The firm's financial stability is increasingly compromised by a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98 and a current ratio that has compressed to 0.96 as of 2026Q1.
| Metric | TTM | Dec'25 | Dec'24 | Dec'23 | Dec'22 | Dec'21 | Dec'20 | Dec'19 | Dec'18 | Dec'17 | Dec'16 | Dec'15 | Dec'14 | Dec'13 | Dec'12 | Dec'11 | Dec'10 | Dec'09 | Dec'08 | Dec'07 | Dec'06 | Dec'05 | Dec'04 | Dec'03 | Dec'02 | Dec'01 | Dec'00 | Dec'99 | Dec'98 | Dec'97 | Dec'96 |
|---|
| Total Current Assets | 2.24M | 133K | 214K | 6.9M | 19.57M | 23.82M | 27.4M | 5.02M | 35.53M | 29.8M | 43.11M | 32.91M | 17.24M | 19.7M | 24.05M | 19.06M | 10.38M | 8.3M | 9.91M | 32.33M | 52.38M | 28.4M | 19.11B | 4.66B | 2.6M | 2.9M | 4.9M | 9.3M | 1.1M | 1.4M | 900K |
| Cash & Short-Term Investments | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Cash Only | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Short-Term Investments | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Accounts Receivable | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Days Sales Outstanding | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Inventory | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Days Inventory Outstanding | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Current Assets | 0 | 0 | -1.94M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Non-Current Assets | 173K | 21.2M | 52K | 86.65M | 22.09M | 15.9M | 31.42M | 70.07M | 35.41M | 31.41M | 30.04M | 19.62M | 34.8M | 28.65M | 9.23M | 25.24M | 43.08M | 72.71M | 114.15M | 102.4M | 73.49M | 115.58M | 91.4M | 128.6M | 145.7M | 147.9M | 171.2M | 165.7M | 214.5M | 226.6M | 180.2M |
| Property, Plant & Equipment | 193K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fixed Asset Turnover | 26.49x | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Goodwill | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Intangible Assets | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Long-Term Investments | 33.48M | 0 | 27.5M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8M | 9.21M | 8.21M | 6.46M | 5.71M | 13.17M | 11.11M | 7.42M | 32.48M | 27.66M | 42.41M | 68.73M | 72.1M | 42.63M | 65.13M | 91.4M | 128.6M | 145.7M | 147.9M | 171.2M | 165.7M | 214.5M | 226.6M | 180.2M |
| Other Non-Current Assets | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Total Assets | 14.1M | 21.34M | 29.94M | 93.55M | 41.66M | 39.72M | 58.82M | 75.09M | 70.94M | 61.2M | 73.15M | 52.53M | 52.04M | 48.35M | 33.28M | 44.3M | 53.45M | 81.01M | 124.06M | 134.73M | 125.87M | 143.98M | 94.6M | 132.9M | 148.3M | 150.8M | 176M | 175M | 215.6M | 228.1M | 181.1M |
| Asset Turnover | 0.05x | 0.06x | -0.47x | 0.18x | 0.06x | 0.15x | -0.12x | 0.08x | 0.06x | 0.06x | 0.12x | 0.07x | 0.04x | 0.07x | -0.06x | -0.01x | -0.17x | -0.30x | 0.03x | 0.04x | 0.05x | 0.02x | 0.07x | 0.05x | 0.02x | 0.02x | 0.03x | 0.03x | 0.02x | 0.02x | 0.01x |
| Asset Growth % | -221.5% | -28.72% | -68% | 124.53% | 4.9% | -32.48% | -21.66% | 5.84% | 15.91% | -16.33% | 39.25% | 0.95% | 7.63% | 45.27% | -24.87% | -17.12% | -34.01% | -34.7% | -7.92% | 7.04% | -12.58% | 52.2% | -28.82% | -10.38% | -1.66% | -14.32% | 0.57% | -18.83% | -5.48% | 25.95% | 36.68% |
