Analysis of Solvency Ratios
Quarterly Data
Solvency ratios also known as long-term debt ratios measure a company ability to meet long-term obligations.
Solvency Ratios (Summary)
International Business Machines Corp., solvency ratios (quarterly data)
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2024-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-03-31).
The analysis of the financial ratios over the periods shows several observable trends and fluctuations in the company's leverage and solvency metrics.
- Debt to Equity Ratio
- The debt to equity ratio exhibits a general declining trend from 3.22 in March 2020 to 2.01 in December 2024, indicating a gradual reduction in reliance on debt relative to shareholders' equity. There are some short-term fluctuations, including slight increases during the end of 2021 and in 2023, but the overall direction is downward, suggesting improving equity financing relative to debt.
- Debt to Equity Ratio (Including Operating Lease Liability)
- When including operating lease liabilities, the debt to equity ratio follows a similar downward trend from 3.47 in March 2020 to 2.14 in December 2024. This adjustment generally increases the ratio values compared to the base debt to equity ratio and reflects the impact of lease accounting standards. The downward tendency reflects improved leverage when lease obligations are considered.
- Debt to Capital Ratio
- The debt to capital ratio remains relatively stable, fluctuating primarily between 0.70 and 0.76 across the entire period. This indicates that the proportion of total capital that is debt remains consistent, with a slight decline in recent quarters, which points towards a marginally more conservative capital structure.
- Debt to Capital Ratio (Including Operating Lease Liability)
- Including operating lease liabilities, the debt to capital ratio also remains steady, with values around 0.71 to 0.78. Similar to the debt to equity ratios, considering lease liabilities increases the reported leverage level but the trend shows a modest decline or stabilization in recent quarters.
- Debt to Assets Ratio
- The debt to assets ratio hovers between 0.38 and 0.44, showing modest variability. The ratio sees a slight increase in early 2023 before declining towards the end of the timeline. This suggests that the company’s indebtedness as a portion of total assets is relatively stable but with occasional increases, possibly due to changes in asset or debt levels.
- Debt to Assets Ratio (Including Operating Lease Liability)
- Adjusted for operating lease liabilities, the debt to assets ratio is somewhat higher by approximately 0.03 to 0.04 points but follows a similar pattern. This adjustment indicates the significance of lease obligations on the company’s financial structure concerning its asset base.
- Financial Leverage
- Financial leverage declined notably from 7.67 in March 2020 to around 5.02 in December 2024, indicating reduced total asset backing per unit of equity. This decline suggests a stronger equity position relative to total assets, improving cushion against financial risk.
- Interest Coverage Ratio
- Interest coverage shows greater volatility with missing data in early periods but reveals values ranging approximately between 1.59 and 6.44 during available quarters. A notable low point occurs in late 2022 to mid-2023, indicating weaker earnings relative to interest obligations during this interval. However, the ratio recovers to values above 4 in later periods, signaling an improved capacity to cover interest expenses.
In summary, the financial ratios reflect a general trend toward improved leverage and financial stability over the analyzed period. The company appears to be reducing its reliance on debt relative to equity and total capital, while maintaining consistent debt levels against assets. The adjustment for operating lease liabilities highlights the additional financial obligations not captured in traditional debt measures but does not materially alter the observed trends. The increase and then recovery of interest coverage suggest periods of stress followed by improved earnings performance relative to interest costs.
Debt Ratios
Coverage Ratios
Debt to Equity
International Business Machines Corp., debt to equity calculation (quarterly data)
| Mar 31, 2025 | Dec 31, 2024 | Sep 30, 2024 | Jun 30, 2024 | Mar 31, 2024 | Dec 31, 2023 | Sep 30, 2023 | Jun 30, 2023 | Mar 31, 2023 | Dec 31, 2022 | Sep 30, 2022 | Jun 30, 2022 | Mar 31, 2022 | Dec 31, 2021 | Sep 30, 2021 | Jun 30, 2021 | Mar 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2020 | Sep 30, 2020 | Jun 30, 2020 | Mar 31, 2020 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data (US$ in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Short-term debt | 6,913) | 5,089) | 3,599) | 3,602) | 5,471) | 6,426) | 6,414) | 6,785) | 4,887) | 4,760) | 5,937) | 5,981) | 7,690) | 6,787) | 7,575) | 6,442) | 5,198) | 7,183) | 10,285) | 9,289) | 11,642) | |||||||
| Long-term debt, excluding current maturities | 56,371) | 49,884) | 52,980) | 52,929) | 54,033) | 50,121) | 48,828) | 50,691) | 53,826) | 46,189) | 44,942) | 44,328) | 46,545) | 44,917) | 46,926) | 48,735) | 51,206) | 54,355) | 55,129) | 55,449) | 52,685) | |||||||
| Total debt | 63,284) | 54,973) | 56,579) | 56,531) | 59,504) | 56,547) | 55,242) | 57,476) | 58,713) | 50,949) | 50,879) | 50,309) | 54,235) | 51,704) | 54,501) | 55,177) | 56,404) | 61,538) | 65,414) | 64,738) | 64,327) | |||||||
| Total IBM stockholders’ equity | 26,880) | 27,307) | 24,448) | 24,026) | 23,261) | 22,533) | 23,081) | 22,201) | 21,604) | 21,944) | 20,076) | 19,409) | 19,050) | 18,901) | 22,228) | 21,942) | 21,389) | 20,597) | 21,208) | 20,551) | 19,999) | |||||||
| Solvency Ratio | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt to equity1 | 2.35 | 2.01 | 2.31 | 2.35 | 2.56 | 2.51 | 2.39 | 2.59 | 2.72 | 2.32 | 2.53 | 2.59 | 2.85 | 2.74 | 2.45 | 2.51 | 2.64 | 2.99 | 3.08 | 3.15 | 3.22 | |||||||
| Benchmarks | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt to Equity, Competitors2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Accenture PLC | 0.18 | 0.04 | 0.06 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |||||||
| Adobe Inc. | 0.47 | 0.40 | 0.39 | 0.38 | 0.24 | 0.22 | 0.23 | 0.24 | 0.26 | 0.29 | 0.29 | 0.30 | 0.30 | 0.28 | 0.29 | 0.30 | 0.30 | 0.31 | 0.35 | 0.38 | 0.39 | |||||||
| Cadence Design Systems Inc. | 0.52 | 0.53 | 0.62 | 0.32 | 0.18 | 0.19 | 0.21 | 0.22 | 0.23 | 0.27 | 0.29 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.29 | 0.31 | 0.32 | |||||||
| CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. | 0.29 | 0.32 | 0.37 | 0.40 | 0.46 | 0.51 | 0.56 | 0.60 | 0.67 | 0.72 | 0.78 | 0.82 | 0.87 | 0.85 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |||||||
| Intuit Inc. | 0.34 | 0.33 | 0.32 | 0.35 | 0.35 | 0.35 | 0.38 | 0.45 | 0.43 | 0.42 | 0.40 | 0.43 | 0.21 | 0.21 | 0.20 | 0.27 | 0.45 | 0.66 | 0.08 | 0.11 | 0.12 | |||||||
| Microsoft Corp. | 0.16 | 0.19 | 0.26 | 0.31 | 0.32 | 0.23 | 0.25 | 0.26 | 0.28 | 0.30 | 0.31 | 0.33 | 0.35 | 0.41 | 0.43 | 0.46 | 0.52 | 0.54 | 0.58 | 0.63 | 0.66 | |||||||
| Oracle Corp. | 7.81 | 9.98 | 15.65 | 22.97 | 37.53 | 84.33 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 16.08 | 7.79 | 8.94 | 7.46 | 5.93 | 3.63 | 3.32 | 2.95 | |||||||
| Palantir Technologies Inc. | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.11 | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| Palo Alto Networks Inc. | 0.11 | 0.19 | 0.26 | 0.42 | 0.90 | 1.14 | 2.99 | 5.05 | 7.24 | 17.51 | 10.89 | 31.19 | 7.08 | 5.08 | 3.20 | 3.04 | 4.18 | 2.80 | 1.98 | 0.91 | 0.95 | |||||||
| Salesforce Inc. | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.17 | 0.18 | 0.18 | 0.18 | 0.18 | 0.18 | 0.19 | 0.24 | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.17 | 0.19 | |||||||
| ServiceNow Inc. | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.16 | 0.17 | 0.18 | 0.20 | 0.21 | 0.21 | 0.27 | 0.30 | 0.33 | 0.35 | 0.39 | 0.43 | 0.45 | 0.48 | 0.53 | 0.58 | 0.64 | 0.28 | 0.31 | |||||||
| Synopsys Inc. | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.06 | 0.08 | |||||||
| Workday Inc. | 0.37 | 0.37 | 0.45 | 0.47 | 0.50 | 0.53 | 0.55 | 0.80 | 0.86 | 0.41 | 0.44 | 0.48 | 0.55 | 0.55 | 0.58 | 0.63 | 0.68 | 0.51 | 0.54 | 0.56 | 0.60 | |||||||
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2024-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-03-31).
