Yahoo Finance These 4 Measures Indicate That Graham Holdings (NYSE:GHC) Is Using Debt Reasonably Well
Warren Buffett famously said, '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 Graham Holdings Company (NYSE:GHC) 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. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. However, a more frequent (but still costly) occurrence is where a company must issue shares at bargain-basement prices, permanently diluting shareholders, just to shore up its balance sheet. By replacing dilution, though, debt can be an extremely good tool for businesses that need capital to invest in growth at high rates of return. The first step when considering a company's debt levels is to consider its cash and debt together.
Check out our latest analysis for Graham Holdings
How Much Debt Does Graham Holdings Carry?
The image below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that at March 2022 Graham Holdings had debt of US$631.1m, up from US$540.4m in one year. However, its balance sheet shows it holds US$949.2m in cash, so it actually has US$318.1m net cash.
A Look At Graham Holdings' Liabilities
The latest balance sheet data shows that Graham Holdings had liabilities of US$1.04b due within a year, and liabilities of US$1.81b falling due after that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of US$949.2m as well as receivables valued at US$532.9m due within 12 months. So it has liabilities totalling US$1.37b more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.
This deficit isn't so bad because Graham Holdings is worth US$2.96b, and thus could probably raise enough capital to shore up its balance sheet, if the need arose. But it's clear that we should definitely closely examine whether it can manage its debt without dilution. Despite its noteworthy liabilities, Graham Holdings boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load!
The good news is that Graham Holdings has increased its EBIT by 9.7% over twelve months, which should ease any concerns about debt repayment. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Graham Holdings can strengthen its balance sheet over time. So if you want to see what the professionals think, you might find this free report on analyst profit forecasts to be interesting.
Finally, a company can only pay off debt with cold hard cash, not accounting profits. Graham 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, Graham Holdings's free cash flow amounted to 45% of its EBIT, less than we'd expect. That's not great, when it comes to paying down debt.
Summing up
Although Graham Holdings's balance sheet isn't particularly strong, due to the total liabilities, it is clearly positive to see that it has net cash of US$318.1m. And it also grew its EBIT by 9.7% over the last year. So we are not troubled with Graham Holdings's debt use. 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. For example - Graham Holdings has 2 warning signs we think 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.
