Apple's Debt Overview

Shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) rose by 42.99% in the past three months. Before we understand the importance of debt, let's look at how much debt Apple has.

Apple's Debt

According to the Apple’s most recent financial statement as reported on May 1, 2020, total debt is at $109.51 billion, with $89.09 billion in long-term debt and $20.42 billion in current debt. Adjusting for $40.17 billion in cash-equivalents, the company has a net debt of $69.33 billion.

To understand the degree of financial leverage a company has, shareholders look at the debt ratio. Considering Apple’s $320.40 billion in total assets, the debt-ratio is at 0.34. As a rule of thumb, a debt-ratio more than 1 indicates that a considerable portion of debt is funded by assets. A higher debt-ratio can also imply that the company might be putting itself at risk for default, if interest rates were to increase. However, debt-ratios vary widely across different industries. For example, a debt ratio of 35% might be higher for one industry, whereas normal for another.

Why Debt Is Important

Debt is an important factor in the capital structure of a company, and can help it attain growth. Debt usually has a relatively lower financing cost than equity, which makes it an attractive option for executives.

Interest-payment obligations can impact the cash-flow of the company. Having financial leverage also allows companies to use additional capital for business operations, allowing equity owners to retain excess profit, generated by the debt capital.