These 4 Measures Indicate That Austal (ASX:ASB) Is Using Debt Reasonably Well

Warren Buffett famously said, 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk.' It's only natural to consider a company's balance sheet when you examine how risky it is, since debt is often involved when a business collapses. We can see that Austal Limited (ASX:ASB) does use debt in its business. But is this debt a concern to shareholders?

What Risk Does Debt Bring?

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. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. However, a more usual (but still expensive) situation is where a company must dilute shareholders at a cheap share price simply to get debt under control. Having said that, the most common situation is where a company manages its debt reasonably well - and to its own advantage. The first thing to do when considering how much debt a business uses is to look at its cash and debt together.

See our latest analysis for Austal

What Is Austal's Net Debt?

As you can see below, Austal had AU$147.2m of debt at June 2021, down from AU$165.2m a year prior. However, its balance sheet shows it holds AU$346.9m in cash, so it actually has AU$199.7m net cash.

How Strong Is Austal's Balance Sheet?

Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that Austal had liabilities of AU$397.6m due within 12 months and liabilities of AU$277.8m due beyond that. On the other hand, it had cash of AU$346.9m and AU$141.8m worth of receivables due within a year. So it has liabilities totalling AU$186.8m more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.

While this might seem like a lot, it is not so bad since Austal has a market capitalization of AU$663.5m, 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. Despite its noteworthy liabilities, Austal boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load!

But the bad news is that Austal has seen its EBIT plunge 11% in the last twelve months. If that rate of decline in earnings continues, the company could find itself in a tight spot. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine Austal's ability to maintain a healthy balance sheet going forward. So if you want to see what the professionals think, you might find this free report on analyst profit forecasts to be interesting.

Finally, a company can only pay off debt with cold hard cash, not accounting profits. Austal may have net cash on the balance sheet, but it is still interesting to look at how well the business converts its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, because that will influence both its need for, and its capacity to manage debt. Over the last three years, Austal recorded free cash flow worth a fulsome 97% of its EBIT, which is stronger than we'd usually expect. That puts it in a very strong position to pay down debt.

Summing up

While Austal does have more liabilities than liquid assets, it also has net cash of AU$199.7m. The cherry on top was that in converted 97% of that EBIT to free cash flow, bringing in AU$30m. So we don't have any problem with Austal's use of debt. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. For example Austal has 3 warning signs (and 1 which is significant) we think you should know about.

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. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. 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.

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