Over the past three months, shares of Sphere 3D (NASDAQ:ANY) increased by 40.95%. Before we understand the importance of debt, let us look at how much debt Sphere 3D has.

Sphere 3D's Debt

Based on Sphere 3D's financial statement as of April 9, 2021, long-term debt is at $672.00 thousand and current debt is at $1.53 million, amounting to $2.20 million in total debt. Adjusted for $461.00 thousand in cash-equivalents, the company's net debt is at $1.74 million.

Let's define some of the terms we used in the paragraph above. Current debt is the portion of a company's debt which is due within 1 year, while long-term debt is the portion due in more than 1 year. Cash equivalents include cash and any liquid securities with maturity periods of 90 days or less. Total debt equals current debt plus long-term debt minus cash equivalents.

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. Equity owners can keep excess profit, generated from the debt capital, when companies use the debt capital for its business operations.

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