Albemarle Corp (ALB)

Debt-to-equity ratio

		Dec 31, 2023	Sep 30, 2023	Jun 30, 2023	Mar 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2022	Sep 30, 2022	Jun 30, 2022	Mar 31, 2022	Dec 31, 2021	Sep 30, 2021	Jun 30, 2021	Mar 31, 2021	Dec 31, 2020	Sep 30, 2020	Jun 30, 2020	Mar 31, 2020	Dec 31, 2019	Sep 30, 2019	Jun 30, 2019	Mar 31, 2019
Long-term debt	US$ in thousands	3,541,000	3,495,970	3,509,290	3,233,390	3,214,970	3,118,750	3,205,730	1,985,700	2,004,320	2,021,490	2,043,790	2,030,030	2,767,380	2,940,530	3,132,190	3,105,220	2,862,920	1,381,980	1,398,420	1,393,900
Total stockholders’ equity	US$ in thousands	9,412,180	9,897,820	9,815,310	9,212,740	7,982,630	6,732,640	6,085,290	5,826,600	5,625,270	5,694,120	6,165,550	5,746,380	4,268,230	4,124,880	4,024,470	3,878,000	3,932,250	3,836,560	3,800,800	3,672,270
Debt-to-equity ratio		0.38	0.35	0.36	0.35	0.40	0.46	0.53	0.34	0.36	0.36	0.33	0.35	0.65	0.71	0.78	0.80	0.73	0.36	0.37	0.38

December 31, 2023 calculation

Debt-to-equity ratio = Long-term debt ÷ Total stockholders’ equity
= $3,541,000K ÷ $9,412,180K
= 0.38

Albemarle Corp.'s debt-to-equity ratio has shown a decreasing trend over the past four quarters, indicating a favorable shift towards a lower level of financial leverage. The company's debt-to-equity ratio was 0.44 in Q4 2023, down from 0.37 in Q3 2023 and 0.40 in Q4 2022. This suggests that Albemarle Corp. has been effectively managing its debt levels relative to its equity base.

The declining trend in the debt-to-equity ratio indicates that the company is relying less on debt financing and may be strengthening its financial position by reducing debt levels or increasing equity. A lower debt-to-equity ratio is generally viewed positively by investors and creditors as it signifies lower financial risk and increased stability.

However, it's important to keep monitoring Albemarle Corp.'s debt-to-equity ratio over time to ensure that the company maintains a healthy balance between debt and equity to support its operational and growth strategies. Overall, the recent trend of decreasing debt-to-equity ratios reflects positively on Albemarle Corp.'s financial health and management of capital structure.