These 4 Measures Indicate That Kuehne + Nagel International (VTX:KNIN) Is Using Debt Reasonably Well

The external fund manager backed by Berkshire Hathaway's Charlie Munger, Li Lu, makes no bones about it when he says 'The biggest investment risk is not the volatility of prices, but whether you will suffer a permanent loss of capital.' 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. As with many other companies Kuehne + Nagel International AG (VTX:KNIN) makes use of debt. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky.

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. Ultimately, if the company can't fulfill its legal obligations to repay debt, shareholders could walk away with nothing. However, a more common (but still painful) scenario is that it has to raise new equity capital at a low price, thus permanently diluting shareholders. Having said that, the most common situation is where a company manages its debt reasonably well - and to its own advantage. When we examine debt levels, we first consider both cash and debt levels, together.

Check out our latest analysis for Kuehne + Nagel International

How Much Debt Does Kuehne + Nagel International Carry?

As you can see below, at the end of June 2024, Kuehne + Nagel International had CHF405.0m of debt, up from CHF209.0m a year ago. Click the image for more detail. However, its balance sheet shows it holds CHF862.0m in cash, so it actually has CHF457.0m net cash.

A Look At Kuehne + Nagel International's Liabilities

We can see from the most recent balance sheet that Kuehne + Nagel International had liabilities of CHF6.63b falling due within a year, and liabilities of CHF1.94b due beyond that. Offsetting this, it had CHF862.0m in cash and CHF4.64b in receivables that were due within 12 months. So it has liabilities totalling CHF3.06b more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.

Of course, Kuehne + Nagel International has a titanic market capitalization of CHF26.5b, so these liabilities are probably manageable. Having said that, it's clear that we should continue to monitor its balance sheet, lest it change for the worse. While it does have liabilities worth noting, Kuehne + Nagel International also has more cash than debt, so we're pretty confident it can manage its debt safely.

The modesty of its debt load may become crucial for Kuehne + Nagel International if management cannot prevent a repeat of the 44% cut to EBIT over the last year. When it comes to paying off debt, falling earnings are no more useful than sugary sodas are for your health. 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 Kuehne + Nagel International'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, while the tax-man may adore accounting profits, lenders only accept cold hard cash. Kuehne + Nagel International 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, Kuehne + Nagel International recorded free cash flow worth a fulsome 90% of its EBIT, which is stronger than we'd usually expect. That positions it well to pay down debt if desirable to do so.

Summing Up

While Kuehne + Nagel International does have more liabilities than liquid assets, it also has net cash of CHF457.0m. The cherry on top was that in converted 90% of that EBIT to free cash flow, bringing in CHF1.0b. So we don't have any problem with Kuehne + Nagel International's use of debt. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. To that end, you should be aware of the 1 warning sign we've spotted with Kuehne + Nagel International .

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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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.