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In this case, the ratio shows how much of a companys operations are funded by debt.

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How To Calculate Total Debt-To-Total Assets Ratio

The total-debt-to-total-assets ratio is straightforward.

Simply divide a companys total funded debt by its total assets.

To express the ratio as a percentage, which is fairly common, multiply the result by 100.

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As the name implies, a companys total debt includes all of its obligations, both short-term and long-term.

Similarly, total assets include bothcurrent and non-current assets.

Therefore, most companies except the very smallest need to hire accountants.

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You would then divide the $40 million in total liabilities by the $100 million in total assets.

That will give the company a total-debt-to-total-assets ratio of 0.40, or 40% when multiplied by 100.

To some degree, this can be an effective strategy.

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The same is true for companies that need to spend a lot on infrastructure to generate revenue.

What Is a Good Debt-to-Assets Ratio?

Theres no such thing as a good debt-to-assets ratio in an absolute sense, only a relative one.

This doesnt necessarily mean they are bad companies.

In fact, a company with a high debt-to-assets ratio might still be performing quite well.

But again, this can vary dramatically from industry to industry and throughvarious economic times.

These can be important when determining if a company is worth an investment.

Remember that a high debt-to-assets ratio isnt necessarily a bad thing.

Its also important to note that a companys debt-to-assets ratio is not always entirely its own responsibility.

Macroeconomic factors can cause a company to temporarily take on more debt.

Other times, internal, company-specific events may temporarilyor permanentlyraise or lower a debt-to-assets ratio.

Utilities

In this example, NextEra Energy has a much higher-than-average ratio for the utility industry.

Information Technology

As compared with the utility industry, all of theseinformation technology companieshave low debt-to-assets ratios.

Theres still a wide variation within this sector, though.

Takeaway

Finding and working with a financial advisor is a great idea.

A financial advisor will help keep track of your finances and assist you in attaining your financial goals.

Get to know your Financial Advisor options today for Free!

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