Debt-to-EBITDA (D/EBITDA)

Financial metric definition and guide.

Debt-to-EBITDA (D/EBITDA)

How many years of earnings would it take to repay all debt?

Definition

D/EBITDA measures debt relative to a company's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. It is preferred over D/E for comparing companies with different capital intensity.

Formula

Only meaningful when EBITDA > 0.

Interpretation

Range Assessment
< 2.0 Low debt — comfortable repayment capacity
2.0 – 4.0 Moderate — manageable for most businesses
4.0 – 6.0 Elevated — may face refinancing pressure
> 6.0 High risk — debt service is a significant burden

Industry Routing

Only available for Industrial companies (Operating Profit field required). Banking and Insurance do not report EBITDA.

In Finsco

Computed by the audit debt-discipline command.

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