United Utilities Group (LON:UU.) Use Of Debt Could Be Considered Risky

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.' 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 can see that United Utilities Group PLC (LON:UU.) does use debt in its business. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?

What Risk Does Debt Bring?

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. Part and parcel of capitalism is the process of 'creative destruction' where failed businesses are mercilessly liquidated by their bankers. 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. When we think about a company's use of debt, we first look at cash and debt together.

See our latest analysis for United Utilities Group

How Much Debt Does United Utilities Group Carry?

The image below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that at September 2020 United Utilities Group had debt of UK£8.89b, up from UK£8.46b in one year. However, because it has a cash reserve of UK£899.0m, its net debt is less, at about UK£7.99b.

How Strong Is United Utilities Group's Balance Sheet?

According to the last reported balance sheet, United Utilities Group had liabilities of UK£1.19b due within 12 months, and liabilities of UK£10.5b due beyond 12 months. Offsetting this, it had UK£899.0m in cash and UK£281.3m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So its liabilities total UK£10.5b more than the combination of its cash and short-term receivables.

This deficit casts a shadow over the UK£6.44b company, like a colossus towering over mere mortals. So we'd watch its balance sheet closely, without a doubt. After all, United Utilities Group would likely require a major re-capitalisation if it had to pay its creditors today.

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). Thus we consider debt relative to earnings both with and without depreciation and amortization expenses.

United Utilities Group has a rather high debt to EBITDA ratio of 7.3 which suggests a meaningful debt load. But the good news is that it boasts fairly comforting interest cover of 3.0 times, suggesting it can responsibly service its obligations. Even more troubling is the fact that United Utilities Group actually let its EBIT decrease by 3.4% over the last year. If that earnings trend continues the company will face an uphill battle to pay off its debt. 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 United Utilities Group 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. Over the last three years, United Utilities Group reported free cash flow worth 19% of its EBIT, which is really quite low. That limp level of cash conversion undermines its ability to manage and pay down debt.

Our View

On the face of it, United Utilities Group's net debt to EBITDA left us tentative about the stock, and its level of total liabilities was no more enticing than the one empty restaurant on the busiest night of the year. But at least its EBIT growth rate is not so bad. We should also note that Water Utilities industry companies like United Utilities Group commonly do use debt without problems. Taking into account all the aforementioned factors, it looks like United Utilities Group has too much debt. That sort of riskiness is ok for some, but it certainly doesn't float our boat. 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 instance, we've identified 5 warning signs for United Utilities Group (2 are potentially serious) you should be aware of.

If, after all that, you're more interested in a fast growing company with a rock-solid balance sheet, then check out our list of net cash growth stocks without delay.

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