What is a good debt-to-equity ratio?

Asked by: Caroline Hagenes  |  Last update: May 5, 2026
Score: 4.5/5 (25 votes)

Generally, a good debt ratio for a business is around 1 to 1.5. However, the debt-to-equity ratio can vary significantly based on the business's growth stage and industry sector. For example, newer and expanding companies often utilise debt to drive growth.

Is 0.5 a good debt-to-equity ratio?

A 0.5 D/E ratio is good in the sense that the company has more equity than debt financing. This suggests lower risk for creditors and investors. However, it might also indicate the company is missing out on potential growth opportunities that debt financing can provide.

What is a favorable debt-to-equity ratio?

Although it varies from industry to industry, a debt-to-equity ratio of around 2 or 2.5 is generally considered good. This ratio tells us that for every dollar invested in the company, about 66 cents come from debt, while the other 33 cents come from the company's equity.

Is a debt-to-equity ratio below 1 good?

A low figure shows the company has good financial standing. Financial experts generally consider a debt-to-equity ratio of one or lower to be superb. Because a low debt-to-equity ratio means the company has low liabilities compared to its equity , it's a common characteristic for many successful businesses.

Is 60% debt-to-equity ratio good?

Investors usually look for a company to have a debt ratio between 0.3 (30%) and 0.6 (60%). From a pure risk perspective, debt ratios of 0.4 (40%) or lower are considered better, while a debt ratio of 0.6 (60%) or higher makes it more difficult to borrow money.

Debt To Equity Ratio Explained - What is Debt to Equity Ratio & how to Use It

19 related questions found

Is a debt ratio of 75% bad?

A 75% debt ratio means that 75% of a company's assets are financed by debt. While it indicates significant leverage, whether it's good or bad depends on the industry and the company's ability to manage debt. High ratios may increase financial risk but can also boost returns during favorable conditions.

Is 50% debt-to-equity ratio 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.

What is an unhealthy debt-to-equity ratio?

For lenders and investors, a high ratio (typically above 2) typically means a riskier investment because the business might not be able to make enough money to repay its debts.

What is Amazon's debt-to-equity ratio?

Amazon debt/equity ratio for the quarter ending September 30, 2024 was 0.21. Amazon average debt/equity ratio for 2023 was 0.36, a 14.29% decline from 2022. Amazon average debt/equity ratio for 2022 was 0.42, a 10.53% decline from 2021. Amazon average debt/equity ratio for 2021 was 0.38, a 2.56% increase from 2020.

What is the rule of thumb for debt-to-equity ratio?

A higher debt-to-equity ratio indicates that a company has higher debt, while a lower debt-to-equity ratio signals fewer debts. Generally, a good debt-to-equity ratio is less than 1.0, while a risky debt-to-equity ratio is greater than 2.0.

What is Tesla's debt-to-equity ratio?

Tesla's debt / equity, adjusted for fiscal years ending December 2019 to 2023 averaged 67.6%. Tesla's operated at median debt / equity, adjusted of 29.4% from fiscal years ending December 2019 to 2023. Looking back at the last 5 years, Tesla's debt / equity, adjusted peaked in December 2019 at 220.2%.

What is a bad debt to equity ratio?

The optimal debt-to-equity ratio will tend to vary widely by industry, but the general consensus is that it should not be above a level of 2.0. While some very large companies in fixed asset-heavy industries (such as mining or manufacturing) may have ratios higher than 2, these are the exception rather than the rule.

What is Apple's debt-to-equity ratio?

Apple (AAPL) Debt to Equity Ratio: 1.87

The debt to equity ratio for Apple (AAPL) stock is 1.87 as of Friday, January 10 2025. It's worsened by 16.35% from its 12-month average of 1.61. The debt to equity ratio is calculated by taking the total debt and dividing it by the shareholder equity.

What is a ideal debt-to-equity ratio?

In general, there is no single “ideal” debt to equity ratio, as it can vary depending on the industry, the company's stage of development, and its specific circumstances. However, many analysts suggest that a good debt to equity ratio of 2:1 or less is generally considered healthy for most companies.

How to tell if a company has too much debt?

Debt-to-Equity Ratio

A higher ratio indicates a greater reliance on debt and higher potential financial risk. A healthy debt-to-equity ratio varies across industries, but as a general rule of thumb, a ratio above 2:1 is considered excessive debt.

Is 0.8 debt-to-equity ratio good?

Typically, it's better to have a debt-equity ratio that's lower than 2.0 if possible. It's even more favourable to achieve a debt-equity ratio lower than 1.0. Generally speaking, the lower a company's debt-equity ratio is, the better its financial standing may be.

What is the debt-to-equity ratio for Walmart?

Walmart average debt/equity ratio for 2022 was 0.44, a 12% increase from 2021. Walmart average debt/equity ratio for 2021 was 0.5, a 13.79% decline from 2020.

What is the safest debt-to-equity ratio?

Acceptable Range. For most companies, an acceptable debt-to-equity ratio falls between 1.5 and 2. Larger companies can sometimes sustain a higher ratio. However, a ratio much above 2 can indicate that the company is taking on too much debt, which could be risky.

What is the debt-to-equity ratio of the S&P 500?

The average D/E ratio among S&P 500 companies is approximately 1.5. A ratio lower than 1 is considered favorable since that indicates a company is relying more on equity than on debt to finance its operating costs.

How much debt should a small business have?

For instance, investors or other businesses interested in acquiring or merging with your company will want to see a debt ratio between 30 percent and 60 percent. If your debt ratio is higher than 60 percent, banks and other lenders may consider your company a risky borrower.

What's a good current ratio?

A good current ratio is between 1.2 to 2, which means that the business has 2 times more current assets than liabilities to covers its debts. A current ratio below 1 means that the company doesn't have enough liquid assets to cover its short-term liabilities.

What is too high of a debt-to-equity ratio?

Limitations of Debt-To-Equity Ratio

It is said that companies with intensive capital will have a higher DE than service companies. 2. The maximum acceptable debt-to-equity ratio for more companies is between 1.5-2 or less. Large companies having a value higher than 2 of the debt-to-equity ratio is acceptable.

How much debt is healthy?

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.