1 Q1 2025 Calculation
Debt to equity = Total debt ÷ Total IBM stockholders’ equity
= 63,284 ÷ 26,880 = 2.35
2 Click competitor name to see calculations.
- Total Debt
- The total debt exhibited a fluctuating pattern over the observed periods. Initially, from March 2020 through December 2020, total debt gradually decreased from approximately 64.3 billion USD to 61.5 billion USD. Throughout 2021, the total debt continued to decline, reaching a low near 51.7 billion USD by December 2021. In 2022, the debt level slightly increased once again, fluctuating around the 50 to 54 billion USD mark. During 2023, a notable upward movement occurred, with total debt rising from about 58.7 billion USD in March to around 56.5 billion USD by December. The early quarters of 2024 show minor variations, with debt peaking again near 63.3 billion USD in March 2025. Overall, the pattern suggests periods of debt reduction followed by intermittent increases, with the debt level in early 2025 higher than in most preceding years.
- Total IBM Stockholders’ Equity
- Equity levels generally exhibited an upward trajectory over the period, but with some fluctuations. Starting near 20.0 billion USD in March 2020, equity rose steadily to a peak around 22.2 billion USD by September 2021. A temporary dip was observed in December 2021, lowering equity to about 18.9 billion USD. Following that, equity rebounded and maintained an overall rising trend, reaching approximately 21.9 billion USD by December 2022. Into 2023 and early 2024, equity levels moved consistently upward, peaking at roughly 27.3 billion USD by March 2025. This progression indicates strengthening shareholder equity over the medium term, despite some temporary declines.
- Debt to Equity Ratio
- The debt to equity ratio demonstrated a general decline over the timeframe, indicating improving capital structure balance, though not without exceptions. Initially, the ratio decreased from 3.22 in March 2020 to 2.99 by December 2020, reflecting reduced leverage relative to equity. This downward slope continued through mid-2021, with the ratio dropping to approximately 2.45 in September 2021. A rise in December 2021 to 2.74 coincides with a fall in equity during the same quarter. Subsequently, the ratio declined steadily to 2.32 by December 2022, the lowest point observed, suggesting a reduction in reliance on debt financing relative to equity. However, some volatility followed, with the ratio increasing to 2.72 in March 2023, decreasing back to 2.01 in March 2025, and slightly rising again to 2.35 by the last reported quarter. These movements depict a generally improving leverage position with intermittent reversals linked to fluctuations in debt and equity balances.
- Summary Insights
- The financial data over the reported quarters reveal a complex but cautiously positive trend in capital structure management. Total debt has been subject to periodic reductions, particularly from 2020 to 2021, though it experienced some buildup during 2023 and the early part of 2025. Shareholders’ equity shows a steady upward trend overall, marking an accumulation of company value and resilience. Consequently, the debt to equity ratio declines over time, evidencing a gradual deleveraging trend despite episodic ratio increases. Such patterns may reflect strategic efforts to optimize financing mix, balancing debt servicing with equity growth. The periods of increased debt and debt to equity ratio often correspond to times when equity dipped or grew more slowly, indicating sensitivity of leverage to equity changes. Overall, the company appears to be managing leverage prudently while enhancing equity value, though close attention to the intermittent reversals in debt and leverage metrics is warranted for ongoing financial stability assessment.
Debt to Equity (including Operating Lease Liability)
International Business Machines Corp., debt to equity (including operating lease liability) calculation (quarterly data)
| Mar 31, 2025 | Dec 31, 2024 | Sep 30, 2024 | Jun 30, 2024 | Mar 31, 2024 | Dec 31, 2023 | Sep 30, 2023 | Jun 30, 2023 | Mar 31, 2023 | Dec 31, 2022 | Sep 30, 2022 | Jun 30, 2022 | Mar 31, 2022 | Dec 31, 2021 | Sep 30, 2021 | Jun 30, 2021 | Mar 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2020 | Sep 30, 2020 | Jun 30, 2020 | Mar 31, 2020 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data (US$ in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Short-term debt | 6,913) | 5,089) | 3,599) | 3,602) | 5,471) | 6,426) | 6,414) | 6,785) | 4,887) | 4,760) | 5,937) | 5,981) | 7,690) | 6,787) | 7,575) | 6,442) | 5,198) | 7,183) | 10,285) | 9,289) | 11,642) | |||||||
| Long-term debt, excluding current maturities | 56,371) | 49,884) | 52,980) | 52,929) | 54,033) | 50,121) | 48,828) | 50,691) | 53,826) | 46,189) | 44,942) | 44,328) | 46,545) | 44,917) | 46,926) | 48,735) | 51,206) | 54,355) | 55,129) | 55,449) | 52,685) | |||||||
| Total debt | 63,284) | 54,973) | 56,579) | 56,531) | 59,504) | 56,547) | 55,242) | 57,476) | 58,713) | 50,949) | 50,879) | 50,309) | 54,235) | 51,704) | 54,501) | 55,177) | 56,404) | 61,538) | 65,414) | 64,738) | 64,327) | |||||||
| Current operating lease liabilities | 798) | 768) | 790) | 762) | 784) | 820) | 807) | 842) | 869) | 874) | 844) | 884) | 954) | 974) | 1,285) | 1,334) | 1,337) | 1,357) | 1,336) | 1,343) | 1,327) | |||||||
| Noncurrent operating lease liabilities | 2,753) | 2,655) | 2,757) | 2,546) | 2,583) | 2,568) | 2,476) | 1,986) | 2,094) | 2,190) | 2,103) | 2,182) | 2,358) | 2,462) | 3,192) | 3,278) | 3,379) | 3,574) | 3,635) | 3,684) | 3,799) | |||||||
| Total debt (including operating lease liability) | 66,835) | 58,396) | 60,126) | 59,839) | 62,871) | 59,935) | 58,525) | 60,304) | 61,676) | 54,013) | 53,826) | 53,375) | 57,547) | 55,140) | 58,978) | 59,789) | 61,120) | 66,469) | 70,385) | 69,765) | 69,453) | |||||||
| Total IBM stockholders’ equity | 26,880) | 27,307) | 24,448) | 24,026) | 23,261) | 22,533) | 23,081) | 22,201) | 21,604) | 21,944) | 20,076) | 19,409) | 19,050) | 18,901) | 22,228) | 21,942) | 21,389) | 20,597) | 21,208) | 20,551) | 19,999) | |||||||
| Solvency Ratio | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt to equity (including operating lease liability)1 | 2.49 | 2.14 | 2.46 | 2.49 | 2.70 | 2.66 | 2.54 | 2.72 | 2.85 | 2.46 | 2.68 | 2.75 | 3.02 | 2.92 | 2.65 | 2.72 | 2.86 | 3.23 | 3.32 | 3.39 | 3.47 | |||||||
| Benchmarks | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt to Equity (including Operating Lease Liability), Competitors2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Accenture PLC | 0.28 | 0.15 | 0.17 | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.15 | 0.16 | 0.17 | 0.17 | 0.18 | 0.18 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.21 | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.22 | |||||||
| Adobe Inc. | 0.50 | 0.43 | 0.42 | 0.41 | 0.26 | 0.25 | 0.26 | 0.28 | 0.29 | 0.33 | 0.32 | 0.33 | 0.34 | 0.32 | 0.33 | 0.34 | 0.35 | 0.35 | 0.40 | 0.43 | 0.45 | |||||||
| CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. | 0.31 | 0.34 | 0.39 | 0.43 | 0.49 | 0.54 | 0.59 | 0.63 | 0.70 | 0.76 | 0.82 | 0.86 | 0.92 | 0.89 | 0.05 | 0.06 | 0.05 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |||||||
| Intuit Inc. | 0.37 | 0.35 | 0.34 | 0.38 | 0.37 | 0.38 | 0.40 | 0.48 | 0.47 | 0.45 | 0.43 | 0.46 | 0.25 | 0.24 | 0.24 | 0.31 | 0.49 | 0.70 | 0.13 | 0.19 | 0.20 | |||||||
| Microsoft Corp. | 0.21 | 0.25 | 0.32 | 0.37 | 0.39 | 0.29 | 0.31 | 0.33 | 0.35 | 0.37 | 0.38 | 0.40 | 0.42 | 0.48 | 0.50 | 0.53 | 0.58 | 0.60 | 0.65 | 0.70 | 0.72 | |||||||
| Palantir Technologies Inc. | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.08 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0.25 | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| Palo Alto Networks Inc. | 0.17 | 0.26 | 0.34 | 0.50 | 1.02 | 1.30 | 3.20 | 5.42 | 7.80 | 18.82 | 11.70 | 33.58 | 7.65 | 5.58 | 3.52 | 3.35 | 4.61 | 3.10 | 2.45 | 1.13 | 1.20 | |||||||
| Salesforce Inc. | 0.21 | 0.21 | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.23 | 0.24 | 0.24 | 0.23 | 0.24 | 0.24 | 0.25 | 0.30 | 0.14 | 0.15 | 0.14 | 0.15 | 0.17 | 0.17 | 0.18 | 0.35 | 0.38 | |||||||
| ServiceNow Inc. | 0.24 | 0.24 | 0.24 | 0.26 | 0.28 | 0.30 | 0.31 | 0.32 | 0.40 | 0.44 | 0.47 | 0.51 | 0.55 | 0.60 | 0.63 | 0.64 | 0.69 | 0.75 | 0.82 | 0.48 | 0.53 | |||||||
| Synopsys Inc. | 0.07 | 0.08 | 0.09 | 0.09 | 0.10 | 0.11 | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0.11 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.14 | 0.13 | 0.14 | 0.15 | 0.18 | 0.21 | |||||||
| Workday Inc. | 0.41 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 0.52 | 0.55 | 0.58 | 0.60 | 0.86 | 0.92 | 0.46 | 0.51 | 0.56 | 0.63 | 0.68 | 0.72 | 0.75 | 0.81 | 0.63 | 0.67 | 0.70 | 0.75 | |||||||
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2024-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-03-31).
