What financial metric indicates the ability of an entity to meet its debt obligations?

The debt service coverage ratio (DSCR) is a financial metric that measures an entity's ability to meet its debt obligations through its operating income. This ratio is calculated by dividing net operating income by total debt service payments (which include both principal and interest payments). A DSCR greater than 1 indicates that the entity generates sufficient income to cover its debt obligations, while a ratio less than 1 suggests potential difficulties in meeting those obligations.

In this context, the other choices do not specifically measure the ability to meet debt obligations. Net revenue is simply the income generated after deducting certain expenses but does not account for debt service. The loan-to-value ratio focuses on the relationship between a loan amount and the appraised value of the asset secured by that loan, used primarily in risk assessment rather than in measuring cash flow relative to debt payment. Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) provides insight into a company's operational profitability but does not address cash flow or the ability to cover debt service specifically. Thus, the debt service coverage ratio is the most relevant metric for assessing the capacity to fulfill debt obligations.