In: Accounting
A payment of a business debt not including interest:
Select one:
a. Decreases total assets.
b. Increases total liabilities.
c. Increases the owners' equity in the business.
d. Decreases the owners' equity in the business.
A payment of a business debt not including interest:
a. Decreases total assets.
Total debt to total assets is a leverage ratio that defines the total amount of debt relative to assets. This metric enables comparisons of leverage to be made across different companies. The higher the ratio, the higher the degree of leverage (DoL) and, consequently, financial risk. The total debt to total assets is a broad ratio that includes long-term and short-term debt (borrowings maturing within one year), as well as all assets – tangible and intangible.
Like all other ratios, the trend of the total debt to total assets should also be evaluated over time. This will help assess whether the company’s financial risk profile is improving or deteriorating. For example, an increasing trend indicates that a business is unwilling or unable to pay down its debt, which could indicate a default at some point in the future.