Western Asset Current Financial Leverage

Western Asset Municipal holds a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.424. Western Asset's financial risk is the risk to Western Asset stockholders that is caused by an increase in debt. In other words, with a high degree of financial leverage come high-interest payments, which usually reduce Earnings Per Share (EPS).

Asset vs Debt

Equity vs Debt

Western Asset's liquidity is one of the most fundamental aspects of both its future profitability and its ability to meet different types of ongoing financial obligations. Western Asset's cash, liquid assets, total liabilities, and shareholder equity can be utilized to evaluate how much leverage the Fund is using to sustain its current operations. For traders, higher-leverage indicators usually imply a higher risk to shareholders. In addition, it helps Western Fund's retail investors understand whether an upcoming fall or rise in the market will negatively affect Western Asset's stakeholders.
For most companies, including Western Asset, marketable securities, inventories, and receivables are the most common assets that could be converted to cash. However, for the executing running Western Asset Municipal 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 Western Asset's debt-to-equity ratio measures a Fund's obligations relative to the value of its net assets, it is usually used by traders to estimate the extent to which Western Asset 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 Western Asset to its assets or equity, showing how much of the company assets belong to shareholders vs. creditors. If shareholders own more assets, Western Asset is said to be less leveraged. If creditors hold a majority of Western Asset's assets, the Fund is said to be highly leveraged.
  
Check out Correlation Analysis to better understand how to build diversified portfolios. Also, note that the market value of any fund could be tightly coupled with the direction of predictive economic indicators such as signals in board of governors.

Western Asset Financial Leverage Rating

Western Asset Municipal bond ratings play a critical role in determining how much Western Asset 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 Western Asset's borrowing costs.

Western Asset Municipal Debt to Cash Allocation

As Western Asset Municipal follows its natural business cycle, the capital allocation decisions will not magically go away. Western Asset's 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 67.69 M in debt with debt to equity (D/E) ratio of 0.42, which is OK given its current industry classification. Western Asset Municipal has a current ratio of 1.18, demonstrating that it may not be capable to disburse its financial commitments when the payables are due. Debt can assist Western Asset until it has trouble settling it off, either with new capital or with free cash flow. So, Western Asset's 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 Western Asset Municipal sell additional shares at bargain prices, diluting existing shareholders. Debt, in this case, can be an excellent and much better tool for Western to invest in growth at high rates of return. When we think about Western Asset's use of debt, we should always consider it together with cash and equity.

Western Asset 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 Western Asset's operation. In addition, a high debt-to-assets ratio may indicate a low borrowing capacity of Western Asset, which in turn will lower the firm's financial flexibility. Like all other financial ratios, a a Western Asset debt ratio should be compared their industry average or other competing firms.

Understaning Western Asset Use of Financial Leverage

Western Asset financial leverage ratio helps in determining the effect of debt on the overall profitability of the company. It measures Western Asset'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 Western Asset assets, the company is considered highly leveraged. Understanding the composition and structure of overall Western Asset 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 Western Asset's 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 Western Asset's 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).
Western Asset Municipal Partners Fund Inc. is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by Legg Mason Partners Fund Advisor, LLC. Western Asset Municipal Partners Fund Inc. was formed on January 29, 1993 and is domiciled in the United States. Western Asset operates under Asset Management classification in the United States and is traded on New York Stock Exchange.
Please read more on our technical analysis page.
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 Western Asset 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, Western Asset's short interest history, or implied volatility extrapolated from Western Asset options trading.

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Check out Correlation Analysis to better understand how to build diversified portfolios. Also, note that the market value of any fund could be tightly coupled with the direction of predictive economic indicators such as signals in board of governors.
You can also try the Portfolio Rebalancing module to analyze risk-adjusted returns against different time horizons to find asset-allocation targets.

Other Consideration for investing in Western Fund

If you are still planning to invest in Western Asset Municipal check if it may still be traded through OTC markets such as Pink Sheets or OTC Bulletin Board. You may also purchase it directly from the company, but this is not always possible and may require contacting the company directly. Please note that delisted stocks are often considered to be more risky investments, as they are no longer subject to the same regulatory and reporting requirements as listed stocks. Therefore, it is essential to carefully research the Western Asset's history and understand the potential risks before investing.
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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.