Current Cash Debt Coverage Ratio Definition, Formula, and How to Calculate

cash debt coverage ratio

The cash coverage ratio is a metric that measures a company’s capacity to pay down its liabilities with its existing cash. Solvency should not be confused with liquidity; while solvency assesses its ability to repay long-term debts, liquidity evaluates its capacity to meet short-term obligations. Both ratios are, however, important to creditors to gauge the financial health of a company.

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Using a range of ratios provides a more comprehensive understanding of a company’s financial health, and it is crucial to consider all factors before making any investment decisions. For instance, a company with a high current ratio may not have enough cash to make debt repayments if necessary, which could be a problem in the long run. It serves as a vital indicator of a company’s financial health and is closely monitored by investors and creditors. A ratio that is significantly lower than the industry average could suggest that the company is facing financial difficulties or operating in a highly competitive market. To define what a “high” or “low” ratio is, we must compare it to the ratio of other companies in the same industry.

  • Current obligations may include accounts payable, sales taxes, or accrued costs.
  • A property with a debt coverage ratio of .8 only generates enough income to pay for 80 percent of the yearly debt payments.
  • They were diligent and forthright on both accounts and brought our deal to a successful closing.
  • It would not make sense to assume that the business was paying off its debt using its debt capital.
  • Amanda Bellucco-Chatham is an editor, writer, and fact-checker with years of experience researching personal finance topics.

What the Cash Flow-to-Debt Ratio Can Tell You?

If the business has a highly leveraged capital structure, it is likely that the business has a fair amount of debt to pay off. It would not make sense to assume that the business was paying off its debt using its debt capital. The cash flow to debt ratio is expressed as a percentage, but can also be expressed in years by dividing 1 by the ratio. This would tell us how many years it would take the business to pay off all of its debt if it were to devote all cash flow generated from operations to repaying debt. Some analysts use free cash flow instead of cash flow from operations because this measure subtracts cash used for capital expenditures.

Advantages of using the cash coverage ratio

Comparisons between companies in the same industry and between current and previous ratio results can provide insights into a company’s performance. In contrast, a high ratio would suggest that your business is in a good position to repay its debts. In terms of business, liquidity does more than generate profits to continue day-to-day activities. Discover the key financial, operational, and strategic traits that make a company an ideal Leveraged Buyout (LBO) candidate in this comprehensive guide. By calculating it, you gain insights into your financial health and can make informed decisions to strengthen your position.

Calculate Debt Coverage Ratio in Excel

The current cash debt coverage ratio is a financial metric used to determine a company’s ability to repay its debts using its available cash flow. It’s an important indicator of a company’s financial health and can provide valuable insight into its ability to meet its financial obligations. In theory, a good ratio should be more than one, as the company can generate more cash flow than the short-term debt. It means that business is doing well, cash flow from operating is more than enough to cover the current liabilities. In some industries, there are not easy to generate cash in the early day. A higher current cash debt coverage ratio represents a better liquidity position as they are able to generate cash to pay off the current liabilities.

cash debt coverage ratio

What is the difference between cash coverage ratio vs. cash debt coverage ratio vs. cash flow to debt ratio?

Let’s say a real estate developer seeks a mortgage loan from a local bank. The lender will want to calculate the DSCR to determine the ability of the developer to borrow how to obtain a copy of your tax return 2020 and pay off their loan as its rental properties generate income. An accountant should see the proportion between the net operating income and the debt service cost.

The resulting figure will tell you how many times the company can cover its current debt obligations with its available cash flow. A coverage ratio is a metric that measures a company’s ability to service its debt and meet its financial obligations, including its interest payments and dividends. A high coverage ratio indicates that it’s likely the company will be able to make all its future interest payments and meet all its financial obligations. Comparing a company’s cash debt coverage ratio with those of other companies in the same industry can be a useful benchmarking tool for investors and creditors. Simply put, it’s a coverage ratio that measures a company’s ability to pay off its debts by analyzing the amount of cash flow generated compared to the amount of debt it owes.

Evaluating similar firms is critical since an acceptable coverage ratio in one area may be considered dangerous in another. If the company you’re considering appears to be out of step with significant rivals, this is usually a warning indicator. This ratio further assesses a company’s ability to pay off its debts as they come due. By calculating and interpreting this ratio, you can evaluate your cash flow and overall financial health. The coverage ratio is also called the interest coverage ratio or the times interest earned (TIE) ratio. Even though the company is generating a positive cash flow, it looks riskier from a debt perspective once debt-service coverage is taken into account.