At its simplest, the debt-to-equity ratio is a quick way to assess a company’s total liabilities vs. total shareholder equity, to gauge the company’s reliance on debt. In other words, the D/E ratio compares a company’s equity — how much value is locked up in its shares — to its debts. More @Wikipedia
Hover over any link to get a description of the article. Please note that search keywords are sometimes hidden within the full article and don't appear in the description or title.