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capital structure

Written and fact-checked byThe Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
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capital structure, amount and type of permanent capital invested in a business concern. A firm’s capital structure includes all outstanding capital stock and surplus, as well as long-term creditor capital. Other items included in the capital structure are pension-fund liabilities, deferred taxes and other charges, and intermediate-term loans.

Capital structures of firms and industries vary widely. The ideal capital structure is one that provides sufficient capital for efficient and profitable operations, a maximum rate of return to the stockholders at a minimum of financial risk, and a minimum dilution of control.

It is often profitable to increase the proportion of debt in the firm’s capital structure, because borrowed funds may earn more than their interest cost. This is known as “leverage” or “trading on the equity.” In a capital structure of $100,000, for example, of which $50,000 represents bondholders’ investment at an interest rate of 5 percent and $50,000 represents equity, total earnings of $10,000 would represent a return of 10 percent on the total capital invested. The bondholders would receive $2,500 as their 5 percent interest, and the stockholders would receive the remainder, $7,500, for a return of 15 percent on their investment.

The use of financial leverage involves a compromise between liquidity and earning power. Cash flows must be arranged to meet fixed payments on debt; the more sales and profits fluctuate, the more difficult is the task of the financial manager in meeting the cash outflow for interest and debt repayments. Companies with stable sales and profits are therefore more likely to use higher degrees of leverage, resulting in capital structures with 50 to 70 percent senior capital (bonds and preferred stock). On the other hand, manufacturing and retailing companies have volatile earnings and sales and, when possible, use a much lower degree of financial leverage.

Learn about good debt and bad debt.
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This article was most recently revised and updated by Jennifer Agee.