Investors Worry About Mounting Debt — 7 S&P 500 Companies Owe Most

Investor’s Business Daily analysed S&P 500 firms with the highest total-debt-to-EBITDA ratios, flagging potential market risks if growth slows. Ford tops the list with $15.6 billion in long-term debt and a 26.3x debt/EBITDA ratio; Axon is also highly leveraged (~25.8x and $1.7 billion long-term debt) and is down ~29% YTD. Other heavy loads include Air Products (APD), Datadog (DDOG) and real-estate name BXP, while Lumentum (LITE) carries ~11.7x debt/EBITDA but has surged ~133% YTD thanks to AI demand. The piece notes mixed market reactions: some indebted names are underperforming the S&P 500, while high-growth borrowers like Lumentum are rewarded, underscoring investor sensitivity to leverage versus growth prospects.