| Total Current Liabilities | 2.32M | 1.78M | 425K | 276K | 108K | 59K | 56K | 106K | 465K | 18.2M | 30.41M | 15.26M | 16.5M | 15.24M | 622K | 267K | 403K | 107K | 204K | 108K | 229K | 298.36K | 2M | 2.9M | 600K | 700K | 800K | 1.2M | 900K | 1.7M | 12.6M |
| Accounts Payable | 2.32M | 1.78M | 425K | 276K | 108K | 59K | 56K | 106K | 465K | 199K | 412K | 222K | 838K | 132K | 408K | 153K | 58K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100K | 200K | 200K | 300K | 300K | 700K | 400K | 200K | 200K |
| Days Payables Outstanding | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Short-Term Debt | 13.54M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18M | 29.99M | 15M | 15M | 15M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deferred Revenue (Current) | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Current Liabilities | -13.55M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.9M | 2.7M | 400K | 400K | 500K | 500K | 500K | 1.5M | 12.4M |
| Current Ratio | 0.96x | 0.07x | 0.50x | 24.99x | 181.24x | 403.64x | 489.32x | 47.32x | 76.42x | 1.64x | 1.42x | 2.16x | 1.04x | 1.29x | 38.67x | 71.38x | 25.75x | 77.54x | 48.59x | 299.37x | 228.72x | 95.20x | 9555.07x | 1606.52x | 4.33x | 4.14x | 6.13x | 7.75x | 1.22x | 0.82x | 0.07x |
| Quick Ratio | 0.96x | 0.07x | 0.50x | 24.99x | 181.24x | 403.64x | 489.32x | 47.32x | 76.42x | 1.64x | 1.42x | 2.16x | 1.04x | 1.29x | 38.67x | 71.38x | 25.75x | 77.54x | 48.59x | 299.37x | 228.72x | 95.20x | 9555.07x | 1606.52x | 4.33x | 4.14x | 6.13x | 7.75x | 1.22x | 0.82x | 0.07x |
| Cash Conversion Cycle | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Total Non-Current Liabilities | 3.42M | 2.98M | 1K | 44.98M | 6.32M | 3.29M | 24.99M | 28.99M | 26.98M | 0 | 0 | -36K | -664K | -106K | -214K | 5.89M | 15M | 30M | 45.42M | 31.41M | 32.4M | 51.08M | 24M | 58.5M | 70.8M | 73.2M | 84.3M | 72.4M | 98.5M | 81.9M | 65.3M |
| Long-Term Debt | 139K | 2.12M | 0 | 44.95M | 6M | 2.5M | 24M | 28.99M | 26.98M | 18M | 29.99M | 15M | 15M | 15M | 0 | 6M | 15M | 30M | 44.97M | 30M | 29.98M | 49.95M | 24M | 58.5M | 70.8M | 73.2M | 84.3M | 72.4M | 98.5M | 81.9M | 65.3M |
| Capital Lease Obligations | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Deferred Tax Liabilities | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Other Non-Current Liabilities | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Total Liabilities | 147K | 4.77M | 426K | 45.26M | 6.43M | 3.35M | 25.05M | 29.1M | 27.45M | 18.2M | 30.41M | 15.22M | 15.84M | 15.13M | 408K | 6.15M | 15.4M | 30.11M | 45.63M | 31.51M | 32.63M | 51.38M | 26M | 61.4M | 71.4M | 73.9M | 85.1M | 73.6M | 99.4M | 83.6M | 77.9M |
| Total Debt | 13.68M | 2.12M | 0 | 44.95M | 6M | 2.5M | 24M | 28.99M | 26.98M | 36M | 59.99M | 30M | 30M | 30M | 0 | 6M | 15M | 30M | 44.97M | 30M | 29.98M | 49.95M | 24M | 58.5M | 70.8M | 73.2M | 84.3M | 72.4M | 98.5M | 81.9M | 65.3M |
| Net Debt | 13.54M | 1.99M | -7K | 38.42M | -13.23M | -20.96M | 361K | 25.02M | 19.56M | 25.2M | 48.03M | 12.96M | 14.3M | 10.94M | -23.69M | -10.81M | 7.62M | 23.95M | 36.31M | -944K | -21.52M | 24.3M | 11.48M | 47.2M | 70.8M | 73.2M | 84.3M | 66.9M | 98.5M | 81.9M | 65.3M |
