Is New Jersey Resources (NYSE:NJR) Using Too Much Debt?

Warren Buffett famously said, 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk.' When we think about how risky a company is, we always like to look at its use of debt, since debt overload can lead to ruin. We note that New Jersey Resources Corporation (NYSE:NJR) does have debt on its balance sheet. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?

When Is Debt Dangerous?

Debt assists a business until the business has trouble paying it off, either with new capital or with free cash flow. Ultimately, if the company can't fulfill its legal obligations to repay debt, shareholders could walk away with nothing. 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, the upside of debt is that it often represents cheap capital, especially when it replaces dilution in a company with the ability to reinvest at high rates of return. When we examine debt levels, we first consider both cash and debt levels, together.

View our latest analysis for New Jersey Resources

How Much Debt Does New Jersey Resources Carry?

You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that as of June 2024 New Jersey Resources had US$3.22b of debt, an increase on US$3.00b, over one year. Net debt is about the same, since the it doesn't have much cash.

A Look At New Jersey Resources' Liabilities

Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that New Jersey Resources had liabilities of US$894.3m due within 12 months and liabilities of US$3.75b due beyond that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of US$22.4m as well as receivables valued at US$155.8m due within 12 months. So its liabilities total US$4.46b more than the combination of its cash and short-term receivables.

This deficit is considerable relative to its market capitalization of US$4.57b, so it does suggest shareholders should keep an eye on New Jersey Resources' use of debt. 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). Thus we consider debt relative to earnings both with and without depreciation and amortization expenses.

New Jersey Resources has a rather high debt to EBITDA ratio of 5.9 which suggests a meaningful debt load. But the good news is that it boasts fairly comforting interest cover of 3.2 times, suggesting it can responsibly service its obligations. Another concern for investors might be that New Jersey Resources's EBIT fell 11% in the last year. If that's the way things keep going handling the debt load will be like delivering hot coffees on a pogo stick. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine New Jersey Resources'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 clearly need to look at whether that EBIT is leading to corresponding free cash flow. During the last three years, New Jersey Resources burned a lot of cash. While that may be a result of expenditure for growth, it does make the debt far more risky.

Our View

On the face of it, New Jersey Resources's net debt to EBITDA left us tentative about the stock, and its conversion of EBIT to free cash flow was no more enticing than the one empty restaurant on the busiest night of the year. And even its level of total liabilities fails to inspire much confidence. It's also worth noting that New Jersey Resources is in the Gas Utilities industry, which is often considered to be quite defensive. Taking into account all the aforementioned factors, it looks like New Jersey Resources has too much debt. That sort of riskiness is ok for some, but it certainly doesn't float our boat. 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. We've identified 3 warning signs with New Jersey Resources (at least 1 which makes us a bit uncomfortable) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

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.