These 4 Measures Indicate That Spectrum Brands Holdings (NYSE:SPB) Is Using Debt Extensively

Legendary fund manager Li Lu (who Charlie Munger backed) once said, 'The biggest investment risk is not the volatility of prices, but whether you will suffer a permanent loss of capital.' 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. We can see that Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SPB) does use debt in its business. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?

When Is Debt A Problem?

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. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. However, a more frequent (but still costly) occurrence is where a company must issue shares at bargain-basement prices, permanently diluting shareholders, just to shore up its balance sheet. Of course, debt can be an important tool in businesses, particularly capital heavy businesses. When we think about a company's use of debt, we first look at cash and debt together.

Check out our latest analysis for Spectrum Brands Holdings

How Much Debt Does Spectrum Brands Holdings Carry?

As you can see below, at the end of June 2020, Spectrum Brands Holdings had US$2.53b of debt, up from US$2.12b a year ago. Click the image for more detail. However, because it has a cash reserve of US$465.9m, its net debt is less, at about US$2.06b.

How Strong Is Spectrum Brands Holdings's Balance Sheet?

The latest balance sheet data shows that Spectrum Brands Holdings had liabilities of US$782.3m due within a year, and liabilities of US$2.93b falling due after that. Offsetting this, it had US$465.9m in cash and US$535.4m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So it has liabilities totalling US$2.72b more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.

This is a mountain of leverage relative to its market capitalization of US$2.75b. Should its lenders demand that it shore up the balance sheet, shareholders would likely face severe 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).

While Spectrum Brands Holdings's debt to EBITDA ratio (3.9) suggests that it uses some debt, its interest cover is very weak, at 2.5, suggesting high leverage. So shareholders should probably be aware that interest expenses appear to have really impacted the business lately. Fortunately, Spectrum Brands Holdings grew its EBIT by 3.6% in the last year, slowly shrinking its debt relative to earnings. 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 Spectrum Brands Holdings'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.

But our final consideration is also important, because a company cannot pay debt with paper profits; it needs cold hard cash. So we always check how much of that EBIT is translated into free cash flow. During the last three years, Spectrum Brands Holdings produced sturdy free cash flow equating to 74% of its EBIT, about what we'd expect. This free cash flow puts the company in a good position to pay down debt, when appropriate.

Our View

Spectrum Brands Holdings's interest cover and level of total liabilities definitely weigh on it, in our esteem. But the good news is it seems to be able to convert EBIT to free cash flow with ease. When we consider all the factors discussed, it seems to us that Spectrum Brands Holdings is taking some risks with its use of debt. While that debt can boost returns, we think the company has enough leverage now. 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 2 warning signs we've spotted with Spectrum Brands Holdings .

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. 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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