Question

6 H Q4. (25 marks) Imagine you are planning to raise capital for the firm, you are wary about the lender and shareholders, which accounting ratios could address the concerns of those stakeholders? Explain in detail 1

Answer 1

In general, analysts use three ratios to assess the strength of a company's capitalization structure. The first two are popular metrics: the debt ratio (total debt to total assets) and the debt-to-equity (D/E) ratio (total debt to total shareholders' equity). However, it is a third ratio, the capitalization ratio—(long-term debt divided by (long-term debt plus shareholders' equity))—that delivers key insights into a company's capital position.

With the debt ratio, more liabilities mean less equity and therefore indicate a more leveraged position. The problem with this measurement is that it is too broad in scope and gives equal weight to operational liabilities and debt liabilities.

The same criticism applies to the debt-to-equity ratio. Current and non-current operational liabilities, especially the latter, represent obligations that will be with the company forever. Also, unlike debt, there are no fixed payments of principal or interest attached to operational liabilities.

On the other hand, the capitalization ratio compares the debt component to the equity component of a company's capital structure; so, it presents a truer picture. Expressed as a percentage, a low number indicates a healthy equity cushion, which is always more desirable than a high percentage of the debt.