Capital structure refers to the mix of debt and equity a business uses to finance its operations and growth. It includes long-term debt, short-term liabilities, and shareholders’ equity, which together represent the company’s total funding.
Understanding how capital structure works allows companies to make strategic financing decisions, such as determining the right balance between borrowing and issuing stock to meet growth objectives while managing risk effectively.
Keep reading to learn more on capital structure, types of capitalization structures, how to calculate capital structure, and more.
Key Points
• Capital structure refers to the mix of debt, equity, and hybrid securities that a business uses to finance its operations and growth.
• Debt includes loans and bonds that require repayment, while equity involves raising funds through selling shares that give investors ownership stakes.
• A higher proportion of debt increases financial risk due to repayment obligations, while equity financing dilutes ownership but involves no fixed repayments.
• Businesses aim to balance debt and equity to minimize capital costs and maximize profitability.
• Capital structure is calculated by dividing outstanding debt by total equity.
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What Is Capital Structure?
Capital structure, also known as capitalization structure, refers to a financial ratio that expresses a business’s debt versus its equity. It’s an important component of cash management and can help the business make decisions about the best way to fund future capital needs.
Key Components of Capital Structure
Equity Capital
A capital structure definition might include these types of equity:
• Common equity: Stock owned by founders and, if applicable, employees.
• Preferred equity: Stock owned externally. Preferred stockholders are in a higher tier than common stockholders when it comes to claiming dividends or assets.
Debt Capital
A capital structure definition might include these types of debt:
• Long-term debt: Usually debts held for at least 12 months, which may include bonds, lines of credit, and long-term small business loans.
• Short-term liabilities: Debts scheduled to be paid off in one year or less, which may include short-term business loans and commercial paper.
Hybrid Instruments
These financial instruments combine traits of both equity and debt, allowing for flexibility in financing. Examples include convertible bonds and preferred stock.
One important measure for assessing what capital structures are in place can be found in companies’ debt-to-equity ratio. That figure helps provide the business owners, investors, and potential lenders with an accurate picture of how the company funds its operations and what the consequences are.
Debt must be paid back to the lender, but it doesn’t change the current ownership. Equity, on the other hand, impacts the ownership structure of the business, but doesn’t need to be repaid.
There’s no right or wrong capital structure. A healthy capital structure ratio depends on the needs and goals of each individual business.
Types of Capitalization Structures
Your company’s type of capital structure depends on how much debt it carries versus its shareholders’ equity. This is often called the company’s degree of leverage.
There are three types of capitalization structures: high leverage, low leverage, and balanced leverage. Each type has its own pros and cons.
High Leverage
With a high-leverage capitalization structure, a business uses more debt than equity to fund its operations and growth. Industries like insurance and banking may be highly leveraged.
Companies that are highly leveraged may be more appealing to investors eager for high returns and willing to accept a higher risk level. This is considered an aggressive form of cash flow and has both advantages and disadvantages.
Pros
• Tends to cost owners less than equity
• Fixed repayment schedule
• Maintains current ownership of company
Cons
• Lower revenue could diminish company’s profitability
• Too much debt leads to risk of default
• Has to be paid back, as opposed to equity
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Low Leverage
A lower level of debt may seem healthier, but can have some drawbacks as well. While your business may be more stable, you may miss potential growth opportunities. But this structure may be appealing to cyclical industries, like mining, which have uneven cash flow. Investors looking for slow and steady lower-risk opportunities may prefer this kind of capital structure.
Pros
• Greater financial stability
• No fixed payments
• Operational flexibility
Cons
• Could hinder growth
• Owner loses some degree of ownership and control
• Paying dividends can eat into profits
Balanced Leverage
As suggested above, the proper balance of equity and debt will vary depending on your industry, business model, and particular needs. In general, though, the key is finding the mix that provides the strategic benefits of debt (such as tax shielding and a lower cost of capital) while maintaining stability, flexibility, and moderate financial risk.
Common Capital Structure Theories
Several financial theories explore how firms might decide what capital structures are right for them. The propositions deal with the proportion of debt and equity needed to finance a company’s operations. Three major theories dominate this discussion.
Modigliani-Miller (M&M) Theorem
Proposed by Franco Modigliani and Merton Miller in the 1950s, this theorem suggests that in a perfect market with no taxes, bankruptcy costs, or information asymmetries, a firm’s value is unaffected by its capital structure. The M&M theorem assumes that the cost of equity rises as a firm takes on more debt, offsetting the benefit of cheaper debt financing. In real-world applications, this theory highlights the importance of market imperfections in capital structure decisions.
Trade-Off Theory
The trade-off theory suggests that firms balance the benefits of debt, such as tax shields (deductible interest), against the costs, such as bankruptcy risks and financial distress. This theory implies an optimal capital structure where the marginal benefit of debt equals its marginal cost. Unlike the M&M theorem, the trade-off theory incorporates real-world factors like taxes and insolvency costs, making it more applicable to practical business scenarios.