1 Q1 2025 Calculation
Debt to equity (including operating lease liability) = Total debt (including operating lease liability) ÷ Total IBM stockholders’ equity
= 66,835 ÷ 26,880 = 2.49
2 Click competitor name to see calculations.
- Total debt (including operating lease liability)
- Over the observed period, total debt exhibits fluctuations with a general pattern of decline from early 2020 through mid-2022, followed by intermittent increases and decreases thereafter. Starting at approximately $69.5 billion in March 2020, debt decreases to a low near $53.4 billion in June 2022. Post this low, debt rises again, reaching about $66.8 billion in March 2025. This suggests periodic adjustments in leverage, possibly tied to refinancing activities or changes in operational needs.
- Total IBM stockholders’ equity
- Stockholders’ equity shows a steady overall upward trajectory from about $20.0 billion in March 2020 to nearly $26.9 billion by March 2025. Despite small fluctuations and a slight dip in late 2021, equity levels generally increase, indicating growth in net assets attributable to shareholders. This consistent growth might reflect retained earnings accumulation, share repurchases, or other equity-related transactions that enhance shareholder value.
- Debt to equity (including operating lease liability)
- The debt to equity ratio declines from a high of approximately 3.47 in March 2020 to lower levels around 2.46 by late 2022, indicating decreasing leverage relative to equity during this period. There is a brief increase in the ratio into early 2023 but a resumption of the downward trend through late 2024, reaching about 2.14, the lowest during the observed timeline. The ratio spikes again near the end of the timeline. The overall trend suggests progressive deleveraging complemented by growing equity, enhancing the company's financial stability; however, periodic increases indicate episodic leverage adjustments.
Debt to Capital
International Business Machines Corp., debt to capital calculation (quarterly data)
| Mar 31, 2025 | Dec 31, 2024 | Sep 30, 2024 | Jun 30, 2024 | Mar 31, 2024 | Dec 31, 2023 | Sep 30, 2023 | Jun 30, 2023 | Mar 31, 2023 | Dec 31, 2022 | Sep 30, 2022 | Jun 30, 2022 | Mar 31, 2022 | Dec 31, 2021 | Sep 30, 2021 | Jun 30, 2021 | Mar 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2020 | Sep 30, 2020 | Jun 30, 2020 | Mar 31, 2020 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data (US$ in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Short-term debt | 6,913) | 5,089) | 3,599) | 3,602) | 5,471) | 6,426) | 6,414) | 6,785) | 4,887) | 4,760) | 5,937) | 5,981) | 7,690) | 6,787) | 7,575) | 6,442) | 5,198) | 7,183) | 10,285) | 9,289) | 11,642) | |||||||
| Long-term debt, excluding current maturities | 56,371) | 49,884) | 52,980) | 52,929) | 54,033) | 50,121) | 48,828) | 50,691) | 53,826) | 46,189) | 44,942) | 44,328) | 46,545) | 44,917) | 46,926) | 48,735) | 51,206) | 54,355) | 55,129) | 55,449) | 52,685) | |||||||
| Total debt | 63,284) | 54,973) | 56,579) | 56,531) | 59,504) | 56,547) | 55,242) | 57,476) | 58,713) | 50,949) | 50,879) | 50,309) | 54,235) | 51,704) | 54,501) | 55,177) | 56,404) | 61,538) | 65,414) | 64,738) | 64,327) | |||||||
| Total IBM stockholders’ equity | 26,880) | 27,307) | 24,448) | 24,026) | 23,261) | 22,533) | 23,081) | 22,201) | 21,604) | 21,944) | 20,076) | 19,409) | 19,050) | 18,901) | 22,228) | 21,942) | 21,389) | 20,597) | 21,208) | 20,551) | 19,999) | |||||||
| Total capital | 90,164) | 82,280) | 81,027) | 80,557) | 82,765) | 79,080) | 78,323) | 79,677) | 80,317) | 72,893) | 70,955) | 69,718) | 73,285) | 70,605) | 76,729) | 77,119) | 77,793) | 82,135) | 86,622) | 85,289) | 84,326) | |||||||
| Solvency Ratio | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt to capital1 | 0.70 | 0.67 | 0.70 | 0.70 | 0.72 | 0.72 | 0.71 | 0.72 | 0.73 | 0.70 | 0.72 | 0.72 | 0.74 | 0.73 | 0.71 | 0.72 | 0.73 | 0.75 | 0.76 | 0.76 | 0.76 | |||||||
| Benchmarks | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt to Capital, Competitors2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Accenture PLC | 0.15 | 0.03 | 0.06 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |||||||
| Adobe Inc. | 0.32 | 0.29 | 0.28 | 0.27 | 0.19 | 0.18 | 0.19 | 0.20 | 0.20 | 0.23 | 0.22 | 0.23 | 0.23 | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.23 | 0.23 | 0.24 | 0.26 | 0.27 | 0.28 | |||||||
| Cadence Design Systems Inc. | 0.34 | 0.35 | 0.38 | 0.24 | 0.15 | 0.16 | 0.17 | 0.18 | 0.19 | 0.21 | 0.23 | 0.12 | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0.23 | 0.24 | 0.24 | |||||||
| CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. | 0.23 | 0.24 | 0.27 | 0.29 | 0.32 | 0.34 | 0.36 | 0.38 | 0.40 | 0.42 | 0.44 | 0.45 | 0.47 | 0.46 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |||||||
| Intuit Inc. | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.24 | 0.26 | 0.26 | 0.26 | 0.27 | 0.31 | 0.30 | 0.30 | 0.29 | 0.30 | 0.17 | 0.17 | 0.17 | 0.21 | 0.31 | 0.40 | 0.08 | 0.10 | 0.10 | |||||||
| Microsoft Corp. | 0.14 | 0.16 | 0.21 | 0.24 | 0.24 | 0.19 | 0.20 | 0.21 | 0.22 | 0.23 | 0.23 | 0.25 | 0.26 | 0.29 | 0.30 | 0.32 | 0.34 | 0.35 | 0.37 | 0.39 | 0.40 | |||||||
| Oracle Corp. | 0.89 | 0.91 | 0.94 | 0.96 | 0.97 | 0.99 | 1.03 | 1.05 | 1.07 | 1.09 | 1.12 | 1.15 | 1.02 | 0.94 | 0.89 | 0.90 | 0.88 | 0.86 | 0.78 | 0.77 | 0.75 | |||||||
| Palantir Technologies Inc. | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.10 | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| Palo Alto Networks Inc. | 0.10 | 0.16 | 0.21 | 0.29 | 0.47 | 0.53 | 0.75 | 0.83 | 0.88 | 0.95 | 0.92 | 0.97 | 0.88 | 0.84 | 0.76 | 0.75 | 0.81 | 0.74 | 0.66 | 0.48 | 0.49 | |||||||
| Salesforce Inc. | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.16 | 0.19 | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.08 | 0.15 | 0.16 | |||||||
| ServiceNow Inc. | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.14 | 0.15 | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.17 | 0.18 | 0.21 | 0.23 | 0.25 | 0.26 | 0.28 | 0.30 | 0.31 | 0.33 | 0.35 | 0.37 | 0.39 | 0.22 | 0.24 | |||||||
| Synopsys Inc. | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.05 | 0.07 | |||||||
| Workday Inc. | 0.27 | 0.27 | 0.31 | 0.32 | 0.33 | 0.35 | 0.35 | 0.45 | 0.46 | 0.29 | 0.30 | 0.32 | 0.35 | 0.35 | 0.37 | 0.39 | 0.41 | 0.34 | 0.35 | 0.36 | 0.37 | |||||||
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2024-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-03-31).
