Here's Why LivePerson (NASDAQ:LPSN) Can Afford Some 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.' It's only natural to consider a company's balance sheet when you examine how risky it is, since debt is often involved when a business collapses. As with many other companies LivePerson, Inc. (NASDAQ:LPSN) makes use of debt. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?

Why Does Debt Bring Risk?

Debt and other liabilities become risky for a business when it cannot easily fulfill those obligations, either with free cash flow or by raising capital at an attractive price. 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. Of course, plenty of companies use debt to fund growth, without any negative consequences. The first thing to do when considering how much debt a business uses is to look at its cash and debt together.

Check out our latest analysis for LivePerson

What Is LivePerson's Debt?

You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that as of December 2021 LivePerson had US$574.2m of debt, an increase on US$538.4m, over one year. However, it also had US$521.8m in cash, and so its net debt is US$52.4m.

How Strong Is LivePerson's Balance Sheet?

Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that LivePerson had liabilities of US$223.4m due within 12 months and liabilities of US$613.8m due beyond that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of US$521.8m as well as receivables valued at US$93.8m due within 12 months. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by US$221.6m.

Given LivePerson has a market capitalization of US$1.84b, 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. 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 LivePerson'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 LivePerson wasn't profitable at an EBIT level, but managed to grow its revenue by 28%, to US$470m. Shareholders probably have their fingers crossed that it can grow its way to profits.

Caveat Emptor

Even though LivePerson managed to grow its top line quite deftly, the cold hard truth is that it is losing money on the EBIT line. Indeed, it lost US$80m at the EBIT level. When we look at that and recall the liabilities on its balance sheet, relative to cash, it seems unwise to us for the company to have any debt. So we think its balance sheet is a little strained, though not beyond repair. However, it doesn't help that it burned through US$45m of cash over the last year. So suffice it to say we do consider the stock to be risky. 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. Be aware that LivePerson is showing 5 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 1 of those is a bit unpleasant...

When all is said and done, sometimes its easier to focus on companies that don't even need debt. Readers can access a list of growth stocks with zero net debt 100% free, right now.

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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.