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Leverage utilizes other people's money in the form of loans, to make the firm's existing money do more. Say a firm (or an individual) has $10,000 in capital, and an opportunity to make a 10% profit on an particular venture. That means they have the opportunity to realize a $1000 profit. If however, that venture, or some other, can return 10% on an even greater amount of money, say $100,000, the return would be $10,000. If the firm's $10,000 will allow it to get a loan for 90% of the venture, then the firm will keep the return from the $100,000 venture ($10,000), so that the profit is 100% rather than 10%. Of course, there will be costs associated with borrowing and repaying the $90,000, let's say $1000. The firm's profit is now $9000, still 9 times the return from a non-leveraged investment. So borrowing money to increase the power of your own money is what leverage is. Anyone who has a home mortgage is using leverage. The time period doesn't matter, the principle is the same. And it's possible to be 100% leveraged, that is to have no money of your own in a venture. The downside is, if the venture doesn't pay off or loses money. The loss gets leveraged back to the borrower. A $10000 dollar investment that loses 40% costs the firm $4000. A blow, but maybe survivable. That 90% leveraged $100,000 deal, if it loses 40%, costs the the firm $40,000, which could be crushing.

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Q: How can leverage be used to increase a firm's profitability?
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What is the financial leverage multiplier?

The leverage multiplier equals to total asset dividing by shareholders' equity. The high leverage multiplier indicates that the firms decide to overcome the high levels of borrowing or debt on which it must pay interest. The higher ratio means higher liability than its shareholders' equity. Essentially, the ratio is mainly used to help firms making decision about how to raise funds by undertaking debts. A company will only undertake significant amounts of debt when it believes that return on assets (ROA) will be higher than the interest on the loan.


What are the measures of profitability?

Profitability is an important factor when running a business. Businesses calculate profitability in many ways, but figuring out profits after expenses is their goal. Profitable ratios is a measure of profitability that can be used to assess a business's ability to generate earnings.


What is Degree of Operating Leverage?

DOL is a ratio that is used to identify the changes in the operating leverage that a company requires with growth in sales and income. As and when a company grows and its sales increases, the operating costs also increase and the operating leverage required by the promoters also changes. This ratio helps us identify that value.Formula:DOL = Percentage Change in Net Operating Income / Percentage Change in Sales


What is the meaning of degree of operating leverage?

DOL is a ratio that is used to identify the changes in the operating leverage that a company requires with growth in sales and income. As and when a company grows and its sales increases, the operating costs also increase and the operating leverage required by the promoters also changes. This ratio helps us identify that value.Formula:DOL = Percentage Change in Net Operating Income / Percentage Change in Sales


What is the stock market used for?

It can be used by firms as a source of financing.

Related questions

How can leverage be used to increase an organization's profitabililty?

Leverage, in the sense of this question, is borrowing money to help your business growth by buying new machinery, buying another business, etc. Leverage won't directly increase your business's profitability, it can be used to buy more than you can currently afford with cash reserves. If the new purchase will pay back the lender who gave you the money to purchase it, plus pay the costs of having it, with money left over then you have increased your profitability. If you changed the question to: 'How can borrowed money be used to increase an organization's profitability?' then you can see my point more clearly.


What is the financial leverage multiplier?

The leverage multiplier equals to total asset dividing by shareholders' equity. The high leverage multiplier indicates that the firms decide to overcome the high levels of borrowing or debt on which it must pay interest. The higher ratio means higher liability than its shareholders' equity. Essentially, the ratio is mainly used to help firms making decision about how to raise funds by undertaking debts. A company will only undertake significant amounts of debt when it believes that return on assets (ROA) will be higher than the interest on the loan.


What is Financial leverage multiplier?

The leverage multiplier equals to total asset dividing by shareholders' equity. The high leverage multiplier indicates that the firms decide to overcome the high levels of borrowing or debt on which it must pay interest. The higher ratio means higher liability than its shareholders' equity. Essentially, the ratio is mainly used to help firms making decision about how to raise funds by undertaking debts. A company will only undertake significant amounts of debt when it believes that return on assets (ROA) will be higher than the interest on the loan.


The income statement is the major device for measuring the profitability of a firm over a period of time?

The income statement is in fact the major device used for measuring the profitability of a firm over time. Unlike the balance sheet that just shows the firms net worth an income statement shows both the revenue and expenses over a time period.


What are the measures of profitability?

Profitability is an important factor when running a business. Businesses calculate profitability in many ways, but figuring out profits after expenses is their goal. Profitable ratios is a measure of profitability that can be used to assess a business's ability to generate earnings.


What is composite leverage?

Composite leverage equals financial leverage times operating leverage. Composite leverage is used to calculate the combined effect of operating and financial leverages. Leverage is the ratio of a company's debt to its equity.


What is the definition of leaverage?

Used in investment and real estate as a method to increase profits with borrow money. A real estate investor uses leverage to profit from investing in renovated homes.


Who recommended that American firms adopt a new management style that was a hybrid of the approaches used by Japanese firms and those used by American firms?

William Ouchi


Why leverage ratio is used in financial statement analysis?

Leverage ratios are used to find out that how much earnings has effects on overalll cashflows and profit of business.


Calculatung degree of operating leverage?

DOL is a ratio that is used to identify the changes in the operating leverage that a company requires with growth in sales and income. As and when a company grows and its sales increases, the operating costs also increase and the operating leverage required by the promoters also changes. This ratio helps us identify that value.Formula:DOL = Percentage Change in Net Operating Income / Percentage Change in Sales


What is Degree of Operating Leverage?

DOL is a ratio that is used to identify the changes in the operating leverage that a company requires with growth in sales and income. As and when a company grows and its sales increases, the operating costs also increase and the operating leverage required by the promoters also changes. This ratio helps us identify that value.Formula:DOL = Percentage Change in Net Operating Income / Percentage Change in Sales


The degree of operating leverage is computed as?

DOL is a ratio that is used to identify the changes in the operating leverage that a company requires with growth in sales and income. As and when a company grows and its sales increases, the operating costs also increase and the operating leverage required by the promoters also changes. This ratio helps us identify that value.Formula:DOL = Percentage Change in Net Operating Income / Percentage Change in Sales