1 Q1 2025 Calculation
Debt to capital = Total debt ÷ Total capital
= 63,284 ÷ 90,164 = 0.70
2 Click competitor name to see calculations.
- Total Debt
- The total debt exhibited a general declining trend from March 2020 through December 2021, decreasing from approximately $64.3 billion to about $51.7 billion. This decline was followed by fluctuations in the subsequent periods, with a rise observed around March 2023, reaching over $58.7 billion, then decreasing and fluctuating between approximately $54.9 billion and $63.3 billion through March 2025. Despite this variability in later periods, the total debt remained generally lower compared to the levels seen in early 2020.
- Total Capital
- Total capital also showed a decreasing pattern from March 2020 ($84.3 billion) through December 2021 ($70.6 billion). From 2022 onwards, there was a recovery trend with total capital generally increasing and reaching a peak near $90.2 billion by March 2025. This suggests an improvement in the company's capital base after a phase of contraction.
- Debt to Capital Ratio
- The debt to capital ratio started at a relatively high level of 0.76 in early 2020 and gradually declined to a minimum of approximately 0.67 by the end of 2024. This represents a decrease in leverage, indicating the company reduced reliance on debt financing relative to its capital during this period. Although the ratio raised slightly to 0.70 by March 2025, it remained below the early 2020 levels.
- Overall Analysis
- The composite analysis shows a strategic lowering of debt and a strengthening of the capital structure over the time frame. The notable increase in total capital towards the latter periods accompanied by a generally decreasing debt to capital ratio indicates improved financial stability and potentially increased creditworthiness. The fluctuations in total debt in the latest periods suggest ongoing management of leverage but within a more conservative framework than at the beginning of the observed period.
Debt to Capital (including Operating Lease Liability)
International Business Machines Corp., debt to capital (including operating lease liability) calculation (quarterly data)
| Mar 31, 2025 | Dec 31, 2024 | Sep 30, 2024 | Jun 30, 2024 | Mar 31, 2024 | Dec 31, 2023 | Sep 30, 2023 | Jun 30, 2023 | Mar 31, 2023 | Dec 31, 2022 | Sep 30, 2022 | Jun 30, 2022 | Mar 31, 2022 | Dec 31, 2021 | Sep 30, 2021 | Jun 30, 2021 | Mar 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2020 | Sep 30, 2020 | Jun 30, 2020 | Mar 31, 2020 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data (US$ in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Short-term debt | 6,913) | 5,089) | 3,599) | 3,602) | 5,471) | 6,426) | 6,414) | 6,785) | 4,887) | 4,760) | 5,937) | 5,981) | 7,690) | 6,787) | 7,575) | 6,442) | 5,198) | 7,183) | 10,285) | 9,289) | 11,642) | |||||||
| Long-term debt, excluding current maturities | 56,371) | 49,884) | 52,980) | 52,929) | 54,033) | 50,121) | 48,828) | 50,691) | 53,826) | 46,189) | 44,942) | 44,328) | 46,545) | 44,917) | 46,926) | 48,735) | 51,206) | 54,355) | 55,129) | 55,449) | 52,685) | |||||||
| Total debt | 63,284) | 54,973) | 56,579) | 56,531) | 59,504) | 56,547) | 55,242) | 57,476) | 58,713) | 50,949) | 50,879) | 50,309) | 54,235) | 51,704) | 54,501) | 55,177) | 56,404) | 61,538) | 65,414) | 64,738) | 64,327) | |||||||
| Current operating lease liabilities | 798) | 768) | 790) | 762) | 784) | 820) | 807) | 842) | 869) | 874) | 844) | 884) | 954) | 974) | 1,285) | 1,334) | 1,337) | 1,357) | 1,336) | 1,343) | 1,327) | |||||||
| Noncurrent operating lease liabilities | 2,753) | 2,655) | 2,757) | 2,546) | 2,583) | 2,568) | 2,476) | 1,986) | 2,094) | 2,190) | 2,103) | 2,182) | 2,358) | 2,462) | 3,192) | 3,278) | 3,379) | 3,574) | 3,635) | 3,684) | 3,799) | |||||||
| Total debt (including operating lease liability) | 66,835) | 58,396) | 60,126) | 59,839) | 62,871) | 59,935) | 58,525) | 60,304) | 61,676) | 54,013) | 53,826) | 53,375) | 57,547) | 55,140) | 58,978) | 59,789) | 61,120) | 66,469) | 70,385) | 69,765) | 69,453) | |||||||
| Total IBM stockholders’ equity | 26,880) | 27,307) | 24,448) | 24,026) | 23,261) | 22,533) | 23,081) | 22,201) | 21,604) | 21,944) | 20,076) | 19,409) | 19,050) | 18,901) | 22,228) | 21,942) | 21,389) | 20,597) | 21,208) | 20,551) | 19,999) | |||||||
| Total capital (including operating lease liability) | 93,715) | 85,703) | 84,574) | 83,865) | 86,132) | 82,468) | 81,606) | 82,505) | 83,280) | 75,957) | 73,902) | 72,784) | 76,597) | 74,041) | 81,206) | 81,731) | 82,509) | 87,066) | 91,593) | 90,316) | 89,452) | |||||||
| Solvency Ratio | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt to capital (including operating lease liability)1 | 0.71 | 0.68 | 0.71 | 0.71 | 0.73 | 0.73 | 0.72 | 0.73 | 0.74 | 0.71 | 0.73 | 0.73 | 0.75 | 0.74 | 0.73 | 0.73 | 0.74 | 0.76 | 0.77 | 0.77 | 0.78 | |||||||
| Benchmarks | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt to Capital (including Operating Lease Liability), Competitors2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Accenture PLC | 0.22 | 0.13 | 0.14 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.12 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.14 | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.17 | 0.18 | 0.18 | 0.18 | |||||||
| Adobe Inc. | 0.33 | 0.30 | 0.29 | 0.29 | 0.21 | 0.20 | 0.21 | 0.22 | 0.23 | 0.25 | 0.24 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.24 | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.26 | 0.26 | 0.29 | 0.30 | 0.31 | |||||||
| CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. | 0.24 | 0.26 | 0.28 | 0.30 | 0.33 | 0.35 | 0.37 | 0.39 | 0.41 | 0.43 | 0.45 | 0.46 | 0.48 | 0.47 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |||||||
| Intuit Inc. | 0.27 | 0.26 | 0.25 | 0.28 | 0.27 | 0.28 | 0.29 | 0.32 | 0.32 | 0.31 | 0.30 | 0.31 | 0.20 | 0.20 | 0.19 | 0.24 | 0.33 | 0.41 | 0.11 | 0.16 | 0.17 | |||||||
| Microsoft Corp. | 0.18 | 0.20 | 0.24 | 0.27 | 0.28 | 0.23 | 0.24 | 0.25 | 0.26 | 0.27 | 0.27 | 0.29 | 0.29 | 0.32 | 0.33 | 0.35 | 0.37 | 0.38 | 0.39 | 0.41 | 0.42 | |||||||
| Palantir Technologies Inc. | 0.04 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.06 | 0.05 | 0.06 | 0.07 | 0.08 | 0.09 | 0.09 | 0.09 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.11 | 0.20 | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| Palo Alto Networks Inc. | 0.15 | 0.21 | 0.26 | 0.33 | 0.51 | 0.56 | 0.76 | 0.84 | 0.89 | 0.95 | 0.92 | 0.97 | 0.88 | 0.85 | 0.78 | 0.77 | 0.82 | 0.76 | 0.71 | 0.53 | 0.55 | |||||||
| Salesforce Inc. | 0.17 | 0.17 | 0.18 | 0.18 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.20 | 0.23 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.14 | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.26 | 0.27 | |||||||
| ServiceNow Inc. | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.21 | 0.22 | 0.23 | 0.24 | 0.24 | 0.29 | 0.31 | 0.32 | 0.34 | 0.36 | 0.37 | 0.39 | 0.39 | 0.41 | 0.43 | 0.45 | 0.33 | 0.35 | |||||||
| Synopsys Inc. | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.09 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.10 | 0.11 | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0.13 | 0.15 | 0.17 | |||||||
| Workday Inc. | 0.29 | 0.29 | 0.33 | 0.34 | 0.35 | 0.37 | 0.38 | 0.46 | 0.48 | 0.32 | 0.34 | 0.36 | 0.39 | 0.41 | 0.42 | 0.43 | 0.45 | 0.39 | 0.40 | 0.41 | 0.43 | |||||||
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2024-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-03-31).
