The reason that I would not have owned Boeing stock in recent years is that the long-term debt-to-capitalization ratio has been very high. This debt ratio is a slightly obscure number that many investors ignore, but it has served me well in that when I stick with companies that have a debt ratio below 40%, they never get into financial trouble. They don't take annual losses, they don't cut their dividends, and they have the financial freedom to hire employees, expand their product lines and make acquisitions without looking over their shoulders at looming principal and interest payments. Boeing's debt ratio is currently cited as 61% by CFRA (formerly Standard & Poor's) and 75% by both MarketWatch and Charles Schwab & Co. But what if somebody had given me Boeing stock as a gift? If the stock does not fit my investment strategy, which is specifically designed to lower several specific risks associated with investing, then I'm going to immediately plan my exit strategy.