New Jersey Resources (NYSE:NJR) Takes On Some Risk With Its Use Of Debt

David Iben put it well when he said, 'Volatility is not a risk we care about. What we care about is avoiding the permanent loss of capital.' 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. Importantly, New Jersey Resources Corporation (NYSE:NJR) does carry debt. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky.

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. 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. 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 New Jersey Resources

What Is New Jersey Resources's Debt?

You can click the graphic below for the historical numbers, but it shows that as of December 2022 New Jersey Resources had US$3.20b of debt, an increase on US$2.80b, over one year. And it doesn't have much cash, so its net debt is about the same.

A Look At New Jersey Resources' Liabilities

According to the last reported balance sheet, New Jersey Resources had liabilities of US$1.07b due within 12 months, and liabilities of US$3.62b due beyond 12 months. On the other hand, it had cash of US$2.41m and US$484.1m worth of receivables due within a year. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by US$4.20b.

This is a mountain of leverage relative to its market capitalization of US$5.07b. Should its lenders demand that it shore up the balance sheet, shareholders would likely face severe dilution.

In order to size up a company's debt relative to its earnings, we calculate its net debt divided by its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) and its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) divided by its interest expense (its interest cover). This way, we consider both the absolute quantum of the debt, as well as the interest rates paid on it.

With a net debt to EBITDA ratio of 5.7, it's fair to say New Jersey Resources does have a significant amount of debt. But the good news is that it boasts fairly comforting interest cover of 4.6 times, suggesting it can responsibly service its obligations. Also relevant is that New Jersey Resources has grown its EBIT by a very respectable 27% in the last year, thus enhancing its ability to pay down debt. 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 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.

Finally, while the tax-man may adore accounting profits, lenders only accept cold hard cash. So it's worth checking how much of that EBIT is backed by free cash flow. During the last three years, New Jersey Resources burned a lot of cash. While investors are no doubt expecting a reversal of that situation in due course, it clearly does mean its use of debt is 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. But on the bright side, its EBIT growth rate is a good sign, and makes us more optimistic. We should also note that Gas Utilities industry companies like New Jersey Resources commonly do use debt without problems. Looking at the balance sheet and taking into account all these factors, we do believe that debt is making New Jersey Resources stock a bit risky. Some people like that sort of risk, but we're mindful of the potential pitfalls, so we'd probably prefer it carry less debt. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. Be aware that New Jersey Resources is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 1 of those is a bit unpleasant...

Of course, if you're the type of investor who prefers buying stocks without the burden of debt, then don't hesitate to discover our exclusive list of net cash growth stocks, today.

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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.