1 Q1 2025 Calculation
Debt to capital (including operating lease liability) = Total debt (including operating lease liability) ÷ Total capital (including operating lease liability)
= 66,835 ÷ 93,715 = 0.71
2 Click competitor name to see calculations.
- Total Debt (Including Operating Lease Liability)
- The total debt shows a generally fluctuating trend with periods of decline followed by increases. Initially, total debt was around $69.5 billion in early 2020, then it gradually declined through 2020 and most of 2021, reaching a low near $55.1 billion by the end of 2021. Subsequently, debt levels oscillated, with notable rises in early 2023 up to approximately $61.7 billion, followed by decreases and intermittent increases towards the end of 2024. The final recorded value in early 2025 shows a peak near $66.8 billion. This pattern suggests periods of debt reduction were followed by strategic increases, possibly reflecting financing activities and capital management decisions.
- Total Capital (Including Operating Lease Liability)
- Total capital has shown a generally upward trajectory throughout the period under review. From about $89.5 billion at the start of 2020, capital declined during 2020 and 2021 to a low of approximately $74.0 billion at the end of 2021. However, from 2022 onward, total capital consistently increased, reaching a peak of approximately $93.7 billion by March 2025. This rising capital trend may indicate strengthening of the company's asset base or equity growth, offsetting some debt volatility.
- Debt to Capital Ratio
- The debt to capital ratio decreased from 0.78 in March 2020 to a low near 0.68 during late 2024, indicating a gradual improvement in the company's leverage position. There were fluctuations throughout the timeframe, but the overall direction reflects a slight reduction in debt proportion relative to total capital. This decline in the leverage ratio suggests improved capitalization with a more balanced capital structure, despite interim increases in total debt.
- Summary of Trends
- The data reveals a pattern of fluctuating total debt coupled with a generally increasing total capital base, resulting in a moderate but consistent decrease in debt leverage. The initial phase of debt reduction and capital contraction in 2020 and 2021 gave way to sustained capital growth and variable debt levels through 2022 to early 2025. The leverage ratio's downward trend implies enhanced financial stability and a better capital structure, even though absolute debt levels rose at points. These dynamics could reflect active financial management in response to changing business needs and market conditions.
Debt to Assets
International Business Machines Corp., debt to assets calculation (quarterly data)
| Mar 31, 2025 | Dec 31, 2024 | Sep 30, 2024 | Jun 30, 2024 | Mar 31, 2024 | Dec 31, 2023 | Sep 30, 2023 | Jun 30, 2023 | Mar 31, 2023 | Dec 31, 2022 | Sep 30, 2022 | Jun 30, 2022 | Mar 31, 2022 | Dec 31, 2021 | Sep 30, 2021 | Jun 30, 2021 | Mar 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2020 | Sep 30, 2020 | Jun 30, 2020 | Mar 31, 2020 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data (US$ in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Short-term debt | 6,913) | 5,089) | 3,599) | 3,602) | 5,471) | 6,426) | 6,414) | 6,785) | 4,887) | 4,760) | 5,937) | 5,981) | 7,690) | 6,787) | 7,575) | 6,442) | 5,198) | 7,183) | 10,285) | 9,289) | 11,642) | |||||||
| Long-term debt, excluding current maturities | 56,371) | 49,884) | 52,980) | 52,929) | 54,033) | 50,121) | 48,828) | 50,691) | 53,826) | 46,189) | 44,942) | 44,328) | 46,545) | 44,917) | 46,926) | 48,735) | 51,206) | 54,355) | 55,129) | 55,449) | 52,685) | |||||||
| Total debt | 63,284) | 54,973) | 56,579) | 56,531) | 59,504) | 56,547) | 55,242) | 57,476) | 58,713) | 50,949) | 50,879) | 50,309) | 54,235) | 51,704) | 54,501) | 55,177) | 56,404) | 61,538) | 65,414) | 64,738) | 64,327) | |||||||
| Total assets | 145,667) | 137,175) | 134,339) | 133,848) | 137,169) | 135,241) | 129,321) | 132,213) | 133,637) | 127,243) | 125,850) | 127,503) | 133,275) | 132,001) | 144,214) | 146,814) | 148,629) | 155,971) | 154,128) | 154,200) | 153,403) | |||||||
| Solvency Ratio | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt to assets1 | 0.43 | 0.40 | 0.42 | 0.42 | 0.43 | 0.42 | 0.43 | 0.43 | 0.44 | 0.40 | 0.40 | 0.39 | 0.41 | 0.39 | 0.38 | 0.38 | 0.38 | 0.39 | 0.42 | 0.42 | 0.42 | |||||||
| Benchmarks | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt to Assets, Competitors2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Accenture PLC | 0.09 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |||||||
| Adobe Inc. | 0.21 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.13 | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0.13 | 0.14 | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.15 | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.17 | 0.18 | 0.19 | 0.19 | |||||||
| Cadence Design Systems Inc. | 0.27 | 0.28 | 0.31 | 0.19 | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.12 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.15 | 0.16 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.09 | 0.09 | 0.17 | 0.17 | 0.18 | |||||||
| CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.14 | 0.15 | 0.17 | 0.18 | 0.19 | 0.20 | 0.22 | 0.24 | 0.26 | 0.27 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |||||||
| Intuit Inc. | 0.18 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.20 | 0.21 | 0.22 | 0.23 | 0.26 | 0.26 | 0.25 | 0.24 | 0.26 | 0.14 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.16 | 0.24 | 0.31 | 0.05 | 0.06 | 0.07 | |||||||
| Microsoft Corp. | 0.09 | 0.10 | 0.14 | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.11 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.17 | 0.19 | 0.20 | 0.21 | 0.21 | 0.23 | 0.25 | 0.25 | |||||||
| Oracle Corp. | 0.59 | 0.62 | 0.64 | 0.66 | 0.65 | 0.67 | 0.70 | 0.71 | 0.70 | 0.69 | 0.72 | 0.73 | 0.67 | 0.64 | 0.59 | 0.64 | 0.62 | 0.62 | 0.53 | 0.52 | 0.51 | |||||||
| Palantir Technologies Inc. | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.07 | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| Palo Alto Networks Inc. | 0.03 | 0.05 | 0.06 | 0.10 | 0.13 | 0.14 | 0.26 | 0.28 | 0.29 | 0.30 | 0.33 | 0.35 | 0.35 | 0.31 | 0.33 | 0.33 | 0.36 | 0.34 | 0.23 | 0.20 | 0.21 | |||||||
| Salesforce Inc. | 0.10 | 0.09 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.11 | 0.12 | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.12 | 0.15 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.06 | 0.09 | 0.10 | |||||||
| ServiceNow Inc. | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.09 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.14 | 0.15 | 0.17 | 0.17 | 0.18 | 0.19 | 0.22 | 0.11 | 0.11 | |||||||
| Synopsys Inc. | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.05 | |||||||
| Workday Inc. | 0.19 | 0.18 | 0.21 | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.24 | 0.31 | 0.32 | 0.18 | 0.20 | 0.20 | 0.22 | 0.21 | 0.23 | 0.24 | 0.25 | 0.19 | 0.20 | 0.21 | 0.21 | |||||||
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2024-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-03-31).
