Below 0.5 - conservative
Low leverage and lots of balance-sheet headroom to invest, acquire, or weather a downturn.
Benchmark
What is a good debt-to-equity ratio?
A good debt-to-equity (D/E) ratio is generally below 1.0 - meaning a company owes less than its shareholders' equity - though what counts as good varies a lot by industry. Below 0.5 is conservative; 0.5-1.5 is a normal range for most businesses; above 2.0 is high leverage that demands very stable cash flow to be safe. Capital-intensive sectors like utilities and banks run higher, and that is normal for them.
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Short answer
Below ~1.0 is the comfortable zone for most companies, but D/E means nothing without industry context - a utility at 1.5 can be safer than a cyclical at 0.8. Pair it with interest coverage to see whether the debt is actually affordable.
How to read the debt-to-equity ratio
0.5-1.5 - moderate
A normal range for most profitable businesses. Manageable debt relative to equity.
1.5-2.5 - elevated
Workable with stable, predictable cash flows; risky for cyclical or volatile businesses.
Above 2.5 - high
Only safe for very predictable cash flows (regulated utilities). A red flag in most other sectors.
Why industry context decides 'good'
A regulated utility with a 1.5 debt-to-equity ratio can be lower-risk than a cyclical manufacturer at 0.8: the utility's revenue is contracted and predictable, so it services debt reliably through any economy, while the cyclical's earnings can halve in a recession.
That's why the ratio is only half the picture. Pair it with the interest coverage ratio (operating profit divided by interest expense): a high D/E with 8x coverage is comfortable, while a moderate D/E with 1.5x coverage is fragile. Leverage is dangerous only when cash flow can't reliably service it.
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Related
- What is the debt-to-equity ratio? - the definition and formula behind this benchmark.
- What is the interest coverage ratio? - whether the debt is affordable - the essential companion check.
- What is net debt? - the cash-adjusted leverage view behind net-debt-to-EBITDA.
- What is the Altman Z-Score? - the distress model that combines leverage with other solvency signals.
See leverage in context
invest-like reports debt-to-equity, net debt, and interest coverage together on every stock, so leverage is judged on affordability, not just level.
Educational only. invest-like is not a registered investment adviser; nothing here is personalised investment advice. Always do your own research and consider your individual circumstances.