Does Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure (NASDAQ:AY) Have A Healthy Balance Sheet?

Warren Buffett famously said, 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk.' 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. As with many other companies Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure plc (NASDAQ:AY) makes use of debt. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky.

When Is Debt Dangerous?

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. In the worst case scenario, a company can go bankrupt if it cannot pay its creditors. 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. When we think about a company's use of debt, we first look at cash and debt together.

View our latest analysis for Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure

What Is Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure's Debt?

As you can see below, Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure had US$5.46b of debt, at September 2023, which is about the same as the year before. You can click the chart for greater detail. On the flip side, it has US$764.9m in cash leading to net debt of about US$4.70b.

How Healthy Is Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure's Balance Sheet?

We can see from the most recent balance sheet that Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure had liabilities of US$619.0m falling due within a year, and liabilities of US$6.55b due beyond that. Offsetting this, it had US$764.9m in cash and US$263.6m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So its liabilities total US$6.14b more than the combination of its cash and short-term receivables.

This deficit casts a shadow over the US$2.44b company, like a colossus towering over mere mortals. So we definitely think shareholders need to watch this one closely. At the end of the day, Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure would probably need a major re-capitalization if its creditors were to demand repayment.

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).

Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure shareholders face the double whammy of a high net debt to EBITDA ratio (7.0), and fairly weak interest coverage, since EBIT is just 0.81 times the interest expense. The debt burden here is substantial. On a slightly more positive note, Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure grew its EBIT at 14% over the last year, further increasing its ability to manage 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 Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure 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 the logical step is to look at the proportion of that EBIT that is matched by actual free cash flow. Happily for any shareholders, Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure actually produced more free cash flow than EBIT over the last three years. That sort of strong cash conversion gets us as excited as the crowd when the beat drops at a Daft Punk concert.

Our View

To be frank both Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure's interest cover and its track record of staying on top of its total liabilities make us rather uncomfortable with its debt levels. But on the bright side, its conversion of EBIT to free cash flow is a good sign, and makes us more optimistic. Overall, we think it's fair to say that Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure has enough debt that there are some real risks around the balance sheet. If all goes well, that should boost returns, but on the flip side, the risk of permanent capital loss is elevated by the debt. 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 3 warning signs for Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure (1 can't be ignored) you should be aware of.

If you're interested in investing in businesses that can grow profits without the burden of debt, then check out this free list of growing businesses that have net cash on the balance sheet.

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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.