1 Q1 2025 Calculation
Debt to assets = Total debt ÷ Total assets
= 63,284 ÷ 145,667 = 0.43
2 Click competitor name to see calculations.
The analysis of quarterly financial data reveals distinct trends in total debt, total assets, and the debt-to-assets ratio over the examined periods.
- Total Debt
- Total debt exhibited an overall fluctuating pattern with periods of both increase and decrease. Initially, total debt marginally increased from approximately $64.3 billion at the end of Q1 2020 to about $65.4 billion by Q3 2020 before declining to around $51.7 billion by Q4 2021. Subsequently, it showed a notable rise to approximately $58.7 billion by Q1 2023, followed by a general decline with some variability, ending near $63.3 billion by Q1 2025. This indicates phases of debt reduction interspersed with episodes of increased leverage, suggesting shifts in financing strategy or capital structure management over time.
- Total Assets
- Total assets presented a gradual decline from approximately $153.4 billion at the end of Q1 2020 to about $132.0 billion by Q4 2021. After this low point, assets experienced some recovery and steady growth, reaching approximately $145.7 billion by Q1 2025. The initial reduction may be indicative of asset sales, depreciation, or strategic restructuring, whereas the subsequent growth phase suggests reinvestment or asset acquisition activities.
- Debt to Assets Ratio
- The debt-to-assets ratio generally trended around 0.40 to 0.44, reflecting a moderate leverage level relative to total assets. Early periods showed a slight decrease from about 0.42 in early 2020 to roughly 0.38 toward Q3 2021, correlating with declining debt and asset levels. From late 2021 onward, the ratio increased again to peak around 0.44 by early 2023, aligned with the rise in total debt and asset recovery. Towards the end of the analyzed interval, the ratio stabilized around 0.42 to 0.43, indicating a consistent leverage policy in the recent periods.
Overall, the data suggests dynamic debt management against a backdrop of fluctuating asset values. The company appears to maintain leverage within a relatively narrow band despite shifts in absolute debt and asset figures, implying cautious financial strategy and balance sheet management aimed at sustaining stable capital structure metrics over time.
Debt to Assets (including Operating Lease Liability)
International Business Machines Corp., debt to assets (including operating lease liability) calculation (quarterly data)
| Mar 31, 2025 | Dec 31, 2024 | Sep 30, 2024 | Jun 30, 2024 | Mar 31, 2024 | Dec 31, 2023 | Sep 30, 2023 | Jun 30, 2023 | Mar 31, 2023 | Dec 31, 2022 | Sep 30, 2022 | Jun 30, 2022 | Mar 31, 2022 | Dec 31, 2021 | Sep 30, 2021 | Jun 30, 2021 | Mar 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2020 | Sep 30, 2020 | Jun 30, 2020 | Mar 31, 2020 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data (US$ in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Short-term debt | 6,913) | 5,089) | 3,599) | 3,602) | 5,471) | 6,426) | 6,414) | 6,785) | 4,887) | 4,760) | 5,937) | 5,981) | 7,690) | 6,787) | 7,575) | 6,442) | 5,198) | 7,183) | 10,285) | 9,289) | 11,642) | |||||||
| Long-term debt, excluding current maturities | 56,371) | 49,884) | 52,980) | 52,929) | 54,033) | 50,121) | 48,828) | 50,691) | 53,826) | 46,189) | 44,942) | 44,328) | 46,545) | 44,917) | 46,926) | 48,735) | 51,206) | 54,355) | 55,129) | 55,449) | 52,685) | |||||||
| Total debt | 63,284) | 54,973) | 56,579) | 56,531) | 59,504) | 56,547) | 55,242) | 57,476) | 58,713) | 50,949) | 50,879) | 50,309) | 54,235) | 51,704) | 54,501) | 55,177) | 56,404) | 61,538) | 65,414) | 64,738) | 64,327) | |||||||
| Current operating lease liabilities | 798) | 768) | 790) | 762) | 784) | 820) | 807) | 842) | 869) | 874) | 844) | 884) | 954) | 974) | 1,285) | 1,334) | 1,337) | 1,357) | 1,336) | 1,343) | 1,327) | |||||||
| Noncurrent operating lease liabilities | 2,753) | 2,655) | 2,757) | 2,546) | 2,583) | 2,568) | 2,476) | 1,986) | 2,094) | 2,190) | 2,103) | 2,182) | 2,358) | 2,462) | 3,192) | 3,278) | 3,379) | 3,574) | 3,635) | 3,684) | 3,799) | |||||||
| Total debt (including operating lease liability) | 66,835) | 58,396) | 60,126) | 59,839) | 62,871) | 59,935) | 58,525) | 60,304) | 61,676) | 54,013) | 53,826) | 53,375) | 57,547) | 55,140) | 58,978) | 59,789) | 61,120) | 66,469) | 70,385) | 69,765) | 69,453) | |||||||
| Total assets | 145,667) | 137,175) | 134,339) | 133,848) | 137,169) | 135,241) | 129,321) | 132,213) | 133,637) | 127,243) | 125,850) | 127,503) | 133,275) | 132,001) | 144,214) | 146,814) | 148,629) | 155,971) | 154,128) | 154,200) | 153,403) | |||||||
| Solvency Ratio | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt to assets (including operating lease liability)1 | 0.46 | 0.43 | 0.45 | 0.45 | 0.46 | 0.44 | 0.45 | 0.46 | 0.46 | 0.42 | 0.43 | 0.42 | 0.43 | 0.42 | 0.41 | 0.41 | 0.41 | 0.43 | 0.46 | 0.45 | 0.45 | |||||||
| Benchmarks | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt to Assets (including Operating Lease Liability), Competitors2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Accenture PLC | 0.14 | 0.07 | 0.08 | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.09 | 0.09 | 0.09 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.10 | |||||||
| Adobe Inc. | 0.22 | 0.20 | 0.20 | 0.20 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.17 | 0.17 | 0.18 | 0.18 | 0.17 | 0.18 | 0.18 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.21 | 0.22 | 0.22 | |||||||
| CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.15 | 0.16 | 0.17 | 0.19 | 0.20 | 0.21 | 0.24 | 0.25 | 0.27 | 0.29 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |||||||
| Intuit Inc. | 0.20 | 0.20 | 0.20 | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.24 | 0.25 | 0.28 | 0.28 | 0.27 | 0.25 | 0.27 | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.15 | 0.19 | 0.27 | 0.33 | 0.08 | 0.10 | 0.12 | |||||||
| Microsoft Corp. | 0.12 | 0.13 | 0.17 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.15 | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.17 | 0.17 | 0.18 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.20 | 0.22 | 0.23 | 0.24 | 0.24 | 0.26 | 0.27 | 0.27 | |||||||
| Palantir Technologies Inc. | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.15 | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| Palo Alto Networks Inc. | 0.05 | 0.07 | 0.09 | 0.12 | 0.15 | 0.16 | 0.28 | 0.30 | 0.32 | 0.32 | 0.36 | 0.38 | 0.38 | 0.35 | 0.37 | 0.37 | 0.39 | 0.38 | 0.28 | 0.25 | 0.27 | |||||||
| Salesforce Inc. | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.16 | 0.19 | 0.09 | 0.09 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.12 | 0.18 | 0.19 | |||||||
| ServiceNow Inc. | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.16 | 0.17 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.20 | 0.21 | 0.23 | 0.23 | 0.24 | 0.24 | 0.29 | 0.18 | 0.19 | |||||||
| Synopsys Inc. | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.09 | 0.11 | 0.12 | |||||||
| Workday Inc. | 0.21 | 0.20 | 0.24 | 0.24 | 0.25 | 0.24 | 0.26 | 0.33 | 0.34 | 0.20 | 0.23 | 0.24 | 0.25 | 0.26 | 0.28 | 0.28 | 0.29 | 0.23 | 0.25 | 0.26 | 0.26 | |||||||
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2024-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-03-31).
1 Q1 2025 Calculation
Debt to assets (including operating lease liability) = Total debt (including operating lease liability) ÷ Total assets
= 66,835 ÷ 145,667 = 0.46
2 Click competitor name to see calculations.
- Total Debt (Including Operating Lease Liability)
- Over the analyzed quarters, total debt exhibited a generally fluctuating pattern with notable decreases and subsequent recoveries. Starting from a high level around 69,453 million USD in March 2020, debt showed a declining trend through December 2021, reaching approximately 55,140 million USD. Following this period, some volatility appeared: debt increased again in early 2023, peaking near 61,676 million USD in March 2023, then declined mid-2023 before rising once more to reach 66,835 million USD by March 2025. This indicates periods of debt reduction efforts interspersed with renewed borrowing.
