Debt/Equity Ratio is a debt ratio used to measure a company's financial leverage, calculated by dividing a company’s total liabilities by its stockholders' equity. The D/E ratio indicates how much debt a company is using to finance its assets relative to the amount of value represented in shareholders’ equity.

The formula for calculating D/E ratios can be represented in the following way:

Debt - Equity Ratio = Total Liabilities / Shareholders' Equity

The result may often be expressed as a number or as a percentage.

This form of D/E may often be referred to as risk or gearing.