Is Floor & Decor Holdings (NYSE:FND) Using Too Much Debt?

Some say volatility, rather than debt, is the best way to think about risk as an investor, but Warren Buffett famously said that '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 Floor & Decor Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:FND) makes use of debt. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky.

When Is Debt Dangerous?

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. Ultimately, if the company can't fulfill its legal obligations to repay debt, shareholders could walk away with nothing. While that is not too common, we often do see indebted companies permanently diluting shareholders because lenders force them to raise capital at a distressed price. Having said that, the most common situation is where a company manages its debt reasonably well - and to its own advantage. The first thing to do when considering how much debt a business uses is to look at its cash and debt together.

See our latest analysis for Floor & Decor Holdings

What Is Floor & Decor Holdings's Net Debt?

The image below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that Floor & Decor Holdings had debt of US$197.4m at the end of September 2021, a reduction from US$209.5m over a year. But on the other hand it also has US$330.1m in cash, leading to a US$132.6m net cash position.

How Strong Is Floor & Decor Holdings' Balance Sheet?

The latest balance sheet data shows that Floor & Decor Holdings had liabilities of US$1.01b due within a year, and liabilities of US$1.35b falling due after that. Offsetting this, it had US$330.1m in cash and US$81.5m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by US$1.95b.

Given Floor & Decor Holdings has a humongous market capitalization of US$14.0b, it's hard to believe these liabilities pose much threat. But there are sufficient liabilities that we would certainly recommend shareholders continue to monitor the balance sheet, going forward. While it does have liabilities worth noting, Floor & Decor Holdings also has more cash than debt, so we're pretty confident it can manage its debt safely.

In addition to that, we're happy to report that Floor & Decor Holdings has boosted its EBIT by 84%, thus reducing the spectre of future debt repayments. 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 Floor & Decor Holdings'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.

Finally, while the tax-man may adore accounting profits, lenders only accept cold hard cash. Floor & Decor Holdings 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. In the last three years, Floor & Decor Holdings's free cash flow amounted to 43% of its EBIT, less than we'd expect. That's not great, when it comes to paying down debt.

Summing up

While Floor & Decor Holdings does have more liabilities than liquid assets, it also has net cash of US$132.6m. And we liked the look of last year's 84% year-on-year EBIT growth. So we don't think Floor & Decor Holdings's use of debt is risky. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for Floor & Decor Holdings 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.

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.

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