The company currently holds 12.9 M in liabilities with Debt to Equity (D/E) ratio of 10.8, indicating Middlefield Banc may have difficulties to generate enough cash to satisfy its financial obligations. Debt can assist Middlefield Banc until it has trouble settling it off, either with new capital or with free cash flow. So, Middlefield Banc'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 Middlefield Banc sell additional shares at bargain prices, diluting existing shareholders. Debt, in this case, can be an excellent and much better tool for Middlefield to invest in growth at high rates of return. When we think about Middlefield Banc's use of debt, we should always consider it together with cash and equity.