United Utilities Current Debt

UUGWF Stock  USD 12.85  0.00  0.00%   
United Utilities holds a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.698. United Utilities' financial risk is the risk to United Utilities stockholders that is caused by an increase in debt.

Asset vs Debt

Equity vs Debt

United Utilities' liquidity is one of the most fundamental aspects of both its future profitability and its ability to meet different types of ongoing financial obligations. United Utilities' cash, liquid assets, total liabilities, and shareholder equity can be utilized to evaluate how much leverage the Company is using to sustain its current operations. For traders, higher-leverage indicators usually imply a higher risk to shareholders. In addition, it helps United Pink Sheet's retail investors understand whether an upcoming fall or rise in the market will negatively affect United Utilities' stakeholders.
For most companies, including United Utilities, marketable securities, inventories, and receivables are the most common assets that could be converted to cash. However, for the executing running United Utilities Group the most critical issue when dealing with liquidity needs is whether the current assets are properly aligned with its current liabilities. If not, management will need to obtain alternative financing to ensure that there are always enough cash equivalents on the balance sheet in reserve to pay for obligations.
Given that United Utilities' debt-to-equity ratio measures a Company's obligations relative to the value of its net assets, it is usually used by traders to estimate the extent to which United Utilities is acquiring new debt as a mechanism of leveraging its assets. A high debt-to-equity ratio is generally associated with increased risk, implying that it has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. Another way to look at debt-to-equity ratios is to compare the overall debt load of United Utilities to its assets or equity, showing how much of the company assets belong to shareholders vs. creditors. If shareholders own more assets, United Utilities is said to be less leveraged. If creditors hold a majority of United Utilities' assets, the Company is said to be highly leveraged.
  
Check out the analysis of United Utilities Fundamentals Over Time.

United Utilities Financial Leverage Rating

United Utilities Group bond ratings play a critical role in determining how much United Utilities have to pay to access credit markets, i.e., the amount of interest on their issued debt. The threshold between investment-grade and speculative-grade ratings has important market implications for United Utilities' borrowing costs.

United Utilities Debt to Cash Allocation

As United Utilities Group follows its natural business cycle, the capital allocation decisions will not magically go away. United Utilities' decision-makers have to determine if most of the cash flows will be poured back into or reinvested in the business, reserved for other projects beyond operational needs, or paid back to stakeholders and investors. Many companies eventually find out that there is only so much market out there to be conquered, and adding the next product or service is only half as profitable per unit as their current endeavors. Eventually, the company will reach a point where cash flows are strong, and extra cash is available but not fully utilized. In this case, the company may start buying back its stock from the public or issue more dividends.
The company has accumulated 7.61 B in total debt with debt to equity ratio (D/E) of 2.7, implying the company greatly relies on financing operations through barrowing. United Utilities has a current ratio of 0.87, indicating that it has a negative working capital and may not be able to pay financial obligations in time and when they become due. Debt can assist United Utilities until it has trouble settling it off, either with new capital or with free cash flow. So, United Utilities' shareholders could walk away with nothing if the company can't fulfill its legal obligations to repay debt. However, a more frequent occurrence is when companies like United Utilities sell additional shares at bargain prices, diluting existing shareholders. Debt, in this case, can be an excellent and much better tool for United to invest in growth at high rates of return. When we think about United Utilities' use of debt, we should always consider it together with cash and equity.

United Utilities Assets Financed by Debt

Typically, companies with high debt-to-asset ratios are said to be highly leveraged. The higher the ratio, the greater risk will be associated with the United Utilities' operation. In addition, a high debt-to-assets ratio may indicate a low borrowing capacity of United Utilities, which in turn will lower the firm's financial flexibility. Like all other financial ratios, a an United Utilities debt ratio should be compared their industry average or other competing firms.

Understaning United Utilities Use of Financial Leverage

United Utilities financial leverage ratio helps in determining the effect of debt on the overall profitability of the company. It measures United Utilities's total debt position, including all of outstanding debt obligations, and compares it with the equity. In simple terms, the high financial leverage means the cost of production, together with running the business day-to-day, is high, whereas, lower financial leverage implies lower fixed cost investment in the business and generally considered by investors to be a good sign. So if creditors own a majority of United Utilities assets, the company is considered highly leveraged. Understanding the composition and structure of overall United Utilities debt and outstanding corporate bonds gives a good idea of how risky the capital structure of a business and if it is worth investing in it. Financial leverage can amplify the potential profits to United Utilities' owners, but it also increases the potential losses and risk of financial distress, including bankruptcy, if the firm cannot cover its debt costs. The degree of United Utilities' financial leverage can be measured in several ways, including by ratios such as the debt-to-equity ratio (total debt / total equity), equity multiplier (total assets / total equity), or the debt ratio (total debt / total assets).
United Utilities Group PLC provides water and wastewater services in the United Kingdom. United Utilities Group PLC was incorporated in 2008 and is based in Warrington, the United Kingdom. United Util operates under UtilitiesRegulated Water classification in the United States and is traded on OTC Exchange. It employs 6061 people.
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Some investors attempt to determine whether the market's mood is bullish or bearish by monitoring changes in market sentiment. Unlike more traditional methods such as technical analysis, investor sentiment usually refers to the aggregate attitude towards United Utilities in the overall investment community. So, suppose investors can accurately measure the market's sentiment. In that case, they can use it for their benefit. For example, some tools to gauge market sentiment could be utilized using contrarian indexes, United Utilities' short interest history, or implied volatility extrapolated from United Utilities options trading.

