If the Debt Ratio is increasing, this may be a sign the company has not been able to secure long-term, lower interest financing, instead having to secure short-term, higher interest short term financing.
If the Debt Ratio is decreasing, it is generally a positive sign, showing the company may be paying off its Short-Term Debt or possibly refinancing its Short Term Debt into Long Term Debt. Refinancing is not a bad sign in itself, as they may simply be trying to reduce their interest payments. The Long-Term Debt needs to be monitored over time to see if they are reducing the total value of the Long-Term Debt.