- Total Assets
- Total assets experienced a gradual decline from around 153,403 million USD in March 2020 to a low near 125,850 million USD in September 2022. After this point, assets showed a recovery trend, increasing steadily to approximately 145,667 million USD by March 2025. The overall movement suggests asset contraction during the middle periods, followed by a rebuilding or growth phase in more recent quarters.
- Debt to Assets Ratio (Including Operating Lease Liability)
- The debt to assets ratio reflected moderate variability throughout the period. Initially, it remained around 0.45, dipping to a low near 0.41 by mid-2021, corresponding with decreases in both debt and assets. Subsequently, the ratio oscillated between approximately 0.42 and 0.46, with an upward shift evident from early 2023, reaching 0.46 again by March 2025. This pattern reflects relative changes in the balance between debt and asset levels, with periods of deleveraging followed by increasing leverage toward the end.
- Summary of Trends and Insights
- The data indicates that debt management has been an active focus, with initial reductions giving way to renewed increases in total debt in the later years. Asset levels' reduction through mid-2022 might be linked to asset sales, depreciation, or other factors, with a subsequent asset base expansion occurring after this point. The debt to assets ratio’s behavior aligns with these observations, showing a moderate deleveraging phase followed by a return to higher leverage, possibly reflecting shifts in capital structure strategy or investment cycles. The observed fluctuations in debt and assets, and consequently leverage, suggest adjustments to financial positioning in response to evolving operational or market conditions.
Financial Leverage
International Business Machines Corp., financial leverage calculation (quarterly data)
| Mar 31, 2025 | Dec 31, 2024 | Sep 30, 2024 | Jun 30, 2024 | Mar 31, 2024 | Dec 31, 2023 | Sep 30, 2023 | Jun 30, 2023 | Mar 31, 2023 | Dec 31, 2022 | Sep 30, 2022 | Jun 30, 2022 | Mar 31, 2022 | Dec 31, 2021 | Sep 30, 2021 | Jun 30, 2021 | Mar 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2020 | Sep 30, 2020 | Jun 30, 2020 | Mar 31, 2020 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data (US$ in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total assets | 145,667) | 137,175) | 134,339) | 133,848) | 137,169) | 135,241) | 129,321) | 132,213) | 133,637) | 127,243) | 125,850) | 127,503) | 133,275) | 132,001) | 144,214) | 146,814) | 148,629) | 155,971) | 154,128) | 154,200) | 153,403) | |||||||
| Total IBM stockholders’ equity | 26,880) | 27,307) | 24,448) | 24,026) | 23,261) | 22,533) | 23,081) | 22,201) | 21,604) | 21,944) | 20,076) | 19,409) | 19,050) | 18,901) | 22,228) | 21,942) | 21,389) | 20,597) | 21,208) | 20,551) | 19,999) | |||||||
| Solvency Ratio | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Financial leverage1 | 5.42 | 5.02 | 5.49 | 5.57 | 5.90 | 6.00 | 5.60 | 5.96 | 6.19 | 5.80 | 6.27 | 6.57 | 7.00 | 6.98 | 6.49 | 6.69 | 6.95 | 7.57 | 7.27 | 7.50 | 7.67 | |||||||
| Benchmarks | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Financial Leverage, Competitors2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Accenture PLC | 2.05 | 1.98 | 1.95 | 1.89 | 1.93 | 1.99 | 1.98 | 2.01 | 2.05 | 2.14 | 2.16 | 2.16 | 2.15 | 2.21 | 2.18 | 2.18 | 2.14 | 2.18 | 2.19 | 2.17 | 2.19 | |||||||
| Adobe Inc. | 2.29 | 2.14 | 2.05 | 2.02 | 1.86 | 1.80 | 1.84 | 1.88 | 1.88 | 1.93 | 1.86 | 1.88 | 1.89 | 1.84 | 1.81 | 1.85 | 1.84 | 1.83 | 1.91 | 1.99 | 2.03 | |||||||
| Cadence Design Systems Inc. | 1.89 | 1.92 | 2.01 | 1.70 | 1.60 | 1.67 | 1.74 | 1.77 | 1.76 | 1.87 | 1.83 | 1.66 | 1.59 | 1.60 | 1.60 | 1.64 | 1.57 | 1.58 | 1.73 | 1.77 | 1.75 | |||||||
| CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. | 2.70 | 2.88 | 2.87 | 3.00 | 3.20 | 3.43 | 3.40 | 3.39 | 3.48 | 3.53 | 3.48 | 3.47 | 3.39 | 3.14 | 2.15 | 2.04 | 2.02 | 1.89 | 1.75 | 1.61 | 6.29 | |||||||
| Intuit Inc. | 1.83 | 1.74 | 1.68 | 1.76 | 1.68 | 1.61 | 1.64 | 1.72 | 1.69 | 1.69 | 1.68 | 1.69 | 1.53 | 1.57 | 1.58 | 1.65 | 1.85 | 2.14 | 1.64 | 1.80 | 1.70 | |||||||
| Microsoft Corp. | 1.82 | 1.91 | 1.91 | 1.97 | 2.02 | 2.00 | 1.95 | 1.99 | 2.07 | 2.19 | 2.12 | 2.13 | 2.21 | 2.35 | 2.30 | 2.34 | 2.44 | 2.55 | 2.49 | 2.57 | 2.63 | |||||||
| Oracle Corp. | 13.33 | 16.20 | 24.38 | 34.74 | 57.66 | 125.24 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 25.03 | 13.27 | 13.90 | 11.96 | 9.56 | 6.79 | 6.33 | 5.76 | |||||||
| Palantir Technologies Inc. | 1.24 | 1.27 | 1.28 | 1.28 | 1.27 | 1.30 | 1.31 | 1.35 | 1.35 | 1.35 | 1.39 | 1.40 | 1.40 | 1.42 | 1.43 | 1.49 | 1.67 | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| Palo Alto Networks Inc. | 3.45 | 3.87 | 4.01 | 4.20 | 6.82 | 8.29 | 11.50 | 18.06 | 24.69 | 58.35 | 32.88 | 88.29 | 20.09 | 16.14 | 9.59 | 9.15 | 11.68 | 8.23 | 8.73 | 4.47 | 4.50 | |||||||
| Salesforce Inc. | 1.61 | 1.67 | 1.57 | 1.59 | 1.63 | 1.69 | 1.55 | 1.57 | 1.58 | 1.64 | 1.53 | 1.60 | 1.52 | 1.60 | 1.47 | 1.50 | 1.55 | 1.63 | 1.50 | 1.94 | 2.02 | |||||||
| ServiceNow Inc. | 2.07 | 2.12 | 1.98 | 2.10 | 2.16 | 2.28 | 2.10 | 2.15 | 2.43 | 2.64 | 2.46 | 2.65 | 2.75 | 2.92 | 2.68 | 2.81 | 2.90 | 3.07 | 2.88 | 2.63 | 2.73 | |||||||
| Synopsys Inc. | 1.40 | 1.45 | 1.51 | 1.54 | 1.58 | 1.68 | 1.67 | 1.68 | 1.70 | 1.71 | 1.66 | 1.66 | 1.65 | 1.65 | 1.65 | 1.64 | 1.64 | 1.64 | 1.67 | 1.71 | 1.74 | |||||||
| Workday Inc. | 1.95 | 2.04 | 2.10 | 2.19 | 2.23 | 2.41 | 2.29 | 2.58 | 2.68 | 2.31 | 2.24 | 2.36 | 2.53 | 2.66 | 2.55 | 2.64 | 2.78 | 2.74 | 2.65 | 2.71 | 2.85 | |||||||
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2024-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-03-31).
1 Q1 2025 Calculation
Financial leverage = Total assets ÷ Total IBM stockholders’ equity
= 145,667 ÷ 26,880 = 5.42
2 Click competitor name to see calculations.
- Total Assets
- The total assets demonstrate a fluctuating trend over the observed periods. Starting at 153,403 million USD in March 2020, assets peaked near 155,971 million USD by December 2020 before entering a decline reaching a low point at 125,850 million USD in September 2022. Subsequently, assets recover steadily, reaching 137,175 million USD by December 2024 and further increasing to 145,667 million USD by March 2025. The overall pattern reflects an initial stability, followed by a significant mid-period dip, and then a gradual recovery towards the end.
