The debt-to-capital ratio (D/C ratio) measures the financial leverage of a company by comparing its total liabilities to total capital. In other words, the debt-to-capital ratio formula measures the proportion of debt that a business uses to fund its ongoing operations as compared with capital. This financial metric can help you understand a range of things about your business, including capital structure and financial solvency. So, if you want to understand how well your business could handle a potential downturn in sales revenue, debt-to-capital ratio analysis could be ideal
The debt-to-capital ratio gives analysts and investors a better idea of a company’s financial structure and whether or not the company is a suitable investment. All else being equal, the higher the debt-to-capital ratio, the riskier the company. This is because a higher ratio, the more the company is funded by debt than equity, which means a higher liability to repay the debt and a greater risk of forfeiture on the loan if the debt cannot be paid timely.
Formula
Debt-to-Capital Ratio = Debt / Debt + Shareholder’s Equity