What Is the Times Interest Earned Ratio?

A December 3, 2020 FEDS Notes, issued by the Federal Reserve, summarizes S&P Global, Compustat, and Capital IQ data in Table 2 for public non-financial companies. The reported range of ICR/TIE ratios is less than zero to 13.38, with 1.59 as the median for 1,677 companies. The following FAQs provide answers to questions about the TIE/ICR ratio, including times interest earned ratio interpretation. In this exercise, we’ll be comparing the net income of a company with vs. without growing interest expense payments. The TIE’s main purpose is to help quantify a company’s probability of default. This, in turn, helps determine relevant debt parameters such as the appropriate interest rate to be charged or the amount of debt that a company can safely take on.

A lower times interest earned ratio means fewer earnings are available to meet interest payments. Failing to meet these obligations could force a company into bankruptcy. It is used by both lenders and borrowers in determining a company’s debt capacity.

Times Interest Earned – Explained

You can find the interest expense and calculate the company’s pre-tax income from the parameters available in the income statement. Data used to calculate these ratios are provided on a company’s balance sheet, income statement, and statement of changes in equity. A variation what does times interest earned ratio mean on the times interest earned ratio is to also deduct depreciation and amortization from the EBIT figure in the numerator. The EBIT figure noted in the numerator of the formula is an accounting calculation that does not necessarily relate to the amount of cash generated.

Businesses that have a times interest earned ratio of less than 2.5 are considered to be financially unstable. Both the above figures can be found in the company’s income statement. To give you an example – businesses that sell utility products regularly make money as their customers want their product. New businesses and those with inconsistent earnings often have to issue stock to raise capital until they create consistent earnings. The articles and research support materials available on this site are educational and are not intended to be investment or tax advice. All such information is provided solely for convenience purposes only and all users thereof should be guided accordingly.

What’s an Example of TIE?

If a company has a low times interest earned ratio, it can improve this measure by increasing earnings or by paying off debt. Cost-cutting can be an effective way to increase earnings, even if sales are not expanding. Refinancing existing debt can also reduce debt service payments and boost the times interest earned ratio. To better understand the TIE ratio, it’s helpful to look at what the TIE ratio means to a business.