- Total IBM Stockholders’ Equity
- The stockholders' equity shows moderate growth with some volatility. Beginning at 19,999 million USD in March 2020, equity increased to a local peak of 22,228 million USD in September 2021 before dropping sharply to 18,901 million USD in December 2021. Following this decline, equity increased steadily through the subsequent quarters, reaching its highest value of 27,307 million USD by March 2025. This trend indicates a recovery and strengthening of equity capital after a period of decline.
- Financial Leverage Ratio
- The financial leverage ratio, defined as the ratio of assets to equity, indicates a downward trend over the entire period. Starting with a ratio of 7.67 in March 2020, leverage steadily decreases to a low of 5.02 in December 2024, with minor fluctuations around this downward trend. The initial high leverage suggests a greater reliance on debt financing relative to equity. Over time, the reduction in leverage indicates improved capital structure with relatively less debt or increased equity, or a combination of both, contributing to lower financial risk towards the end of the period.
Interest Coverage
International Business Machines Corp., interest coverage calculation (quarterly data)
| Mar 31, 2025 | Dec 31, 2024 | Sep 30, 2024 | Jun 30, 2024 | Mar 31, 2024 | Dec 31, 2023 | Sep 30, 2023 | Jun 30, 2023 | Mar 31, 2023 | Dec 31, 2022 | Sep 30, 2022 | Jun 30, 2022 | Mar 31, 2022 | Dec 31, 2021 | Sep 30, 2021 | Jun 30, 2021 | Mar 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2020 | Sep 30, 2020 | Jun 30, 2020 | Mar 31, 2020 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data (US$ in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net income (loss) | 1,055) | 2,914) | (330) | 1,834) | 1,605) | 3,288) | 1,704) | 1,583) | 927) | 2,710) | (3,196) | 1,392) | 733) | 2,333) | 1,130) | 1,325) | 955) | 1,356) | 1,698) | 1,361) | 1,175) | |||||||
| Less: Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax | 1) | (13) | (13) | 4) | 30) | 3) | (10) | 2) | (7) | (159) | 18) | (73) | 71) | (129) | 93) | 515) | 552) | 92) | (1) | (1) | (1) | |||||||
| Add: Income tax expense | 104) | 379) | (485) | 389) | (501) | 474) | 159) | 419) | 124) | 443) | (1,287) | 257) | (39) | 407) | (224) | 101) | (159) | 24) | 128) | 209) | (1,225) | |||||||
| Add: Interest expense | 455) | 424) | 429) | 427) | 432) | 405) | 412) | 423) | 367) | 313) | 295) | 297) | 311) | 304) | 290) | 281) | 280) | 316) | 323) | 323) | 326) | |||||||
| Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) | 1,613) | 3,730) | (373) | 2,646) | 1,506) | 4,164) | 2,285) | 2,423) | 1,425) | 3,625) | (4,206) | 2,019) | 934) | 3,173) | 1,103) | 1,192) | 524) | 1,604) | 2,150) | 1,894) | 277) | |||||||
| Solvency Ratio | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Interest coverage1 | 4.39 | 4.39 | 4.69 | 6.33 | 6.21 | 6.41 | 6.44 | 2.34 | 2.25 | 1.95 | 1.59 | 6.01 | 5.40 | 5.19 | 3.79 | 4.56 | 4.97 | 4.60 | — | — | — | |||||||
| Benchmarks | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Interest Coverage, Competitors2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Accenture PLC | 135.71 | 165.48 | 175.20 | 175.18 | 168.23 | 193.31 | 220.23 | 212.89 | 217.31 | 195.34 | 188.01 | 133.08 | 133.32 | 131.46 | 126.89 | 196.99 | 191.96 | 205.84 | 248.30 | 245.62 | 270.18 | |||||||
| Adobe Inc. | 40.93 | 42.01 | 46.90 | 53.43 | 58.12 | 61.17 | 58.59 | 55.57 | 53.27 | 54.64 | 54.21 | 54.34 | 53.39 | 51.49 | 49.52 | 45.92 | 42.50 | 37.00 | 32.36 | 28.08 | 23.87 | |||||||
| Cadence Design Systems Inc. | 15.95 | 19.37 | 24.99 | 33.48 | 36.67 | 36.43 | 32.16 | 34.13 | 38.63 | 46.58 | 57.84 | 58.34 | 52.92 | 46.26 | 44.21 | 40.38 | 35.68 | 31.50 | — | — | — | |||||||
| CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. | 7.64 | 5.77 | 1.41 | -1.80 | -4.04 | -5.31 | -4.72 | -4.71 | -5.09 | -5.34 | -6.41 | -8.16 | -12.40 | -55.36 | -151.33 | -185.47 | -226.03 | -315.25 | — | — | — | |||||||
| Intuit Inc. | 15.76 | 15.67 | 15.74 | 14.07 | 13.20 | 13.05 | 14.66 | 16.17 | 19.99 | 32.38 | 55.36 | 62.71 | 93.29 | 89.14 | 92.00 | 89.58 | 120.30 | 158.00 | 158.50 | 164.67 | 148.46 | |||||||
| Oracle Corp. | 4.60 | 4.34 | 4.08 | 3.88 | 3.74 | 3.60 | 3.96 | 4.41 | 3.33 | 3.78 | 3.98 | 4.23 | 6.06 | 6.21 | 6.27 | 6.48 | 6.76 | 7.05 | — | — | — | |||||||
| Palantir Technologies Inc. | — | — | 3,786.90 | 499.52 | 149.97 | 69.33 | 34.43 | -5.32 | -49.82 | -87.97 | -176.15 | -201.09 | -194.27 | -133.20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| Palo Alto Networks Inc. | 163.77 | 120.07 | 72.96 | 46.08 | 35.96 | 21.82 | 10.40 | 4.05 | -1.99 | -6.56 | -4.28 | -3.42 | -2.65 | -1.85 | -1.68 | -1.49 | -1.36 | -1.61 | -1.55 | -0.92 | -0.09 | |||||||
| Synopsys Inc. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2024-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-03-31).
1 Q1 2025 Calculation
Interest coverage
= (EBITQ1 2025
+ EBITQ4 2024
+ EBITQ3 2024
+ EBITQ2 2024)
÷ (Interest expenseQ1 2025
+ Interest expenseQ4 2024
+ Interest expenseQ3 2024
+ Interest expenseQ2 2024)
= (1,613 + 3,730 + -373 + 2,646)
÷ (455 + 424 + 429 + 427)
= 4.39
2 Click competitor name to see calculations.
The analysis of the quarterly financial data reveals notable fluctuations in the key financial metrics, particularly in Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT), interest expense, and interest coverage.
- Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)
- The EBIT figures exhibit significant volatility over the examined periods. The EBIT started at a moderate level, showing a dramatic increase during mid-2020, reaching a peak in the quarter ending December 2021. Following this, there was a sharp decline in some subsequent quarters, including a severe negative value noted in September 2022, indicating a substantial operational loss during that quarter.
- Subsequent quarters demonstrated recovery with positive EBIT values, though the fluctuation continued with repeated rises and falls. The last few quarters show a pattern of rebound after declines, suggesting intermittent periods of operational challenges and recoveries.
- Interest Expense
- Interest expense remained relatively stable throughout the periods, fluctuating slightly but generally maintaining a range between approximately 280 and 455 million US dollars. There is a modest upward trend towards the later periods, reflecting a gradual increase in financial costs.
- This relative stability in interest expense contrasts with the volatility observed in EBIT, indicating consistent financing costs despite the fluctuations in operating profitability.
- Interest Coverage Ratio
- The interest coverage ratio, which measures the company’s ability to meet interest obligations from operating earnings, demonstrates considerable variability. The ratio improved notably in the middle periods, reaching values above 6, suggesting strong coverage and reduced risk in those quarters.
- However, certain quarters show a significant drop in the coverage ratio, including periods where it fell below 2. This decline correlates with negative or low EBIT figures, reflecting diminished capacity to cover interest obligations during those times and an increased financial risk profile.
- Despite fluctuations, the ratio largely remains above 4 in recent quarters, signaling a generally adequate ability to service interest expenses, though with some caution due to its volatility.
Overall, the financial data indicate a company experiencing pronounced operational volatility, as evidenced by the wide swings in EBIT, while maintaining relatively stable interest expenses. The interest coverage ratio mirrors the EBIT trends, underlining periods of financial strength alternating with episodes of strain. These dynamics suggest the need for close monitoring of operational performance and financial commitments to manage risk effectively.