article thumbnail

A Refresher on Debt-to-Equity Ratio

Harvard Business Review

In fact, analysts and investors want companies to use debt smartly to fund their businesses. That’s where the debt-to-equity ratio comes in. What is the debt-to-equity ratio? “It’s a simple measure of how much debt you use to run your business,” explains Knight.

article thumbnail

The Microfinance Contagion Scenario

Harvard Business Review

Losses in AP will overwhelm many institutions' equity cushion. The average debt-to-equity ratio of the 10 largest MFIs in India is 7.06 , indicating an average 12% equity cushion. In a recent paper, Jonathan Morduch and Jonathan Conning explain the role of debt and equity financing in the microfinance industry.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

A Refresher on Current Ratio

Harvard Business Review

I talked with Joe Knight, author of the HBR TOOLS: Return on Investment and co-founder and owner of www.business-literacy.com , to learn more about this financial term. What is the current ratio? It’s one of several liquidity ratios that measure whether you have enough cash to make payroll in the coming year, explains Knight.

article thumbnail

End the Religion of ROE

Harvard Business Review

The revolution ran on equity capital, which was in short supply. Anyone would have concluded that allocating capital according to expected return on equity would be optimal for growth. The lesson: Return on Equity, like peacock tail splendor, is a very poor guide for allocating resources. It fails for two reasons.

ROE 12