Calculate Long-Term Debt to Total Capital with MarketXLS
The hf_long_term_debt_to_total_capital function retrieves the ratio of a company's long-term debt to its overall capital structure. With just a few parameters, you can instantly get valuable insights into a company's leverage levels right in your Excel worksheet. This metric helps investors and analysts understand how a firm finances its operations (through equity or debt) so they can better evaluate financial risk.
Why Use This Function?
- Quickly access fundamental data for your selected ticker directly in Excel.
- Monitor a company's financial leverage by seeing how much of its capital comes from long-term debt.
- Compare different reporting periods (annual or quarterly) without leaving Excel.
- Use optional trailing twelve months (TTM) data to capture a more continuous view of leverage trends.
- Combine results with other fundamental or technical formulas for comprehensive financial models and analyses.
How to Use in Excel
Simply type the function as you would any other Excel formula.
=hf_long_term_debt_to_total_capital(Symbol, Year, Quarter, [Optional TTM])
For example, enter "=hf_long_term_debt_to_total_capital("MSFT", 2022, 3)" in a cell to get Microsoft’s long-term debt to total capital ratio for the third quarter of 2022. If you leave the Quarter parameter blank (e.g., ""), the internal logic defaults to a certain setting (such as "2") to properly form the request.
If you want data on a trailing twelve months basis, simply pass "TTM" as the fourth parameter, for example:
=hf_long_term_debt_to_total_capital("AAPL", 2022, 2, "TTM")
Parameters Explained
Parameter | Description | Example Values | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Symbol | The company ticker symbol (string). | "MSFT", "AAPL" | Must be a valid ticker symbol. Returns "NA" if invalid. |
Year | The four-digit year of the reporting period. | 2021, 2022 | Certain values like "2022" specify the exact year of data to retrieve. |
Quarter | The quarter number to retrieve (1, 2, 3, or 4). Optional but recommended. | 1, 2, 3, 4, or "" | If left blank (""), the function attempts to use a default quarter. |
TTM | Optional. Specify "TTM" to use the trailing twelve months data. | "TTM" or "" | Pass "TTM" to get a TTM figure; leave empty for regular (annual/quarter) periods. |
Example Usage
Basic Examples
-
Annual Data for 2021 (No Quarter Specified)
=hf_long_term_debt_to_total_capital("MSFT", 2021, "")
• Retrieves Microsoft’s latest annual ratio for 2021. -
Quarterly Data for 2022, Quarter 1
=hf_long_term_debt_to_total_capital("AAPL", 2022, 1)
• Pulls Apple’s long-term debt to total capital for Q1 2022. -
Trailing Twelve Months
=hf_long_term_debt_to_total_capital("GOOGL", 2022, 3, "TTM")
• Provides an ongoing view of Alphabet’s long-term debt to total capital across the trailing year.
Advanced Scenarios
• Compare Multiple Quarters in a Single Workbook
- In one column, enter multiple years/quarters to see how a company's leverage changes over time. For instance, cells referencing:
=hf_long_term_debt_to_total_capital($A$1, 2021, 4)
=hf_long_term_debt_to_total_capital($A$1, 2022, 1)
=hf_long_term_debt_to_total_capital($A$1, 2022, 2)
• Combine with Other Metrics
- Use additional MarketXLS functions (e.g., price or revenue-based data) to create side-by-side comparisons or compute more advanced ratios that factor in debt to capital alongside other indicators.
• Integrate into Financial Models and Valuation
- Whether you’re performing discounted cash flow analysis or building dashboards, this function can be part of large-scale, automated Excel models to help you quickly gauge solvency or balance sheet risk.
Common Questions and Troubleshooting
• Why am I getting “NA”?
- The symbol might be invalid, or data may not be available for the specified period/year. Always check that you have a valid ticker and a sensible combination of Year, Quarter, and TTM.
• Do I need the Quarter parameter?
- It’s optional. By default, if you leave it blank, the function will assign a default quarter internally. It’s best to specify a quarter for clearer data targeting.
• Can I use TTM for any year and quarter?
- Yes, passing "TTM" prompts the system to gather the trailing twelve months data that ends around that period. If TTM data isn’t available or the date is too recent, you may see “NA.”
• How do I handle data for newly listed companies?
- Newly listed stocks might not have full historical reporting. If data is missing, results can show “NA.”
Remember:
• Always verify the symbol, Year, and Quarter inputs.
• For comprehensive US market analysis, combine this ratio with other key metrics like revenue growth, debt-to-equity ratios, or net income.
• Use TTM only when a rolling 12-month figure is required.
This function helps you stay informed about a company's long-term debt—an essential part of understanding corporate risk. By bringing these fundamentals directly into your spreadsheets with MarketXLS, you can efficiently benchmark companies, monitor changes over time, and refine your investment strategies without the hassle of manual research.