Does Range Resources (NYSE:RRC) Have A Healthy Balance Sheet?

David Iben put it well when he said, 'Volatility is not a risk we care about. What we care about is avoiding the permanent loss of capital.' 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. We note that Range Resources Corporation (NYSE:RRC) does have debt on its balance sheet. But is this debt a concern to shareholders?

Why Does Debt Bring Risk?

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 Range Resources

What Is Range Resources's Debt?

The image below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that Range Resources had debt of US$2.95b at the end of September 2021, a reduction from US$3.09b over a year. And it doesn't have much cash, so its net debt is about the same.

A Look At Range Resources' Liabilities

Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that Range Resources had liabilities of US$1.65b due within 12 months and liabilities of US$3.48b due beyond that. On the other hand, it had cash of US$478.0k and US$366.7m worth of receivables due within a year. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by US$4.76b.

When you consider that this deficiency exceeds the company's US$4.63b market capitalization, you might well be inclined to review the balance sheet intently. In the scenario where the company had to clean up its balance sheet quickly, it seems likely shareholders would suffer extensive dilution. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine Range Resources's ability to maintain a healthy balance sheet going forward. So if you're focused on the future you can check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.

In the last year Range Resources wasn't profitable at an EBIT level, but managed to grow its revenue by 53%, to US$2.8b. With any luck the company will be able to grow its way to profitability.

Caveat Emptor

While we can certainly appreciate Range Resources's revenue growth, its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) loss is not ideal. To be specific the EBIT loss came in at US$249m. When we look at that alongside the significant liabilities, we're not particularly confident about the company. We'd want to see some strong near-term improvements before getting too interested in the stock. It's fair to say the loss of US$441m didn't encourage us either; we'd like to see a profit. And until that time we think this is a risky stock. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. For example - Range Resources has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

At the end of the day, it's often better to focus on companies that are free from net debt. You can access our special list of such companies (all with a track record of profit growth). It's free.

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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.