Also Currently Popular

Analyzing currently trending equities could be an opportunity to develop a better portfolio based on different market momentums that they can trigger. Utilizing the top trending stocks is also useful when creating a market-neutral strategy or pair trading technique involving a short or a long position in a currently trending equity.
Check out the analysis of United Utilities Fundamentals Over Time.
You can also try the Bonds Directory module to find actively traded corporate debentures issued by US companies.

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When running United Utilities' price analysis, check to measure United Utilities' market volatility, profitability, liquidity, solvency, efficiency, growth potential, financial leverage, and other vital indicators. We have many different tools that can be utilized to determine how healthy United Utilities is operating at the current time. Most of United Utilities' value examination focuses on studying past and present price action to predict the probability of United Utilities' future price movements. You can analyze the entity against its peers and the financial market as a whole to determine factors that move United Utilities' price. Additionally, you may evaluate how the addition of United Utilities to your portfolios can decrease your overall portfolio volatility.
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Please note, there is a significant difference between United Utilities' value and its price as these two are different measures arrived at by different means. Investors typically determine if United Utilities is a good investment by looking at such factors as earnings, sales, fundamental and technical indicators, competition as well as analyst projections. However, United Utilities' price is the amount at which it trades on the open market and represents the number that a seller and buyer find agreeable to each party.

What is Financial Leverage?

Financial leverage is the use of borrowed money (debt) to finance the purchase of assets with the expectation that the income or capital gain from the new asset will exceed the cost of borrowing. In most cases, the debt provider will limit how much risk it is ready to take and indicate a limit on the extent of the leverage it will allow. In the case of asset-backed lending, the financial provider uses the assets as collateral until the borrower repays the loan. In the case of a cash flow loan, the general creditworthiness of the company is used to back the loan. The concept of leverage is common in the business world. It is mostly used to boost the returns on equity capital of a company, especially when the business is unable to increase its operating efficiency and returns on total investment. Because earnings on borrowing are higher than the interest payable on debt, the company's total earnings will increase, ultimately boosting stockholders' profits.

Leverage and Capital Costs

The debt to equity ratio plays a role in the working average cost of capital (WACC). The overall interest on debt represents the break-even point that must be obtained to profitability in a given venture. Thus, WACC is essentially the average interest an organization owes on the capital it has borrowed for leverage. Let's say equity represents 60% of borrowed capital, and debt is 40%. This results in a financial leverage calculation of 40/60, or 0.6667. The organization owes 10% on all equity and 5% on all debt. That means that the weighted average cost of capital is (.4)(5) + (.6)(10) - or 8%. For every $10,000 borrowed, this organization will owe $800 in interest. Profit must be higher than 8% on the project to offset the cost of interest and justify this leverage.

Benefits of Financial Leverage

Leverage provides the following benefits for companies:
  • Leverage is an essential tool a company's management can use to make the best financing and investment decisions.
  • It provides a variety of financing sources by which the firm can achieve its target earnings.
  • Leverage is also an essential technique in investing as it helps companies set a threshold for the expansion of business operations. For example, it can be used to recommend restrictions on business expansion once the projected return on additional investment is lower than the cost of debt.
By borrowing funds, the firm incurs a debt that must be paid. But, this debt is paid in small installments over a relatively long period of time. This frees funds for more immediate use in the stock market. For example, suppose a company can afford a new factory but will be left with negligible free cash. In that case, it may be better to finance the factory and spend the cash on hand on inputs, labor, or even hold a significant portion as a reserve against unforeseen circumstances.

The Risk of Financial Leverage

The most obvious and apparent risk of leverage is that if price changes unexpectedly, the leveraged position can lead to severe losses. For example, imagine a hedge fund seeded by $50 worth of investor money. The hedge fund borrows another $50 and buys an asset worth $100, leading to a leverage ratio of 2:1. For the investor, this is neither good nor bad -- until the asset price changes. If the asset price goes up 10 percent, the investor earns $10 on $50 of capital, a net gain of 20 percent, and is very pleased with the increased gains from the leverage. However, if the asset price crashes unexpectedly, say by 30 percent, the investor loses $30 on $50 of capital, suffering a 60 percent loss. In other words, the effect of leverage is to increase the volatility of returns and increase the effects of a price change on the asset to the bottom line while increasing the chance for profit as well.