Advertisement
Canada markets open in 5 hours 35 minutes
  • S&P/TSX

    22,107.08
    +194.56 (+0.89%)
     
  • S&P 500

    5,248.49
    +44.91 (+0.86%)
     
  • DOW

    39,760.08
    +477.75 (+1.22%)
     
  • CAD/USD

    0.7358
    -0.0015 (-0.20%)
     
  • CRUDE OIL

    81.71
    +0.36 (+0.44%)
     
  • Bitcoin CAD

    95,626.02
    +895.84 (+0.95%)
     
  • CMC Crypto 200

    885.54
    0.00 (0.00%)
     
  • GOLD FUTURES

    2,213.40
    +0.70 (+0.03%)
     
  • RUSSELL 2000

    2,114.35
    +44.19 (+2.13%)
     
  • 10-Yr Bond

    4.1960
    0.0000 (0.00%)
     
  • NASDAQ futures

    18,508.50
    +4.75 (+0.03%)
     
  • VOLATILITY

    12.94
    +0.16 (+1.25%)
     
  • FTSE

    7,931.98
    +1.02 (+0.01%)
     
  • NIKKEI 225

    40,168.07
    -594.66 (-1.46%)
     
  • CAD/EUR

    0.6808
    +0.0003 (+0.04%)
     

Is Verso (NYSE:VRS) Using Too Much 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.' 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. Importantly, Verso Corporation (NYSE:VRS) does carry debt. But should shareholders be worried about its use of debt?

Why Does Debt Bring Risk?

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. 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.

ADVERTISEMENT

Check out our latest analysis for Verso

What Is Verso's Debt?

As you can see below, Verso had US$45.0m of debt at June 2019, down from US$162.0m a year prior. However, it also had US$6.00m in cash, and so its net debt is US$39.0m.

NYSE:VRS Historical Debt, August 12th 2019
NYSE:VRS Historical Debt, August 12th 2019

A Look At Verso's Liabilities

The latest balance sheet data shows that Verso had liabilities of US$319.0m due within a year, and liabilities of US$505.0m falling due after that. On the other hand, it had cash of US$6.00m and US$188.0m worth of receivables due within a year. So it has liabilities totalling US$630.0m more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined.

Given this deficit is actually higher than the company's market capitalization of US$423.6m, we think shareholders really should watch Verso's debt levels, like a parent watching their child ride a bike for the first time. In the scenario where the company had to clean up its balance sheet quickly, it seems likely shareholders would suffer extensive dilution.

We use two main ratios to inform us about debt levels relative to earnings. The first is net debt divided by earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), while the second is how many times its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) covers its interest expense (or its interest cover, for short). 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).

Verso's net debt is only 0.13 times its EBITDA. And its EBIT covers its interest expense a whopping 10.1 times over. So we're pretty relaxed about its super-conservative use of debt. Better yet, Verso grew its EBIT by 184% last year, which is an impressive improvement. That boost will make it even easier to pay down debt going forward. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine Verso'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.

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. Over the last three years, Verso recorded free cash flow worth a fulsome 82% of its EBIT, which is stronger than we'd usually expect. That puts it in a very strong position to pay down debt.

Our View

Both Verso's ability to to convert EBIT to free cash flow and its EBIT growth rate gave us comfort that it can handle its debt. In contrast, our confidence was undermined by its apparent struggle to handle its total liabilities. Considering this range of data points, we think Verso is in a good position to manage its debt levels. Having said that, the load is sufficiently heavy that we would recommend any shareholders keep a close eye on it. Over time, share prices tend to follow earnings per share, so if you're interested in Verso, you may well want to click here to check an interactive graph of its earnings per share history.

At the end of the day, it's often better to focus on companies that are free from net debt. You can access our special list of such companies (all with a track record of profit growth). It's free.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.