| Debt / Equity | 0.98x | 0.13x | - | 0.93x | 0.17x | 0.07x | 0.71x | 0.63x | 0.62x | 0.84x | 1.40x | 0.80x | 0.83x | 0.90x | - | 0.16x | 0.39x | 0.59x | 0.57x | 0.29x | 0.32x | 0.54x | 0.35x | 0.82x | 0.92x | 0.95x | 0.93x | 0.71x | 0.85x | 0.57x | 0.63x |
| Debt / EBITDA | -3.89x | - | - | 3.47x | - | 0.95x | - | 13.34x | 529.04x | - | 11.04x | 27.10x | - | 87.72x | - | - | - | - | - | 2.45x | 2.12x | 2.99x | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.31x | 0.97x |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -3.85x | - | - | 2.97x | - | -7.98x | - | 11.52x | 383.45x | - | 8.84x | 11.71x | - | 31.97x | - | - | - | - | - | -0.08x | -1.52x | 1.45x | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.31x | 0.97x |
| Interest Coverage | -4.61x | -5.40x | -136.07x | 517.96x | -282.00x | 875.33x | -455.26x | 197.55x | 12.75x | -75.36x | 679.00x | 553.50x | - | 171.00x | -2636.50x | -1132.25x | -356.94x | -539.84x | -401.27x | 147.80x | 90.18x | 118.50x | -0.50x | -1.56x | -0.83x | -1.89x | -1.91x | -2.43x | -2.09x | 1.97x | 1.78x |
| Total Equity | 13.95M | 16.57M | 29.51M | 48.29M | 35.24M | 36.37M | 33.78M | 45.99M | 43.5M | 43.01M | 42.74M | 37.31M | 36.2M | 33.22M | 32.88M | 38.15M | 38.05M | 50.9M | 78.44M | 103.22M | 93.24M | 92.6M | 68.6M | 71.5M | 77M | 77M | 90.9M | 101.4M | 116.2M | 144.5M | 103.2M |
| Equity Growth % | -168.55% | -43.85% | -38.89% | 37.03% | -3.1% | 7.66% | -26.55% | 5.73% | 1.14% | 0.62% | 14.56% | 3.06% | 8.98% | 1.04% | -13.82% | 0.25% | -25.25% | -35.1% | -24.01% | 10.7% | 0.68% | 34.99% | -4.06% | -7.14% | 0% | -15.29% | -10.36% | -12.74% | -19.58% | 40.02% | 66.72% |
| Book Value per Share | 0.81 | 1.21 | 2.17 | 3.57 | 2.61 | 2.69 | 2.50 | 3.40 | 3.22 | 3.22 | 3.37 | 2.94 | 3.04 | 3.14 | 3.11 | 3.80 | 4.29 | 5.79 | 9.31 | 12.51 | 11.73 | 13.33 | 10.03 | 10.85 | 11.70 | 11.70 | 14.66 | 19.39 | 22.78 | 28.90 | 25.61 |
| Total Shareholders' Equity | 13.95M | 16.57M | 29.51M | 48.29M | 35.24M | 36.37M | 33.78M | 45.99M | 43.5M | 43.01M | 42.74M | 37.31M | 36.2M | 33.22M | 32.88M | 38.15M | 38.05M | 50.9M | 78.44M | 103.22M | 93.24M | 92.6M | 68.6M | 71.5M | 77M | 77M | 90.9M | 101.4M | 116.2M | 144.5M | 103.2M |
| Common Stock | -7K | 14K | 14K | 14K | 13K | 13K | 13K | 13K | 13K | 13K | 13K | 13K | 13K | 10K | 10K | 10K | 9K | 9K | 9K | 8K | 8K | 7.38K | 6.51M | 6.62M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Retained Earnings | -21.44M | -59.45M | -45.29M | -26.51M | -39.46M | -38.33M | -22.38M | -10.09M | -12.26M | -25.77M | -21.76M | -19.31M | -16.3M | -14.54M | -11.41M | -8.76M | -5.25M | -4.49M | -4.49M | -2.63M | -3.25M | -3.15M | -11M | -5.4M | -100K | -3.4M | 3.8M | 10M | -6.6M | 0 | 3.6M |
| Treasury Stock | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Accumulated OCI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17.06M | 13.46M | 10.27M | 2.38M | -3.56M | -3.96M | -17.22M | -17.4M | -27.3M | -15.23M | -3.06M | 16.82M | 9.29M | 14.04M | -4.6M | -7.6M | -5.4M | -4.5M | -800K | -1.1M | 44.3M | 65.9M | 41.7M |
| Minority Interest | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Severe liquidity and solvency
