We Think Vesuvius (LON:VSVS) Can Stay On Top Of Its Debt

Warren Buffett famously said, 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk.' So it might be obvious that you need to consider debt, when you think about how risky any given stock is, because too much debt can sink a company. As with many other companies Vesuvius plc (LON:VSVS) makes use of debt. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky.

When Is Debt Dangerous?

Debt is a tool to help businesses grow, but if a business is incapable of paying off its lenders, then it exists at their mercy. Part and parcel of capitalism is the process of 'creative destruction' where failed businesses are mercilessly liquidated by their bankers. 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. Of course, the upside of debt is that it often represents cheap capital, especially when it replaces dilution in a company with the ability to reinvest at high rates of return. The first step when considering a company's debt levels is to consider its cash and debt together.

View our latest analysis for Vesuvius

What Is Vesuvius's Net Debt?

As you can see below, at the end of June 2024, Vesuvius had UK£497.4m of debt, up from UK£393.3m a year ago. Click the image for more detail. However, it also had UK£180.0m in cash, and so its net debt is UK£317.4m.

How Strong Is Vesuvius' Balance Sheet?

Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that Vesuvius had liabilities of UK£620.0m due within 12 months and liabilities of UK£430.9m due beyond that. On the other hand, it had cash of UK£180.0m and UK£482.0m worth of receivables due within a year. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by UK£388.9m.

Vesuvius has a market capitalization of UK£1.03b, so it could very likely raise cash to ameliorate its balance sheet, if the need arose. But it's clear that we should definitely closely examine whether it can manage its debt without dilution.

We measure a company's debt load relative to its earnings power by looking at its net debt divided by its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) and by calculating how easily its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) cover its interest expense (interest cover). The advantage of this approach is that we take into account both the absolute quantum of debt (with net debt to EBITDA) and the actual interest expenses associated with that debt (with its interest cover ratio).

Vesuvius's net debt is only 1.3 times its EBITDA. And its EBIT covers its interest expense a whopping 16.6 times over. So you could argue it is no more threatened by its debt than an elephant is by a mouse. On the other hand, Vesuvius saw its EBIT drop by 6.2% in the last twelve months. That sort of decline, if sustained, will obviously make debt harder to handle. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Vesuvius 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.

But our final consideration is also important, because a company cannot pay debt with paper profits; it needs cold hard cash. So we clearly need to look at whether that EBIT is leading to corresponding free cash flow. Looking at the most recent three years, Vesuvius recorded free cash flow of 44% of its EBIT, which is weaker than we'd expect. That weak cash conversion makes it more difficult to handle indebtedness.

Our View

On our analysis Vesuvius's interest cover should signal that it won't have too much trouble with its debt. However, our other observations weren't so heartening. For example, its EBIT growth rate makes us a little nervous about its debt. Looking at all this data makes us feel a little cautious about Vesuvius's debt levels. While debt does have its upside in higher potential returns, we think shareholders should definitely consider how debt levels might make the stock more risky. 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. For example, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Vesuvius that you should be aware of before investing here.

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.