Research Guides: Corporate Finance: Capital Structure

What is a Company's Capital Structure?

Capital structure refers to the mix of debt and equity employed by the firm. It is measured by the debt-to-equity (D/E) ratio. Capital Structure is explained in more detail by the Corporate Finance Institute.

To research the debt and equity financing history of public companies use one of these databases:

Find Debt Outstanding

Mergent BondViewer
Provides a comprehensive description of corporate and municipal bonds. Includes terms and conditions, call option information, coupon details, covenants, and ratings history.

Find Dividend Policy

These sources give detailed information on companies and their dividends. Find dividend history with dates declared, ex-div date and date of record as well as a history of stock splits.

S&P NetAdvantage
A complete dividend history and history of stock splits. Search by Company name or ticker and choose the "Key Developments" list (from the left). Customize the view by selecting "Dividends/Splits."
Mergent EventsData
Provides ten years of information on dividend-paying stocks Includes annual dividend calculations, dividend distributions and capital gains as well as capital changes such as splits, stock dividends, rights and spin-offs.

Mergent Dividend Reports
The Historical Dividend Record, an annual summary from 1999 to the present, is at HG 4908 .M7 in the Reference collection, 2nd floor.