Name: Financial Leverage

Definition: Financial leverage tells you how much borrowed money the company uses to boost its size and profits. Using leverage can help a business grow faster, but it also increases pressure if sales slow down. Moderate leverage is common and often healthy. Excessive leverage can be dangerous, especially during tough economic times.

Interpretation:
• In '2020', SHMD's financial leverage was -1.75, indicating how much debt is used to finance assets. Industry average for Industrial Machinery/Components in '2020' stood at -0.84.
• In '2021', SHMD's financial leverage was -2.10, indicating how much debt is used to finance assets. The decrease since '2020' reflects improving financial health. Industry average for Industrial Machinery/Components in '2021' stood at 1.68. Industry average increased by 2.51 compared to previous year.
• In '2022', SHMD's financial leverage was -2.73, indicating how much debt is used to finance assets. The decrease since '2021' reflects improving financial health. Industry average for Industrial Machinery/Components in '2022' stood at 1.79. Industry average increased by 0.11 compared to previous year.
• In '2023', SHMD's financial leverage was -3.33, indicating how much debt is used to finance assets. The decrease since '2022' reflects improving financial health. Industry average for Industrial Machinery/Components in '2023' stood at 1.94. Industry average increased by 0.16 compared to previous year.
Overall, SHMD's financial leverage has been volatile but showed a downward trend over the past 4 years.

Formula: Financial Leverage = Average Total Assets / Average Shareholders' Equity

Good Range: 1 to 3 common; above 3 may indicate high leverage risk.