Debt-to-Equity Ratio

The debt-to-equity ratio measures the proportion of a company’s financing that comes from debt compared to shareholders’ equity.

A negative value of -7.66x means Altria’s liabilities exceed its total shareholders’ equity — a signal that equity is negative, often due to accumulated losses or share buybacks. Among Consumer Defensive peers, the sector median is 0.68x, and Altria’s ratio sits at the 0th percentile, meaning nearly all competitors have a healthier (positive) debt-to-equity level. Over the last eight quarters the trend has been stable, though the quarter-over-quarter change shows a +49.4% move (from -15.15x to -7.66x), while the year-over-year change is not available. The combination of a deeply negative level with a quarterly improvement toward zero suggests financial risk remains elevated, but the direction could indicate a gradual reduction in the deficit. This metric supports the overall CAUTIOUS verdict, as negative equity poses a structural risk that outweighs the small quarterly improvement.

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