What is leverage (2024)

Leverage is the amount of debt a company has in its mix of debt and equity (its capital structure). A company with more debt than average for its industry is said to be highly leveraged.

Leverage is not necessarily bad. When revenues are growing, payments are made with comfortable surpluses and additional debt is acquired to take advantage of market opportunities.

However, when revenues are low, a highly leveraged business might fall behind on debt payments and it might not be able to borrow additional money to stay afloat.

Two ratios are used to measure a company’s leverage: Debt-to-equity and debt-to-total-assets. Comparing these ratios with those from other companies in the same industry illustrates their utility.

More about leverage

In the example below, two companies in the same industry have assets of $1,000,000.

Company A has total debt of $250,000 and total shareholder’s equity of $750,000.

Company B has total debt of $750,000 and total shareholders’ equity of $250,000.

  • Its debt-to-equity ratio is:

    750,000 / 250,000 = 3:1
    In other words, for every dollar contributed by shareholders, the company has borrowed $3.

  • Its debt to total assets ratio is:

    750,000 / 1,000,000 = 75%
    It’s capital structure is 75% debt and 25% equity.

Here, Company B is much more highly leveraged than Company A. When markets are growing, Company B will do well. But during a market downturn, it will struggle. A long period of slow growth risks making Company B insolvent.

What is leverage (2024)

FAQs

What is leverage in simple terms? ›

Leverage or financial leverage is basically an investment where borrowed money or debt is used to maximise the returns of an investment, acquire additional assets or raise funds for the company.

What does it mean to have leverage? ›

If you have leverage, you hold the advantage in a situation or the stronger position in a contest, physical or otherwise.

What is leverage explained simply? ›

Put simply, leverage effectively amplifies the amount of money you are putting down to trade with. For example, if you decide to use leverage when trading stocks or shares, you can buy an increased amount of shares.

What is a leverage in finance? ›

Financial leverage is when you borrow money to make an investment that will hopefully lead to greater returns. It's built on the idea of spending money to make money. Examples of financial leverage can include: Buying a home, investing in a business and buying an investment property.

What the heck is leverage? ›

Leverage is also an investment strategy that uses borrowed money—specifically, the use of various financial instruments or borrowed capital—to increase the potential return of an investment.

What is a good example of leverage? ›

Leverage increases the potential returns on an investment. Here's an example of how that would work. Let's say you have $100 of your own money, and you can borrow $1500 from the bank at an interest rate of 6%. You invest the entire $1600 in an investment, that you are confident will grow 15% in a year.

Is leverage good or bad? ›

Leverage is good if the company generates enough cash flow to cover interest payments and pay off the borrowed money at the maturity date, but it is bad if the firm is unable to meet its future obligations and may lead to bankruptcy.

What is another word for leverage? ›

On this page you'll find 17 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to leverages, such as: bargaining chip, weight, advantage, clout, pull, and grease.

What does leverage mean in real life? ›

Leverage is the ability to influence situations or people so that you can control what happens. His function as a Mayor affords him the leverage to get things done through attending committee meetings. Synonyms: influence, authority, pull [informal], weight More Synonyms of leverage.

Why is leverage so powerful? ›

In essence, the power of leverage is all about taking advantage of existing opportunities and resources to move forward with your aspirations. The more strategic and creative you can be with your approach, the more success you'll have in achieving your goals.

What is leverage in life? ›

Leverage means, “the art of using something that you already possess to achieve something new and better.” ❯ Leverage helps you use your existing resources in a way to maximize results and achieve your dream outcome. ❯ The major types of leverage are time leverage, personal life leverage and skill leverage.

What is leverage in a relationship? ›

With leverage, meaning you're making full use of all your resources, you're cultivating relationships instead of forcing them. It's about respect and collaboration, not manipulation.

Is leverage just borrowing money? ›

Leverage refers to the use of borrowed funds or debt to amplify the potential returns or risks of an investment or financial transaction. It involves using borrowed capital to finance an investment or business activity with the aim of increasing the potential for higher returns on equity.

What is the risk of leverage? ›

Risk. While leverage magnifies profits when the returns from the asset more than offset the costs of borrowing, leverage may also magnify losses. A corporation that borrows too much money might face bankruptcy or default during a business downturn, while a less-leveraged corporation might survive.

Is leverage the same as debt? ›

Leverage is the amount of debt a company has in its mix of debt and equity (its capital structure). A company with more debt than average for its industry is said to be highly leveraged. Leverage is not necessarily bad.

What is leverage in a short? ›

With IG, you can go short using leverage, which means you only need a small percentage of the trade value to open your position. If the underlying market price dips, you could make a profit. If the market price rises instead, you will make a loss.

What is an example of the word leverage? ›

I used the leverage of the bar and a wooden block to pry the rock out of the hole. The player's popularity has given him a great deal of leverage with the owners of the team.

References

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