollar of debt. A debt ratio of 0.45 means a firm has $0.45 of current liabilities for every dollar of current assets.

Read our editorial guidelines here . Your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio is how much money you earn versus what you spend. It's calculated by dividing your monthly debts by your gross monthly income. Generally, it's a good idea to keep your DTI ratio below 43%, though 35% or less is considered “good.”