The article examines how a company's mix of debt and equity affects its performance before, during, and after the global crisis. By analyzing data from US companies, the researchers found that the impact of capital structure on performance varies depending on the type of performance measure used and the time period studied. Higher debt levels were linked to lower return on assets before and after the crisis, but not during. Overall, capital structure has a limited impact on corporate performance, with human capital development and managerial efficiency being more important for enhancing performance.