Howard Marks put it nicely when he said that, rather than worrying about share price volatility, ‘The possibility of permanent loss is the risk I worry about… and every practical investor I know worries about.’ So it seems the smart money knows that debt – which is usually involved in bankruptcies – is a very important factor, when you assess how risky a company is. Importantly, Qorvo, Inc. (NASDAQ:QRVO) does carry debt. But is this debt a concern to shareholders?
When Is Debt Dangerous?
Generally speaking, debt only becomes a real problem when a company can’t easily pay it off, either by raising capital or with its own cash flow. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. 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, plenty of companies use debt to fund growth, without any negative consequences. When we examine debt levels, we first consider both cash and debt levels, together.
See our latest analysis for Qorvo
What Is Qorvo’s Net Debt?
You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that as of June 2019 Qorvo had US$1.02b of debt, an increase on US$558.3m, over one year. However, because it has a cash reserve of US$629.6m, its net debt is less, at about US$390.7m.
How Strong Is Qorvo’s Balance Sheet?
We can see from the most recent balance sheet that Qorvo had liabilities of US$452.1m falling due within a year, and liabilities of US$1.14b due beyond that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of US$629.6m as well as receivables valued at US$343.2m due within 12 months. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by US$616.2m.
Of course, Qorvo has a market capitalization of US$9.05b, so these liabilities are probably manageable. However, we do think it is worth keeping an eye on its balance sheet strength, as it may change over time.
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.
Qorvo’s net debt is only 0.39 times its EBITDA. And its EBIT covers its interest expense a whopping 13.1 times over. So you could argue it is no more threatened by its debt than an elephant is by a mouse. Better yet, Qorvo grew its EBIT by 164% last year, which is an impressive improvement. If maintained that growth will make the debt even more manageable in the years ahead. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Qorvo 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, while the tax-man may adore accounting profits, lenders only accept cold hard cash. So we always check how much of that EBIT is translated into free cash flow. Over the last three years, Qorvo actually produced more free cash flow than EBIT. That sort of strong cash generation warms our hearts like a puppy in a bumblebee suit.
Our View
Happily, Qorvo’s impressive interest cover implies it has the upper hand on its debt. And that’s just the beginning of the good news since its conversion of EBIT to free cash flow is also very heartening. Considering this range of factors, it seems to us that Qorvo is quite prudent with its debt, and the risks seem well managed. So we’re not worried about the use of a little leverage on the balance sheet. Another factor that would give us confidence in Qorvo would be if insiders have been buying shares: if you’re conscious of that signal too, you can find out instantly by clicking this link.
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.
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If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.