Yamana Gold's Debt Overview

Over the past three months, shares of Yamana Gold Inc. AUY decreased by 3.71%. Before we understand the importance of debt, let's look at how much debt Yamana Gold has.

Yamana Gold's Debt

Based on Yamana Gold's financial statement as of March 29, 2017, long-term debt is at $1.94 billion and current debt is at $35.10 million, amounting to $1.97 billion in total debt. Adjusted for $97.40 million in cash-equivalents, the company's net debt is at $1.87 billion.

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 includes 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.

To understand the degree of financial leverage a company has, shareholders look at the debt ratio. Considering Yamana Gold's $8.80 billion in total assets, the debt-ratio is at 0.22. As a rule of thumb, a debt-ratio more than 1 indicates that a considerable portion of debt is funded by assets. A higher debt-ratio can also imply that the company might be putting itself at risk for default, if interest rates were to increase. However, debt-ratios vary widely across different industries. For example, a debt ratio of 25% might be higher for one industry, but normal for another.

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.

However, due to interest-payment obligations, cash-flow of a company can be impacted. Having financial leverage also allows companies to use additional capital for business operations, allowing equity owners to retain excess profit, generated by the debt capital.

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This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.