Warren Buffett famously said, ‘Volatility is far from synonymous with risk.’ When we think about how risky a company is, we always like to look at its use of debt, since debt overload can lead to ruin. We note that Axalta Coating Systems Ltd. (NYSE:AXTA) does have debt on its balance sheet. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?
Why Does Debt Bring Risk?
Debt and other liabilities become risky for a business when it cannot easily fulfill those obligations, either with free cash flow or by raising capital at an attractive price. In the worst case scenario, a company can go bankrupt if it cannot pay its creditors. While that is not too common, we often do see indebted companies permanently diluting shareholders because lenders force them to raise capital at a distressed price. Of course, debt can be an important tool in businesses, particularly capital heavy businesses. The first step when considering a company’s debt levels is to consider its cash and debt together.
What Is Axalta Coating Systems’s Debt?
As you can see below, at the end of March 2021, Axalta Coating Systems had US$3.74b of debt, up from US$3.59b a year ago. Click the image for more detail. However, because it has a cash reserve of US$1.27b, its net debt is less, at about US$2.48b.
How Healthy Is Axalta Coating Systems’ Balance Sheet?
According to the last reported balance sheet, Axalta Coating Systems had liabilities of US$1.19b due within 12 months, and liabilities of US$4.42b due beyond 12 months. Offsetting this, it had US$1.27b in cash and US$940.4m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So it has liabilities totalling US$3.41b more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.
While this might seem like a lot, it is not so bad since Axalta Coating Systems has a market capitalization of US$7.59b, and so it could probably strengthen its balance sheet by raising capital if it needed to. However, it is still worthwhile taking a close look at its ability to pay off debt.
In order to size up a company’s debt relative to its earnings, we calculate its net debt divided by its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) and its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) divided by its interest expense (its interest cover). This way, we consider both the absolute quantum of the debt, as well as the interest rates paid on it.
While we wouldn’t worry about Axalta Coating Systems’s net debt to EBITDA ratio of 3.5, we think its super-low interest cover of 2.5 times is a sign of high leverage. It seems clear that the cost of borrowing money is negatively impacting returns for shareholders, of late. Worse, Axalta Coating Systems’s EBIT was down 30% over the last year. If earnings continue to follow that trajectory, paying off that debt load will be harder than convincing us to run a marathon in the rain. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Axalta Coating Systems can strengthen its balance sheet over time. So if you’re focused on the future you can check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.
Finally, a business needs free cash flow to pay off debt; accounting profits just don’t cut it. So we clearly need to look at whether that EBIT is leading to corresponding free cash flow. During the last three years, Axalta Coating Systems generated free cash flow amounting to a very robust 88% of its EBIT, more than we’d expect. That puts it in a very strong position to pay down debt.
Our View
Axalta Coating Systems’s EBIT growth rate and interest cover definitely weigh on it, in our esteem. But the good news is it seems to be able to convert EBIT to free cash flow with ease. Taking the abovementioned factors together we do think Axalta Coating Systems’s debt poses some risks to the business. So while that leverage does boost returns on equity, we wouldn’t really want to see it increase from here. There’s no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet – far from it.
Of course, if you’re the type of investor who prefers buying stocks without the burden of debt, then don’t hesitate to discover our exclusive list of net cash growth stocks, today.
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.