As reported in financial statements, Equus Total Return has seen its total assets plummet from $103.8 million in 2024Q2 to just $14.1 million by 2026Q1, signaling a severe and ongoing erosion of the firm's capital base that threatens its long-term viability as a going concern.
The consistent decline in total assets over the last ten quarters suggests that the company is effectively liquidating its portfolio rather than growing it. This trajectory implies that the firm is struggling to replace exited positions with new, income-generating investments, leaving the business increasingly hollowed out.
Based on recent SEC filings, the company's cash position has dwindled to a precarious $140,000 as of 2026Q1, while the current ratio has compressed to 0.96, indicating that the firm lacks the necessary liquidity buffer to cover its immediate operational obligations or potential portfolio shocks.
The rapid deterioration of the current ratio from historical highs above 20.0 suggests that the company has exhausted its liquid reserves to fund ongoing administrative costs. Investors should monitor this closely, as the current cash balance provides virtually no margin for error in managing complex international assets.
According to the provided balance sheet data, the debt-to-equity ratio has fluctuated significantly, reaching 0.98 in 2026Q1, which suggests that despite the shrinking asset base, the company remains reliant on debt financing that may be increasingly difficult to service given the lack of recurring income.
While a D/E ratio near 1.0 might appear manageable in other contexts, for a BDC with negative net margins, it indicates a reliance on debt to sustain basic operations rather than to fuel growth. This leverage profile warrants further investigation into the maturity schedule and the potential for covenant breaches.
As evidenced by the reported figures, the company's retained earnings have deteriorated to a staggering -$21.4 million, reflecting a long-term trend of value destruction that undermines the integrity of the reported net asset value and raises questions about the sustainability of the current corporate structure.
The persistent negative retained earnings suggest that the company has consistently failed to generate returns in excess of its operating costs over multiple periods. This accumulation of losses implies that the equity base is being systematically eroded, making the current valuation potentially disconnected from the underlying realizable value of the portfolio.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying EQS stock.
As of 2025, Equus Total Return, Inc. (EQS) had total assets of $21.3M including $0.1M in current assets.
Equus Total Return, Inc. (EQS) carries total debt of $2.1M. Comparing total debt to cash helps evaluate the company's debt burden and net leverage.
Equus Total Return, Inc. (EQS) has total shareholders' equity (book value) of $16.6M ($1.21 book value per share). Book value represents the net worth of the company belonging to common stock holders.
Equus Total Return, Inc. (EQS) reported a current ratio of 0.07x. A current ratio above 1.0x indicates that the company has more current assets than current liabilities, suggesting sufficient short-term liquidity.