What is a good debt to equity ratio for banks?
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.
Industry | Typical Debt to Equity Ratio Range |
---|---|
Financial Services (Banks) | 4.0 – 8.0 |
Telecommunications | 1.0 – 2.5 |
Industrial Manufacturing | 0.4 – 1.0 |
Consumer Discretionary (Retail) | 0.5 – 1.5 |
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.
Generally, a good debt-to-equity ratio is anything lower than 1.0. A ratio of 2.0 or higher is usually considered risky. If a debt-to-equity ratio is negative, it means that the company has more liabilities than assets—this company would be considered extremely risky.
U.S. Bancorp Debt to Equity Ratio: 1.138 for Dec. 31, 2023
View and export this data back to 1989.
JPMorgan Chase Debt to Equity Ratio: 1.885 for March 31, 2024.
In the banking and financial services sector, a relatively high D/E ratio is commonplace. Banks carry higher amounts of debt because they own substantial fixed assets in the form of branch networks.
Key takeaways
Debt-to-income ratio is your monthly debt obligations compared to your gross monthly income (before taxes), expressed as a percentage. A good debt-to-income ratio is less than or equal to 36%. Any debt-to-income ratio above 43% is considered to be too much debt.
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).
Broadly speaking, ratios of 60% (0.6) or more are considered high, while ratios of 40% (0.4) or less are considered low. However, what constitutes a “good debt ratio” can vary depending on industry norms, business objectives, and economic conditions.
Is 0.5 a good debt to equity ratio?
Generally, a lower ratio is better, as it implies that the company is in less debt and is less risky for lenders and investors. A debt-to-equity ratio of 0.5 or below is considered good.
Yes, a D/E ratio of 50% or 0.5 is very good. This means it is a low-debt business and the company's equity is twice as high as its debts.
Still, as a general rule of thumb, most companies aim for an equity ratio of around 50%. Companies with ratios ranging around 50% to 80% tend to be considered “conservative”, while those with ratios between 20% and 40% are considered “leveraged”.
The debt-to-equity (D/E) ratio reflects a company's debt status. A high D/E ratio is considered risky for lenders and investors because it suggests that the company is financing a significant amount of its potential growth through borrowing.
The United States' debt-to-GDP ratio at the close of fiscal year 2023 was 97 percent. While this figure is down slightly from 100 percent in 2020, a 74-year high, the nation's fiscal outlook is still on an unsustainable path. Debt held by the public is on track to exceed GDP in 2025 and climb to 116 percent in 2034.
Industry | Average debt to equity ratio | Number of companies |
---|---|---|
Household & Personal Products | 0.69 | 24 |
Industrial Distribution | 0.65 | 17 |
Information Technology Services | 0.59 | 53 |
Insurance Brokers | 1.16 | 12 |
Whether or not a debt ratio is "good" depends on the context: the company's industrial sector, the prevailing interest rate, etc. In general, many investors look for a company to have a debt ratio between 0.3 and 0.6.
Common ratios used are the net interest margin, the loan-to-assets ratio, and the return-on-assets (ROA) ratio. Net interest margin is used to analyze a bank's net profit on interest-earning assets like loans, while the return-on-assets ratio shows the per-dollar profit a bank earns on its assets.
Here's a simple two-step formula for calculating your DTI ratio. Divide the sum of your monthly debts by your monthly gross income (your take-home pay before taxes and other monthly deductions). Convert the figure into a percentage and that is your DTI ratio.
Personal debt can be considered to be unmanageable when the level of required repayments cannot be met through normal income streams. This would usually occur over a sustained period of time, causing overall debt levels to increase to a level beyond which somebody is able to pay.
Is 50% debt ratio bad?
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.
The formula for calculating the debt-to-equity ratio is to take a company's total liabilities and divide them by its total shareholders' equity. A good debt-to-equity ratio is generally below 2.0 for most companies and industries.
Lenders, including anyone who might give you a mortgage or an auto loan, use DTI as a measure of creditworthiness. DTI is one factor that can help lenders decide whether you can repay the money you have borrowed or take on more debt. A good debt-to-income ratio is below 43%, and many lenders prefer 36% or below.
35% or less: Looking Good - Relative to your income, your debt is at a manageable level. You most likely have money left over for saving or spending after you've paid your bills. Lenders generally view a lower DTI as favorable.
If your business debt exceeds 30 percent of your business capital, this is another signal you're carrying too much debt. The best accounting software can help you track your business debt, manage your cash flow, and better understand your business' financial situation.
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