Understanding debt-to-equity ratio: A simple guide with real business examples

Business Upturn

a day ago

When analyzing a company's financial health, one of the first things investors and analysts check is its debt-to-equity ratio (D/E ratio).
This ratio helps answer a basic but critical question:
How much debt is the company using compared to shareholder equity to finance its operations? What is the debt-to-equity ratio?
Formula:
Debt-to-equity ratio = Total Debt / Shareholders' Equity
It shows how much debt a company has for every rupee of equity.
For example:
If a company has Rs 100 crore in debt and Rs 200 crore in equity, its debt-to-equity ratio is:
100 ÷ 200 = 0.5
This means:
For every Re 1 of shareholder capital, the company has 50 paise of debt. Why is this ratio important? Measures financial risk
A higher D/E ratio means the company is more dependent on borrowed money. This makes it riskier, especially in times of high interest rates or economic downturns. Shows capital structure
It helps investors understand how a company finances its assets – through debt or equity. Bankruptcy risk indicator
Excessive debt increases the chance of default or bankruptcy. Affects profitability
Debt brings interest costs. Higher debt means more fixed payments, affecting net profit. What is a good debt-to-equity ratio?
It depends on the industry: Industry Typical D/E Ratio Range IT Services, FMCG 0 to 0.5 (Low debt preferred) Manufacturing, Auto 0.5 to 1.5 (Moderate debt common) Infrastructure, Real Estate 1.5 and above (High debt often used)
Key point:
A ratio above 2 is generally considered risky for most industries, but acceptable in infrastructure or capital-intensive sectors. Real-life example: Company Total Debt (Rs crore) Shareholders' Equity (Rs crore) Debt-to-Equity Ratio HUL (FMCG) 1,000 9,000 0.11 Tata Motors (Auto) 70,000 35,000 2.0 NTPC (Power) 1,50,000 1,00,000 1.5 HUL runs with almost no debt.
Tata Motors uses heavy debt due to its manufacturing and capital needs.
NTPC, being in power infrastructure, operates with a higher but manageable debt load. Pros of having some debt: Leverages growth (if the business earns more than the debt cost)
Lowers weighted average cost of capital (WACC)
Provides tax shield (interest on debt is tax-deductible) Risks of high debt: Interest burden eats into profits
Higher risk of bankruptcy in bad times
Less flexibility for future funding Important variations: Net debt-to-equity: Takes cash reserves into account:
(Total Debt – Cash) / Equity Long-term debt-to-equity:
Focuses only on long-term borrowings, ignoring short-term debt. When analyzing D/E ratio, always check: Industry averages
Company's earnings stability
Interest coverage ratio (Can the company pay interest comfortably?)
Recent debt repayment trends Final takeaway:
The debt-to-equity ratio is one of the clearest indicators of a company's financial leverage and risk. Investors should compare this ratio with peers in the same industry and track its trend over time. A rising D/E ratio with stagnant profits is often a red flag.
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Aditya Bhagchandani serves as the Senior Editor and Writer at Business Upturn, where he leads coverage across the Business, Finance, Corporate, and Stock Market segments. With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to journalistic integrity, he not only contributes insightful articles but also oversees editorial direction for the reporting team.