Pecking Order Theory
The pecking order theory argues that firms prioritize financing sources based on costs. They prefer internal financing first (retained earnings), then debt, and finally equity as a last resort. This hierarchy arises due to information asymmetries — external investors demand higher returns due to less access to insider information, making equity the most expensive option.
These theories provide diverse perspectives on the meaning of capital structures, guiding businesses in understanding how financial allocation influences value and decision-making. In practice, firms often combine insights from all three to adapt to market conditions and strategic needs.
How to Calculate Capital Structure
Calculating the capital structure of a company is simple using the debt-to-equity ratio. This information is easy to find on the company balance sheet. To calculate capital structure:
• First, add up all of the outstanding debt.
• Then, add up the total amount of capital from equity sources.
• Finally, divide the debt by the equity to find the ratio.
For instance, let’s say a hypothetical company has $500,000 in debt. Its equity is determined by subtracting the amount of liability from its assets. Let’s say assets total $750,000. We simply subtract the $500,000 debt to reveal $250,000 in equity.
By dividing $500,000 (debt) by $250,000 (equity), we find that the debt is twice as high as the equity. For every $1 the company has in equity, it has $2 in debt — meaning that the company is leveraged quite extensively.
These numbers can also be used to find the company’s cost of capital, which determines how quickly a profit can be made from an upfront investment.
What Is Optimal Capital Structure?
An ideal capital structure may mean different things to different companies. As a general rule of thumb, there should be a balance between risk and caution.
A business with a low leverage ratio may miss out on growth opportunities. So while there may not be much debt tied to the company, there is the risk of stagnation and being outpaced by competitors.
On the other hand, a highly leveraged company may barely be meeting its payments. Any revenue figures that come in under the projected numbers could cause major cash flow issues. Careful cash management is key, but high leverage can turn out well if the gamble does pay off.
Successfully investing in growth opportunities could lead to better revenue and higher net income.
One measurable way to find a business’s best capital structure is to calculate its weighted average cost of capital (WACC). This formula identifies the average cost of multiple capital sources, including debt, stocks, and bonds. The benefit of using this metric is that it helps to quantify the cost of selling equity, even though it’s used differently than debt.
Ultimately, there are multiple factors that affect the level of risk and reward associated with your company’s capital structure. When determining your business’s best capital structure, you may want to consider not only measurable formulas, but also the strength of your team and the forecasts for your industry.
What Is Recapitalizing?
Recapitalizing means changing the makeup of your business’s capital structure. Essentially, it entails either increasing or decreasing the company’s leverage. The goal is usually to provide more financial stability within the company. The two major ways to recapitalize a business are to either reduce debt or increase debt.
Reduce Debt
If a business is highly leveraged, it might pay off debt in order to reduce the payments it has to make and increase the amount of equity in the company. This can improve cash flow, liquidity, and profits. For public companies, reducing debt increases earnings per share (EPS).
In some cases, a business may also reduce debt by opting for a debt/equity swap, in which a creditor accepts equity (such as bonds for a publicly traded company) as payment.
Increase Debt
The opposite recapitalization strategy is to increase debt to achieve one or more goals. Using debt interest as a tax deduction could actually result in more tax savings.
Because debt (such as small business loans) comes with strict payment schedules, it can be used to improve operational efficiency. In a risky environment, higher levels of debt could also be taken on to deter potential takeovers.
Recapitalization is often used to make major changes in a business. Changing the balance between debt and equity can be an effective tool in restructuring your business’s existing capital structure to achieve specific goals, but the size of available business loans will depend on your company’s financial history and credit profile.
The Takeaway
Capital structure is an important metric for companies of all sizes, from small businesses to those that are publicly traded. Your company’s existing capital structure demonstrates the balance between debt and equity, which can also help you make more informed decisions about how to finance new growth.
If you’re seeking financing for your business, SoFi is here to support you. On SoFi’s marketplace, you can shop and compare financing options for your business in minutes.
FAQ
Why is capital structure important?
Capital structure is important because it directly impacts a company’s financial stability, cost of capital, and risk profile. A well-balanced mix of debt and equity helps businesses optimize their funding, manage risk, and maximize shareholder returns.
What are examples of capital structure?
Examples of capital structure include a business using a combination of debt (such as loans, bonds, or lines of credit) and equity (such as common stock, preferred stock, or retained earnings) to finance its operations. The proportion of each defines whether the business is more debt-heavy or equity-driven.
What are the three main parts in capital structure?
The three main parts of capital structure are debt, equity, and hybrid securities. Debt includes loans and bonds, which must be paid with interest. Equity refers to funds raised from shareholders in exchange for ownership. Hybrid securities, like convertible bonds, combine features of both debt and equity financing.
How does a company decide on its capital structure?
A company typically chooses a capital structure that’s in line with its strategic goals and risk tolerance. Other factors include the nature of its specific industry, its need for financial flexibility, its corporate governance preferences, and its tax exposure.
What happens when a company has too much debt?
A debt-burdened company may expose itself to various risks, including a drop in credit score, a rise in future borrowing costs, loss of spending flexibility due to debt obligations, and creditor constraints. In the worst cases, a debt spiral takes hold and the company could face bankruptcy and liquidation.
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